Roar from 34 - A Baltimore Orioles Blog

An Orioles Hall of Famer ... Sort Of

2009-07-19T11:53:00.003-04:00

A former Oriole enters the Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Okay, so it's a former Orioles minor leaguer.

And it's not actually the Hall of Fame but rather the "Shrine of the Eternals," an alternative Hall of Fame that looks beyond statistics alone to consider "the distinctiveness of play (good or bad); the uniqueness of character and personality; and the imprint that the individual has made on the baseball landscape."

The player in question is Steve Dalkowski, whose named popped up in a Roar from 34 posting about Joe Altobelli earlier this season. On Sunday, the New York Times (it's no Roar from 34) detailed Dalkowski's colorful career in the story "A Hall of Fame for a Legendary Fastball Pitcher."

Batters in the minors spoke with wonder of pitches they could hear but could not see. One poor guy in Kingsport, Tenn., took a fastball — “right in back of his ear, right on the hairline,” Dalkowski recalled. The legend is that the man was never the same.
Ted Williams, who had heard of this Dalkowski fellow, invited himself into the cage before a spring exhibition but promptly disinvited himself after listening to a whoosh or two. The Baltimore Orioles’ organization took Dalkowski to a military base to time his fastball — over 100 miles per hour seems to be the conservative figure for his peak speed.
Before long, Dalkowski was a legend, for his fastball as well as his tumblers of vodka for breakfast. Ron Shelton, an Orioles farmhand six years younger than Dalkowski, rarely heard Brooks Robinson stories or Frank Robinson stories from the managers in the organization, but everybody had Dalkowski stories.
Cal Ripken Sr., who had been Dalkowski’s catcher, said he was relatively easy to handle because he was wild high and low but did not pitch inside too often. Joe Altobelli told how Dalkowski came to the ballpark thoroughly hung over, and never worked out, but was a good teammate — “not a mean bone in his body,” Shelton quoted Altobelli saying.
The organization decided to have the young flame thrower room with the old player, figuring Dalkowski might learn something. But it was hard for Altobelli to teach a roomie who was never in the room.
Years later, while writing a screenplay, Shelton remembered the relationship between a brash young pitcher and a wise old head. The movie was named “Bull Durham,” with Tim Robbins as the speedballer who was all over the place.
“In the minors, you’d see guys who had these amazing gifts,” Shelton said the other day. “It would drive you nuts.”
Shelton has never met Dalkowski but will introduce him Sunday night — a couple of former farmhands who never reached what the movie memorably called the Show. Dalkowski came close, after a year at Elmira under patient tutelage from Earl Weaver, of all people.
“He let me pitch,” Dalkowski said. “He sort of called the pitches. He’d whistle or move to one end of the dugout or the other, or he’d hit his hand against the wall.”
Weaver had him primed for the majors in the spring of 1963, when Dalkowski blew down the Yankees for a few innings under the lights in Miami. Pitching to Phil Linz, “I felt something pop,” Dalkowski said. It was a ligament in his elbow, and he was never the same. He hung on for a few more years, and finished with an amazing 1,396 strikeouts and 1,354 walks in only 995 innings.

Speaking of past Roar from 34 material, The Sun's game story about Saturday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox notes the following: "Dropping two straight to start the second half, the Orioles have lost a series to an AL Central team for the first time since 2007 against the Detroit Tigers."

I examined the O's success against the central in the June 9 posting "Go Central, Young Birds."

Consider this: "Since their last winning season in 1997 (excluding this year), the Birds have compiled an overall record of 791-989, 'good' for a .444 winning percentage. During that same period, the O's are 215-210 against the A.L. Central, better for a .506 winning percentage."

Flashback Friday: Brooks Robinson & the 1966 All-Star Game

2009-07-17T13:41:00.009-04:00

"Brooks was all over the place, sucking up everything at third base. He was something. Great player and a great guy, too."

-Tim McCarver

McCarver scored the game-winning run in the 1966 All-Star Game.

The Tuesday night All-Star Game was played in quickfire fashion before more than 40,000 fans in St. Louis' new stadium. Joe Torre was in the National League dugout. And after a low-scoring contest decided by one run, the Most Valuable Player award went to a guy who failed to drive in a run.

2009?

Try 1966, when St. Louis hosted the fourth of five All-Star games to be played in the city (1940, 1948, 1957, 1966, and 2009) before 49,936 fans at the new Busch Memorial Stadium. Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson was named MVP after going 3-for-4 with a triple and a run in the two-hour, nineteen-minute game, won 2-1 by the National League.

That's where they similarities end.

Robinson played the entire game, unheard of in modern All-Star history, and recorded four putouts and four assists in the field. On the base paths, he twice advanced on wild pitches - first to score a second-inning run off Sandy Koufax and again in the 10th inning to move into scoring position against Gaylord Perry.

After leading off extra innings with a single and reaching second base with no outs, Robinson went no farther. Norm Cash flew out to center for the inning's first out, Bobby Richardson popped up for the second out, and Jim Fregosi struck out to end the top half of the inning.

The National League won the game in the bottom of the inning when a Maury Wills single off Pete Richert scored Tim McCarver from second base.

The Cardinals' McCarver replaced the Braves' Torre at catcher in the top of the eighth inning and finished 1-for-1 at the plate. One year later McCarver would go 2-for-2 in the second of his two career All-Star Game appearances, leaving him with a perfect 1.000 batting average at the Midsummer Classic.

While the home-town hero scored the winning run for the National League in 1966, McCarver admits that the MVP award that day ended up where it belonged, in Robinson's hands.

"I didn't play long enough to deserve that," says McCarver "Brooks was all over the place, sucking up everything at third base. He was something. Great player and a great guy, too."

Image source: Flickr

Thursday Morning Orioles Rundown

2009-07-16T09:06:00.001-04:00

“I put myself in a situation to get drafted high and now I’m with the Orioles. And I couldn’t be any luckier. This is a great place to be and I’m enjoying every day of it.”

-O's prospect Brian Matusz

From Sen. Ben Cardin's loyalty to the Orioles to Brian Matusz's take on playing baseball for a living, here's a rundown of some recent odds and ends from the Orioles universe:

Cardin Knows Baseball, Congressional Quarterly Does Not

Sen. Ben Cardin obviously doesn't believe in the saying "Don't mix business with pleasure." (There's a joke about Congress in there - many in fact - but I'll leave those to your imagination.) In Cardin's case, Orioles baseball is what pleases him.

Twenty years ago, then-Rep. Cardin introduced a Congressional Resolution celebrating the Birds' Opening Day victory over the Yankees. The resolution read as follows: "The Sun is shining, the flowers are blooming and the birds are singing. Of course, I am talking about the birds of Baltimore. The Baltimore Orioles are back where they belong, in first place in the American League East."

On Wednesday, Sen. Cardin talked Orioles baseball with Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

CARDIN: I just want you to know that the baseball fans of Baltimore knew there was a judge somewhere that changed in a very favorable way the reputation of Baltimore forever. You are a hero, and they now know it's Judge Sotomayor. You're a hero to the Baltimore baseball fans. Let me explain.

The Major League Baseball strike -- you allowed the season to continue so Cal Ripkin could become the iron man of baseball in September 1995.

So we just want to invite you, as a baseball fan, we want to invite you to an Oriole game, and we promise it will not be when the Yankees are playing so you can root for the Baltimore Orioles.
SONIA SOTOMAYOR: That's a great invitation. And good morning, Senator. You can assure your Baltimore fans that I have been to Camden Yards. It's a beautiful stadium.

CARDIN: Well, we think it's the best. Of course, it was the beginning of the new trends of the baseball stadiums. And you're certainly welcome.

It would appear, however, that the folks at Congressional Quarterly are not as big of baseball fans as is Cardin. If they were, they wouldn't have misspelled Cal Ripken's last name - "Ripkin" - in the transcript.

Matusz Happy to Be Playing Baseball, Happy to Be an Oriole

The O's prospect I'm most looking forward to seeing in big league Orange and Black, Brian Matusz, sat down for an interview with Baseball Daily Digest.

