Toronto -With his three-year crusade to have the Orioles' facial hair policy dropped now somebody else's problem, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Kevin Millar, sporting long hair and a thick beard, couldn't help but take playful shots at his former teammates before Friday night's series opener.
"It's nice to see they're still clean-shaven over there," said Millar, who played with the Orioles from 2006 to 2008 before signing with the Blue Jays this offseason. "The one plus over here is I don't have to shave, so I grow my beard out just for Aubrey [Huff]. It's a show beard. I have show hair and show beard and now I look like a ballplayer."
Millar was in the Blue Jays' lineup Friday against Orioles left-hander Mark Hendrickson. It was Millar's 10th start, all but one of them coming against left-handed pitching. He acknowledged that it has been tough to adjust to a bench role, but said "winning cures all things." With Toronto's win over the Orioles on Friday and Boston losing to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Blue Jays overtook first place in the American League East from the Red Sox.
"It's a different role," said Millar, who is hitting .350 with one home run and 10 RBIs after going 2-for-5 and driving in three runs Friday. "It's just being patient, being ready. It's accepting it. It's a long season. You're one injury away from being back in there so you just stay ready.
"I do miss the city of Baltimore. We stayed in a great area [in Perry Hall]. The kids loved it. It was a comfort zone. Obviously, the Canadian life is different. We're trying to adapt, but it's early. The ketchup tastes really different here. There is different money. But I do miss Baltimore. It was a fun time."
Millar said he had no hard feelings for the organization, which chose to sign Ty Wigginton and trade for Ryan Freel and Felix Pie rather than re-signing him.
"They didn't need me," Millar said. "I saw the writing on the wall. You can move Aubrey to first base and Luke Scott into the DH role, and find a left fielder. The three years there were awesome. Would I have liked to come back there? Of course. But it's a business and I wasn't misled. I'm happy where I'm at. I can grow a beard and we're in first."
Walker mum
Jamie Walker acknowledged that he appealed the fine assessed to him by Major League Baseball for his comments after Tuesday's game about plate umpire Angel Hernandez. However, he declined to comment further before Friday's game, deferring questions to his agent. Though Trembley described the fine as "substantial," he said he was glad that the left-handed specialist wasn't suspended.
"Major League Baseball did what they felt they had to do and I'm glad we got him," Trembley said. "I'm glad we're not missing him for a game or [however long]."
Walker, responding to a balk called on him that led to two Los Angeles Angels runs, said of Hernandez: "I don't know if he had money betting on the game or what, but that's a horses - - call."
Around the horn
Orioles minor league hitting coordinator Julio Vinas has resigned, according to multiple team sources. The Orioles have yet to hire a replacement. ... Left-hander Rich Hill will make another rehabilitation start for Triple-A Norfolk on Monday. ... Freel began his rehab stint for Double-A Bowie on Friday. ... Koji Uehara remains on schedule to start Tuesday despite getting hit in the chest with a line drive in his last outing. ... Second baseman Brian Roberts will play in his 1,000th game as an Oriole on Saturday, becoming just the 15th player in franchise history to accomplish that feat.
