"O"dds and Ends; Little League World Series Theme

The Little League World Series version of the "O"dds and Ends Roundup teaches us a few things about Orioles past and present:

(1) In a rare form of sports irony, LaTroy Hawkins' off-field performance is something to boast about, even when his on-the-field performance isn't.

(2) Mike Flanagan was a Little League star before moving on to bigger and better things like the 1979 Cy Young Award.

(3) They were pining away this week in Pennsylvania for Rick Dempsey and his famous rain delay routines. As Baseball Library notes, the 1983 World Series MVP who caught more games than anyone else in franchise history had a father who was a Vaudeville actor and a mother who was a Broadway star.

On to the Roundup:

He's Better Than Advertised (Washington Post)
In Hawkins, 33, the Orioles have one of the most socially conscious and charitable players in the game, and yet under a blanket of blunt backtalk he has gained a mostly unsavory reputation.

"I think he's misunderstood and people go about what they read," said Hawkins's best friend, Minnesota Twins outfielder Torii Hunter. "One guy might write something bad, and then 'Bam!' it's over with. The pen is mightier than anything. Once somebody writes something about you, it sticks with people's view of you no matter what. When people think of LaTroy Hawkins, they think he doesn't like the media, and that the fans hate him."

Wilkinsburg Little Leaguers fall short in their first game at the World Series (Post-Gazette)

Most U.S. teams at the Little League World Series hail from white suburbs, but all the players in the Wilkinsburg-New Haven game were black. Torii Hunter, center fielder of the Minnesota Twins, brought them to the series as part of Little League's Urban Initiative, which is designed to get more city kids playing ball each summer.

Mr. Hunter and nine other major leaguers also paid the way for two other teams, from the Bronx, N.Y., and North Richmond, Va., to play exhibitions at the series.

"We need to do this," Mr. Hunter, 31, said after greeting the boys from Wilkinsburg. "I played youth baseball in Pine Bluff, Ark., but it's not around anymore and I see kids getting in trouble."

Joining him at the series was LaTroy Hawkins of the Baltimore Orioles, another pro who helped fund Little League's Urban Initiative.

The two players share the same agent. They were talking one day during the off-season about what could be done to reverse the trend of fewer kids in U.S. cities playing baseball.

"Torii had the idea to support the Urban Initiative by bringing them here," Mr. Hawkins said. "I thought it was a good one."

Little League a major hit (Spokesman Review)
Hunter and Orioles reliever LaTroy Hawkins took a short flight from Baltimore, where the Twins and Orioles were playing a midweek series, to promote "The Torii Hunter Project" and the Little League Urban Initiative, programs designed to encourage more children in urban areas to play baseball.

For at least a couple of hours, they felt like kids again.

Hall of Famer Brock has "fireside chat" with Missouri Team (Sports Illustrated)
Baltimore Orioles executive Mike Flanagan will also be honored with the William A. Shea Distinguished Little League Graduate Award on Aug. 27, the final day of the tournament. Flanagan played Little League in Manchester, N.H.

Rainout muddies LL waters (Pennsylvania Live)
Little League officials told Mike Flanagan, scheduled to receive this year's distinguished graduate award, to stay home in Baltimore because bad weather figured to wash out his ceremony.

Upon reflection, they probably should have told him to come anyway and bring Baltimore Orioles coach Rick Dempsey to drenched Lamade Stadium.

We needed Dempsey, baseball's most renowned rain delay entertainer, during yesterday's soggy and ultimately futile Little League World Series championship game vigil.

Fast Fact

In case you missed it, Corey Patterson and Brian Roberts are the first pair of Orioles teammates to have 30 steals in the same season.

Chances are that Patterson won't set the team's single season steals record, a possibility that was discussed in a previous Roar posting. Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio stole 57 bases for the Birds in 1964, leading the major leagues and his next closest competitor - Al Weis - by 35 bases.

Happy Birthday, Cal

The Iron Man turns 46 today.

I'm guessing we don't need to write about the things Cal did as an Oriole. We don't keep statistics on the demographics of our readers, but something tells me that no one takes up residence under a rock.

If you found "Roar from 34" on the web, you probably know the trivia items like who Cal replaced to start the Streak (hint: Sugarbear) and who replaced him to end the streak (hint: his name starts with Ryan and ends with Minor).

The rest is sweet Orioles history.

Hi Hoey, It's Off to Baltimore We Go

It's that time of year when we start to see the guys from down on the farm in major league uniforms and become overly optimistic for the future. Loving O's legends the way we do on this blog, can we go ahead and credit Bowie pitching coach Scott McGregor with James Hoey's rise to the parent club?

Get to know Hoey with the following stories:

Single-A has diamonds in the rough (The Sun)

As the club's full-season minor league teams wind down their schedules, the Orioles have unearthed a few gems and seen a few top prospects lose their luster.

Perhaps the biggest surprise to come from Single-A is reliever James Hoey. The 6-foot-6 right-hander started his season as Delmarva's closer and dominated with his 97-mph fastball and slider, accumulating 18 saves.

Hoey Takes a Winding Road Up (The Post)

Hoey's rise through the Baltimore minor league system has been peculiar. A 13th-round pick in the 2003 draft, Hoey began the season in Class A Delmarva and then was moved to Class A Frederick before settling in at Bowie.

"The only thing I was shooting for was perhaps Double-A," Hoey said. "That was my main concern -- trying to get on the 40-man [roster] to go to big league spring training. That's the only thing I was worried about."

Baltimore's Diamond Mine (Press Box)

The most recent graduate of Youse's Orioles to reach the major leagues, although not yet for good, is Gavin Floyd, the Mount St. Joseph grad and a No. 1 pick of the Phillies four years ago. Albany believes that three more of his former right-handed pitchers are high on the Orioles' radar screen. "Brandon Erbe and Chorye Spoone are doing a great job at Delmarva," he said. "James Hoey has moved up to Frederick and already has 29 saves (18 at Delmarva, 11 at Frederick). All three of those guys were picked for the South Atlantic League All-Star game and I think we'll be hearing a lot about them."

Bowie's Hoey has the closing power (Examiner.com)

James Hoey has a major league-caliber fastball. Just ask the guys who face him.

Hoey’s fastball is so difficult for his peers to hit, he has been throwing it exclusively in recent weeks.

“I’ve gotten away with a lot of fastballs,” he said. “I haven’t even thrown sliders the past couple of games.”

Hoey an Oriole (Rider University)

Hoey was selected in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in 2003 following his junior season at Rider, when he was a first-team All-New Jersey selection. Hoey won his final five decisions at Rider and finished 6-4 with a 2.24 earned run average as a junior.