“Once you get to college, a 90 mile per hour fastball is pretty common,” he said. “So, a change up was one of the best things I could have learned during my freshman year. It felt natural, but I worked on it a lot with our pitching coach Eric Valenzuela. I felt like I could keep my arm speed consistent with my fastball and it ended up being very good in my sophomore and junior years.

“The slider was a pitch I worked on my sophomore year, right before the season. I tried to learn a cutter. I just messed around with it and it turned into a slider. It’s a different angle and look than the curveball. And when you have two breaking pitches to keep batters guessing, you’re in pretty good shape.”

By his junior year at University of San Diego, Matusz was a first team All-American and, according to the 2009 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, few pitchers entering professional baseball have had better secondary pitches. So when Baltimore selected Matusz with the fourth-overall pick of the baseball amateur draft, he was widely considered the best pitcher available.

“I put myself in a situation to get drafted high and now I’m with the Orioles,” Matusz said. “And I couldn’t be any luckier. This is a great place to be and I’m enjoying every day of it.”
...
Matusz is one of several promising young pitchers who will be vying for a spot in the Orioles rotation in the coming years. Still, the lanky prospect knows his performance is all he can control and consistency will get him to the major leagues.

“It’s just a matter of maintaining,” Matusz said. “The whole point of this first year is to get that five-day rotation and go deep into the year. I’m locked in right now. It’s just a matter of time and getting my innings in.

“Getting to play baseball for a living is the best thing in the world. I talk to other people and if they’re lucky they’re going to work to sit at a desk. My job is throwing a baseball and having fun playing a game that I loved since I was a little kid. It’s an unbelievable opportunity. I think about it everyday.”

Mazzone Unlikely to Return to Beltway Baseball Scene

There are denials, and then there's a Stan Kasten denial. Said Kasten about the prospects of Leo Mazzone coming to the Natinals (sic): "There is not a scintilla of truth to this story."

According to an industry source familiar with the talks, the Nationals have discussed their pitching coach job with Mazzone, whom Kasten knows from their days together with the Atlanta Braves.

Although current Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty does not have the "interim" label attached to his title - as interim general manager Mike Rizzo and interim manager Jim Riggleman do - the Nationals have not committed to McCatty in that role beyond this season. McCatty was promoted from Class AAA Syracuse to replace the fired Randy St. Claire on June 2.

Ichiro Pays Respects to Sisler

Miguel Tejada holds the Orioles' team record for hits in a season with 214 in 2006. While George Sisler's former major league record for hits in a season - 257 in 1920 - doesn't qualify for the team's record book, his career stats with the St. Louis Browns are included among the O's all-time leaders. For example, Sisler has the most career triples (145), second-highest career batting average (.344), third-most hits (2,295), third-most runs (1,091), and fourth-most doubles (343).

The Hall of Famer is buried in St. Louis, where Ichiro, who broke Sisler's single season hits record, visited his grave during All Star Weekend.

Ichiro, accompanied by his wife, Yumiko, and some friends, laid flowers at Sisler's grave, at Des Peres Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Sisler, a Hall of Famer, died on March 26, 1973. His career was marked by a lifetime .340 batting average, and a .407 average in 1920. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939.
"There's not many chances to come to St. Louis," Ichiro said, according to the Seattle Times. "In 2004, it was the first time I crossed paths with him, and his family generously came all the way to Seattle."

Why Not? Wednesday: Why Don't O's Fans Hate Tony Fernandez?

2009-07-15T12:24:00.006-04:00

The second installment of Roar from 34's series about the 1989 Why Not? season

Orioles fans don't hate Tony Fernandez. Why Not?

The obvious answer is that Fernandez played only one season with the Yankees in 1995, and he never appeared in a Red Sox uniform.

Even though he's never truly been a part of the division's Evil Empires, Fernandez has twice helped block the Orioles from post-season glory. That should be worth some hatred, right?

Fernandez was a member of the 1989 Toronto Blue Jays who edged the 87-win Orioles for the A.L. East title during the non-Wild Card era. Then, in 1997, the Cleveland Indians' clutch-hitting second baseman stroked an agonizing 11th inning home run off Armando Benitez to clinch the ALCS.

Nevertheless, O's fans are more likely to hate a kid who turned a sure out into a home run ball during an ALCS Game 1 than they are to hate the player who swatted a series-ending home run during an ALCS Game 6. Even if Fernandez didn't cheat to win, he still plunged the final dagger into our warm post-season hearts.

Two factors seem to explain the lack of hatred for Fernandez in Baltimore:

-First, Fernandez's extra-innings clout in the '97 ALCS came for the underdog Indians, so there was no inferiority complex at work. The Wire-to-Wire O's finished 98-64. Cleveland finished 86-75.

It's fair to say that O's fans held somewhat generous feelings toward the Indians for knocking the Yankees out of the playoffs, even as the teams squared off in the ALCS. Also, there was a widely held sentiment entering Game 6 that the Birds would come back to win the series.

The reaction at Camden Yards to Fernandez's home run that October day was more shock than hatred (though we shouldn't have been surprised given that Benitez was on the mound). In fact, Orioles fans gave the Indians a standing ovation - a good old-fashioned tip of the cap - as they piled up on the mound after the game. I'm not sure we would've done the same thing for the Yankees.

Fernandez batted .357 during the '97 ALCS with a .438 on-base percentage.

-Second, while Fernandez was an All Star, a Gold Glove winner, and an MVP candidate in 1989, he didn't really perform well that season against the Orioles.

In 13 games against Baltimore Fernandez batted .235 with a .259 on-base percentage, no home runs, 7 RBIs, and one stolen base. His .235 batting average against the O's was among a handful of his worst numbers against any one team.

Meanwhile, in the Jays' division-clinching win in Toronto on Sept. 30, 1989, Fernandez went 0-for-4 including an eighth-inning ground out with two runners on.

Why hate a guy who's not producing?

So that's my answer to the Why Not? question surrounding Baltimore's lack of hatred for Tony Fernandez. Anyone else care to test out a theory?

Link to last week's Why Not? Wednesday: "Halfway Home and There's Still Hope."

Crawford's MVP Puts Him in the Company of Brooks Robinson

2009-07-15T10:39:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday, Carl Crawford became the fourth player in major league history to be named MVP of the All Star Game without driving in a run. (Adam Jones drove in the most-important run, but that's another story.)

Oriole great Brooks Robinson is among that group of RBI-less MVPs. Robinson took home the 1966 MVP award after going 3-for-4 with a triple and a run in a game that also was played in St. Louis. He earned the honor even though the American League lost 2-1 to the National League.

Image source: MLB.com

Baltimore's "All-Star Among Us"

2009-07-15T08:42:00.001-04:00

I'd rather watch my sports heroes from afar and live among life's everyday heroes. Major League Baseball celebrated the latter group on Tuesday night as part of the All-Stars Among Us promotion.

Catonsville's Frank Kolarek represented the Orioles in St. Louis as one of 30 nationwide All-Stars Among Us. He appeared on the Busch Stadium field and briefly on camera in recognition of his work as the founder of League of Dreams, which gives Baltimore-area special needs children and adults the opportunity to play baseball and softball. Former O's shortstop Mike Bordick has been involved with the program and hopes to start a league in Maine.

Kolarek, a former catcher in the Oakland A's farm system, has been interviewed by ABC2News with a mention on the Inside Charm City blog and a thorough profile in The Catholic Review.

Kolarek will represent the Baltimore Orioles, as he was voted by fans in recognition of his work as founder and president of League of Dreams, a baseball and softball organization that gives children and adults with special needs the chance to play the games in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.

“It’s big,” Kolarek said of the honor. “I wish we could take a busload of our kids. I’d sit out if they could go.”

Kolarek was one of seven children growing up in his family’s southwest Baltimore home. He attended St. Benedict School and served as an altar boy.

As a Mount St. Joseph upperclassman, he became a catcher and made an impression at Catonsville Community College. He transferred to the University of Maryland and shined for the Terps. Never taken in the major league draft, he signed a contract with the Athletics.

After his professional career was done, Kolarek returned to be an assistant coach for Maryland and quickly found out that he loved instructing the game.

Having taken an interest in those with special needs during his playing days, Kolarek also worked for Special Olympics’ international and Maryland branches.

