Oriole #1007- Pedro Alvarez

As I've mentioned while writing my last two debut posts highlighting Joey Rickard and Mark Trumbo, any time there are multiple debuts in the same game, I use fielding position numbers (1-9) as a tiebreaker. And although Pedro also made his Orioles debut on Opening Day, he served as the designated hitter in that game, so is the last of the three players to have officially made his debut in the O's first game of 2016. 

Pedro didn't officially sign with the Orioles until the day after I came back home from Sarasota, but I actually saw him at the Orioles complex on the last day of my trip; presumably he was there to take his physical. So that makes sense given that the Orioles physical/signing process generally seems to take something like 2-3 days to complete. They are certainly known for their "thorough" process, just ask Grant Balfour or Yovani Gallardo.

Thankfully, I've made a connection with a few fellow Orioles autograph collectors in Sarasota, and Alan was kind enough to help me out with Pedro (and Hyun Soo Kim), neither of whom signed for me on my trip (more about Kim in his post that will be up in a few days). Some of you might remember Alan for his winning a contest and being included in the Topps Heritage Minors set a couple years back. I've heard that Pedro isn't the best signer, so I was extremely happy that Alan was able to not only get my Old Man Card signed, but also personalized for me!

Pedro was the Pirates first round draft pick in the 2008 draft (the Orioles selected Brian Matusz two picks later), and he had a bit of an up and down career during his six seasons in Pittsburgh. He struggled defensively at third and later first base, and while he did make the 2013 All-Star team and hit 131 homeruns, including 30+ two times, he also struck out 813 times and struggled to hit for average.

Between being a Scott Boras client, and some salary demands, it was not too surprising to see that he was still unsigned in early March. After the Orioles deal for Dexter Fowler fell apart, they turned their attention to Pedro and signed him to a one year $5.75 million deal.

He has struggled a bit for the Orioles so far, and has just one hit over fifteen at-bats in five games. He has walked three times and only struck our four times, so it could be worse. But I'm hoping that his power potential shows up sometime soon.

Oriole #1006- Mark Trumbo

As I mentioned in yesterday's post about Joey Rickard's debut, three players made their Orioles debut on Opening Day 2016. Again, my tie-breaker system involves using the numbered fielding positions to order the debuts, and Rickard's debut in left field (7), came just ahead of Trumbo's debut in right field (9). So Joey is Oriole #1005, and Mark becomes Oriole #1006. 

Mark's Orioles debut was quite memorable, as he went 4-5 with 4 singles as well as a stolen base. He becomes just the fourth Oriole to record four hits in his Baltimore debut following Sam Horn, Ronny Paulino, and Chris Parmelee. But honestly, the stolen base might be more noteworthy for him considering he only had 20 previous steals over 690 MLB games. 

The Orioles acquired Mark (and reliever C.J. Riefenhauser) in a trade with the Mariners this past December in exchange for local Baltimore product and hometown favorite, Steve Clevenger. Even though Steve was a great guy and easy to root for, I honestly thought it was a great transaction since the Orioles were relatively deep at catcher, and thin in the outfield. Trumbo has some legitimate power as well and has hit over 30 HR twice in his six MLB seasons.

He has bounced around a bit, and was originally drafted by the Angels, before being traded to the Diamondbacks, and later the Mariners. He came in second in the 2011 AL Rookie of the Year voting behind winner Jeremy Hellickson, and was an All-Star for the Halos in 2012.

Mark signed both of these Old Man Cards for me during my Spring Training trip. I saw him sign multiple times over the course of the trip and was lucky to have gotten his autograph twice as he was mobbed by fans both times I got his autograph. I actually mentioned that I had his first Orioles card, and he specifically picked it out of the crowd and signed it for me. He took a minute to look it over and I asked him what he thought and he said it was a nice card. He asked if I made it and I was happy to give the credit to my dad for his help.

Far From the Iron Man

My posting these days might, MIGHT, be able to be called sporadic, but I continue to try to show off at least a few new Orioles autographs each week. But I am a far cry from my all-time favorite Oriole, and former perennial All-Star, Cal Ripken Jr. 

I imagine that if Cal happened to be an Orioles autograph blogger, that he would somehow find a way to post once a day, every day, week in and week out, year after year, until his hands cramped up and he could blog no more. But I ain't Cal, so a few times a week is what you get!

My collection doesn't currently include an autograph of Cal personalized to me, but this Sal personalized autograph is somewhat close to a nickname that friends have called me over the years, and has been a part of my collection for probably twenty some years.

So while we can all strive to be more Cal-like in our various endeavors, most of us will never quite reach that apex. And that's just fine.

Oriole #969- Evan Meek

The third new Oriole to make their Baltimore debut on Opening Day was relief pitcher Evan Meek who is now Oriole #969. He was an extremely long shot to make the roster heading into Spring Training, but over eight appearances that covered nine innings  Evan allowed just a single earned run and two hits while striking out ten batters. It was enough to edge out Alfredo Aceves for the final bullpen spot and make the Opening Day 25 man roster. 