Rider Edges Jaspers 2-1 in 14 Inning Thriller (Manhattan College)

The starters for each team, Manhattan's Ryan Darcy (Levittown, NY) and Rider's James Hoey, each pitched and incredible 11 innings and allowed just one run apiece. Darcy, who worked 11 innings without a decision, struck out a season-high 11 batters and walked one while allowing one unearned run. Hoey struck out nine Jaspers and walked four while scattering six hits.

Final random fact, just because:

Hooey is apparently a graduate of both the Dave Gallagher Baseball Academy and the Baseball Factory.

No Such Thing as Home Field Advantage in Baltimore

We wouldn't be treading any new ground if we wrote about the declining attendance numbers at the Yard or how Yankees and Red Sox fans treat Baltimore as a home away from home. But a recent "Sports Illustrated" players poll (Aug. 21, p. 36) adds a new dubious distinction for one of baseball's greatest ballparks, or at least the fans who inhabit it.

When asked, "Which ballpark is the most difficult to play in as a visiting player?," 21 percent of players said Yankee Stadium. Fenway Park was a close second at 20 percent, followed by Wrigley Field (10 percent), and Citizens Bank Park (10 percent).

Wondering about Camden? Look among the "Fast Facts" following the poll results, and you'll find this statement: "Every stadium except for Oriole Park at Camden Yards received at least one vote."

An optimist would say that no one voted for Camden because we O's fans help our city live up to its Charm City nickname. Opposing players love to visit St. Louis because the fans are knowledgable and respectful; they'll applaud a good play by either team. However, a realist would note that Camden has been losing some of its charm since the team went into its extended slide.

Hopefully, things will change in the near future. Looks like we're a fan base that can adopt the familiar refrain, "Wait 'till next year."

Timing Could be Everything for Markakis

If a hit falls in the gap, and no one sees it, are you still a good batter?

By Matthew Taylor

[Vote in our online poll about Nick Markakis.]

Earlier this month, O’s rookie right fielder Nick Markakis joined the likes of Albert Pujols, Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, Justin Morneau, and teammate Brian Roberts in some elite company: He became a member of my fantasy baseball team.

Granted, it’s no Rookie of the Year announcement for Markakis. But unlike most scenarios involving males and fantasies, this one actually has some relationship with reality. Whether it's at the major league level or the fantasy level, Nick Markakis' solid performance this season hasn't gotten the attention it deserves.

Luckily for Markakis, things are changing. He's now getting some love on a blog with a lifetime readership roughly equivalent to the attendance at a "Nails on the Chalkboard" promotion night at the local minor league park. Congratulations, Nick. You can pick up your Tripper Johnson bobblehead on the way out of the stadium.

After Thursday's performance at Yankee Stadium, Nick Markakis is batting .299 with a .362 on-base percentage and a .427 slugging percentage. Forget Rookie of the Year, this guy deserves Comeback Player of the Year.

Markakis batted .182 in April. By June, he had raised his average to .228. Take that, Mario Mendoza. Or was it Minnie? Whatever the case, that mythical Mendoza guy isn’t even a speck in the rearview mirror after Markakis batted a Williams-esque .403 for the month of July. (Thinking Bernie rather than Ted? I’ve got a heaping plate of history with a side of common sense for you to sample.)

Now, every time we Birds fans pick up the newspaper we're treated to the latest updated statistic about our sizzling rookie right fielder: "Since (month), (day), Nick Markakis leads the major leagues with a (.xxx) average." With his recent power surge, perhaps the storyline can change: "Nick Markakis has batted (.xxx) with (xx) home runs since moving to the No. 2 spot in the Orioles lineup."

I'm no sportswriter, so I'll leave the extended feting to the guys who do it best, or at least most often. (Check out these articles about Markakis from The Sun and The Post. Don't worry, neither one uses the word "fete.")

I’m more concerned with what it's going to take for Nick Markakis to truly get the credit he deserves. The stats tell an impressive story about his mid-season resurgence, but chances are that fans outside of Charm City still answer "It's all Greek to me" when asked about baseball's hottest hitter. So it's not just about what Nick Markakis does for the rest of the season. It's also about when he does it.

Fans will know Nick Markakis if he comes up big in the 13 remaining games that the Birds have with the division's overexposed Northeast rivals. Hit a walk off homer in the Bronx. Snare a game-tying hit before it drops on the Fenway grass. Be an equal opportunity antagonist, a "Yankee Killer" and "Sawks Killer" wrapped into one. If Reggie Jackson showed us anything it's that baseball fans have selective memories when your timing is good.

Let's face it, the story of the AL East is once again the Yankees and Red Sox. Try an experiment this afternoon: Crawl under a rock. Stay there until Monday. Chances are you'll still get sick of hearing about a certain five-game set in Boston. You can't pay for the type of media exposure that the Sawks and Yanks receive. Okay, you can. And both teams essentially have. But that just means opportunity is knocking down the stretch for Markakis.

Brian Roberts dismisses the notion of the O's as a spoiler: "The spoiler role doesn't matter," Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said. "It just feels good to play well, to win. It's not like we have a preference of who wins the East. I think it's more about us, trying to play better, trying to finish well. I think that's the most important thing."

Teams are spoilers. Markakis has the chance to be an assassin. The "not him again" guy who tortures spoiled fan bases.

The opportunities have been there. Markakis came to the plate in Fenway on Aug. 13 with the bases loaded and one out. The O’s trailed 11-9. Markakis struck out. Baseball, though, is like that ex-girlfriend whose moods would swing and who you surely don’t miss. It’s a fickle game. So consider yesterday’s match-up in the Bronx a rebound for Markakis.

Provided that Nick Markakis is "money, baby" over the next several weeks, it’ll be more Cheers than jeers when it's all said and done. Everyone will know his name.

Happy Birthday, Boog

Orioles legend and the namesake for "Boog's BBQ" at Camden Yards, Boog Powell turns 65 today. Happy birthday, Boog.

A four-time All-Star from 1968 to 1971, Boog was the American League MVP in 1970 when he batted .297 with with 35 home runs, 114 RBIs, and, yes, one stolen base. He had the league's third-highest on-base percentage (.412) and the second-highest slugging percentage (.549). Boog finished second to Harmon Killebrew in MVP voting in 1969.

Talk about your glory days, the 1970 Orioles had six players in the top 20 of the MVP voting that year: Boog, Brooks (No. 7), Frank Robinson (No. 10), Mike Cuellar (No. 11), Dave McNally (No. 16), and Don Buford (No. 20). Cuellar and McNally both won 24 games in 1970. Meanwhile, Jim Palmer, a 20-game winner, finished No. 25 in the MVP voting and was the seventh Oriole receiving votes.

The Orioles of course went on to win the second of their three World Series titles that season, beating the Cincinnati Reds in five games. Boog batted .294 with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs in the Series.