“There’s always someone picked last and just trying to hang out,” Kolarek said. “Now our kids are making opportunities for other kids.”

The League of Dreams concept is taking hold. A park in Fresno, California is being built entirely with special needs accessibility and includes a baseball diamond. Kolarek said his organization will be the baseball and softball provider.

League of Dreams has also received support from many of Kolarek’s friends. Former Oriole shortstop Mike Bordick has been active in the program and is interested in starting a League of Dreams in Maine.

Here's some additional information about All-Stars Among Us from MLB.com:

These are the people who were chosen by MLB and People magazine for their community service. Nearly 750,000 votes were cast by fans across the nation in the All-Stars Among Us campaign to select the 30 winners -- one per Major League team -- out of the pool of 90 finalists who are serving as leaders within their communities.

And speaking of living among the everyday heroes, Kolarek happens to be one of my father's neighbors. Thanks for the tip, dad.

Luke Scott's Latest Eutaw Street Home Run

2009-07-15T08:41:00.001-04:00

Roar from 34 was asleep at the switch this weekend and therefore neglected to report that Luke Scott recorded his third Eutaw Street home run (video) in Saturday's 4-3 victory against the Blue Jays.

Scott's fourth-inning, 394-foot shot tied him with Brady Anderson and Jason Giambi for second-most Eutaw Street home runs in Camden Yards history. Rafael Palmeiro leads the pack with four.

Scott is the third player to reach Eutaw Street this season after Aubrey Huff (two-time bronze bomber) on April 21 and Adam Dunn on June 28 (second-longest Eutaw Street home run). His latest drive was the 51st overall Eutaw Street home run.

The Orioles' Second-Half Record Will Not Matter

2009-07-14T16:35:00.004-04:00

Long-suffering Orioles fans will look to the second half of this baseball season for answers to two key questions: 1. Is a winning season on the horizon? and 2. Can the Birds contend in the division within two to three years?

Unfortunately, the team's record after the All-Star break won't provide any real answers to those questions.

Want evidence? Of course you do.

Consider the post-All Star break performances of other franchises with several consecutive losing seasons. Then consider the O's own performance during their current 11-year slide. Both indicators demonstrate that teams on the brink of a breakout year don't show their hand in the second half of the prior season.

It's not just about the Rays

The 2008 ALCS Champion Tampa Bay Rays are the easy baseball metaphor these days, the rags-to-riches example of an "overnight" success story that was actually years in the making. They are what the Orioles strive to be, right down to beating the Red Sox with all the marbles on the table.

So how did the Rays perform after the 2007 All Star break? Just like they did in every other half-season prior before then - not well.

The Rays were 32-43 (.427 win percentage) after the '07 break, an improvement from the 34-53 (.391) mark they posted to start the season but still no great indicator that they would storm the gates of the division's Evil Empires in 2008.

The Rays lost consecutive series to the Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays, respectively, to close out 2007. For the season they were 5-13 against Boston, 8-10 against New York, and 7-11 against the Orioles. The only division opponent who didn't win their season series with the Rays in 2007 was the Blue Jays, who finished 9-9 against Tampa.

One year later the Rays won their season series with Boston (10-8), Baltimore (15-3), and Toronto (11-7). Only the Yankees topped them in '08 (7-11).

You may think the Rays are the only example, but wait ... there's more!

The Detroit Tigers endured 12 straight losing seasons before righting the ship in 2006 and sailing to the World Series. The Tigers' 2005 record after the break was 29-47 (.382). They ended the season by losing five straight and 13 of 17.

The 2005 Brewers finished an even .500 to end a 12-season losing streak. The Brewers' 2004 record after the break was 22-53 (.293). They were 5-15 in their last 20 games.

And the Royals finished 83-79 in 2003 to end a run of nine straight losing seasons. The Royals' 2002 record after the break was 29-48 (.377). They were swept by Cleveland, who finished 74-88, to end the season.

The Orioles may well end their run of losing seasons in 2010. Just don't look to their record after this year's All-Star break for clues that it's going to happen.

But what about us?

You know the Orioles have 11 consecutive losing seasons. You know they slump in August. But do you know how many times they've had a winning record after the break since their last winning season in 1997?

The answer is three. And not one of those seasons (1998, 1999, and 2004) was an indicator of future success.

The 2004 season initially did look like an indicator of good things to come in 2005 when the O's started the latter year 47-40, which gave the team an 88-76 (.537) combined record between the 2004 and 2005 All-Star games. But from Mazzilli to Palmeiro, the Birds imploded for a 74-88 overall record in 2005.

What about 2000? The O's won 8 of their last 11 and swept the Yankees to end the season ... and then lost 98 games in 2001.

Heck, I'll even throw in the 1988 Orioles, whose 107 losses were the most in modern franchise history. The next season - "Why Not?" - they finished 87-75. Who could've seen it coming?

The moral of the story

Whether it's tracking the progress of Brad Bergesen on the mound or Matt Wieters at the dish, there's plenty to be excited about in Birdland for the remainder of 2009. And the games themselves do matter. But don't get discouraged should the O's record come up well short of expectations.

As they say in the financial world, "Past performance is not an indication of future success."

Extra Bases

What's left for the Birds?

The 40-48 O's will play exactly half of their remaining 74 games against teams in the top two of their respective divisions.

Here's how it breaks down:

-20 games against the Yankees and Red Sox.

-10 games against Tigers and White Sox.

-7 games against Angels and Rangers.

Second Half Blues

In 812 post All-Star break games from 1998 through 2008, the Orioles are 347-465 (.427). However, the Birds posted a winning mark in the season's symbolic second half in 1998, 1999, and 2004.

Here's the rundown on the team's second-half record by season:

2008
22-45, .328 winning percentage

2007
31-43, .419 winning percentage

2006
29-43, .403 winning percentage

2005
27-48, .360 winning percentage

2004
41-36, .532 winning percentage

2003
30-41, .423 winning percentage

2002
25-52, .325 winning percentage

2001
23-51, .311 winning percentage

2000
36-40, .474 winning percentage

1999
42-33, .560 winning percentage

1998
41-33, .554 winning percentage

Checking in with my Orioles Magic 8-Ball

2009-07-13T13:29:00.006-04:00

The All-Star Break is a perfect time to check in with my Orioles Magic 8-Ball to see whether it's still speaking the same language that it was prior to the season.

Here's a review of my thoughts and predictions for the Birds in 2009 along with the appropriate Magic 8-Ball responses.

Did see it coming: Matt Wieters promotion to the big club early in the season and lots of associated hype.

Didn't see it coming: Brad Bergesen operating under the radar but still becoming an honest-to-goodness Rookie-of-the-Year candidate. Bergesen is 6-3 at the break with a 3.54 ERA and 10 quality starts in 16 games pitched.

Magic 8-Ball says: "Outlook Good."

Did see it coming: A log-jam in left field including the likes of Felix Pie, Lou Montanez, Ryan Freel, and Luke Scott.

Didn't see it coming: Nolan Reimold taking over the spot, earning June Rookie of the Month honors, and entering the Rookie-of-the-Year conversation before a recent slump.

Magic 8-Ball says: "Cannot Predict Now."

Did see it coming: Lots of at-bats in the designated-hitter spot for Luke Scott. At the break Scott has 180 at-bats and 203 plate appearances as the O's DH.

Didn't see it coming: What Scott has done with those at-bats: .305, 18 HR, 51 RBI, .976 OPS, AL Player of the Week in June after homering in four straight games, seven RBIs against Seattle in July.

Magic 8-Ball says: "It is Decidedly So."

Did see it coming: A scuffling O's rotation.

Didn't see it coming: Jeremy Guthrie's 5.35 ERA.

Magic 8-Ball says: "Outlook Not So Good."

Did see it coming: Adam Jones taking the next step toward becoming a legitimate star.

Didn't see it coming: That there would be an "All" next to the "Star" this season.

Magic 8-Ball response: "It Is Certain."

Did see it coming: A win total in the low-to-mid 70s and a run at the Blue Jays for fourth place.

