Category: Sports

These guys played for the Orioles?

They were fine players for other teams and that’s how they are remembered. Most didn’t do much for the Orioles and many people have probably forgotten they played for them. For many of these guys, it was their last year in the majors.

End of career:

Vladimir Guerrero

Fernando Valenzuela

Joe Carter

Dwight Evans

Andy Van Slyke

Matt Nokes

Jim Thome

Kris Benson

Pat Hentgen

Ozzie Guillen

Mike Pagliarulo

Sammy Sosa

Derrick May

Jaret Wright

Heathcliff Slocumb

Sid Fernandez

Chris Sabo

Rick Burleson

Derrek Lee

Kevin Millwood

Tim Raines

Marty Cordova

Eric Davis

Francisco Rodriguez

Kevin Bass

Garrett Atkins

Juan Beniquez (Orioles gave up a first-round pick for one year of Beniquez’s career)

Lew Ford

Matt Harvey

Aurelio Rodriguez

Phil Bradley

Ron Kittle

Dickie Noles

Wayne Gross

Delino DeShields

Todd Zeile

Pete Incavglia

Fernando Tatis

Juan Guzman

Pedro Alvarez

Javy Lopez

Marv Thornberry (bad player for the early Mets)

Pete Smith

Jimmy Key

Will Clark

Lonnie Smith

Roger McDowell

Rick Helling

Wayne Gross

Kevin Millar

Jay Payton

Steve Trachsel

Freddy Garcia

Doug Drabek

Ray Knight

Middle of career:

Eric Byrnes

Lee Smith

Rich Hill

Randy Myers

David Wells

Tom Niedenfuer

LaTroy Hawkins

Doug Jones

Kent Mercker

Reggie Jackson (he went to my high school years before me)

Roberto Alomar

Jesse Orosco

Jeff Stone

Russ Ortiz

Beginning of career:

Justin Turner

Lou Piniella

Jose Bautista

Nestor Cortes

Christian Walker

Evan Phillips

Players who were on lots of teams

Mike Morgan

Edwin Jackson

Jamie Moyer

Some guys who never played for them in the majors:

Dontrelle Willis – played in the minors

Bob Horner (invited but didn’t play)

Kelly Gruber – spring training

Felix Hernandez – spring training, opted out when he didn’t make the major league roster

Julio Teheran (spring training and minors)

Tweets on badly behaved Eagles fans

This was before the game!

Philadelphia’s pole-climbing tradition

New tweets with photos of Satchel Paige

The strange Ravens season

The Ravens are 8-4 but not confidence-inspiring. Their remaining schedule is easy but they have struggled, going 2-1 in the last three weeks against losing teams. The Bengals have a tougher schedule but they certainly look better. The Ravens play in Cincinnati in the last week of the season. The Ravens have had many injuries and now Lamar Jackson is hurt.

I think they still make the playoffs but don’t win a game in them. I hope I’m wrong. The defense has been very good lately but the offense just doesn’t do enough.

Lots of strange things this year:

They did not score a TD in the last three games until the fourth quarter

This week, they were only in the red zone twice. Denver never got into the red zone.

This streak ended in the 12th game

Polo Grounds photos from Twitter

I saw the 1962 and 1963 Mets play there. It was the former home of the New York Giants before they moved to San Francisco. I recommend following the Twitter accounts I posted the tweets from to see more cool photos,

More Forbes Field photos from Twitter

I recall seeing seats being sold for $999 at a show about a decade ago

The 500 home run club

There are now 28 players in the 500 home run club. I went to a baseball autograph show in Atlantic City in 1989 that had 11 living members of the club which then included 14 players. I have included a photo of a Gateway Stamp Company signed envelope of the event which also includes an autograph from Pete Rose.

I still remember when Eddie Murray hit his 500th home run. I lived a few blocks from the Orioles stadium. I heard him hit it on the radio, then opened my back door to soak up the crowd noise.

Rick Wise threw a no-hitter and hit two home runs in the game

Rick Wise was an excellent hitter for a pitcher and had a fine career. I can’t find it but I recall him saying when he was frustrated with the Phillies, something like you had to pitch a shutout and hit a home run to win there. Then he did it.

SABR Biography

Stanford mascot suspended for holding “Stanford hates fun” sign