In 1971, the Orioles would become the last Major League team to field four 20-game winners: Palmer, McNally, Cuellar, and Pat Dobson.

In 2004, Boog was voted as one of the fans' 50 all-time favorite Orioles.

Sound Familiar?

The O's pre-trade deadline dance with Miguel Tejada to the tune of the Clash - Should he stay or should he go now? - bears some resemblance to the Atlanta Braves' situation with Andruw Jones. Reading the "Inside Baseball" section of this week's Sports Illustrated produced an all too familiar feeling.

A Brave Move By Atlanta

After entertaining offers for Andruw Jones before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, the Braves caused a stir last week when they put the All-Star centerfielder on waivers. Atlanta had the right idea: The club has to overhaul its aging pitching staff, and trading Jones (26 home runs, 95 RBIs, both team highs through Sunday) for young quality arms would move the franchise in the right direction. After the Braves had won 14 straight division titles, the bottom fell out this year (51-59, third place in the NL East) with the staff ERA ballooning from 3.98 in 2005 to 4.75 (ranked 12th in the league). "Their most impressive minor leaguers are position players," says an NL executive. "They're not as stocked with quality pitchers as they used to be." With no deal in the works after four days, Atlanta pulled Jones off waivers last Saturday - effectively ending the possibility of a trade until the off-season.

A prolific offensive star serving as trade bait for a team in need of pitching? I think we've heard that one before in Baltimore. It's just too bad that the Birds haven't resembled the Braves more often in recent years. You can ask Leo Mazzone about that.

Chasing the O's?

Nothing left to play for in the A.L. East unless you're wearing pinstripes or Red Sox? At least one website claims otherwise. It's an interesting read, even if it comes from a gambling website:

Devil Rays chase Orioles in AL East

Could the Tampa Bay Devil Rays achieve a franchise first this season? No, not win the World Series, or the American League pennant, or the AL East division title, or the AL Wild Card. Or finish at or above the .500 mark. Or break the franchise record for wins in a season (70, two years ago). So what is the D-Rays’ big ambition for 2006?

It’s to finish ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.

Delino in Delaware

Former Orioles MVP Delino DeShields entered the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame this spring. As recalled by Birds in the Belfry, DeShields had one of his best professional seasons while with the Orioles in 2000.

Check out the short video of DeShields' speech at the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame.

In other news:

Happy birthday, Earl Weaver! Everyone's favorite fiery skip, Weaver - who was known to manage for the three-run homer, saying "if you play for one run, that's all you'll get" - was born on this date in 1930.

Some Quick O's History

On this date, Aug. 10 (courtesy of the Charlotte Observer):

1957: Mickey Mantle became the first player to clear the center-field hedge at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium when his 460-foot homer hit the base of the scoreboard. The Yankees beat the Orioles, 6-3.

1971: Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins hit his 500th home run in the first inning off Baltimore's Mike Cuellar to become the 10th player to hit 500 or more. Killebrew also hit No. 501 off Cuellar, but the Orioles won 4-3.

A current Oriole making history (courtesy of ESPN.com):

Miguel Tejada hit his 20th home run of the season in the Orioles' win in Toronto. It's the eighth consecutive season in which Tejada has hit at least 20 home runs. Only two other players in major league history had eight consecutive seasons of 20-or-more home runs and 100-or-more games at shortstop: Cal Ripken (nine straight seasons, 1983-1991) and Alex Rodriguez (eight, 1996-2003). Ernie Banks did it seven consecutive years (1955-1961).

Peter Schmuck Has Lost His Mind

Free agents aren't the solution

By Christopher Heun

Now that the trade deadline has passed and Miguel Tejada is still in Baltimore, it appears that free agency is the most likely way the Birds will try to improve for 2007.

This is a mistake for many reasons. The biggest: the Orioles have a poor track record of attracting free agent talent and when they do manage to sign someone, more often than not it ends up backfiring. For every Ramon Hernandez there is a Javy Lopez and a Sidney Ponson; for every Tejada there’s an Albert Belle and a David Segui. Not to mention the Warehouse closet filled with the inimitable likes of Marty Cordova, Steve Kline, Mike DeJean or Jim Brower.

On top of that, I doubt the team’s chances with what has to be considered a weak selection of talent this off-season, especially when it comes to starting pitching. Does anyone really believe that one of the trio of aces on the market – Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt and Mark Mulder – will sign with a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 1997?

Not everyone agrees with me. When I wrote that dealing Tejada for young pitchers was the best hope for the Birds, Josh of Since 1954 commented that writing out checks this winter could spark a return to winning ways. “If we increased spending by ~$20 million, so our payroll would be at ~$90 million, we'd be able to acquire enough tools to get over .500.”

Josh is not alone. The Sun’s Peter Schmuck has been drinking the free agent Kool-Aid in greedy gulps. In his Aug. 4 column, he espoused the oft-disproved theory – by the very same Orioles, circa Albert Belle no less! – that spending more money automatically means more wins.

I’ll let Schmuck speak for himself in italics. The normal typeface is my comments. For space reasons, I’ve skipped much of the beginning of his column, which was dedicated to the possibility that the gap separating the O’s from the top of the standings isn’t so wide after all.

The club has solid organizational pitching depth and an offensive attack that could be upgraded dramatically with one or two decent free-agent signings this winter. Throw in a No. 1 starter (Roy Oswalt still isn't out of the question) and maybe you won't be so quick to sell your tickets to the Yankees and Red Sox games next summer.

“One or two decent signings and a No. 1 starter” reminds me of what Texas Rangers manager Whitey Herzog had to say about his 1973 club: “We need just two players to be a contender. Just Babe Ruth and Sandy Koufax.”

Manager Sam Perlozzo is paid to say the right things about the club, but I tend to believe him when he says the groundwork has been laid for a brighter future.

Remember this bit about groundwork. It comes up again later.

"I think one of the biggest things we did was sign some of the guys to multi-year contracts, so we have less holes to fill," he said. "We've cut our holes down to the point where we need one big guy. We could use two, but one major [offensive] guy would really make a difference."

The name that has been floating around lately is slugging left-fielder Carlos Lee, who was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Texas Rangers, but has not signed a long-term contract. He is expected to be one of the plums of the free-agent market and the Orioles are expected to make a big play to get him.

When did Carlos Lee become the second coming of Frank Robinson? Lee’s career on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) is .830; this year it’s about .890. Alfonso Soriano, also a free agent this winter, has a career OPS of .837 and is having his best year too, with a .961 OPS. For comparison’s sake, Jay Gibbons the past two seasons has put up an OPS of .833 and .841

In a perfect world, the O's also would sign or acquire another solid run-producer to play first base or fill the designated hitter role.