Evan's story is an interesting one, as he bounced around the minors in the Twins, Padres, and Rays farm systems from 2002-07 before being selected by the Pirates in the 2007 Rule V draft. He then pitched 156 games for the Pirates from 2008-12, and even made the 2010 National League All-Star team, a deserving honor for a season in which he sported a 2.14 ERA over 70 games for a team that won only 57 games. Of course, every team must have an All-Star representative and there weren't many options on the Pirates team, which partially explains how a middle-reliever made the roster (says the Orioles fan whose team was obligatorily represented only by Ty Wigginton that year). 

Evan began to have some injury problems arise in 2011 and really struggled for the Bucs in 2012, and rode the AAA shuttle for much of the year before being designated for assignment in September. He spent 2013 in the Rangers minors before signing a minor league deal with the O's prior to the 2014 season. 

He didn't have a great performance on Opening Day for the O's as he walked two and struck out one against the Red Sox over two thirds of an inning, but did earn a hold for his effort. Evan seems like an easy guy to root for and I hope he can maintain his spring success now that the regular season is in full effect.

He also made it easy for me to like as he was one of the few players that on my Spring Training trip said he would sign when he came back and actually did so; for those of you who might not know, generally when a player tells you that they will sign on their way back out or something along those lines, you probably have just gotten blown off. It happens all the time so it's not a big deal, but I have to give Evan props for following up. The second card he signed for me is for trade if anyone is interested. 

Oriole #959- Francisco (K-Rod) Rodriguez

Slowly, very slowly, I'm making my way through the list of players who have recently made their Orioles debuts. Up today is K-Rod.

Francisco Rodriguez, Oriole #959, Debuted July 25 against Royals

The Orioles swung a trade with the Brewers to add this four-time All-Star to their bullpen for the stretch run. The Birds traded away Nicky Delmonico, their #5 prospect, and 2011 6th round draft pick, to pry K-Rod away from the Brew Crew, so I certainly hope that he does something over the course of the last two months of the season to make the deal worthwhile for the O's. 

Things started out on the wrong foot for K-Rod and the Orioles as he gave up four home runs in his first four appearances for the team. Luckily, his five appearances since then have been free of homers, or any runs at all, and he has struck out nine while only giving up two hits.

After Jim Johnson's recent stretch of being absolutely horrible (did you know that he has blown 7 of 15 one run save chances this year?), it's entirely possible that K-Rod just might be the Orioles closer at least in the near future, if not for the remainder of the year. Since he was the Brewers closer before being traded, was 10-10 in saves this year, and has 304 career saves, I think he could do the job. Another thing to chew on is that K-Rod's 40 strikeouts on the year are just one fewer than Johnson's 41, in just over half the innings pitched. 

Good luck in Baltimore K-Rod! Oh, and it would be nice if the next time it's only me and one other person asking for your autograph, you might oblige us. It would certainly help a brotha out!

Unpossible Autograph Friday- Bob Turley & Grady Hatton

Sadly, two more former Orioles players have passed away since my last unpossible autograph post just two weeks ago. And both of the two that passed away had very kindly signed my TTM autograph requests in recent years. 

"Bullet" Bob Turley was the 1958 AL Cy Young award winner, three-time All-Star, and two-time World Series champion (he was even the '58 World Series MVP). All of those accomplishments occurred with the Yankees, but I'll look past it since it was so many years ago, and he was so nice to sign my card for me. He passed away on March 30, at 82 years old, from complications from liver cancer. 

Grady Hatton, whom I wrote about in depth here, just passed away yesterday from effects of old age. He was 90 years old, so at the very least, it's comforting to know that both of these guys lived long lives, although I don't know how comfortable Bob might have been in recent years.

I'm very appreciative that both of these men took the time to sign TTM requests. And in what has become somewhat of a theme on my blog, I will echo my statements that signatures always mean more to me when they are personalized. It just adds that little extra touch of acknowledgment for me I guess.

After my last unpossible autograph post from a few weeks back, I have finally ramped my TTM requests back up after a long hiatus. I enjoy writing the requests and putting everything together while I watch Orioles games, so they kind of go hand in hand.

I hope that both of these nice men rest in peace. Thank you both for having taken the time for your fans!




To briefly explain the misspelled/made up title of these weekly posts: Every Friday, I profile a former Oriole who has passed away. I've substituted the word unpossible for impossible as an homage to a line from "The Simpsons". Young Ralph Wiggum, who is not very smart, says "Me fail English? That's unpossible." 

Unpossible Autograph Friday- Dave May, Oriole #241

The Orioles' family lost another member when Dave May lost his long battle against diabetes and cancer last Saturday, October 20th; he was 68 years old. 

Dave played twelve seasons in the Major Leagues between 1967-78, and spent a majority of that time as a member of the Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers. He broke into the bigs with the Orioles in 1967 and became the 241st player to wear the O's uniform when he made his debut on July 28, 1967. He went on to play parts of the next four seasons for the O's before he was traded to the Brewers halfway through the 1970 season. Overall for the Birds, he played 223 games, mainly in right field, and hit just .216.

