40 Man

Steve Trachsel was throwing a lot of pitches yesterday. And throwing to first base. And tugging on his jersey. And adjusting his cap. And asking for a conference with his catcher. And throwing to first base again. And circling his favorite programs in TV Guide. Let's speed it up. Livan Hernandez isn't getting any younger, you know. Trachsel threw 90 pitches in four innings. Strange ... it only felt like 89 to me. I'm not sure Jon Knott has a position. His reputation in the minors was built with his bat, not his glove.

Auto racingIndyCar -- Eddie Cheever will drive full time for owner A. J. Foyt next year.NASCAR -- Sterling Marlin won't compete on the Busch Grand National circuit next year.BaseballCalifornia Angels -- Waived ex-Orioles 2B Harold Reynolds. Activated P John Dopson (Finksburg), P Paul Swingle, P Ken Patterson and C Andy Allanson from the DL. Designated Swingle for assignment. Announced that seven coaches have accepted invitations for the 1995 season: bench coach Bobby Knoop, hitting instructor Rod Carew, pitching coach Chuck Hernandez, first base coach Joe Maddon and part-time outfield coach Sam Suplizio will return and that third base coach Rick Burleson (an ex-Oriole)

CINCINNATI -- Lefthander Daniel Boone will attend spring training with the Orioles next season. Righthander Brian Holton and Brad Komminsk probably will not.On the same day Boone accepted an outright assignment to Triple A Rochester, general manager Roland Hemond said Holton and Komminsk have filed for free agency.Neither player was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster at the end of the season, and each exercised his right to become a free agent as a three-year veteran with no minor-league options.

CINCINNATI -- Pitcher Brian Holton and outfielder Brad Komminsk apparently will not be with the Baltimore Orioles next year. Both opted for free agency this week after the club failed to reinstate them to the 40-man roster.Holton (2-3, 4.50 ERA in 33 games) was designated for assignment Aug. 2 and accepted a demotion to the Class AAA Rochester Red Wings in hopes of earning his way back to the major leagues. When he was not recalled in September, he expressed a desire to sign with a National League club for the 1991 season.

Mike Linskey was at the Baltimore Arena yesterday, working one of his two offseason jobs, when the Orioles called. "I said, 'Oh my God, if they traded me, I'm going to be ticked off,' " he recalled, laughing.The 24-year-old lefthander need not have worried. The Orioles merely wanted to make his addition to their 40-man roster official, not inform him of any bad news.Yesterday's move guaranteed Linskey will be protected from the major-league draft next month, and made a nice birthday present for his father Henry, who turned 64.The Orioles have until midnight tonight to fill their remaining two roster spots, but their only other addition is expected to be second baseman Luis Mercedes, a two-time minor-league batting champion.

Mike Devereaux and Dwight Smith, roommates while playing winter ball in Puerto Rico several years ago, have remained friends ever since. Now they are teammates.Will they remain friends?Of course they will, Devereaux said, even though Smith's addition to the roster threatens to reduce Devereaux's playing time somewhat."Yes, I'm glad he's here," Devereaux said. "He's a good friend of mine. He's a good guy. There is no doubt that I want to play. That's what I'm here for, to play, but he's a good friend of mine."

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The market for aged free agents is bleak, and outfielder Kevin Bass, 35, thought he might retire. "It was looking grim," he said.But -- surprise -- Orioles general manager Roland Hemond, apparently tired of waiting for outfielder Andy Van Slyke to accept a $1 million offer, called Bass' agent on Thursday.Within 24 hours, Bass became an Oriole. Yesterday morning, he agreed to a one-year, minor-league contract. Unless he looks absolutely horrible or if he's hurt during spring training, he'll be added to the 40-man roster before the start of the season.

Considering all the abuse they've taken for their role in labor disputes and all of the gains they've made over the years, it's amazing that major-league players still have to put up with some archaic baseball rules.The most recent examples are Jack Voigt, whose career on the fringe could've been put on hold for two weeks, and John Shea, an obscure left-hander caught in a game of musical chairs.Voigt was close to limbo because the Orioles decided they didn't want him -- but wouldn't let him go without extracting the obligatory pound of flesh.

The Orioles added reliever Norm Charlton to the 40-man roster yesterday and designated pitcher Hector Ramirez for assignment. Charlton, 35, who was signed to a minor-league contract on Dec. 15, will vie for a setup role and provide another option at closer after the departure of Randy Myers.Charlton was guaranteed $350,000 upon signing, a figure that would have jumped to $650,000 if he made the major-league roster. Assistant general manager Kevin Malone said yesterday that the increase now will take place on a fixed date toward the end of spring training, before the Orioles' March 31 season opener against the Kansas City Royals at Camden Yards.

NEW YORK - Making two roster moves before last night's game at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles activated outfielder Gary Matthews from the disabled list and signed switch-hitting catcher Raul Casanova. The Orioles also outrighted pitcher Josh Towers to Triple-A Rochester to create room for Casanova on the 40-man roster. Towers cleared waivers after going 0-9 at Rochester and 0-3 with the Orioles. Matthews is restricted to pinch-running duties while his right wrist continues to heal. He took batting practice yesterday, but wasn't available to hit. "It's coming back, but it's just a slow process," said Matthews, who hasn't played since Aug. 23. "It's a sensitive area."