In a perfect world, Leo Mazzone could pitch. In a perfect world, there would be no such thing as Curt Schilling, Pete Harnisch and Steve Finley for Glenn Davis.

Of course, there is one other big need that will be much tougher to fill - the first slot in the starting rotation. The Orioles are not likely to be competitive if they hand Erik Bedard the ball on Opening Day and hope that the other young pitchers fall in behind him.

Yes! Exactly! Now Peter’s talking some sense! Why did it take him 10 paragraphs and 447 words – much of which I’ve spared you – to get here?

"We need one starter better than what we've got," Perlozzo said. "Now, you've got that guy, Bedard, [Kris] Benson and our kids to fill in."

Notice there was no mention of Rodrigo Lopez, Russ Ortiz or Bruce Chen. That they are still making starts in August shows just how tightly Perlozzo’s hands are tied.

Really, we're talking about three significant acquisitions during the offseason, and maybe another solid middle reliever just to be sure. The reconfigured Orioles front office is coming off a winter during which the team signed catcher Ramon Hernandez and made solid deals for Benson and Corey Patterson, but it is going to take some power shopping in November to get back into contention.

Power shopping? What happened to that talk in the beginning that “the groundwork has been laid for a brighter future?” He’s just said the team needs four players – which is it?

"We've got some [pitching] talent," veteran Jay Gibbons said. "It's definitely the best since I've been here, but in the offseason we're still going to have to do some work. It would be nice to be in August and be right in the thick of things. I dream of playing in a pennant race.

"One big bopper and an ace changes everything. We're not that far away. It's just a matter of going out and doing it."

It’s great to dream, but two big signings like that are unlikely. The only way this team will land an ace is via trade or by growing them at home. The last time the Orioles signed a free agent starting pitcher was 2004. Care to guess who? Sidney Ponson. Going all the way back to the winter of 2000, here are the free agent starters that the team has managed to sign: Rick Helling, Omar Daal, Pat Hentgen, Willis Roberts, Jose Mercedes and Pat Rapp. Enough to send chills up any fan’s spine.

There's probably a little more to it than that. Even with the new Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) coming on line, the Orioles might never be able to compete dollar-for-dollar with the Yankees unless they wilt under the weight of their annual $200 million payroll and their giant revenue sharing and payroll tax burden.

Enough with the fixation on George Steinbrenner’s cash. MASN will never produce the revenue of the Yankees’ YES Network, but it doesn’t have to. Last year’s White Sox won a World Series with a $75 million payroll. The Yankees will always have the most money, but they haven’t won a championship in six seasons!

"You have to think that they are going to come back to the pack," Perlozzo said. "It's not like they have all the young players. They can't get everybody. Sooner or later, you're hoping the availability of players is not there for them. If we continue to be smart and make some signings, then definitely we can compete."

The fans are understandably skeptical, but owner Peter Angelos has said on several occasions that he's willing to spend what it takes to return the Orioles to glory. That opportunity will present itself again in a few months.

The question isn’t whether Angelos is willing to spend the money, the question is whether spending gobs of extra money is the right course. Look at the Blue Jays. They spent $106.5 million last winter on A. J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan and Benjie Molina and where has it gotten them? Third place, exactly where they’ve finished seven of the last eight years.

Free agents aren’t the answer. It’s tough to convince the best to play in Baltimore and the strategy of simply throwing cash at whoever will take it is not the way to build a sustainable winning franchise. We need to look no further than the Warehouse since 1998 for proof.

Who Are the Free Agents of 2007?

Don't hold your breath, there's no savior in the bunch

By Christopher Heun

Even if Orioles owner Peter Angelos wants to open up his checkbook this winter, the crop of free agents is weak. Here’s a look by position:

Left Field

Besides the two jewels, Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee, the options for left field are either too old (Moises Alou, Barry Bonds, Luis Gonzalez), too injury prone (Cliff Floyd, Shannon Stewart) or just not worth getting excited about (Jay Payton, Preston Wilson, Jose Cruz Jr.).

The Orioles probably have better chances with Frank Catalanotto and David Dellucci, who are similar lefty hitters with some pop who would be less expensive than Soriano and Lee.

Soriano could be intriguing in an Orioles uniform, but he’d have to agree to stay in the outfield and give up batting in the leadoff spot, his preference in D.C.

Lee is a good hitter, but like I said before (see previous post), he’s not an elite player. Yes, he’s on his way to his fourth consecutive 30-homer season, but Baseball Reference says his most similar player the past two seasons has been George Bell, who had a couple monster years for the Blue Jays in 1986-87 but then fell off dramatically and was out of baseball by age 33.

First Base

If Jay Gibbons follows in Javy Lopez’s footsteps and struggles to make a new home at first base, then that’s another hole the team will have to fill. Again, the options are limited. Shea Hillenbrand is a malcontent. Sean Casey has lost his power while Phil Nevin has rediscovered his home run stroke at the expense of his batting average. Mike Piazza will probably want to catch in 2007 (and stay on the West Coast to do it). Nomar Garciaparra might also want to stay close to his California roots or even move back to shortstop.

That leaves Craig Wilson, who might be the best bet. He’s a versatile player, a slightly better version of Jeff Conine. Aubrey Huff, who’s struggled this season, is also an option.

Starting Pitching

There’s only three top of the line starters: Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt and Mark Mulder. Think the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox and a dozen other teams won’t be interested?

The other so-called elite pitchers don’t make sense in Baltimore, because of either age, injury or established ties to other cities: Greg Maddux, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Brad Radke and Kerry Wood.

Here’s a list of the other arms that will be available (“team option” means that the player’s team may exercise an option on a 2007 contract). As far as starters, it’s basically just a bunch of very average 30 year olds:

Starters

Tony Armas Jr.
Pedro Astacio
Mark Buerhle (team option)
Adam Eaton
Orlando Hernandez
Ted Lilly
Jason Marquis
Gil Meche
Ramon Ortiz
Vicente Padilla
Chan Ho Park
Tomo Ohka
John Thomson
Jeff Suppan
Kip Wells
Jamey Wright

Relievers

There are a few relievers would could be helpful next season (Riske, Speier, Cordero) but it's a little early to be lining up next year's bullpen. Nevertheless, the choices are:

Antonio Alfonseca
Joe Borowski
Chad Bradford
Francisco Cordero (team option)
Eddie Guardado
LaTroy Hawkins
Ray King (team option)
Dan Kolb
Guillermo Mota
Darren Oliver
David Riske
Scott Sauerbeck
Scott Schoenweiss
Justin Speier
Scott Williamson

So there you go. Even if General Manager Mike Flanagan were to pull off a “power shopping” spree, as Peter Schmuck likes to call it, and signed Lee, Wilson and Meche – an optimistic but conceivable turn of events – I doubt that’s enough to make much of a dent in the standings in 2007, much less the postseason.