He had his best season in 1973 as a member of the Brewers and was selected to the American League All-Star team. He also lead the his league in total bases that year. 

May later became known as the player who was traded for Hank Aaron when the Brewers and Braves accommodated the aging home run champion's request to finish his career in Milwaukee, where it had began. From what I understand, Dave struggled during his time in Atlanta to try to live up to the hype as the player who was traded for an all-time great. 

After his retirement from baseball, he was elected to his native Delaware's Hall of Fame. Interestingly, he earned the nickname "Turnpike" during his time with the Orioles because he would commute from Delaware to Baltimore. His son, Derrick May, also played in the Major Leagues and was briefly a member of the Orioles during the 1999 season.

Rest in Peace, Dave. 

To briefly explain the misspelled/made up title of these weekly posts: Every Friday, I profile a former Oriole who has passed away. I've substituted the word unpossible for impossible as an homage to a line from "The Simpsons". Young Ralph Wiggum, who is not very smart, says "Me fail English? That's unpossible." 

Unpossible Autograph Friday- Eddie Waitkus, "The Natural" , Oriole #2

This week's edition of an unpossible autograph features one of the players with possibly the most interesting story of nearly any of the 938 men who have appeared in a game for the Orioles. Many of you might not recognize the name Eddie Waitkus, but you likely have heard his story, or at least the fictionalized account of it. I bet that the name Roy Hobbs would ring a bell for many more of you, and you see, Eddie was the inspiration of the title character in the book, and later the movie, "The Natural".

Writer Bernard Malamud wrote "The Natural" way back in 1952, when Eddie's story was better known. You see, while the book was not a biography of Eddie, the part about the ballplayer who was shot by an obsessed female fan is based off of his story. Ruth Ann Steinhagen, who had some mental issues to say the least, became infatuated with Eddie and his All-Star caliber of play when he was a member of the Cubs between 1946-48. Apparently the fact that she was able to watch him play throughout the season kept her at bay, but when he was traded to the Phillies prior to the 1949 season, and she was no longer to see him regularly, made something snap inside of her.

On June 14, 1949 she stayed at the Phillies' team hotel and posed as one of Eddie's former classmates, and asked him to meet her in her hotel room. He obliged, walking into Steinhagen's trap, and she shot him in the chest, nearly killing him. Eddie's life was saved by the doctors who worked on him, and Ruth Ann was committed to a mental institution. At this point, the book and movie diverge from Eddie's tale, but it is a major part of Malamud's story. Outside of saying that the book and movie end differently, I won't give away any more information but I strongly suggest that you read the book and/or watch the movie if you have never have before.

Eddie made a quick recovery from the assault and actually was back to playing baseball at the beginning of the 1950 season. While he did suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder for the remainder of his life, his baseball skills didn't seem to suffer too badly. He continued to play through the 1955 season, and was a member of the inaugural 1954 Orioles. In fact he was the second player to ever bat for the team when he came to the plate on April 13, 1954 in Detroit against the Tigers. Eddie played in 133 games for the O's over the 1954-55 seasons, and let me tell you that it's a tough task to find a signed copy of this 1955 Bowman, the one and only Orioles card issued during his lifetime, at least at a semi-reasonable price.

Eddie passed away from complications of esophageal cancer at just 53 years of age in 1972. His untimely passing at a relatively young age, combined with his fame due to the connection to "The Natural" make his autograph a highly sought after commodity. RIP Eddie.


To briefly explain the misspelled/made up title of these weekly posts: Every Friday, I profile a former Oriole who has passed away. I've substituted the word unpossible for impossible as an homage to a line from "The Simpsons". Young Ralph Wiggum, who is not very smart, says "Me fail English? That's unpossible." 

1994 Orioles Debuts, #540-549

Today, I'm going to continue with my method of posting my remaining O's autographs by the year of player's debuts with the club. If you want to see any of the previous posts, here they are (2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1995)

As many of you know, 1994 was a horrible year for the sport of baseball, as the players went on strike and the postseason was skipped. It was certainly the worst year that I have ever experienced in regards to my favorite sport and I hope to never have to go through something like that ever again. It felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me, and 'poof' one day there was just no more baseball. It was horrible and awful and unfortunate. While Cal's Streak and McGwire and Sosa's HR battles reinvigorated a number of fans following the strike, I think that a number of former fans just never came back to follow the game.

Anyway, here are the players that debuted for the Orioles during that abbreviated season. You'll notice there aren't many, at least in part due to the strike taking away the end of the season. Most of these guys were veterans by the time they arrived in Baltimore, with Armando Benitez being the only real rookie debut of note.

Rafael Palmeiro #540, 4/4/94 (1994-98, 2004-05)

Chris Sabo #541, 4/4/94 (1994)

Lee Smith #542, 4/4/94 (1994)

Mark Eichorn #543, 4/6/94 (1994)

Sid Fernandez #544, 4/17/94 (1994-95)

"El Sid" pitched for fifteen seasons in the major leagues and is certainly best remembered for the ten seasons he spent with the Mets early in his career. He was a two-time all-star for them and was also a big part of their 1986 World Series championship team.

