All Star Team

NEW YORK -- The Orioles lineup was mixed up again yesterday, but this time it was not by Davey Johnson's design.Johnson reshuffled the lineup on Friday to charge up his offense, and it was altered again yesterday because of an injury to outfielder Brady Anderson. Anderson awoke with a sore right shoulder yesterday morning after he hurt it trying to make a diving catch in Friday's game. Anderson said he exacerbated a lingering shoulder injury when he rolled to the ground.Mike Devereaux replaced Anderson in center field yesterday and Bobby Bonilla, the designated hitter on Friday, moved back to right field.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- As the All-Star break approaches, several Orioles are close to achieving incentives written into their contracts, and others are far off.The sure things:Cal Ripken will receive $75,000 for being voted to the All-Star team; Roberto Alomar, $50,000.Jesse Orosco will get $50,000 for his 30th appearance, and another $50,000 when he achieves 35, 40, 45 and 50 and so on. Orosco already has 25 appearances.Likely achievements:Brady Anderson will get $50,000 for being elected to the All-Star team, $30,000 for being selected by Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove.

TORONTO -- If you make the All-Star team, like Brady Anderson did yesterday, your manager shakes your hands and you receive an official, written invitation from the league. If you are left off, like Rafael Palmeiro, a few embarrassed reporters stand around your locker and recite the names of those more fortunate than you.It's a familiar drill for Palmeiro. Hit a bunch of homers, drive in a whole lot of runs, and then get lost amid the crowd of Mo Vaughns and Mark McGwires and Frank Thomases.

* CUBS: First baseman Mark Grace was not in the starting lineup for a fifth straight game because of a strained hamstring. Grace pinch hit Wednesday and when he had to run out a play the leg stiffened again.DODGERS: Ramon Martinez withdrew his appeal of a five-game suspension and will not be eligible to pitch until after the All-Star break. Martinez was suspended for throwing at and hitting Charlie Hayes of the Rockies, triggering a bench-clearing brawl June 15 at Colorado. The suspension took effect yesterday.

* Will Clark was 1-for-23 against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Terry Mulholland when he homered off the former Giant on Thursday. "So, he's what, 2-for-24 now?" said Mulholland. "I can live with that."* New York Yankees pitcher Tim Leary has asked the club to let him work out his problems in the bullpen instead of the minor leagues. But the Yankees don't feel that Leary and his 6.30 ERA will improve the makeup of the bullpen, which has been one of the pleasant surprises of 1991.* The three former Orioles pitchers on the National League All-Star team -- Dennis Martinez, Pete Harnisch and Mike Morgan -- entered the break with a combined 26-15 record and a 2.24 ERA. By comparison, the six current Orioles starters (including disabled Dave Johnson)

PHILADELPHIA - By signing shortstop Miguel Tejada as a free agent last winter, the Orioles knew they were getting a legitimate run producer for the third spot in their lineup, a leader in the infield, a player with uncanny durability. Yesterday brought another realization: They also had an All-Star. Tejada will be the Orioles' lone representative for the July 13 game in Houston after American League manager Joe Torre selected him as a reserve. "I know I've been playing pretty good," Tejada said, "but I guess I'm surprised because there are so many good players at that position."

DETROIT -- New York Yankees manager Joe Torre insisted yesterday that Orioles 11-game winner Scott Erickson was "on the list" during his final selection of the American League All-Star team but lost out in a numbers game. Confined to 10 pitchers, Torre took Mike Mussina and Randy Myers but could not justify a third Orioles arm given the demands of the process."You try to put extra people on the teams but you can't talk the league into it," Torre said. "So many more players are worthy of All-Star consideration."

Right fielder Joe Nowicki of the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds said he started hitting line drives when he was 5 years old and hasn't stopped. Nowicki, 25, believes he was given a natural talent to hit a baseball, but there are perplexing occasions when that ability is hampered by an inability to "see the ball well." Nowicki has often pondered what causes those stretches in which it is nearly impossible to pick up the ball, and he hasn't found any answers. "If I knew that, I wouldn't be here [in the minors]

DALLAS -- No excuses accepted.In the past three seasons, the Texas Rangers explained no finish higher than third in the American League West as what was expected of limited talent. In 1992, that thinking has been junked.General manager Tom Grieve acknowledged this should be the best team during his eight-year pairing with manager Bobby Valentine. It follows, Grieve said, that this team has the best chance of winning the first title in the Rangers' 21 seasons in Arlington.He says that without reservations.

Ozzie Smith is starting at shortstop in tomorrow's All-Star Game, his 10th consecutive All-Star start. This is not impressive, not at all. Obviously, if this tiny man can do this 10 times, it must not be that difficult to do.No, none of the people prancing around tomorrow are impressive, with all their home runs and .300 averages and their millions of votes. Much more elite are the guys who get two or three votes only because crazy fans are A) trying to be funny or TC B) had about a dozen too many beers.