Further Reading

mlbtraderumors.com has done a meticulous job of evaluating the available talent by position.

For a comprehensive list of free agents including pitchers, check out www.mlb4u.com.

Deal Or No Deal? Time to Cash In on Tejada

Trading him is the only way to improve the pitching

by Christopher Heun

With the trading deadline just a few days away, Orioles fans are collectively holding their breath, hoping that the front office can pull off a miracle. It’s become an annual ritual in Baltimore, as routine as humidity in July, and the result is always the same: no deal.

To be fair to general manager Mike Flanagan, he’s holding a losing hand. Sure, it’s easy to pick out what to discard – start with a pair of Lopezes; Rodrigo, with an ERA higher than any 10-year interest rate, and Javy, a man who’s lost his position and his power – but what team would give anything of value in return?

[Allow me to digress: Since hitting 43 homers in 2003, Javy Lopez has managed 46 in two and half seasons. What happened to the guy?]

In pursuit of a deal, Flanagan has two bargaining chips: Miguel Tejada and a bunch of young pitchers. Whether or not he should trade the arms depends on if you think the Birds can be contenders in three years, before Tejada’s contract expires.

If you think the answer to that question is yes, then I’ve got an insurance policy on Albert Belle’s hip to sell you.

No, without some solid, experienced pitchers, the team isn’t going to contend while Miggy is here, and if that’s the case, then what’s the point of having him around? Trade him now, before he demands a move again, forces Flanagan’s hand and makes it harder to get equal value in return. If Miggy can’t stand two losing seasons, it’s ridiculous to think he’ll put up with three more.

The Orioles aren’t one player away from respectability. That’s as true now about Bobby Abreu, last week’s hot rumor, as it was last year with A.J. Burnett. And even more important, what this team needs more than anything is pitching. Tejada is the way to get it.

The Orioles have scored 483 runs this season, ninth in the league, but only 37 less than Detroit, owners of the best record in baseball. That’s about two extra runs a week. The difference between the two teams is pitching: the Orioles have given up 561 runs, second-most in the AL and a whopping 177 more than the Tigers. That works out to nearly 2 more runs allowed per game.

We all know the results. Through 100 games, the Orioles record was 45-55, which projects to 73-89 for a full season. This isn’t a rebuilding team; it only plays like one.

This isn’t a rebuilding team because the payroll on Opening Day was $72.6 million, according to USA Today – a hair more than Toronto and $10 million more than Oakland and Minnesota, teams who aren’t strangers to the postseason. You can’t fault Peter Angelos for not spending money. (You could fault him for not spending it wisely, but that's another story.)

The other reason the Orioles are not a rebuilding team is that three of their best four players – Tejada, Melvin Mora and Ramon Hernandez – are all at least 30 years old and signed to long-term big-money contracts. The exception is Brian Roberts, who’s 28 and looking to cash in on free agency himself.

Compare that to the pitching staff, which is full of kids. Given that Rodrigo Lopez, Bruce Chen and LaTroy Hawkins probably won’t be back next year, it’s possible that Kris Benson and Todd Williams will be the only Orioles pitchers older than 30 in 2007. They could also be the only members of the staff not originally drafted by the Birds. Imagine that.

The 2007 starting rotation will likely be Erik Bedard, Benson, Daniel Cabrera, Adam Loewen and Hayden Penn. Young and talented, yes, but also unproven. And maddeningly wild in at least one case.

So let’s get Loewen and Penn into the rotation now and give them a head start on next year. That’s what rebuilding teams do; they don’t waste starts on Rodrigo Lopez and Russ Ortiz. Otherwise, by the time Loewen and Penn mature, Miggy will be pushing a walker. For the Angels.

That’s why I disagree with The Sun’s Roch Kubatko, who doesn’t think the team needs to be ripped apart. He writes in his blog, “Find a left fielder and first baseman, and don't be afraid to spend for them.” Yes, this team is crying for a power hitter, but it needs a proven pitcher even more.

But proven pitchers are hard to get – especially as free agents. And since the Orioles have a poor record of attracting free agent pitchers, they’re going to have to cash in their chips, Tejada or prospects, to improve themselves via trade. Giving up young pitchers for older ones doesn’t make any sense for a rebuilding team. It has to be Tejada.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Miggy. He’s a great player, the best hitting shortstop playing the game today. But trading him will make the team better in the long run. Otherwise, the Birds will continue to muddle through season after season, never quite reaching mediocrity and always holding out hope that a couple free agents will turn things around.

The addiction to free agency is tough to break. Even The Sun’s Peter Schmuck, usually a voice of reason, can’t give it up:

“I still believe that if the Orioles sink into the American League East cellar or fall 15 games under .500 in the next couple of weeks, they must consider moving Tejada ... or commit to a huge increase in payroll that will result from the kind of free-agent spending spree necessary to get them back in contention next season.”

You can’t spend your way to the top. Did the 1998-2000 Orioles teach us nothing?
Trade Miggy now.

"O"dds and Ends: Current Events Produce O's Nostalgia

Floyd & Beltran join Larry Sheets & Jim Dwyer on all-time list
On July 16, the New York Mets hit two grand slams in one inning, the first by Cliff Floyd and the second by Carlos Beltran. The all-time list of MLB teammates to hit grand slams in the same inning includes Larry Sheets and Jim Dwyer, who did so on August 6, 1986 against the Texas Rangers.

List of grand slams in the same inning

Long minor-league game brings to mind 33-inning Rochester contest
On July 20, a New York-Penn League game went on for 26 innings. It was one of the longest pro baseball games in history. The longest game was between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox and featured Cal Ripken Jr., Wade Boggs, and Floyd Rayford.

“I've been watching for the bunt for 23 innings now."
--Rochester third baseman Cal Ripken Jr., wearily replying to relief pitcher Jim Umbarger's instruction

Rochester-Pawtucket game
Rochester-Pawtucket 2
New York Times article about longest minor-league game

Remembering the O’s-Red Sox trade deadline deal: Boddicker for Schilling and Brady
“Several analysts cite a 1988 trade between the contending Red Sox and then-woebegone Orioles as a shining example. The Sox, in the midst of a tight AL East race, picked up veteran Mike Boddicker in exchange for prospects Curt Schilling and Brady Anderson. Anderson and Schilling, though a few years away from realizing their potential, in time proved to be excellent players; the Orioles, going nowhere, had time to wait for that to happen (at least in the case of Anderson, as they sent away Schilling in a misguided trade later). Meanwhile, Boddicker provided immediate help to Boston’s problematic rotation, helping them to eke out a division title.”

Trade deadline story

In Cal’s shadow; Minor league manager never got call to replace Ripken
A fun story about the new manager of the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, Bobby Dickerson. Dickerson toiled in the minors while Cal stayed the course for the Birds.