The Orioles were his first post-Mets team and he pitched reasonably well in 1994 but struggled in 1995 and was released at the All-Star break. Overall, Sid had a 6-10 record and a 5.59 ERA with the Orioles over 27 appearances.

Tom Bolton #545, 5/8/94 (1994)

Mark Smith #546, 5/14/94 (1994-96)

Mark was the Orioles 1st round selection (#9 overall) in the 1991 draft, so expectations were fairly high for him. I recall that he was featured on quite a few cards as an Oriole, so I was surprised when I looked up his stats and discovered that he appeared in just 67 games over his three seasons in Baltimore. I was even more surprised to discover that he had played off and on in the Majors through 2003, when he appeared in 33 games with the Brewers. Overall, Mark played in 414 games over parts of eight seasons with five different franchises.

In non-baseball news, the Baseball Assistance Team gave Mark an award for heroism for rescuing a man from a burning car crash in 2000. That takes some serious guts, congratulations Mark! Great work!

Scott Klingenbeck #547, 6/2/94 (1994-95)

Dwight Smith #548, 6/15/94 (1994)

Armando Benitez #549, 7/28/94 (1994-98)

All-Star Game Recap from an Orioles' Fan's Perspective

So the American League team got crushed 8-0 in last night's All-Star game, and was down 5-0 after the top of the first inning, so it was never really much of a game. 

But from where I stand as an Orioles fan, the score of the game might have been a blessing in that all three of the Orioles on the team got to appear in that game. It doesn't always work out that way for non-starters on a relatively unpopular team. Now as long as that home-field advantage thing doesn't turn around to bite them should they make it to the World Series...but who am I kidding? If the team actually makes it that far, I think I will be in an nonfluctuating state of euphoria. 

Here are the screen-shots I grabbed of the All-Star Orioles during the game last night. Please don't get mad at me FOX!

My favorite player, Matt Wieters, came in to the game as a defensive replacement  in the top of the sixth inning and stayed in for the rest of the game. 

As did Adam Jones, who also had the first pitch of the inning hit to him in center field before the awful Buck & McCarver could even spit out the defensive changes. They were probably talking about State Farm or Chevy of something.

Wieters got two at-bats, flying out to the outfield in both trips to the plate, including the last out of the game. Interestingly, he faced two different Phillies pitchers in both of his plate appearances (Hamels & Papelbon).

Jim Johnson came in to pitch in the top of the 8th inning and mowed down the N.L. hitters in order. 

But my favorite moment of the night had to be this...

Really Bryce? You're gonna lose a routine fly ball in your first chance in the All-Star Game? Thanks for the laughs!

1996 Orioles Debuts, Orioles # 574-595

Continuing my series in which I've recounted the debuts of new Orioles during certain seasons (2001, 2000, 1999 & 1998) today I am going to cover the 1996 team. Where's the 1997 team you might ask? Well, the Orioles were kind of really good that year, so I've already displayed every single autograph I have from the players who made their Baltimore debuts that season, and I'm not going to re-show all of those cards or do a post without scans, so I'm just moving along to 1996. My blog, my rules, ya know?

The 1996 team was pretty good too, but still had enough short-term type of players that I never have written about before to put together enough scans for a decent post. So here we go.

Roberto Alomar #574, 4/2/96 (1996-98)

B.J. Surhoff #575, 4/2/96 (1996-2000, 2003-05)

Tony Tarasco #576, 4/2/96 (1996-97)

Randy Myers #577, 4/2/96 (1996-97)

David Wells #578, 4/3/96 (1996)

I don't feel like I can say much about David that everyone doesn't already know. He pitched in the majors for 20 years with nine different teams, made three All-Star teams, and pitched a perfect game in 1998 during his time with the Yankees. He won two World Series titles ('92 with the Blue Jays, and '98 with the Yankees) and shares the MLB record by having appeared in the playoffs with six different franchises.

One thing that many of you might not know about David is the he only will sign baseball cards that feature him as a Blue Jay. I don't think I've ever heard why exactly, and occasionally the odd Yankees or Padres signed card has turned up, but 99% of his autographs that I've seen picture him as a Jay. Which is a problem for me as an Orioles autograph collector since David has numerous cards that picture him as an Oriole which I need to upgrade to for my collection. So far, David has turned my card down at a few signings and public events, but I will keep trying for as long as it takes.


Roger McDowell #579, 4/3/96 (1996)

Kent Mercker #580, 4/5/96 (1996)

Kent also had quite a long MLB career, having pitched in the Majors for 18 seasons between 1989-2008 with nine different teams, and is best remembered for the time he spent with the Braves and Reds. Kent was a part of two no-hitters during his years with the Braves, including a reliever assisted effort in 1991 and a solo job in 1994. Kent didn't have much success during his single season in Baltimore, going 3-6 with a 7.76 ERA over 14 games in 1996.


