Arbitration

As spring training approaches, the Orioles and Brian Roberts have moved no closer to a contract extension, but the second baseman's agent believes there is still a chance. "We certainly haven't made any progress recently, but neither side has closed the door," said Roberts' agent, Mark Pieper. Although neither Pieper nor the club will comment on specifics, an industry source said the Orioles have offered a multiyear deal worth about $10 million per season but that the sides are still significantly apart in terms of both years and money.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- When Orioles starter Erik Bedard arrived at Fort Lauderdale Stadium yesterday on the day pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report, he playfully sighed at a small group of reporters standing not far from his locker. Though he was joking yesterday, the left-hander doesn't hide his disdain for dealing with the media. But given a choice between answering questions or listening to Orioles officials discuss his statistical shortcomings, Bedard would surely take the former.

How many of you would give up your rights to get a cell phone that works, a car that runs properly, or a home repair that actually fixes what was wrong? I'm betting most of you would object indignantly. But for years you've been signing away your rights to properly remedy any problems you may encounter with defective products and services without realizing it. Almost every time you get a credit card, finance a car, get telephone service, sign up for insurance, take out a loan, take a new job or purchase any number of things, you're likely signing contracts with insidious mandatory arbitration clauses that force you to waive your rights to a jury trial.

Hunt-Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. rejected yesterday binding arbitration to resolve an impasse with a cable provider over how much airing its stations is worth, the latest sign that thousands of customers in the Midwest and South will remain without major network affiliates this weekend. Sinclair's decision came a day after Iowa's congressional delegation urged the company and Mediacom Communications Corp. to enter arbitration to resolve their financial dispute. More than 250,000 of the viewers who have had programming blocked on their cable systems live in Des Moines, Iowa, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

What an example of petulant behavior is being played out for Baltimore's schoolchildren by leaders of the city's teachers union. They have called for schools CEO Andres Alonso and the Board of School Commissioners to be ousted over a contract request that teachers commit to 45 minutes of shared, instead of individual, planning time. For Mr. Alonso, who took over the top job just three months ago, it's been a short honeymoon. But the union is making a mountain out of a molehill. Instead of ratcheting up the rhetoric - and the stakes - union leaders should end the stalemate and agree to some shared time Months before Mr. Alonso was hired, the school board sought to have teachers give up one preparation period a week, at the request of the principal, to allow teachers and administrators to collaborate on ways to help individual students as well as the school.

Columbia's cake-cutting set The board of directors of the Columbia Association and association President Maggie J. Brown invites the community to join elected officials and community leaders for the association's cake-cutting ceremony and 40th birthday celebration July 1 at the lakefront. The ceremony will be held on the lakefront's main stage at 1 p.m. The cake will be cut at 1:30 p.m. Residents and guests are invited to participate; more than 3,000 cupcakes will be distributed to those who attend.

While continuing to discuss a long-term contract extension with Brian Roberts, the Orioles are closing in on a one-year deal with the second baseman that, in the short term, will help the two sides avoid salary arbitration. The one-year deal, which could be finalized and announced as early as today, according to a source close to the negotiations, likely will be for about $4.2 million, the midpoint of the arbitration figures filed by both parties in mid-January. Roberts asked for $4.6 million, and the Orioles offered $3.8 million.

County is eligible for anti-crime grant Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and Police Chief William J. McMahon have announced that the county is eligible for a U.S. Department of Justice/Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant of $61,743 for programs to combat major crime and improve public safety. The community is invited to submit suggestions and comments and discuss priorities for how the money should be used. To comment, contact the Office of the Chief of Police (410- 313-3377) by June 29 or e-mail, hcpd@howardcountymd.

When Aubrey Huff passed his physical yesterday, finalized a three-year, $20 million deal and was introduced as the newest Oriole, it likely represented the last major move for the club in a busy offseason. The Orioles signed nine free agents, including two of their own, and made two trades. The bullpen was overhauled, the starting rotation received a new member and the lineup was bolstered by two veterans with solid track records. "It's one of those things where we don't know how good we are at this point," said Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan, who called Huff the type of hitter the club has been seeking all offseason.

Warning that the billion-dollar fee dispute between lawyer Peter G. Angelos and Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. could produce a brutal "public bloodletting" in Maryland's legal community, a judge yesterday urged the two sides to try to reach agreement."

One of the reasons for not promoting Orioles rookie catcher Matt Wieters at the beginning of the season was to guarantee that he would not become a free agent until after the 2015 season. If he had been with the club Opening Day and stayed in the majors from that point forward, he would have had enough service time to be eligible for free agency after 2014 - his sixth full season. Once 12 days of the major league season passed with Wieters in the minors this year, the possibility of his being a free agent in 2014 expired.