“While Cal Ripken Jr. crafted an historic streak forged by iron-clad longevity, Bobby Dickerson waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The Iowa Cubs' interim manager toiled among a multitude of minor-league middle infielders in the Baltimore Orioles' system, biding time as the timeless Ripken ground his name into major-league annals with 2,632 consecutive games played from 1982-1998.

’I'm one of the 13 shortstops Cal Ripken retired,’ said Dickerson, who managed his second Iowa Cubs game Thursday - a 6-2 loss to Oklahoma at Principal Park - after Mike Quade was summoned to Chicago to replace third-base coach Chris Speier.”

Iowa Cubs article

B-Rob in North Carolina Baseball Hall of Fame
When someone tells you about Brian Roberts’ years at Carolina, ask the person which one they're talking about. Roberts played for both the North Carolina Tar Heels and the South Carolina Gamecocks; he transferred to South Carolina when his father took over as the coach there.

“College and pro jerseys hang in the museum as well. In one display case sits signed jerseys of [Trot] Nixon and Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts. In between all the displays, visitors can take a look at the six steps in making a baseball bat, all the way from the raw timber to the lacquer finish.”

North Carolina Baseball Hall of Fame

You say you want a Revolution?; New minor-league team to serve up a heaping plate of O’s nostalgia in August
Feel like heading north for a Saturday afternoon with some O’s legends and fans favorites?

“The Revolution will have a free fanfest from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 5 at the York Expo Center’s Toyota Arena at the York Fairgrounds.

Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson will sign autographs in two one-hour sessions. He will also participate in a fan forum. Former Baltimore Orioles Tippy Martinez, Dave Johnson, Al Bumbry, Joe Orsulak and Ron Hansen are also scheduled to appear at the fanfest.”

York Revolution
York Revolution 2
York Revolution 3

Patterson Could Set Steals Record

But how much is a stolen base really worth?

By Christopher Heun

In his first half-season as an Oriole, Corey Patterson has 31 stolen bases and has a chance to break the team's single season record of 57, which Luis Aparicio set in 1964.

This is noteworthy because of his possible place in team history, but also for another reason that's not so uplifting. The stathead crowd says stolen bases are overrated. In other words, the thing that Patterson does best really isn't that valuable in today's homer-happy game.

My heart doesn't want this to be true. As the recently released Luis Matos can attest, Patterson is exciting to watch: not just the steals, but his ability to bunt for a hit in one bat and then homer in the next. Despite that, though, his stats aren't as good as you might think: his on-base percentage is just .307 and his slugging percentage is .413 for an OPS of .720. Decidedly average.

The low on-base percentage, which trails all other regulars in the lineup except Jay Gibbons, is the reason why Patterson should not bat at the top of the order, even though it's tempting to put him in the No. 2 spot, given his speed. He hasn't walked since June 24 and has drawn just 14 free passes all season. He's also hitting just .197 against lefties in 76 at bats.

Still, Patterson, who is four steals behind the American League leader, Chone Figgins, has only been caught six times and was successful in 26 of his first 27 attempts. Brian Roberts has been even better; he's swiped 24 and only been caught four times.

That high rate of success is important, because the "break even" point for steals is about 73 percent, according to the sabermatricians. So, a runner who gets caught more than once every four tries is hurting his team.

For his career, Patterson has always been successful in 75 percent of his attempts. This year is no different: he’s bagged 31 in 37 tries, an 83.8 percent rate. His next steal will tie his career high set in 2004.

But all that running doesn’t add up to much. In his essay, "What If Rickey Henderson Had Pete Incaviglia’s Legs?" in the book "Baseball Between the Numbers: Why Everything You Know About the Game Is Wrong" by the writers at Baseball Prospectus, James Click writes: "The stolen base may be exciting, but even the best base-stealers in the game are producing only marginal gains for their teams in the recent offensively dominated era."

This is how they figure it. They calculated the number of runs a team can be expected to score based on the distribution of baserunners and the number of outs in an inning. In 2004 a stolen base was worth an average of .1593 runs; getting caught cost teams even more – .3687 runs. That means so far this year Patterson has added 4.9383 runs but given back 2.2122 for a net gain of 2.7 runs. (Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post wrote about Patterson and the declining value of the stolen base earlier this year.)

Click points out that Rickey Henderson's 130 steals in 1982, the major league record for a single season, added 22.2 runs for the A's, but since he was caught 42 times, that subtracted 20.6 runs for a total gain of 1.6 runs for the season. (In case you're checking my math, the value of the steal changed from 2004 because scoring increased).

The verdict is even worse for Juan Pierre, Patterson's replacement in Wrigley Field this year. He stole 45 bases in 2004, third in the majors, but was caught 24 times, so instead of helping the Marlins score he actually cost them 1.7 runs.

Corey Patterson makes an interesting sabermetrics case, because last year he rated the absolute worst, and next to worst, respectively, in two of the offensive statistics Baseball Prospectus designed, VORP and EqA. (We're not statheads here, but let's be honest: VORP, EqA and another new BP stat, WARP-1, all sound like the work of a bunch of guys who stumbled out of a Star Trek convention and happened to turn on "Baseball Tonight.")

Click does allow that in certain situations an extra base can be very important. A steal late in a tie ballgame is worth much more than a steal in the early innings, and thus the margin for error is higher in the later innings of a tie game. The best example is Dave Roberts' steal of second in Game Four of the 2004 ALCS. He went on to score the tying run of the game and the Red Sox won in extra innings. Seven games later, The Curse was history.

Contrary to the conventional wisdom about the importance of "manufacturing" runs for a weaker offense, "The decision to steal should be driven more by the inning and the run differential than by the team’s run scoring potential," Click writes. The stolen base is most valuable to a home team down by one run and more generally when either team has a one-run lead or trails by two runs or less.

Click sums it up this way:

"We can confirm the long held notion that stolen bases and extra bases are worth exponentially more in the later innings, especially in close games. More importantly, the game situation – inning and run differential – is more significant than the team’s scoring tendencies when it comes to attempting the extra base."

So what does all this mean for Corey Patterson? He is clearly the center fielder of the immediate future now that Matos will be roaming cavernous RFK for the Nationals and Val Majewski and Jeff Fiorentino, the only outfield prospects above Single A, are not hitting this year.

Here's how The Sun's John Eisenberg described Patterson recently:

"He isn't an All-Star, but he is a pleasant surprise offensively, his speed is welcome and his defense is above average. He and Markakis would give the Orioles two-thirds of a strong defensive outfield. (Remember defense?) His contract is up after 2006, but he won't break the bank."