Jimmy Myers #581, 4/6/96 (1996)

Brian Sackinsky #582, 4/20/96 (1996)

Brian was the Orioles second round pick in the 1992 draft, but went on to appear in just three games with the O's during a five day period in 1996.

Keith Shepherd #583, 4/26/96 (1996)

Keith pitched for four different big league teams over the four seasons he spent in the Majors. The Orioles were his final stop and he appeared in 13 games and amassed a 8.71 ERA.


Luis Polonia #584, 5/12/96 (1996)

Esteban Yan #585, 5/20/96 (1996-97)

Archie Corbin #586, 5/21/96 (1996)

Rocky Coppinger #587, 6/11/96 (1996-99)

Garrett Stephenson #588, 7/25/96 (1996)

Garrett made his big league debut with the Orioles in 1996 and struggled over his three games with the O's. He went on to have more success with the Phillies and then Cardinals.

Mike Milchin #589, 8/11/96 (1996)

Brent Bowers #590, 8/16/96 (1996)

Nerio Rodriguez #591, 8/16/96 (1996-98)

Terry Mathews #592, 8/22/96 (1996-98)

Todd Zeile #593, 8/30/96 (1996)

I'm surprised that I never have written about Todd during the history of my blog but in reviewing his stats, I tend to forget that he was a member of the O's for just 29 games at the end of the '96 season. Interestingly enough, Garrett Stephenson was one of the players the Orioles sent to the Phillies for Zeile.

Over his sixteen season career Todd played for eleven different teams, and homered for each and every one of them, which is a MLB record.

Pete Incaviglia #594, 8/30/96 (1996-97)

Eugene Kingsale #595, 9/3/96 (1996, 98-2001)

When Eugene debuted for the Orioles in 1996, he became the first Aruban-born player to play in the Major Leagues. He was followed by three of his countrymen, all of whom also played for the Orioles. "Sir Eugene" was knighted by his homeland for his achievement.

1998 Orioles Debuts, Orioles #613-633

1998 was the first losing season for the O's following their 1996-97 back-to-back playoff appearances. Unfortunately, that season began a slide that has continued to this day, as the Orioles are still trying to have their first winning campaign since the '97 wire-to-wire playoff season. 

The '98 O's debuts included a few veterans whose careers were winding down as well as a couple players who went on to become the core of the Orioles team in coming seasons, but many were only a member of the team for that single season. 

And here are the players who debuted for the O's in 1998.

Joe Carter #613, 3/31/98 (1998)

Norm Charlton #614, 3/31/98 (1998)

Norm pitched in the Majors from 1988-2000 for a number of teams and is best remembered as one of the "Nasty Boys" in the Reds bullpen in the late '80s and early '90s. He was also quite successful with the Mariners in the mid-'90s. He was good enough to earn an All-Star nod in 1992 with the Reds.


Unfortunately, he was not very good for the Orioles in 1998, and had a 6.94 over 36 games before the team cut him loose. This is his lone Orioles card and it took me years to get it signed before I was able to send it to a fellow grapher to get signed at a card show last fall. It's not a great looking card and the autograph kind of disappears into the black jersey, but I'm very happy to have it in my collection. Norm is a great example of a player whose autograph is fairly easy to find, but you are in trouble if you want a specific card signed as he doesn't sign TTM and rarely does shows.


Ozzie Guillen #615, 3/31/98 (1998)


Doug Drabek #616, 4/3/98 (1998)


Sidney Ponson #617, 4/19/98 (1998-2005)

Doug Johns #618, 4/21/98 (1998-99)


Bobby Munoz #619, 5/16/98 (1998)

Bobby had a rough time with the O's in 1998 and had a 9.75 ERA over 9 games. 

Radhames Dykhoff #620, 6/7/98 (1998)

Radhames appeared in just a single game for the O's, the only one of his career actually, and allowed two runs in one inning. He is Sidney Ponson's cousin and, like Ponson, is Aruban. In fact, they are two of only four players all-time from Aruba, and all four (including Eugene Kingsale and Calvin Maduro) have played for the O's. Dykohoff is the only one of the quartet who has not been knighted for the achivement. 

 Jesus Tavarez #621, 6/7/98 (1998)

Jesus played in just eight games for the O's in 1998. But his autograph is a perfect illustration of why I don't trade autographs of active players. Jesus signed this card for me prior to a Pirates-Marlins game in the early '90s, and who would have known that it would eventually work it's way into my Orioles collection?

Pete Smith #622, 6/14/98 (1998)


Rich Becker #623, 6/17/98 (1998)


Joel Bennett #624, 7/15/98 (1998)


PJ Forbes #625, 7/21/98 (1998)


Lyle Mouton #626, 7/25/98 (1998)


Juan Guzman #627, 8/5/98 (1998-99)


Willie Greene #628, 8/11/98 (1998)


Willis Otanez #629, 8/25/98 (1998-99)


Jerry Hairston Jr. #630, 9/11/98 (1998-04)


Calvin Pickering #631, 9/12/98 (1998-99)

Calvin seems to be one of those "What could have been" guys in that he could show tremendous power in the minor leagues but it just never translated to the Majors. 

