SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was a something old, something new kind of day for the Orioles yesterday.
Mike Flanagan, on the comeback trail at the age of 39, turned the clock back again. And 24-year-old reliever Gregg Olson displayed a new wrinkle designed to restore honesty to opposing baserunners.
Flanagan pitched five scoreless innings and Olson had a runner thrown out trying to steal. You'd have to toss a coin to determine which is more newsworthy.
The performance by Flanagan in the 5-1 win over a team that vaguely resembled the Detroit Tigers was certainly more impressive. It probably moved the veteran lefthander to the brink of clinching a job on the Orioles. But, over the long haul, what Olson is trying to accomplish may be more significant.
In his first two years in the big leagues, opposing runners have taken liberties with his deliberate motion, stealing 25 bases in 28 attempts. It is a statistic that hasn't gone unnoticed by the righthander or his tutors.
"I'm concentrating more on the runners than I have in the past," said Olson, who made a good pickoff attempt before Bob Melvin unleashed a lightning bolt to catch Curt Flood at second base.
"It's nothing drastic," said Olson. "I'm just trying to be a little quicker."
Shortly after he signed with the Orioles, Olson had trouble adjusting to a faster delivery with runners on base. It wasn't until he was given the freedom to merely concentrate on the hitters that he became effective.
"Your first time in the big leagues, you think everybody is fast and that everybody is going to run," said Olson. "Then after awhile you realize they're not all going to steal and you can concentrate more on some than others. I'm becoming more comfortable with it [his delivery with men on base], but it's not something I've completely mastered."
Other than his preventive work against Ford, Olson wasn't particularly sharp in the two innings he worked. It raised the question of whether he needs more work.
"Not yet," said Olson, who has been deliberately restricted by manager Frank Robinson in the opening weeks of spring training. "I'd be concerned a little more later if I wasn't getting more work.
"Looking at the schedule, and figuring what could happen, I think I'll have enough [work] to be ready," said Olson. "It's nothing of any concern. I seem to be making some progress with everything right now."