I say let Patterson steal as much as he wants, whenever he wants, as long as he keeps succeeding in four out of every five attempts. Let's not overstate their value, though; I'd trade the steals for something a lot less glamorous: walks. "You can't steal first base," the old saying goes. The Orioles' first manager, Jimmy Dykes, once wrote a book with that as the title.

Birds Stealing Like It's 1973

Once upon a time, O's played for more than the 3-run HR

By Christopher Heun

Besides Corey Patterson, how do the Orioles as a team measure up on the basepaths? They're not the 1987 Cardinals (who stole 248 bases), but they're swift by Baltimore standards.

This year, with 81 steals through 94 games, the Birds are on pace for 140, which would fall just short of the team record. They do have a chance to lead the league, though. They're just one behind the leader, the Angels, and four ahead of the Yankees.

Most important, as a team they're 81 for 97 in steal attempts, a success rate of 83.5 percent.

The 1976 Orioles stole 150 bases, which still stands as the team record for a single season. Al Bumbry led the team with 42 steals, with Reggie Jackson adding 28, Mark Belanger 27, Paul Blair 15 and Bobby Grich 14.

Overall, the O's were caught 61 times in 211 attempts that season, a 71 percent success rate. The 150 steals ranked fourth in the American League.

It's curious that a team managed by the world’s biggest fan of the three-run homer, Earl Weaver, would run so much.

But it wasn't unusual. In 1973, the O's led the league with 145 steals. It was the same cast of players, with one exception. Reggie wasn’t with the team, replaced by Rich Coggins and Don Baylor.

“O”dds and Ends; A Collection of Orioles News

Familiar faces in different places, fresh faces in minor league places

Sakata a Star, but we always knew that

San Jose Giants Manager Lenn Sakata in California League/Carolina League All-Star Game

The San Jose Giants Coaching Staff will lead the California League in the bi-coastal showcase of the top prospects in Advanced Class-A professional baseball from 18 Major League affiliates. San Jose Giants skipper Lenn Sakata -- the Milwaukee Brewers first round pick in the 1975 amateur draft (secondary phase -- 10th pick overall) -- will be joined by San Jose Pitching Coach Jim Bennett, Coach Garrett Nago and Trainer Yukiya Oba.

Sakata link
Sakata link 2

One former pitcher who we miss talks about another who we don’t

"I always saw his potential, everybody did," said Yankee starter Mike Mussina, who was on the Orioles staff with Ponson for three seasons. "He was like 20 or 21 when he came up and everyone always thought he had a lot of potential."

Ponson story

Sugar Bear not always sweet; Rayford, coaching in the minors, vents

In an organization that prides itself on developing players - 16 members of the Twins' 25-man roster had stops in New Britain - the coaches were finally out of answers, tired of making the same excuses, and this time they laid it on the kids.

"Why don't you go ask the players [what the problem is]?" hitting coach Floyd Rayford barked. "Why don't you go ask Perkins?"

Floyd Rayford link

How Rayford got to the Rock Cats

A new face will arrive in New Britain as the Club's Hitting Coach in 2005. Floyd Rayford, a 47-year-old resident of Silver Springs, MD, succeeds Jeff Carter who served in this capacity for the Rock Cats in 2004. Nicknamed “Sugar Bear,” Rayford played Catcher and 3B for the Baltimore Orioles and St. Louis Cardinals over portions of seven major league seasons between 1980-87. He comes to New Britain after having served in a similar capacity last season for Ft. Myers in the Florida State League; immediately prior to that, Rayford served for four years as a Coach with the Swing of Quad City.

Roenicke’s son starts pro career in New York-Penn League

They are referring to the Jamestown Jammers of the short-season Class A New York-Pennsylvania League, a starting level in professional baseball. And because it is a short season developmental league that runs from mid-June to early September, the teams are filled with newcomers.

Except for a few returnees, the Jammers, along with every other team in the NY-P League, have an entirely new roster made up mainly of players drafted in June along with some players being moved up the Florida Marlins’ farm system. There are no sons of former major leaguers on the Jammers roster this season. But there were plenty in this year’s draft, including the sons of Don Mattingly, Dave Henderson, Candy Maldonado, Jesse Barfield, Carney Lansford, Chet Lemon and Gary Roenicke.

Roenicke link

Ellie’s son takes over at the helm of local high school team

"Baseball is one of those things where the more you are around it, the more you get the game," said Hendricks, a 1994 McDonogh graduate who has served as a varsity baseball assistant there for the last six years. "The stuff I learned from my dad you can't measure."

Hendricks link

O’s top pick gets started; Billy Rowell, he of the 500-foot home run, now in Bluefield

By the time he reached his sophomore year in high school, he was being noticed by pro baseball scouts.

"I started to do showcases. That’s really where I got my name out there," he said.

At a home-run showcase in Florida, he was credited with a 512-foot home run, said to be a new national record. Rowell batted .507 with 161 RBI as a four-year starter at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in Pennsauken, N.J. In his senior year this spring he hit .571 and drove in 37 runs in 82 official plate appearances.

Rowell link

Pinstripes are Slimming

Is the acquisition of Sir Sidney a sign of desperate times in the Bronx, or should I just give up baseball now?

By Matthew Taylor

I'm not going to offer any reasoned analysis on this one. Instead, this will rank as one of my least-reasoned postings to date, even though there's competition in that category. No one has ever accused me of being a rational sports fan.

Sidney Ponson is now a Yankee. Based on his troubled tenure in Baltimore, I cheered against Sir Sidney in St. Louis. And I like the Cardinals. I do not like the Yankees, even a little.

Any thought, no matter how unlikely it might be, of Ponson reviving his career in pinstripes and helping the Yankees to late-season success troubles me deeply. As the O's continue their ignominious streak of losing seasons, the one thing that keeps me truly interested in baseball these days is the possibility that the Wild Card will go to the AL Central, the Red Sox will win the AL East, and the Yankees will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

Tortured soul that I am - especially so after attending college in Yankee territory - every acquistion made by that dreaded organization seems in my mind like a winner. It's a natural thought among rivals; my fiancee hates the Tennessee Vols and insists that, last season excepted, the universe aligns itself in favor of the Good Ole Boys in hunter orange. Well, my universe perversely aligns itself toward the city that never sleeps ... and the University of New Jersey at Durham during basketball season.

As an example, I convinced myself prior to the 2005 season that Carl Pavano was destined to be a Cy Young winner and World Series MVP. Forget playing the games, just give the Yanks their rings. Instead, Pavano's 4-6 with a 4.77 ERA as a Yankee, including an injury-prone 2006 campaign. The Yankees have won the same number of World Series titles during his tenure that the Birds have won. That would be zero if you're scoring at home, or even if you're alone. Sigh, don't you miss the Keith Olberman SportsCenter years?