Ryan Minor #632, 9/13/98 (1998-2000)


Chris Fussell #633, 9/15/98 (1998)

1999 Orioles Debuts, Orioles # 634-655

1999 was yet another season with quite a bit of turnover in Baltimore, and 22 different players made their Orioles debuts that year. Unlike the 2000 & 2001 reviews that I've done, this list features a number of big name veteran players, although none of them are best remembered for playing for the O's.

Also, I will unofficially declare that Opening Day 1999, April 5, was likely the single day with the most Orioles player debuts, at least outside of the first game in franchise history in 1954. In that 1999 game, the O's had a new catcher, first baseman, right fielder, designated hitter, second base defensive replacement, and four relief pitchers all make their black and orange debuts in a span of nine innings.

To put that in perspective, there are nine full seasons in franchise history that saw fewer debuts than the nine that occurred in that single game.

Charles Johnson #634, 4/5/99 (1999-00)

Will Clark #635, 4/5/99 (1999-00)

Albert Belle #636, 4/5/99 (1999-00)

Jeff Conine #637, 4/5/99 (1999-03, 06)

Ricky Bones #638, 4/5/99 (1999)

Mike Fetters #639, 4/5/99 (1999)

Jesse Garcia #640, 4/5/99 (1999-00)

Jesse played in 31 games for the Orioles, split between the '99 & '00 seasons before being traded to the Braves. He ended up playing sparingly in the Majors every season through 2005, but never received regular playing time. 

Also, I'm a huge fan of the orange background of this Fleer Tradition card. It's something that card companies should do more often.

Heathcliff Slocumb #641, 4/5/99 (1999)

Heathcliff pitched in the Majors from 1991-2000, spending time with eight different teams. His best seasons were 1994 & 1995 during his stint with the Phillies, and he earned the only All-Star berth during his career in '95.

He is best remembered around baseball as being part of one of the most lop-sided trades in history when the Red Sox sent him to the Mariners at the 1997 trade deadline in return for Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek, who would go on to help the Sawx win the World Series in 2004 while Heathcliff was on the decline of his career.

This Orioles signed 8x10 is holding a place in my collection until he (hopefully) signs his one-and-only Orioles card during an upcoming private signing.

Mike Timlin #642, 4/5/99 (1999-00)

Rich Amaral #643, 4/8/99 (1999-00)

Doug Linton #644, 4/11/99 (1999)

Delino Deshields #645, 4/11/99 (1999-01)

Gabe Molina #646, 5/1/99 (1999-00)

Gabe pitched in 29, rather ineffective, games for the Orioles during parts of two seasons in Baltimore to the tune of a 1-2 record and a 7.50 ERA. He went on to play in a handful of games for the Braves and Cardinals.


Tommy Davis #647, 5/14/99 (1999)

No, not that Tommy Davis who also played for the Orioles. I call this guy Tommy Davis 2. I'm quite sure that Tommy signed this card for me TTM back when I was on my mid-'90s autograph requesting kick because I'm pretty doubtful that I came across Tommy during his two weeks in Baltimore.

For years, I thought that this Tommy played in the Majors much longer than the five games that he made it into, I guess mainly because he appeared on a handful of cards as an O, and I incorrectly tied his card appearances in with success at the Major League level.


Jason Johnson #648, 5/20/99 (1999-03)

Jason Johnson pitched five years for the Orioles during the height of some of their darkest days in recent history and was victimized, at least somewhat, by the shabby team surrounding him. He went 34-53 in an Orioles uniform over 133 games, mostly as a starter, but had a somewhat respectable 4.84 ERA.

To date, he pitched 11 seasons in the Majors with eight different clubs and has a 56-100 record with a 4.99 ERA in his career. As of last season, he was still attempting to pitch in the Atlantic League but finished the season with an 0-6 record and a 10.92 ERA, so I'm guessing he has called it a career.

Mike Figga #649, 6/5/99 (1999)

Al Reyes #650, 7/25/99 (1999-00)

Jim Corsi #651, 8/3/99 (1999)

Derrick May #652, 8/21/99 (1999)

B.J. Ryan #653, 8/29/99 (1999-05)

I'm surprised that this is the first time I've discussed B.J. on my blog. He was one of the Orioles best relievers during the mid-2000's and I always have had an affinity for fellow "Ryan's" even if it's a last name. And his locker plate is on the doorway over my bedroom, so it really worked out nicely for something like that.

In 2005, he saved 36 games for the O's and had a 2.43 ERA which was good enough to earn him and All-Star nod. He left Baltimore for Toronto following that season and the Jays signed him to the largest contract ever for a relief pitcher up to that time. But they ultimately got burnt on the contract as B.J. missed more than a year's worth of games due to injury and was released before the end of the five year deal.