The Birds (currently 40-48; 36-45 at the season's midway point) are on pace to win 70 or more games and are within shouting distance of the Jays.

Magic 8-Ball Says: "Ask Again Later."

Flashback Friday: Diamond Jim Gentile's 9 RBI Day

2009-07-10T12:53:00.007-04:00

"Everyone has one of those career years. It seemed everything went my way and I was always getting base hits at the right time. When men got on, I was getting base hits."

-Jim Gentile, on his 1961 season.

On Tuesday, Luke Scott tallied 7 RBIs against the Mariners in a 12-4 Orioles victory. Scott's RBI effort was two off the team record, held by former first baseman Jim Gentile. This week's Flashback Friday details Gentile's heavy hitting ways during an outstanding 1961 season when he compiled his best career numbers.

Gentile's record-setting nine RBIs came on May 9, 1961, in a 13-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins. If anyone tells you they were there, they're lying; only 4,514 fans attended the game at Metropolitan Stadium. Gentile finished 2-for-3 with a walk, a sac fly, and - oh, by the way - two grand slams.

Gentile cleared the bases in consecutive innings to start the game; he is one 12 players to hit two grand slams in a game, three of whom are Orioles: Gentile, Frank Robinson (June 26, 1970) and Chris Hoiles (Aug. 14, 1998). He finished the 1961 season with five grand slams, breaking Ernie Bank's 1955 total for the major league record that now belongs to Don Mattingly, who hit six grand slams in 1986.

The player who went by the sobriquet "Diamond Jim" after famed Dodger catcher Roy Campanella called him "a diamond in the rough" during the Dodgers' 1956 tour of Japan batted .302 with 46 home runs, 141 RBIs, and a .423 on-base percentage in 1961. The effort earned the then-27 year old an All-Star berth and third place in the Most Valuable Player vote behind two players who were having pretty decent seasons of their own in 1961: Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.

"Everyone has one of those career years," said Gentile, in a 1999 Baseball Digest article. "It seemed everything went my way and I was always getting base hits at the right time. When men got on, I was getting base hits."

In 1996, Gentile lost two club records that he established during the 1961 season: most home runs by a left-handed batter (Brady Anderson hit 50 in '96) and most RBIs (Rafael Palmeiro drove in 142 in '96). Nevertheless, Gentile's 1961 surge produced two records that still stand: most game-winning RBIs (unofficially - 21) and highest slugging average (.646). His 46 home runs are the third most in O's history behind Anderson and Frank Robinson (49 in 1966).

Image source: Here.

Earl Weaver in Sports Illustrated

2009-07-09T14:20:00.004-04:00

"That one with Haller was embarrassing. We both acted like five-year-olds. 'My dad can beat up your dad' kind of thing. It's terrible."

-Earl Weaver

Any excuse to post this YouTube video of a September 1980 Earl Weaver argument with umpire Bill Haller is a good one, but in this case it's a really good excuse. Sports Illustrated interviewed Weaver for its annual "Where Are They Now?" edition.

In the lengthy SI piece Weaver describes the outburst, immortalized by YouTube, as "embarrassing." The excerpt about the Haller argument follows.

Earl Weaver was thrown out of more American League games than any other manager in history. He was thrown out in spring training. He was thrown out in the World Series. He was thrown out twice in one day. Twice. (Both ends of a doubleheader.) He was thrown out by an amateur umpire. (The regulars were on strike.)

"Most of the umpires, it's amazing, 98 percent of them will not hold a grudge," Weaver says. "I always felt a couple of them did. I never wanted to argue with an umpire in my life."

Come on, I tell him.

"No," Weaver says, "but in the heat of battle, when you think something is taken away from you, I had to go out there and holler at them. I knew it wasn't going to do much. That one with Haller was embarrassing. We both acted like five-year-olds. 'My dad can beat up your dad' kind of thing. It's terrible."

The Haller argument, which happened the year after Baltimore blew a three-games-to-one lead to Pittsburgh in the '79 World Series, lives on in YouTube posterity because Haller was wired for sound for a local newsmagazine show. Haller is the same umpire who said of Weaver in 2007, "When the bastard dies, they'll have to hire pallbearers."

Another umpire, Ron Luciano, once said he didn't care who won the AL East, so long as it wasn't Weaver and the Orioles. The league kept Luciano off Baltimore games for a year because of that comment. When the ban expired, Luciano threw Weaver out the first chance he got, ejecting him before Weaver even cleared the top step of the dugout to argue a strike call. Weaver protested the game and had the grounds for his protest announced over the stadium loudspeakers: "Umpire integrity."

Why Not? Wednesdays: Halfway Home and There's Hope

2009-07-08T12:31:00.003-04:00

Twenty years ago the Orioles had fans in Baltimore asking "Why Not?" On Wednesdays, Roar from 34 will revisit a game from that same week of the season to see how the O's were putting together an improbable pennant chase just one season removed from 107 losses and a 21-game losing streak to start the year.

On July 5, 1989, the Why Not? Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 at the new Skydome to improve to 47-34, 23 games better than their record at the 1988 halfway point. The team's early success led to appearances by Frank Robinson on "Good Morning America" and Gregg Olson and Mickey Tettleton on "Today" prior to the team's trip to Toronto.

Bob Milacki (5-8) earned the victory over Jimmy Key (7-8) during five innings of work that included seven Blue Jay hits and three runs. Key went eight innings, giving up 12 hits and five runs. Gregg Olson got the save for the O's with two innings of work, including a shaky eighth inning that ended with a Lloyd Moseby fly ball with the bases loaded.

Reserve catcher Bob Melvin paced the Orioles at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Melvin, in the first of his three seasons with Baltimore, finished the year batting .241 with one home run and 32 RBIs in 85 games.

Phil Bradley chipped in a home run, Craig Worthington recorded an RBI double, and Randy Milligan added an RBI single for the O's.

The Jays got solid production from the 2-3-4 spots in their lineup as Tony Fernandez and Kelly Gruber went 2-for-4 and George Bell finished 3-for-4.

The match-up in Toronto was the Birds' second go-round with the Blue Jays. Baltimore won both early season series by taking two of three from the eventual A.L. East champions. The Orioles finished 7-6 against the Blue Jays in 1989.

After the July 5 game, the Jays stood 10 games behind the O's in sixth place.

O's Odds and Ends: Could Someone Please Send ESPN an O's Media Guide?

2009-07-08T08:47:00.008-04:00

O's Odds and Ends: The Appreciation Edition.

The rundown: Luke Scott deserves appreciation, Brian Matusz looks like he'll earn some of his own, and the O's would appreciate having their names prounounced correctly.

-He's been the American League Player of the Week. Curtis Granderson figuratively tipped his cap to him back in June. And after his career-high seven RBI night during the O's 12-4 victory Tuesday in Seattle, Luke Scott is the talk of the town. Still, it doesn't seem like enough given the effort that Scott has put together so far during a season that he entered with an uncertain role.

Scott's 17 homers lead the team, and he's third in RBIs behind Aubrey Huff and Nick Markakis. This despite the fact that he's sixth on the team in at-bats, more than 80 behind Adam Jones and Huff and more than 100 behind Markakis. He leads the team (minus Danys Baez ... no, seriously) in slugging percentage, and his .981 OPS would rank third in the American League had he played in enough games to qualify in the rankings. (Note: Scott has only seven fewer at-bats than the Rays' Ben Zobrist who leads the American Leage with a .998 OPS.)

Earlier this season Scott became the first Oriole to homer in four straight games since Miguel Tejada in 2005. His consecutive multi-homer games as part of that binge were the first for the club since Albert Belle did it in 2000. On Tuesday, he became first O's player to drive in seven runs in a game since Ramon Hernandez on May 23, 2006. His seven RBIs were two off the club record, set by Jim Gentile against the Twins on May 9, 1961.

Say it loud, say it proud: Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke.

Other O's odds and ends:

-As the O's faced their former homegrown, left-handed ace in the Emerald State on Tuesday, a new homegrown, left-handed ace took the mound in Bowie and pitched a gem.

Brian Matusz fanned 11, walked none, and allowed just one hit for the Baysox in a 6-0 victory over the Harrisburg Senators. Matusz started his Bowie career in June with a six-inning, 10 strikeout "masterpiece" against the Reading Phillies.

