NumerOlogy

There hasn’t really been any exciting player movement news in the past few weeks. #19 Koji Uehara (activated from the DL) replaced #63 David Hernandez (optioned to Norfolk), and #37 Chris Ray (recalled from Norfolk) replaced #24 Alberto Castillo (optioned to Norfolk). Of course, there are whispers that Koji is still (or again) less than healthy, so stay tuned. A few links of interest:

-Since I don’t always have a chance to update this site as news breaks, I gave in to temptation and joined Twitter. You can follow me if you’re so inclined, and receive links to my various blog posts, any fresh O’s uni-number news, and other assorted brain leaks that I’ll try to make entertaining. No promises.

-A few weeks ago, I was interviewed for a second time by Ben Penserga of the Daily Times. We talked about the direction of this site as well as the critical response in the sixteen months since the launch, and I shared my thoughts about the present and future of the Orioles. Check it out.

-Last week, I had the opportunity to meet Paul Lukas, the impresario of the excellent and thorough Uni Watch blog. He was in Baltimore to see his beloved Mets at Camden Yards, and hosted a get-together at Racers in Parkville. I also had the opportunity to share a beer with Joe Hilseberg, who provided the graphics for this site and used to stitch the names and numbers on the Orioles and Ravens jerseys before he had to, in his own words, “get a real job”. Also in attendance was Kerry Flanagan, the daughter of the great O’s lefthander #46 Mike Flanagan. I spoke to her briefly, but we weren’t properly introduced. That’s probably my fault. You can read Paul’s summary of the evening and check out some great photos here. The photo above, featuring my pasty cheek, bearded chin, and Angry Bird cap, was lovingly borrowed from Paul’s Flickr account.

I don’t think I left anything out. I’ll be leaving this Sunday for a week “down the Ocean, hon”, so hopefully the Birds will be so kind as to hold off on any major moves until I return. If not, I’ll provide quickie updates on Twitter. Until we meet again…

…That’s what Matt Albers spent the last week riding. The Birds’ first transaction of the new season came last Saturday, when they sent #34 down to AAA to make room for fifth starter/uniform filler #24 Adam Eaton. Eaton traded down from #56, which he wore in Spring Training. Much as Brian Bass was the 25th Oriole player to wear #25 on Opening Day, Adam is now the 24th to wear #24. Go figure!

Just as soon as Albers arrived in Norfolk, he was brought back to Baltimore. Yesterday, Albers and #62 Radhames Liz joined the O’s in Texas to replace #6 Melvin Mora and #58 Alfredo Simon, both of whom are now on the 15-day disabled list. Let’s hope they’re not starting a trend.

Yesterday was, of course, a very significant day for uni numbers. For the third straight year, MLB honored Jackie Robinson by allowing players to wear his #42 on the anniversary of the Hall of Famer’s first game for the Dodgers. In the past, players had the option of wearing the number or not, and many teams chose a single player for the honor. In 2007, Corey Patterson was the only Oriole to do so, and last year Adam Jones was the guy. But this year, Bud Selig decreed that all players and coaches on all teams would wear #42 on April 15. Personally, I think that it had a more special feel when one player did it, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with going to great lengths to pay tribute to such a courageous man.

A couple of links before I slip away. Last week, I was a guest on Dave Gilmore’s podcast, which is a relatively new feature on the Baltimore Sports Report blog. For nearly 50 minutes, we talked about Opening Day, retired numbers, “cursed” numbers, the Orioles Hall of Fame, baseball cards, and much more. I had a great time doing it, and I hope you’ll give it a listen!

Last and certainly not least, Joe Hilseberg, who supplied me with some of the great graphics on this site, has sent me an excellent logo that I’ll be incorporating into the layout soon. For now you can see it here. Joe has a site of his own, JerseyNameFrame.com. It’s a really unique gift idea, and Father’s Day will be here before you know it, so go check it out!

To the left is Garrett Olson, one of a group of O’s who have been on the move in the past week. It started when #29 Adam Loewen went on the disabled list last Friday with elbow pain. He was replaced on the roster by infielder #14 Eider Torres, who made his major league debut over the weekend and became the twenty-third Birds player to wear one-four. The most recent had been another infielder (Chris Gomez).

Considering the lousy weather in Chicago, and the resultant strain on the pitching staff, it’s no surprise that the team went back to carrying thirteen pitchers yesterday. Shortstop #12 Brandon Fahey drew the short straw, returning to Norfolk for the time being. He was replaced by #18 Garrett Olson, who took Loewen’s turn in the rotation and pitched a strong game, escaping from a few jams along the way. Olson debuted in Baltimore last year in #57, but now he’s the twenty-third Oriole to wear #18.

I documented the use of #18 as a fill-in jersey in Spring Training this year; it was worn at various times by Ramon Hernandez, Mike Costanzo, and Adam Stern in a pinch. Olson becomes the first O’s pitcher to sport the number since Bob Milacki in 1992.

There was another casualty of Tuesday’s roster shuffle, as #35 Greg Aquino was designated for assignment. The designated mop-up guy had no one to blame but himself, as a 14.21 ERA did nothing to inspire confidence in him. He was replaced by another brand-new bird, reliever #31 Bob McCrory. Bob’s choice of jersey number makes you wonder…what is Jay Gibbons up to these days? He becomes just the ninth Oriole player with this number, which was traditionally issued to pitching coaches in Charm City.

I’ve caught up to the personnel carousel, and updated the All-Time Roster, the Odds and Ends page (most and least issued numbers), and the Tens and Thirties biography pages.

Before I go, I want to share a great link. Steve has an amazing collection of photos of baseball players, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. They are beautiful pictures, and he posts a few more each day along with some interesting facts about the players. Go take a look, and pass it along if you like what you see.

Well, ‘dem O’s  just dropped an 8-1 yawner to the Rays, but a 15-12 April (one game out of first place) for a rebuilding team is a nice surprise!