Matt Riley #654, 9/9/99 (1999, 2003-04)

Brian Falkenborg #655, 10/1/99 (1999)

Unpossible Autograph Friday- Gene Woodling, Oriole #41

Gene Woodling played seventeen very successful seasons in the Major Leagues between 1943-62, missing the 1944 & '45 seasons due to military service during World War II. He played for the Indians, Pirates, Yankees, Orioles, Senators, and Mets during his career, and was a member of five consecutive Yankees' World Series winners between 1949-53. He was also a coach for the '66 Orioles World Series winning team, so he was part of six championship squads during his time in baseball, which is quite an accomplishment.

He had two stints in Baltimore during the mid to later parts of his career, first in 1955, then again from 1958-60. He arrived in Baltimore as a part of the massive Orioles-Yankees 17 player swap prior to the '55 season and he made his Orioles debut on April 11, 1955 which was Opening Day that year. He was a fixture in the O's outfield for the duration of his time in Baltimore, and played in 460 games for the Birds over his three and a half seasons in town. He was an All-Star for the O's in 1959, the only time he was a member of the mid-summer classic during his career.

After Gene retired from playing the game, he became the O's first base coach between 1964-67 and also served as the hitting coach in 1967. He went on to work as a scout in the Yankees and Indians systems and is known for signing Thurman Munson. He is also credited with helping to set up the MLB pension fund.

Gene passed away on June 2, 2001 at 78 years of age. RIP Gene.

His autograph was one of the first that I purchased when I began to get back into collecting Orioles autographs some time in 2006 or 2007. He appears to have been a very good signer as his autograph is still rather easy to find, even over a decade after he passed away, which is not the case for many players.



To briefly explain the misspelled/made up title of these weekly posts: Every Friday, I profile a former Oriole who has passed away. I've substituted the word unpossible for impossible as an homage to a line from "The Simpsons". Young Ralph Wiggum, who is not very smart, says "Me fail English? That's unpossible." 

Unpossible Autograph Friday- Sandy Consuegra, Oriole #99

Sandy Consuegra was a Cuban pitcher who played in the Major Leagues from 1950-57 with the Senators, White Sox, Orioles and Giants. His best season was 1954, during his time with the White Sox, when he led the American League with a .842 win percentage with a 16-3 record and made his only All-Star team.

He pitched in only nine games for the Orioles during the 1956-57 seasons near the end of his career. He made his Baltimore debut on September 1, 1956 and became the 99th player to appear in a game for the O's. He wrapped up his time in Baltimore with a 1-1 record and a 3.29 ERA.

Sandy passed away on November 16, 2005, he was 85 years old at the time of his death. RIP Sandy.








To briefly explain the misspelled/made up title of these weekly posts: Every Friday, I profile a former Oriole who has passed away. I've substituted the word unpossible for impossible as an homage to a line from "The Simpsons". Young Ralph Wiggum, who is not very smart, says "Me fail English? That's unpossible." 

Unpossible Autograph Friday- Art Houtteman, Oriole #108

Art "Hard Luck" Houtteman pitched 12 seasons in the Majors between 1945-57. He was just 17 years old when he began his career with the Tigers and was the youngest player in the big leagues for the first two years of his career. He was an All-Star in 1950 and received MVP votes in 1949 & '50.

He spent the majority of his time in baseball with the Tigers and Indians before very briefly playing for the Orioles at the end of the 1957 season. Art's Orioles debut came on May 24, 1957 and  he played in just five games for the O's. He allowed 13 earned runs over just 6.2 innings which worked out to a 17.55 ERA to close the book on his time with the Birds.

Art earned the nickname "Hard Luck" due to an 0-8 start to his 1948 season, which was contributed to by lack of offensive run support, and later further solidified by his nearly being killed in a car accident and his daughter's death in another car accident.

He passed away in 2003 at the age of 75. RIP Art.


To briefly explain the misspelled/made up title of these weekly posts: Every Friday, I profile a former Oriole who has passed away. I've substituted the word unpossible for impossible as an homage to a line from "The Simpsons". Young Ralph Wiggum, who is as sharp as a bowling ball, says "Me fail English? That's unpossible."

Oriole #732- Javy Lopez

Javy Lopez played with the Orioles from 2004-06, near the end of his fifteen season MLB career. He is best known for the twelve seasons he spent with the Braves from 1992-2003, during which time he was a key member of their perennially contending roster. During his time in Atlanta, he was a member of their 1995 World Series Championship team and was selected to three All-Star teams (1997-98, 2003). He was also behind the plate for Kent Mercker's no-hitter on April 8, 1994.

2003 was the best season of his career as he mashed 43 home runs, and had an OPS of 1.065 which is pretty insane for a catcher. His 43 homers are an MLB most all-time by a catcher during a single season. He was fifth in the N.L. MVP voting and earned himself a Silver Slugger award for his efforts.

Javy debuted for the Orioles on Opening Day 2004, April 4th, and his time in Baltimore started pretty well when he smashed 23 homers over that season. Now that was obviously well down from the 43 he hit the previous season but still solid for a catcher. Unfortunately, he declined in 2005 and even more so in 2006 and the O's flipped him to the Red Sox in August 2006 for Adam Stern and cash. It was a fairly precipitous fall for Javy.