It's understandable that fans wanted to see catching phenom Matt Wieters in an Orioles uniform on Opening Day, but it just wasn't sensible. What would you rather have had? A couple weeks of Wieters now as a rookie or a whole year of him when he is in his prime? I thought so. If Wieters were on the Opening Day roster, his service-time clock would have begun ticking. Assuming he remained on the club's 25-man roster or disabled list, Wieters would have been eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.

An anchor store sought in Dundalk Office developer St. John Properties Inc. said it is continuing to seek a big-box retail store to anchor a new shopping center planned for the site of the former North Point drive-in theater in Dundalk. So far, Burger King has signed on to occupy one of four stand-alone sites at the proposed 160,000-square-foot center. St. John Properties bought the 17.5-acre site on North Point Boulevard in 2007 and hopes to attract a grocery store or pharmacy and smaller stores or a big-box retailer, such as Target, Wal-Mart or Best Buy. The drive-in operated from 1948 through 1982.

Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis and Los Angeles Angels starter Ervin Santana received the steepest raises among the 111 players in salary arbitration, a group that overall earned a record increase of 172 percent, according to a study by the Associated Press. The rise broke the previous mark of 169 percent set in 1999 and was up sharply from last year's 120 percent hike, partly because the arbitration group started out with a lower average. The 111 players in this year's filing class rose to an average of $3.07 million from $1.13 million.

Ryan Howard just wanted to concentrate on baseball this spring. No squabbles over his contract. No daily questions about his future. The big slugger got his wish - and a hefty raise, too. Howard and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract yesterday, avoiding a potentially contentious arbitration hearing. The 2006 National League Most Valuable Player will earn $15 million this season, $19 million next year and $20 million in 2011. "The things that have happened prior with Ryan, it was really nothing adversarial, although I know with some people it was depicted that way," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

Orioles sign Sherrill to one-year, $2.75M deal baseball The Orioles avoided salary arbitration with George Sherrill, signing the All-Star reliever last night to a $2.75 million deal for the 2009 season. Sherrill, who saved 31 games last season, tripled his salary from 2008. Sherrill had asked for $3.4 million, and the Orioles had offered $2.2 million. "We leave on Sunday [for spring training]. It's good to be able to fly down and have it behind us," Sherrill said. The arbitration hearing had been scheduled for Feb. 19. The signing means the Orioles won't have any hearings again this season.

Arbitration hearing for Sherrill set for Feb. orioles The arbitration hearing between the Orioles and All-Star closer George Sherrill has been set for Feb. 19 in Phoenix. Sherrill, who saved 31 games last year, asked for $3.4 million, while the Orioles offered $2.2 million. The two sides can negotiate a deal to avoid arbitration until the hearing. JEFF ZREBIEC Source: A-Rod not hurt by Torre's comments baseball Alex Rodriguez has yet to comment publicly on the allegations of his unpopularity in the Yankees clubhouse made in the soon-to-be released book The Yankee Years, co-authored by former New York manager Joe Torre and writer Tom Verducci.

Veteran catcher Gregg Zaun understands he is being viewed as a teacher in shinguards, a big-league mentor to his eventual replacement, top prospect Matt Wieters. Yet Zaun is hoping he provides the Orioles with a reason to give Wieters as much minor league seasoning as possible. "I know going in, no matter how well I play, I could see a significant less amount of playing time when [Wieters] gets here, and I understand that," said Zaun, moments before leaving Baltimore yesterday after completing his club physical.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard asked for $18 million in salary arbitration yesterday, the third-highest figure submitted since the process began in 1974. Philadelphia offered $14 million to the 2006 National League Most Valuable Player, a raise of $4 million. Howard hit 48 homers and had 146 RBIs last year, helping the Phillies win their first World Series title since 1980. Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens set the record for highest request in arbitration at $22 million in 2005.

Wake, only unbeaten in Division I, rises to No. 1 col. basketball Wake Forest, the last unbeaten men's team in Division I, is No. 1 in the Associated Press' college basketball poll. The Demon Deacons are 16-0 and moved into the top spot yesterday by receiving 68 of 72 first-place votes from a national media panel. They replaced Pittsburgh, which dropped to fourth after its first loss of the season. Wake Forest was No. 1 was for two weeks in November 2004. The Demon Deacons defeated fellow unbeaten Clemson, 78-68, on Saturday, hours before Pittsburgh (16-1)