Matusz and Man Crush both start with the letter "M." Coincidence?

-Could someone please send an Orioles media guide to the folks in Bristol?

One day after changing Kam Mickolio's first name to "Kim," the SportsCenter crew messed up Dave Trembley's last name. ESPN's Steve Levy called Trembley by the name "Trombley" twice on Tuesday morning.

Kud-O's to The Sun for Catching Up

2009-07-07T12:39:00.004-04:00

As a fan of Orioles history, I've been somewhat remiss in not posting a link to The Sun's "Catching Up With" series that appears on the paper's Toy Department blog. No longer.

The latest "Catching Up With" article tracks down Gary Roenicke, a current O's scout and former platoon left fielder, who offers some comments of interest.

Consider his thoughts on platooning, which reflect just how gracious Luke Scott has been about his own shifting prospects in left field since the season started. Face it: No one likes to platoon, but some guys accept it for what it is and make the best of the circumstance.

Publicly, Roenicke shrugged off his part-time role.
"How can you argue when you’re winning?" he said. "But if I could change anything, I probably would have asked why I didn’t play a little more."

Scott doesn't have the benefit of winning, but he still hasn't argued, and he has produced.

Also enjoyable is Roenicke's subtle - but completely honest - jab at the Yankees.

His best memory of Baltimore? The unity of the ’79 team that lost the World Series to Pittsburgh, 4 games to 3.
"We really were family," he said. "That should have been our song, not the Pirates’. There were no fights, no shouting matches. On off days, our families went out together.
"As players, we all knew our roles. We might not have liked it, but we respected it. Talk about chemistry, well, we had it. You don’t have to have chemistry to win – the Yankees have proven that – but we had it."

Roenicke was among my favorite players as a kid if only because I had my picture taken with him at an Orioles baseball clinic at Memorial Stadium. He was among a cast of likable characters from the O's teams of the early '80s including Floyd Rayford, who was the subject of last week's "Catching Up With" article.

Roenicke played eight seasons in Baltimore, during which time he batted .250 with 106 home runs, and 352 RBIs in 850 games.

Was it a Mistake to Put the Nationals in D.C.?

2009-07-07T09:56:00.005-04:00

So why did MLB go to Washington, where Forbes currently values the Werner's $450 million investment at $406 million? ... Ganis' thoughts echo those of many others. Labor strife, cable fights and steroids mean lots of congressional hearings. "Baseball decided it needed a beachhead in Washington," Ganis said. So, call the Nationals a cost of doing business.

Major League Baseball made a mistake by putting the Nationals in D.C. rather than Northern Virginia and has therefore hurt Baltimore and Washington's respective baseball franchises, according to the Forbes article "Baseball and the Beltway: A Bad Marriage." A lone bright spot in the deal was the creation of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), which has put both teams among the Top 10 in cable revenue.

Some excerpts from the Forbes article follow:

"I had guys that came up on the train from Washington, have dinner with me and go back. Then I'd see them again the next night," he said before the Orioles' June 18 match-up with the New York Mets. Are the Washington Nationals, born in 2005 out the ashes of the Montreal Expos, to blame? "I don't think there's any doubt," he said.

As the July 4 holiday looms, marking the midway point of baseball's fifth season in Washington, Powell isn't alone in thinking the league made a big mistake in matching baseball with the capitol, classically American as both may be. Time may yet show otherwise, but as the Nationals team nears its 1,000th game, it resembles a drowning man pulling others--namely the Orioles, 39 miles to the northeast and struggling at the gate--down with him.

...

The one silver lining: an attractive cable deal with the Mid Atlantic Sports Network, which the teams jointly own, with the Orioles as majority partner. Baltimore owner Peter Angelos figured that since the league was intent on putting a team right down I-95, he might as well make the best of it. And that meant collaboration rather than an all-out territorial war. The deal was negotiated by Major League Baseball on behalf of the Nationals, before the league turned over its ownership of the team to the Lerner family as it shifted the troubled franchise from Montreal. And while the two clubs have to share, the ability to showcase 324 major league games a year gives MASN a strong enough foothold to ward off any competing regional sports networks, most likely.

The agreement puts both teams in MLB's top 10 in cable revenue for now. That, along with low payrolls (both rank in the bottom eight in the big leagues), have them in the black.

...

Industry observers have never liked baseball's move into D.C.
"People said it could cannibalize the Orioles, and it came true," said industry consultant Marc Ganis, of Sports Corp. Ltd., of MLB's decision to bypass Charlotte, Las Vegas and nearby Northern Virginia. The big mistake, he said, was not capitalizing on the fact that Northern Virginia is far enough away from the District of Columbia to eliminate a lot of fan territory overlap--which both clubs estimate at 25%--but close enough to maintain the joint cable venture.
So why did MLB go to Washington, where Forbes currently values the Werner's $450 million investment at $406 million? Officials didn't return calls for comment. But Ganis' thoughts echo those of many others. Labor strife, cable fights and steroids mean lots of congressional hearings. "Baseball decided it needed a beachhead in Washington," Ganis said. So, call the Nationals a cost of doing business.

The Examiner's Jay Trucker has his own tongue-in-cheek suggestion for how to improve things for MASN: Shut down the Nats broadcasts and run some baseball-themed Reality TV programming. Some of his suggestions are as follows:

Melvin and Gisel Plus Six
The show featuring the longest tenured current Oriole, his wife, their quintuplets and an additional daughter, would be a lot like Jon and Kate Plus Eight, except Melmo and his wife seem to actually love one another and they didn't need cable TV blood money to become wealthy.
Making the Staff 13
After a dozen years of unsuccessfully trying to field a winning pitching staff the conventional way, next season the O's host a Sean Combs' Making the Band-style reality competition. Of course, hitting the corner of the plate with a 95 MPH fastball is much harder than crunk dancing and warbling like a girl, but the concept could translate well to Spring Training. With all due respect to the coaching staff, I'd let Diddy host this show. He might have more luck fielding winners.
Flavor of Huff
Don't laugh. In three season's of VH1's Flavor of Love, the basic cable channel found 60 women willing to compete for the love of Flavor Flav. I'm sure there are enough female Huff Daddy fans out there to fill a mansion. Just make sure you program your v-chip to keep the kids from tuning in. At the end of each episode Huff would vote one woman out of the mansion by telling her, “I no longer want to knock one out of the park with you.”
(author's note: If you want to keep your computer disease free, do not do an image search for "Flavor of Love." You've been warned.)

Young Oriole All-Stars

2009-07-06T14:00:00.009-04:00

If the past is any indication of future performance, the American League should put up 13 runs and a "W" with an O's young gun in the lineup.

O's fans looking for a little good news following a dispiriting string of games can find it in the forms of Adam Jones and Nolan Riemold. Jones, acquired in the Bedard trade, was named to the All-Star team just two days after Reimold, whom the O's drafted in 2005, was named "Rookie of the Month" for June. In other words, there's hope for the future.

At 23, Jones is the Birds' youngest All-Star since Mike Mussina in 1992. Jones is the team's youngest All-Star position player since some guy named Ripken, who made his first appearance in the Midseason Classic at the age of 22 in 1983.

In honor of Jones' All-Star berth, Roar from 34 revisits the 1992 and 1983 contests to see how our young Birds - and other players with O's connections - performed in those games. If the past is any indication of future performance, the American League should put up 13 runs and a "W" with an O's young gun in the lineup. After all, they've done it twice before.

1992

AL 13 - NL 6

Mike Mussina pitched one inning, retiring National League All-Stars Darren Daulton, Gary Sheffield, and Ozzie Smith in order. No runs, hits, or errors. In a strange twist made possible by the peculiarities of an All-Star Game, Mussina technically replaced Cal Ripken Jr. on the scorecard in the fifth inning.

Other Key Details:

-Winning pitcher: Kevin Brown, who spent one season as an Oriole in 1995.

-Losing pitcher: Tom Glavine who surrendered five earned runs on nine hits in just 1.2 innings pitched, enabling Brown to get the win after just one inning pitched.