Before I end the post, I want to comment on Javy's autograph. While I'm quite sure that my Orioles card up top is authentic even though I purchased it online, it is a pretty crappy signature. On top of the overall chicken-scratchedness of it, is the fact that his gigantic J is smudged. Overall, I like the card and I'm happy to have it signed but check out this example I have of his autograph near the start of his career. 

Can you say upgrade? Or downgrade if you're talking about my O's card.

Thanks Kirk!

I recently completed a trade with Kirk, a fellow Orioles autograph collector who is behind Eutaw Street Cardboard. Here is my haul...

Not the most exciting autographed card ever of Robbie, but definitely an upgrade over my logos-removed Nabisco autographed card from the early '90s.

This card, with it's imperfect autograph, and rather boring posed shot, is almost perfect for my collection based on my feelings about Frank. You can click on my link above to find out how I feel. And if you clink the link to Kirk's site at the top, you can check out his side of the trade.

Unpossible Autograph Friday- Harvey Haddix

(Every Friday I profile a former Oriole who has passed away. I've substituted the word unpossible for impossible as an homage to a line from "The Simpsons". Young Ralph Wiggum, who is a pennies short of a dollar, says "Me fail English? That's unpossible.")

This week's unpossible autograph is of Harvey Haddix, a man who many think threw the best game in Major League history. On May 26, 1959, while pitching for the Pirates, Harvey threw a perfect game for twelve innings, before he gave up a hit and a run in the thirteenth inning and lost the game 1-0. He retired a Major League record 36 consecutive Milwaukee Braves hitters, which was no small feat since the Braves were one of the best hitting teams of the era. His record has stood the test of time and is very unlikely ever to be surpassed since many of today's pitchers can't even last nine innings, let alone twelve. His Pirates teammates felt awful that they hadn't been able to score him a single run to put his perfect game in the record books.

Harvey pitched in the Majors from 1952-65 with the St. Louis Cardinals ('52-'56), Philadelphia Phillies ('56-'57), Cincinnati Redlegs ('58), Pittsburgh Pirates ('59-'63), and Baltimore Orioles ('64-'65). He likely would've began his big league career earlier but he spent 1951 in the military during the Korean War. Over his fourteen season career, Harvey was an All-Star for three consecutive seasons from 1953-'55, won a World Series with the Pirates in 1960, was the Rookie of the Year runner-up in 1953, and won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 1958-'60. He very likely could have won more Gold Gloves but the first year the award was handed out was 1957, almost halfway through his career.

Haddix was exclusively a reliever by the time he arrived in Baltimore in 1964 and pitched well for two seasons before retiring. After his playing days were over, he became a pitching coach for the Mets, Reds, Red Sox, Indians, and Pirates

Early in his career with the Cardinals, he earned the nickname "Kitten" because he looked so much like older teammate Harry "The Cat" Brecheen (who later became the Orioles first pitching coach in 1954 and still held the position when Harvey pitched for the O's in the mid-'60s).

Harvey developed emphysema and passed away in 1994 at the age of 68. Even if it doesn't count as an official perfect game, I would have a hard time arguing that your masterpiece on May 26, 1959 wasn't the greatest game ever thrown. RIP Harvey.

Unpossible Autograph Friday- Eddie Lopat

Ed pitched in the Majors from 1944-55, and is best remembered for being a member of the Yankees starting rotation that won five consecutive World Series from 1949-53. He earned the nicknames "Steady Eddie" and "The Junkman" during his career, but now-a-days, the "Steady Eddie" moniker has been usurped by another former Oriole.

Eddie earned his keep by being a junkballer; he could never throw the ball particularly fast but kept the hitters guessing. I found this Casey Stengel quote about him particularly amusing: "Lopat looks like he is throwing wads of tissue paper." I guess that gives you a decent idea about how hard he must have been to hit against.

Ed spent the latter half of the 1955 season, the last of his career, with the Orioles and was 3-4 with a 4.22 ERA over ten games with the Birds. Over his 12 season career, Lopat had a 166-112 record with a 3.21 ERA. He led the A.L. with a 2.42 ERA in 1953, made the 1951 All-Star team, and received MVP votes four times. After his playing career, he was a pitching coach for the Yankees, Twins and KC A's, and managed the A's during the 1962-63 seasons. 

My autograph of The Junkman obviously depicts him as the A's manager. Any of his signed Yankees cards are significantly more expensive since they are what Yankee collectors want for their collections. But it works for me since I don't want any stupid Yankees cards in my collection anyway, if it's avoidable of course. 

For me Orioles Autographs > Other teams autographs > Yankees/Red Sox autographs > No Autograph

Eddie's only Orioles card was his inclusion in the Orioles Crown set. The set was released over the course of the 1991 season, and Eddie passed away in June of 1992, so there wasn't much time between it's release and his passing for him to have signed any of these cards. I certainly have never seen one, but I'm holding out hope that there might be one (or more) out there. 

RIP Ed.