Al Kaline

INCREDIBLE AS it seems to those of us who have followed his career from the beginning, Al Kaline turned 60 this past Monday. Most of us who knew him as a high school baseball phenomenon have a hard time believing that more than 40 years have passed since he left here a week after graduating from Southern High School, bound for major-league stardom.But what's even harder to understand is how few of today's young, local baseball fans have even heard of Al Kaline. He's just the greatest baseball player to come out of Baltimore since Babe Ruth.

When it comes to late, great baseball players, Maryland puts up Hall of Fame numbers. A dozen players enshrined in Cooperstown also are enshrined here, placing the "Land of Pleasant Living" behind only Delaware and Massachusetts in the per-capita realm of deceased greats. The Hall of Fame has 260 members, of which 62 are alive, including Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, who will be inducted this weekend. Seven Hall of Famers were born in Maryland - the one still living is Baltimore native Al Kaline - but only two of the 12 interred here were natives.

The night Al Kaline got his 3,000th hit at Memorial Stadium, only 11,492 people showed up. Orioles attendance has improved since 1974. The hype surrounding major-league milestones has increased. Yet the Baltimore-born Kal in his hometown.Kaline is one of 25 Hall of Famers appearing at this weekend's baseball card and memorabilia show sponsored by the Babe Ruth Museum. Baltimore's forgotten baseball hero is coming home.Part of the reason Kaline's accomplishments often go unnoticed is that he left Baltimore after his second major-league season.

Fifty-one years after graduation, on the eve of his alma mater's closing, Southern High's best-known athlete can still warble the old school song. Al Kaline, baseball Hall of Famer, clears his throat, long-distance, and ... Hit it, Al. On the site of old Fort Federal, stands the school we love, Southern in our hearts forever, we shall rise above. Kaline stops, sighs. "That brings back a lot of good memories," he says. "It's a shame there will be no more Southern Bulldogs." When classes end Friday, Southern, a neighborhood fixture in Baltimore City since 1910, ceases to exist.

Fifty-one years after graduation, on the eve of his alma mater's closing, Southern High's best-known athlete can still warble the old school song. Al Kaline, baseball Hall of Famer, clears his throat, long-distance, and ... Hit it, Al. On the site of old Fort Federal, stands the school we love, Southern in our hearts forever, we shall rise above. Kaline stops, sighs. "That brings back a lot of good memories," he says. "It's a shame there will be no more Southern Bulldogs." When classes end Friday, Southern, a neighborhood fixture in Baltimore City since 1910, ceases to exist.

Favorite pitchersThe pitchers who have surrendered four or more home runs to Eddie Murray.Six: Bert Blyleven; Milt Wilcox; Frank Tanana.Five: Geoff Zahn; Dave Steib; Mike Caldwell; Larry Gura; Jack Morris; Mike Smithson.Four: Rick Langford; Jim Slayton; Dennis Leonard; Ken Schrom; Dan Petry; Richard Dotson; Jose DeLeon; Bruce Hurst; Sid Fernandez, Kevin Gross.40 not neededMurray tops the list of major leaguers with the most home runs in a career without hitting 40 or more in a season.Player .. .. .. .. ..HRsEddie Murray ... .. .500Stan Musial .. .. ...475Dave Winfield .. .. .465Al Kaline .. .. .. ..399Graig Nettles .. .. .390Power switchMurray is closing in on becoming baseball's top home-run slugging switch hitter.