-MVP: One year after Ripken won the award, Ken Griffey Jr. took home the MVP after going 3-for-3 with a home run (off Greg Maddux) and a double, two RBIs, and two runs.

Other Orioles in Action:

-Ripken: 1-for-3 with an RBI to go with a putout and an assist in the field.

-Brady Anderson: 0-for-3 at the dish; one putout in the field.

Other O's Connections:

Future Orioles

-Roberto Alomar went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and a run scored.

-Joe Carter, who spent one season as an Oriole in 1998, went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

-Will Clark, an Oriole in 1999 and part of 2000, went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run.

-Juan Guzman, an Oriole in 1998 and part of 1999, allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two in a scoreless inning of work.

-Lee Smith, who spent one season with the Orioles in 1994, was on the All-Star roster but did not appear in the game.

Former Orioles

-Dennis Martinez, an Oriole from 1976 to part of 1986, tossed a scoreless inning with one strikeout and one walk. Martinez pitched a perfect game a season earlier.

1983

AL 13 - NL 3

In the first of his 19 consecutive All-Star appearances, Cal Ripken Jr. entered as a sixth-inning replacement for the Brewers' Robin Yount and went 0-for-0 with a walk. He recorded one putout in the field.

Other Key Details:

-Winning pitcher: Dave Stieb, three innings pitched, one run, four strikeouts, one walk.

-Losing pitcher: Mario Soto, two innings pitched, two runs, two hits, two strikeouts, two walks.

-MVP: Fred Lynn, who would sign with the Orioles following the 1984 season, went 1-for-3 with a grand slam. It is the only grand slam in All-Star Game history.

Other Orioles in Action:

-Eddie Murray: 0 for 2, with four putouts in a reserve role.

-Tippy Martinez: Named to the All-Star roster but did not appear in the game. It was Martinez's lone trip to the All-Star game. Later in the 1983 season he would pick off three Blue Jays in the 10th inning of a 7-4 Orioles victory.

Other O's Connections:

Future Orioles

-Ron Kittle, who appeared in 22 games as an Oriole in 1990, finished 1-for-2 with a run scored representing the White Sox. Kittle would go on to win the 1983 Rookie of the Year award over Julio Franco and Mike Boddicker.

Former Orioles

-Doug DeCinces, who played with the Orioles from 1978 through 1981 before being traded to the Angels for Dan Ford, went 0-for-1 representing his new team. DeCinces finished third in the 1982 MVP voting behind Robin Yount and Eddie Murray.

Flashback Friday: Leon Day Way

2009-07-03T13:32:00.003-04:00

This week's Eutaw Street Week-themed edition of "Flashback Friday" considers the career of Leon Day, the 12th Negro League baseball player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Eutaw Street plaza entrance to Camden Yards was renamed "Leon Day Way" in 1995 by then-Mayor Kurt Schmoke, a fitting tribute to the ballplayer and the significant African-American history on the stadium's grounds; Camden Station was once part of Harriett Tubman's Underground Railroad.

A native of Baltimore, Day was raised on Pierpont Street along the B&O Railroad tracks and regularly attended games at Westport's Maryland Baseball Park to watch the Baltimore Black Sox, with whom he began his career.

Day played for the Black Sox in 1934 before jumping the next season to the Brooklyn Eagles. In 1936, after the Eagles were sold and relocated to Newark, Day established a Negro League record with 18 strikeouts against the Baltimore Elite Giants. In 1946, after returning from military service in World War II, he became the only Negro League pitcher to toss an Opening Day no-hitter.

Day ended his Negro League career where it started, in Baltimore, leading the Elite Giants to the championship in 1949. He later pitched briefly in the International and Eastern leagues.

Day died in Baltimore on March 13, 1995, just days after learning that he had been selected for the Hall of Fame. His .708 winning percentage is tops among all Hall of Famers.

From the National Baseball Hall of Fame:

"The Negro leagues' outstanding strikeout pitcher with a dominating fastball and
wicked curve, quiet Leon Day was the mainstay of the Newark pitching staff in
the late 1930s and '40s. Also a superb contact hitter and speedy baserunner, Day
was versatile enough to play second base or the outfield when he wasn't
pitching. He spent two years pitching on integrated Army teams during World War
II, and in his first game back with the Eagles in 1946, he tossed a no-hitter
against the Philadelphia Stars."

Sources:

Negro League Baseball Players Association

Baseball Library

Trust for Public Land

National Baseball Hall of Fame

Daily Press

Image Source: The Sun (click photo for original)

The Eutaw Street Chronicles ... of Pitchers

2009-07-02T13:28:00.008-04:00

The bronze baseballs that adorn Camden Yards' Eutaw Street walkway provide four pieces of information - the batter, his team, the date, and the distance - but that's only half the story. Who were the pitchers?

Presumably, no organization would create a monument to shame pitchers, although if that option ever came in vogue I have some candidates in mind for the first statue - 2007 bullpen, I'm looking in your general direction.

Nevertheless, there's a curiosity factor there for me in this regard, so I reviewed the 50 Eutaw Street home runs to consider the pitchers who gave up the long home runs instead of the batters who struck them.

Overall, the Orioles have served up 30 Eutaw Street home runs. No visiting pitcher has given up more than one Eutaw Street home run, but Detroit has been the most-victimized opponent.

[The others: Texas (3), Seattle (2), Kansas City (2), Cleveland (2), the White Sox (2), Toronto (2), Milwaukee (1), Philadelphia (1), and Pittsburgh (1).]

But which Orioles pitcher has served up the most bronze bombs?

Answer provided after the jump.

Sir Sidney Ponson has given up the most Eutaw Street home runs, a total of five. Jason Johnson ranks second with four. Three other O's pitchers have been victimized twice: Erik Bedard, Jeremy Guthrie, and Radhames Liz.

Consider this: Ponson alone is responsible for every bronze baseball from 1998 and 1999, which happened to be his first two seasons in the majors. (Ponson allowed a career-high 35 home runs in 1999).

No other Eutaw Street home runs were hit between the time that Ponson allowed his first (to the Rangers' Lee Stevens on May 30, 1998) and his last (to the Athletics' Matt Stairs on Sept. 23, 1999). Average distance of the five home runs: 417 feet.

The Birds' Scott Kamieniecki allowed the longest Eutaw Street home run, Henry Rodriguez's 443-foot drive on June 17, 1997. The Nationals' Adam Dunn fell a foot short of that record last weekend, allowing rookie David Hernandez to breathe a sigh of relief.

The record for longest Eutaw Street home run allowed by a visiting pitcher - 420 feet - belongs to five players: Detroit's Bill Swift, Kansas City's Jeff Suppan, Detroit's Brian Moehler, Philadelphia's Brett Myers, and Detroit's Freddy Dolsi.

Which is Worse: A Collapse Against the Red Sox or a Doubleheader Loss to the Yankees?

2009-07-02T08:29:00.006-04:00

Checking back on the 1956 "day after" following the O's previous biggest comeback win

I can't imagine it being any worse than Wednesday's disheartening follow-up to the biggest comeback win in modern franchise history, but the Orioles did manage to break some hearts in Baltimore following their previous biggest comeback win, an eight-run rally on Sept. 2, 1956, that produced an 11-10 victory over Boston. What the O's did for an encore back then was lose a double-header to the Yankees.

First came a 6-1 loss to the Casey Stengel-led Yankees, followed by a 5-0 shutout against New York's Don Larsen.

Larsen pitched a complete game in the '56 nightcap, giving up four hits in nine innings. Brad Bergesen gave up four hits in eight innings on Wednesday.

Eutaw Street Week: 2110 Eutaw Street Update

2009-07-01T14:29:00.002-04:00

Following up on Tuesday's post about the Orioles' "2110 Eutaw Street" promotion, Communications Director Greg Bader reports that the original 500 seats for the promotion sold out, so the team has added 250 more seats, which are expected to sell out today.

The Orioles will announce additional 2110 Eutaw Street game dates as soon as Thursday.