But I digress ...

Jose Canseco has a World Series ring as a Yankee, so I'm entitled to some illogical baseball thoughts. (Okay, the proper tense is "had" since Canseco sold the ring on E-Bay, but you get the point.)

And what of Luis Sojo? Four World Series rings? A two-RBI, game-winning single in Game 5 of the 2000 World Series? A freakin' website in his honor? I guess Braves haters have Francisco Cabrera, he of 10 regular season at-bats prior to his game winner in the 1992 ALCS, but I still think the sun shines on a Yankee dog's rear end more often than it does on any other canine in the pound.

Even if my Pavano premonition was to the left of the foul pole, I still felt a sense of anxiety today upon learning that the Yankees had acquired David Wells' old running buddy. Should this latest premonition come to pass I might just have to pass on baseball altogether.

Benson Swats His Way to History

Noting what only comes around once every 33 years

By Christopher Heun

This blog would not be doing its duty if it did not recognize the amazing feat accomplished recently by Kris Benson, especially since I was there to witness it.

You know what I’m talking about, even though it happened three weeks ago and has nothing to do with how he’s been pitching (which is pretty well, or at least well enough; the most reliable starter behind Erik Bedard).

One swing of his bat grabbed all the attention. The home run Benson hit June 17 was remarkable because he is a pitcher, of course, and not known for his skills with the lumber. But even more amazing, the ex-Met managed his first career dinger in Shea Stadium, during his return to New York after last winter’s trade to Baltimore. And he hit it against Pedro Martinez of all people, one of the greatest hurlers of his generation.

Given the circumstances, Benson’s longball may be the most famous by a pitcher in Orioles history since Dave McNally’s grand slam in Game 3 of the 1970 World Series. [For the record, Mike Cuellar hit a slam of his own in the A.L. Championship Series that same year.] It was the first homer by an Orioles pitcher in more than 33 years, dating back to the days before the designated hitter.

Today, there’s something about watching a pitcher hit a home run that feels like winning the lottery. Blame the DH.

I was at the game that Benson described as "one of the best, if not the best” of his life. From the upper deck on the third base side, I watched his fly ball carry out to left field. And keep carrying. And keep carrying. Until it dropped just beyond the fence and the awkward glove of Lastings Milledge, who might have saved his team a run if instead of jumping he had focused all of his energy on pushing the wall another couple inches away from the field.

The crowd was too stunned to boo. There was only silence as 52,320 people looked at each other and asked silently, “Did you see that?”

The only other pitcher to ever take Pedro deep is Doug Drabek, 13 years ago, when Martinez was a 21-year-old rookie. Back then, before the three Cy Young awards and the seven All-Star game appearances, Pedro was a strikeout machine with a blazing fastball.

But on this night, the scoreboard said the 3-1 pitch was 86 miles an hour. Not long ago, Pedro threw 10 miles an hour faster. That’s probably why the scoreboard operator, when required to identify the pitch, figured anything that slow had to be a changeup.

But after the game, Pedro told the Associated Press that he had challenged Benson with a fastball. “Whenever I fall behind [a pitcher] I'm not going to fool around. Make him hit it. The next time up he popped up to center field. Same pitch. Same location. Fastball. Eighty-five, 86 miles per hour."

Yes, Pedro Martinez now throws 86 mile an hour fastballs. We’ll leave that topic to Mets fans to discuss amongst themselves.

Most important, the home run tied the score in the top of the third and completely reversed the momentum of the game after Benson had squeezed his way out of a bases-loaded jam the previous inning.

The game had started poorly for him. He allowed two runs in the bottom of the first after fielding a Paul Lo Duca bunt and throwing past Kevin Millar at first base. As Jose Reyes scampered home and Lo Duca took second, Benson stood alone inside the diamond, hands on his hips, looking like a man playing a boys’ game and wanting to start everything over again.

But the homer changed all that. He wound up throwing eight innings, never giving up another run and the O’s went on to win, 4-2.

So who was the last Orioles pitcher to homer? Roric Harrison, in the final game of 1972, before the American League adopted the designated hitter at the start of the following season.

A name like Roric Harrison reminds me of the impromptu list of Best Rookie Names of 2006 that I’ve been compiling. If only Hayden Penn could have dodged his appendicitis and made a start at Shea, he might have faced Lastings Milledge in a matchup that radio broadcasters surely dream about. Those two, along with Cole Hamels of the Phillies, have to top the list. The Marlins have a pair of relievers, Logan Kensing and Taylor Tankersley, who, should they ever warm together in the bullpen, sound like four partners in a law firm. And lastly, though Minnesota just demoted him, the list wouldn’t be complete without Boof Bonser. If the pitching thing doesn’t work out, there’s always Sha Na Na.

The woman sitting next to me made a few harmless comments about Benson after his trot around the bases, with her son leaning over to add that he was a bigger fan of the Wife Who Shall Remain Nameless.

When his mom left for ice cream, the kid, who looked at least three years shy of his learner’s permit, slid over into her empty seat and started what would become a four inning long conversation with “So, who’s your favorite player?”

I had to think for a moment. Did I even have one? When was the last time I did? Tim Hullett, Chito Martinez and Jim Dwyer suddenly came to mind but instead I offered up Miguel Tejada, thinking it was what he wanted to hear. Then I remembered the love letter I had written Melvin Mora, the most Oriole of them all.

The kid was full of opinions.

“You need a power hitter to play first base.”

“Someone should feed Fahey more. That guy’s too skinny.”

“You could have had Milledge but you drafted Markakis instead. Did you know that?”

He’s right: Markakis was the seventh pick in 2003; Milledge, the twelfth. Both teams passed on Chad Cordero, the biggest success of that draft, whom nineteen teams overlooked before the Expos selected him. He saved 47 games last year at age 23.

Another young closer was chosen that year, too: The Orioles selected Chris Ray in the third round.

Since the Benson gem in Queens, Milledge has been sent back to the minors (“He’s another Gregg Jeffries,” I told the kid, who probably wasn’t even born when the Mets were hyping their former “can’t-miss” prospect). Markakis, meanwhile, has caught fire, putting to rest whispers that he should be demoted, too. Markakis has raised his batting average 51 points since June 13, to .272. His on-base percentage is a respectable .340 for an OPS of .695, which while not great, isn’t that far behind Jeff Conine or Kevin Millar.

What I didn’t understand about the calls to send down Markakis is who would replace him every day in the outfield. The stick figure-like Brandon Fahey, who’s not even an outfielder himself?

Fahey, a utilityman in training whose stats this season are nearly identical to those of Markakis, drove in the go-ahead run while playing left field. The night before, he had two hits, including a triple, scored two runs, knocked in two more and even stole a base.

He had outplayed Milledge, but the night belonged to Benson.