July 13, 1993 Oriole Park at Camden YardsTwelve former Orioles are on the American League team that will play a National League team of old-timers in the Heroes of Baseball All-Star Game on July 12 at Camden Yards. The rosters:AMERICAN LEAGUE Player .. .. .. .. .. Team .. .. Pos.Luis Aparicio* ... .. Orioles .. CoachYogi Berra* ... .. .. Yankees .. CoachPaul Blair . .. .. .. Orioles .. OFBill Buckner .. .. .. Red Sox .. 1BAl Bumbry .. .. .. .. Orioles .. OFBert Campaneris .. .. A's ... .. SSDoug DeCinces . .. .. Orioles .. 3BBobby Doerr* .. .. .. Red Sox .. CoachBob Feller* ... .. .. Indians .. PMark Fidrych .. .. .. Tigers ... PRollie Fingers* .. .. A's ... .. PBobby Grich ... .. .. Orioles .. 2BKen Griffey Sr. .. .. Mariners . OFReggie Jackson* .. .. O's/Yanks.

Former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Barry Shetrone died of a heart attack yesterday, 12 days after his 63rd birthday. Shetrone, who pioneered the Anne Arundel County 50-and-over Senior Softball League and was inducted into the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, had been recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, according to longtime friend Howie Becraft. "I just saw Barry on Sunday at a reunion and he didn't look well, had lost a lot of weight, but this is a shock," Becraft said.

If this is August, then Johnny's must be winning in Johnstown, Pa.Every year at this time, the Johnny's New and Used Cars sandlot baseball team heads for the All- American Amateur Baseball Tournament in Johnstown. The event brings together the 16 best 20-and-under teams east of the Mississippi River for a week of double-elimination play.When this year's tournament opens Monday, Johnny's doubtless will be the favorite. The team managed by 78-year-old Walter Youse, the Milwaukee Brewers' East Coast scouting supervisor, has won nine of the last 12 championships and 17 in all, dating to 1955.

Baseball Athletics: Activated DH John Jaha. Designated P T. J. Mathews for assignment. Braves: Activated P Damian Moss; optioned him to Triple-A Richmond. Cardinals: Optioned P Bud Smith to Triple-A Memphis. Purchased contract of 2B Stubby Clapp from Memphis. Placed OF J. D. Drew on 15-day DL with broken right hand. Cubs: Recalled P Will Ohman from the Triple-A Iowa. Optioned IF Jason Smith to Iowa. Expos: Placed OF Curtis Pride (Silver Spring) on 15-day DL with bruised right wrist.

Former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Barry Shetrone died of a heart attack yesterday, 12 days after his 63rd birthday. Shetrone, who pioneered the Anne Arundel County 50-and-over Senior Softball League and was inducted into the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, had been recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, according to longtime friend Howie Becraft. "I just saw Barry on Sunday at a reunion and he didn't look well, had lost a lot of weight, but this is a shock," Becraft said.

Baseball Athletics: Activated DH John Jaha. Designated P T. J. Mathews for assignment. Braves: Activated P Damian Moss; optioned him to Triple-A Richmond. Cardinals: Optioned P Bud Smith to Triple-A Memphis. Purchased contract of 2B Stubby Clapp from Memphis. Placed OF J. D. Drew on 15-day DL with broken right hand. Cubs: Recalled P Will Ohman from the Triple-A Iowa. Optioned IF Jason Smith to Iowa. Expos: Placed OF Curtis Pride (Silver Spring) on 15-day DL with bruised right wrist.

NFL drops ball on owners John Steadman's article on the history of pro football owners in Baltimore really shows the passion that Baltimore football fans have. No city has endured more trying owners than Baltimore. However, the real culprit has always been the NFL itself for letting the "old-boy network" dictate such an exclusive club to begin with. Bob Irsay should have been reprimanded by the league for his horrendous tactics long before the Colts were stolen by Indianapolis. The NFL should have dealt more severely with Irsay's ranting and raving, firing of coaches on the sidelines, poor treatment of Hall of Famers at the end of their careers, and general lack of interest in Baltimore.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Free-agent designated hitter Harold Baines officially agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal yesterday that brings him to the Orioles for the third time in his career.Now comes the tough part.As baseball's winter meetings convene today down the street from Disneyland, the Orioles entourage begins a crush of meetings with player agents and rival clubs in an attempt to bolster a franchise that for two years has brandished more money than success. While director of player personnel Syd Thrift has promised to wear out his cell phone, he and the rest of the team's executive committee remain hamstrung by the team's age and contractual obligations.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Slumped on a chair at his locker, Harold Baines is sitting on history. Just don't expect him to give an interpretation.Not yet, anyway. Not with his aging hamstrings still cooperating and his place as the Orioles designated hitter assured for another season. Not with another season teasing him with a shot at the team goal he has never experienced.Entering his 20th major-league season, the St. Michael's native and resident would rather discuss what he has instead of what he is pursuing.