The Eutaw Street Chronicles: April 27, 1996

2009-07-01T12:55:00.005-04:00

Brady Anderson's 1996 power surge yielded multiple records, and his first Eutaw Street home run

In a season defined by his rare display of power at the plate, Brady Anderson became a first-time bronze bomber in 1996 by hitting the shortest Eutaw Street home run in the history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Anderson's eighth-inning homer off Bobby Witt traveled a "mere" 380 feet. The Rangers' Hank Blalock later matched the distance on July 22, 2003.

The Orioles 4-2 loss to the Rangers on April 27 was their ninth loss in 11 games following an 11-2 start to the 1996 season. However, with the Yankees also losing, the O's maintained a one-game lead in the A.L. East. They ended up four games behind the Yankees but earned their first and only Wild Card with an 88-74 record.

Anderson's home run was his 10th of the young season, tying Frank Robinson's club record for most home runs in April and leaving him one short of the then-Major League record of 11 for the month. (Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez have each since hit 14 April home runs.)

After tying Robinson's record Anderson joked: "I'm just going to stand and stare at him until he acknowledges the record. In fact, I may be calling Frank tonight."

Anderson would exceed Robinson's April total and match the MLB mark the very next day, putting him on pace for 66 home runs, 140 RBIs, 147 runs, and 113 extra-base hits. After battling a strained quadriceps and appendicitis, Anderson finished the year batting .297 with 50 home runs, 110 RBIs, 117 runs, and 92 extra-base hits.

The center-fielder had already established an MLB record earlier in the month by hitting a lead-off home run in four consecutive games, from April 18 to 21. On the season, he matched Bobby Bonds' record 35 home runs while batting lead-off and hit 12 home runs leading off a game to top Bonds' 1973 record in that category. (Alfonso Soriano topped Anderson with 13 in 2003.)

Among the Oriole records Anderson set in 1996 were most home runs (50), home runs while leading off (34), home runs leading off a game (12), extra-base hits (92), and total bases (369).

In 1996, Anderson joked on ESPN that "grease" was responsible for his sudden power surge as he was now eating fattier foods. He later stated in Outside Pitch magazine that "massive" doses of the (legal) supplement creatine were in fact contributed to the outburst. Former Oriole pitcher Jim Palmer raised Anderson's ire when he instead insinuated that the outfielder benefited from the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

"I know what I did and how I accomplished it," Anderson said. "I am proud of it and know that it was done with integrity."

Anderson reached Eutaw Street twice more in his career. His three Eutaw Street home runs are tied with Jason Giambi for the second-most in Camden Yards history behind Rafael Palmeiro, who accomplished the feat four times.

In addition to his Eutaw Street home run against the Rangers, Anderson recorded his fifth of what would be 21 total stolen bases for the season. He became the first player with both a 50-20 (homers-steals) and a 20-50 season.

Read previous entries in The Eutaw Street Chronicles here.

Birds Go Back to the Future, Beat Red Sox 11-10

2009-07-01T09:13:00.008-04:00

The Sun's headline says it all: "Believe it: Orioles rally from 10-1 deficit, win."

However, that doesn't mean more hasn't already been said as O's fans start to recover from that speechless feeling following Tuesday's unprecedented comeback against the Red Sox. And though it doesn't fit with Roar from 34's "Eutaw Street Week" theme, the largest comeback in the modern history of the franchise must not go without mention in this space.

Last night's heaping does of Orioles Magic topped an eight-run rally the team mustered on Sept. 2, 1956. Final score of that game? 11-10. The opponent? The Boston Red Sox. It seems everything old is new again.

A rundown of comeback-related headlines follows, including my personal favorite from Weaver's Tantrum. First, though, let's revisit the history.

In the 1956 game, attended by 12,529 fans at Fenway Park, the Red Sox put up consecutive four-run innings to start the game, blasting O's starter Ray Moore for six runs on three hits in one inning pitched.

Billy Loes, the Birds' fifth pitcher of the game, ultimately got the win after pitching two hitless innings as the Orioles scored two runs in the eighth and three runs in the ninth for the victory. First baseman Bob Boyd, third baseman George Kell, and left-fielder Bob Nieman each had three hits for the O's. Nieman, who finished seventh for the 1956 MVP won by Mickey Mantle, also tallied 3 RBIs.

The O's finished the 1956 season with a 69-85 record for sixth place in the eight-team American League.

Now, back to the considerably more exciting recent history.

Here are some of the early takes on the game from around the sports world and the Blog-O's-phere:

Associated Press: Orioles rally for stunning 11-10 win over Red Sox.

MASNsports.com: Orioles Magic: More on one special comeback.

MLB.com: O's stage historic comeback vs. Red Sox.

Reuters: Orioles complete record rally to soar over Red Sox.

CBSSportsline: Baltimore makes comeback history.

SI.com: O's stun BoSox with biggest rally in team history.

ESPN.com: O's 9-run rally stuns BoSox.

Boston Globe: Old Bawl Game.

Camden Chat: Orioles 11, Red Sox 10: Greatest Comeback in Franchise History (you can look it up).

Around the Harbor: What? Really? What? This is the Greatest Thing Ever.

Wayward Oriole: super reverse dOuble massacre.

And finally, Weaver's Tantrum: HOLY F#$%ING &*%$!!!

Eutaw Street Week: Inside 2110 Eutaw Street

2009-06-30T12:38:00.003-04:00

"Nick and Adam jumped at the opportunity to get closer to the fans, and that is why I think the program will be a success."

Day two of Roar from 34's "Eutaw Street Week" provides an interview with Greg Bader, director of communications for the Orioles, about the team's new 2110 Eutaw Street promotion. Bader discusses such topics as Anita Marks' role in the creation of 2110 Eutaw Street, the process that bring these types of marketing efforts to life, and factors that contribute to a player's marketability.

As most Bird Watchers know, the promotion, which celebrates young outfielders Nick Markakis (21) and Adam Jones (10), debuts on July 12 when the O's take on the Blue Jays. For $21, fans get a Eutaw Street bleacher seat and a limited edition "I Live at 2110 Eutaw Street" t-shirt as well as the opportunity to catch baseballs tossed into the stands throughout the game by Markakis and Jones. Should either player homer during the game one fan in the 2110 section receives an autographed bat.

Here's what Bader had to say:

RF34: How did the idea for the 2110 Eutaw Street promotion come about?

Anita Marks actually approached me after attending a game in the bleachers earlier this year. She felt that while the section was pretty full, the overall feel of the area could be kicked up a notch. After spending nearly four hours on the Scott & Anita show taking phone calls about possible names for that area, we sat down to discuss a new program that would create fan excitement, highlight two franchise players in Nick and Adam, and provide a great value and experience for Nick and Adam's biggest fans. After a few weeks of finalizing details, we announced 2110 Eutaw Street as the new program.

RF34: What has the response been like for the promotion? Has there been a measurable increase in ticket sales beyond what you would normally project for a Sunday game in the summer?

Response has been overwhelmingly positive. People have been excited that the club is embracing two of its young stars and put together a program designed to link the players and the fans in a direct manner. July 12 is the first game (and only announced date) and we had earmarked 500 tickets for the event. At this time, we are over 2/3 full and expect to sell out the area soon. [Editor's note: response provided on June 24.]

RF34: How do you evaluate the success of a given promotion?

Success will of course be based on ticket sales, but also whether the overall atmosphere of the Eutaw Street Bleachers area picks up for this game. Our fans are so critical to our success, and to provide our players with an opportunity to directly connect to the fans--especially in-game--is an exciting proposition. If that connection is made, we will have succeeded.

RF34: How many additional 2110 games might we see this season? Could this promotion live on beyond the 2009 season?

We are expecting an additional 3 or 4 games this season featuring the 2110 promotion-- all most likely on weekends, when it is often most convenient for fans to attend games. If successful, this promotion may continue into next season and beyond.

RF34: How do the Orioles' marketing efforts in the past two or three years differ from what's been done in previous years at Camden Yards?

The club has always looked to keep ticket and concessions prices as low as possible, providing the most affordable opportunities possible for all fans. Student Night, Bargain Night, Bleachers and Boog's, and the Dugout Club have all been around for several years. We added promotions this year including Kids Nights (children 10 and under free on Thursdays) and the Birthday Offer (free tickets in each fan's birthday month) as part of the Birdland Stimulus Package. But overall, the concept in how we market our product has not changed... Camden Yards is the premier ballpark in baseball and we always try to highlight the ballpark experience and overall value whenever possible.

