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Call from the Bullpen by David Maull

The Bullpen | Orioles | Sports Front Page

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Time for O's to Wheel and Deal
From the July 16, 1998 TV Times

Would the New York Yankees fail to get down a sacrifice bunt, trailing by two runs with two on and none out in the ninth inning?

Would the Yankees, convinced a game was going to be called because of rain, emerge flat from the clubhouse after a delay of only more than an hour and lose a game they once led by three runs?

Would the Yankees drop five out of six games to the Expos and Marlins, two of the worst teams in the major leagues?

The answers to all of those questions is no.

But in the case of the Baltimore Orioles, the answer in each case is yes, which is why the front-running Yankees are headed for perhaps the best record in league history and the underachieving Orioles are freefalling into oblivion.

At the all-star break, the Yankees held a 26-and-a-half-game lead over the Orioles in the A.L. East.

A recent meltdown against the Expos, Marlins and Yankees, a stretch in which the Orioles lost 11 of 12 games, made it even more obvious that the organization must head in a different direction.

It's time to start auctioning off players from a $69 million debacle that has drawn numerous comparisons to the Titanic.

Here is one columnist's perspective on the players that should be shipped out and the ones that should stick around.

It's a given that certain players such as Cal Ripken, Mike Mussina and Scott Erickson are here for the long haul. Everyone else, however, is open for speculation.

These players have offered hope in the midst of a disastrous season and should be brought back next year.

B.J. Surhoff - Should have been an all-star. Hits for power, plays a solid left field and has a cannon for an arm. One of the few players who still seems to care.

Mike Bordick - Doesn't hit much but doesn't need to. Is an outstanding fielder, can lay down an occasional bunt and hustles on every play.

Harold Baines - May be old but can still crush the ball from the left side of the plate. A picture-perfect designated hitter.

Brady Anderson - Signed a contract extension before the season, so the team has little choice but to keep him around. If healthy, he's a sparkplug for the entire team. If not, he draws comparisons to Lenny Dykstra.

Jeffrey Hammonds - Possesses the two things the Orioles desperately need: youth and speed. Unfortunately, he has never been able to stay healthy an entire season. His extended stints on the disabled list must stop if he is to be an impact player.

Jeff Reboulet - Knows his role and accepts it without complaint. A utility infielder with solid glove and a decent bat, Reboulet is a nice guy to have on your team.

Sidney Ponson - Like most young pitchers, has been really good and really bad. But he is not afraid to go after hitters and has earned a shot at a starting job.

These are the players the Orioles either need to trade in exchange for younger talent or let go at the end of the season.

Roberto Alomar - Has played most of the season like he'd rather be somewhere else, namely in Cleveland with his brother Sandy.

Rafael Palmeiro - Has been an all-star-caliber first baseman and the team's primary power hitter for five years, but does not hit well with runners in scoring position and occasionally suffers vapor lock in the field and on the basepaths. Will be 34 at the end of the season and a long-term contract is a risk. Mo Vaughn would be a nice replacement.

Armando Benitez - I haven't yet figured out why he's still wearing an Oriole uniform. His intentional plunking of the Yankees' Tino Martinez, which incited an ugly brawl May 19, was an embarrassment to the entire organization. He has proved too emotionally fragile to handle the closer role and is no longer pitching with confidence. It may not be time to completely give up on the young fireballer but a stint in the minor leagues might do him some good.

Eric Davis - One of the most likeable guys in baseball but no longer an everyday contributor. Good home run power but simply too expensive to keep around. May be attractive to contending teams looking for help down the stretch.

Joe Carter - See Eric Davis.

Doug Drabek - Has not had an ERA under 4.57 since 1994 and been downright ugly with the Orioles. His pitches are flat and tend to hang out over the plate.

These are team members whose fates are still up in the air.

Chris Hoiles - Has gotten better at throwing out would-be base stealers but did not hit at all in the first half. A strong second half at the plate could at least salvage him a role as a backup in 1999 if the Orioles acquire a front-line catcher in the off-season.

Lenny Webster - If Hoiles continues to falter, the solid Webster could stick around.

The Bullpen - As bad as this bunch has been in 1998, Jesse Orosco and Arthur Rhodes may be worth keeping. Alan Mills, Norm Charlton and Doug Johns are not.

Jimmy Key and Scott Kamieniecki - Both pitchers have missed extended time with injuries and may no longer be worth the risk.

Ray Miller - Has been plagued by a rash of injuries to his starting pitchers but one must question whether Davey Johnson would have let the Orioles collapse they way they have in 1998. Miller has gone out of his way to defend a team that, on more than one occasion, deserved a good tongue lashing. His constant lineup shuffling hasn't helped either.

Whether Miller or any of these players will be around in September will ultimately be left up to team owner Peter Angelos, who is usually reluctant to give up on a season.

Stay tuned, if your stomach can handle it.