On September 25, 1985, a powerful Baltimore Orioles lineup hit into four double plays and got blanked 3-0 in front of a sparse crowd in Milwaukee as Brewers right-hander Jaime Cocanower hurled his only career shutout. Many miles away, on what was also the 68th birthday of pitching guru Johnny Sain, Bradley Anthony Bergesen [...]
Archive for April, 2009
Dominican On Dominican Crime – Grand Slams By One DR Player Off Another
April 17, 2009Watching last night’s Orioles-Rangers game, I was excited in an otherwise awful contest (from a Baltimore perspective) to see the 2009 debut of right-hander Radhames Liz, who’d just been recalled from Triple-A. Unfortunately for Mr. Liz (and us O’s fans), his first pitch was hammered for a grand slam by Nelson Cruz. Now [...]
Remembering MARK FIDRYCH – The Bird’s Lone Baltimore Appearance, 7/4/1977
April 15, 2009The news of Mark Fidrych’s death hit me pretty hard. He pitched in the first major league baseball game I ever attended and –though I was only six-years-old– he made a lasting impression and deserves more than a little credit for turning me into a lifelong baseball fanatic. I never had the pleasure of meeting the [...]
EMILIO BONIFACIO & Inside-the-Park Home Runs By Players From the Dominican Republic
April 10, 2009
On Monday afternoon, Florida Marlins third-baseman Emilio Bonifacio made headlines by recording the first inside-the-park homer on Opening Day in over four decades. For Bonifacio, a switch-hitting 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, it was the first “long ball” of his major league career, and he did it in his Marlins debut against the same [...]
Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Koji Uehara Wants to K You
April 8, 2009
Loyal Orioles fans are buzzing about the pitcher making his major league debut this evening at Camden Yards against the hated Yankees. No it’s not Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta or Chris Tillman –the highly anticipated cavalry of kids that manager Dave Trembley assures us is on the way. No, this newcomer is a 34-year-old veteran [...]
2009 Baltimore Orioles Opening Day Lineup Facts
April 6, 2009
Like probably everybody bothering to even read this, I’m very excited about another Opening Day. From getting permission to skip school to watch on television as a kid, to being fortunate to attend three season inaugurals later, to the age of sneaking peaks at mlb.com at work in recent years — I totally buy into [...]
BALTIMORE ORIOLES Opening Day Catchers – From Clint Courtney to Gregg Zaun
April 3, 2009This post may eventually go down as a relic of B.M.W. –before Matt Wieters– but for now, let’s look back at the men who’ve donned the tools of ignorance on Opening Day for the Orioles. Nineteen different catchers have strapped on a mask, chest protector and shinguards in the first game of the season for [...]
Florida Marlins pitcher HAYDEN PENN & his place in Baltimore Orioles history
April 2, 2009First of all, I really like Hayden Penn. I was rooting for him to earn a place on the Orioles Opening Day roster this spring, and surprise more than a few people with a solid major league season in 2009. That said, I can’t be sorry he’ll be sleeping with the fishes in [...]