RF34: Who is responsible for the team's marketing decisions? What's the process for making something like 2110 Eutaw Street happen, from idea to implementation?

The club has several dedicated employees across various departments that are ultimately responsible for executing the team's marketing initiatives. The management team in place provides the overall objectives and goals, and the club's staff works to execute such objectives. With a promotion such as 2110, members of the Communications, Programs/Promotions, Sales/Fan Services, and Ballpark Operations all work together to make sure that the program is properly implemented.

RF34: What factors determine a player's marketability?

Orioles fans have traditionally not only supported the superstar player but also the 25th man on the roster, and in turn, we try to spread our focus across a variety of players. Obviously guys like Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts and Adam Jones seem to get the most attention because of their on-field exploits and their off-the-field community efforts; however, guys like Wieters, Reimold, Huff, Mora, Uehara and others have been highlighted in promotions this year as well. On-field success, relationship with fan base and personality all play an important role.

RF34: Are there any contractual restrictions on how a player is used as part of marketing promotions?

Players on the roster do not need to provide their approval for promotions such as bobbleheads, t-shirts and other promotional materials or ticket programs. However, we usually try to get the player to buy in before we announce anything to ensure that everyone is on the same page with the program or promotions overall goal. In the case of 2110, Nick and Adam jumped at the opportunity to get closer to the fans, and that is why I think the program will be a success.

Eutaw Street Week: What if the Warehouse Were in Left Field?

2009-06-29T15:33:00.015-04:00

Roar from 34's Eutaw Street Week begins with an architectural thought exercise: What if Eutaw Street ran behind left field rather than right field?

A simple change of direction at Oriole Park at Camden Yards - a shift of 15 minutes, maybe even less, in a clockwise direction - would alter the course of the ballpark's history and with it much of the local lore.

Here are four considerations of what might be different had HOK and the decision makers responsible for our jewel of a stadium momentarily lost their senses and favored parking-lot and on-ramp vistas over a center field view of Baltimore's fair cityscape.

We'd Remember Gonzalez Rather Than Griffey

It's easy to forget that Juan Gonzalez won the 1993 All-Star Home Run Derby because Ken Griffey Jr. walked away with the more memorable prize that July day, namely a 465-foot blast off of the Warehouse brick. No batter has accomplished the feat in game action.

Griffey was, and one assumes always will be, a key part of Camden Yards history. No matter that Gonzalez out slugged The Kid 12-11 in two overtime sessions to claim back-to-back Derby titles. No matter that Gonzalez hit a longer home run to left - an estimated 473-foot shot off of the upper-deck facade - than Griffey's Warehouse blast to right. Griffey was the story that day and has been ever since.

But if Eutaw Street, and the Warehouse, were in left field rather than right field, Gonzalez would have walked away with a bigger prize and the associated piece of history. Instead, he's a footnote in the Camden Yards story.

Which brings us to our second observation.

Righties Would Displace Lefties in the Camden Yards History Book

Memorial Stadium's most prized long-ball legend belonged to Frank Robinson, a right-handed batter and the only player ever to put a ball completely out of the park. He did so on May 8, 1966. The spot was marked with an orange-and-black flag in left field that read simply, "Here."

Less well-remembered are the near-misses of the left-handed batters who took the ball deep, but not quite deep enough, to right. Those hits are flagged only in the memories of the individuals who witnessed them. Consider Jason Jubb's recollection - with video evidence - of Eddie Murray's April 25,1985, home run that landed in the far reaches of the right-field bleachers, or my own less-evidenced memory of a prodigious foul ball off of Sam Horn's bat.

Because of the newer ballpark's design, Camden Yards' long-ball legends belong instead to the lefties - the Mickey Tettletons (first Eutaw Street home run), Henry Rodriguezes (longest Eutaw Street home run), and Kevin Basses (first Eutaw Street home run by an Oriole) of the baseball world.

Cal Ripken, the Orioles' all-time leader in home runs, who played 10 years and several hundreds of games at Camden Yards, doesn't have a bronze baseball on Eutaw Street. There's little doubt that he would have one if Eutaw Street were in left field rather than right. He may even have parked one there during his three-game home run streak in the days leading up to and including his record-breaking 2,131st consecutive game.

It seems hard to believe, but those memorable September nights at Camden Yards in 1995 could have been even more memorable if Eutaw Street ran behind left field.

Center Field Would Still Rule the Roost

Ultimately, Camden Yards is the political spectrum of baseball stadiums. Left and right get most of the attention, but the majority still rest closer to the middle.

A review of longest home runs in Camden Yards' history reveals that the biggest blasts tend to take flight toward center field.

I actually had nightmares (sad, I know) after the Yankees' Daryl Strawberry sent a Mike Mussina offering 465 feet to center field on June 17, 1998. No ball has been hit farther during game action.

The second-longest Camden Yards home run, by Pedro Munoz (yes, you read that correctly: Pedro Munoz), traveled 463 feet to ... center field.

Overall, four of the five longest home runs in Camden Yards history have traveled to center field. In addition to Strawberry and Munoz's efforts, Russell Branyan homered 459 feet to center this season, and Mo Vaughn drove a ball 457 feet in the same direction on July 7, 1996.

(Baseball Reference doesn't indicate the direction of Vaughn's home run, but deductive reasoning suggests that it was center field. An earlier home run that day by Vaughn traveled 419 feet to right field and landed on Eutaw Street, and Vaughn has only one bronze marker to his credit. He surely didn't go 457 feet the opposite way.)

The only roundtripper among the top five on Camden Yards' list of longest home runs that may have traveled to left field (again, Baseball Reference does not indicate the direction of the hit) was Jeffrey Hammonds' 460-foot shot off of Eric Plunk on Sept. 15, 1997.

Which leaves us with one final question ...

Would the Warehouse Still be Untouched?

This is perhaps the most fun (or "funnest," depending on your grammatical flexibility) inquiry of this whole "What If?" exercise: If Eutaw Street ran behind left field, would a right-handed batter have hit the Warehouse by now during game action?

Given the shifting distances it takes to reach the Warehouse depending on where the ball leaves the yard, no two Eutaw Street home runs are created alike. The best chance of accomplishing the feat comes with a shot straight down the line, but the approximate distance and location required to accomplish the feat is difficult to measure accurately.

On the day of 1993 Home Run Derby, newspapers estimated that a ball would have to travel 470 feet to hit the Warehouse; Griffey's home run is marked with a plaque that reads 465 feet.

The best baseball arguments are hypothetical rather than concrete, which makes this final question all the more intriguing. So who would fare better in the Warehouse chase: a lefty or a righty?

A review of multiples lists of home run leaders (from this season, the all-time list, etc.) shows a fairly balanced mix of right-handed and left-handed batters. However, there is evidence to suggest that ballpark dimensions and the preponderance of right-handed pitchers favors lefty sluggers, which translates to more home runs but not necessarily longer home runs.

Were the Warehouse in left field rather than right field, my money says that a batter would be more likely to hit it with a home run in game action.

Feel free to disagree. After all, that's in part the beauty of the exercise.

Image source: Flickr.

Dunn Hits 50th Eutaw Street Home Run

2009-06-28T20:31:00.005-04:00

Home run is the second-longest hit on to Eutaw Street in game action

It's fitting that as Roar from 34 kicks off "Eutaw Street Week" another batter became a bronze bomber by putting a ball onto the walkway between the stadium and the warehouse. Unfortunately, it wasn't for the home team.

Adam Dunn stroked a 442-foot home run in the second inning of Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Nationals that one-hopped the warehouse. Dunn's blast was the second-longest Eutaw Street home run during game action, missing Henry Rodriguez's 443-foot shot on June 17, 1997, by just a foot.

According to Roar from 34's unofficial tally, Dunn is the second player to visit Eutaw Street this season after Aubrey Huff did so in April. Dunn's was the 50th Eutaw Street home run overall.

Here's a link to the full list of Eutaw Street home runs through the 2008 season.