Favorite pitchersThe pitchers who have surrendered four or more home runs to Eddie Murray.Six: Bert Blyleven; Milt Wilcox; Frank Tanana.Five: Geoff Zahn; Dave Steib; Mike Caldwell; Larry Gura; Jack Morris; Mike Smithson.Four: Rick Langford; Jim Slayton; Dennis Leonard; Ken Schrom; Dan Petry; Richard Dotson; Jose DeLeon; Bruce Hurst; Sid Fernandez, Kevin Gross.40 not neededMurray tops the list of major leaguers with the most home runs in a career without hitting 40 or more in a season.Player .. .. .. .. ..HRsEddie Murray ... .. .500Stan Musial .. .. ...475Dave Winfield .. .. .465Al Kaline .. .. .. ..399Graig Nettles .. .. .390Power switchMurray is closing in on becoming baseball's top home-run slugging switch hitter.

Down here in the late-morning steaminess of Pat's Bar, a converted corner rowhouse basement in South Baltimore's Westport, Grant Burley rises slowly from his chair, puts aside his soda and his walking cane, and goes into some other man's pitching windup.He is 75 years old and had a stroke a couple of years back. No matter. This, he says, going into a pitcher's stretch position and checking an imaginary runner at first, this is the way Leon Day used to pitch. Grant Burley knows.Leon Day of 2411 Puget St., of baseball games played on the scruffy diamonds of Westport and Pigtown and Mount Winans, of the old Negro League that gave him a living when the major leagues locked out generations of black men, this Leon Day posthumously enters baseball's Hall of Fame on Sunday.

NFL drops ball on owners John Steadman's article on the history of pro football owners in Baltimore really shows the passion that Baltimore football fans have. No city has endured more trying owners than Baltimore. However, the real culprit has always been the NFL itself for letting the "old-boy network" dictate such an exclusive club to begin with. Bob Irsay should have been reprimanded by the league for his horrendous tactics long before the Colts were stolen by Indianapolis. The NFL should have dealt more severely with Irsay's ranting and raving, firing of coaches on the sidelines, poor treatment of Hall of Famers at the end of their careers, and general lack of interest in Baltimore.

The night Al Kaline got his 3,000th hit at Memorial Stadium, only 11,492 people showed up. Orioles attendance has improved since 1974. The hype surrounding major-league milestones has increased. Yet the Baltimore-born Kal in his hometown.Kaline is one of 25 Hall of Famers appearing at this weekend's baseball card and memorabilia show sponsored by the Babe Ruth Museum. Baltimore's forgotten baseball hero is coming home.Part of the reason Kaline's accomplishments often go unnoticed is that he left Baltimore after his second major-league season.

Down here in the late-morning steaminess of Pat's Bar, a converted corner rowhouse basement in South Baltimore's Westport, Grant Burley rises slowly from his chair, puts aside his soda and his walking cane, and goes into some other man's pitching windup.He is 75 years old and had a stroke a couple of years back. No matter. This, he says, going into a pitcher's stretch position and checking an imaginary runner at first, this is the way Leon Day used to pitch. Grant Burley knows.Leon Day of 2411 Puget St., of baseball games played on the scruffy diamonds of Westport and Pigtown and Mount Winans, of the old Negro League that gave him a living when the major leagues locked out generations of black men, this Leon Day posthumously enters baseball's Hall of Fame on Sunday.