Aubrey Huff

BOSTON -- Kevin Millar reminded reporters all spring that lineup forecasting was pointless, because "things have a way of working themselves out." Millar was expected to be the odd man out this season, losing at-bats in the first base, designated hitter and left-field shuffle to Jay Gibbons, Jay Payton and Aubrey Huff. However, all he's done is become the club's everyday first baseman and a fixture in the middle of the lineup. He entered last night's game with 449 plate appearances. He signed a one-year $2.75 million deal this offseason with a 2008 guaranteed option that will vest at 475 plate appearances.

Aubrey Huff, Orioles DH-infielder Why have you changed to a more upright batting stance? You know, why not try something new? All else has failed. Why stick with the same thing that's not working? I've [stunk] so long in one stance, why not try something new?

Poll results It was tight all week, but closer Chris Ray pulled out a save at the end. Last week, we asked which Oriole was most primed for a bounce-back second half. And, with more than 5,000 responses, Ray nipped Corey Patterson and Aubrey Huff in our closest vote yet. The results: Chris Ray, 26.3 percent (1,315 votes) Corey Patterson, 25.4 percent (1,272 votes) Aubrey Huff, 22.7 percent (1,135 votes) Danys Baez, 11.5 percent (575 votes) Jay Gibbons, 8.1 percent (407 votes) Daniel Cabrera 6.0 percent (300 votes)

It has been about a month since new club president Andy MacPhail began a comprehensive evaluation of the troubled Orioles organization, and the jury of one is still out. That's just as well, since the July 31 waiver deadline is now all but irrelevant. The day MacPhail walked in the door, there was a lot of buzz about what he might do to realign the roster. There were trade whispers about Miguel Tejada and speculation about several of the club's other veteran players. There was a clear sense of anticipation that the new baseball operations chief would be the agent of dynamic change, even though MacPhail was known more for his steady leadership in Minnesota and Chicago.

News item: When it became apparent the Orioles might have lost a chance to sweep the Yankees because of a communications breakdown in the stadium operations department, stadium ops director Roger Hayden deflected questions to Orioles communications director Gregory Bader, who declined to comment on the record. My take: Talk about a situation speaking for itself. News item: Orioles first baseman Aubrey Huff just became the third Orioles player to hit for the cycle, joining Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr. It was the first time an Orioles player has pulled off that feat in Baltimore.

BOSTON -- On a day when Josh Beckett was bidding to become the fourth Boston Red Sox pitcher to win his first eight starts, Jeremy Guthrie, the other starter, dominated one of the league's best teams for 8 1/3 innings. Guthrie had allowed no earned runs and only three hits and two walks when Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo surprisingly decided to take him out after catcher Ramon Hernandez's error. Relievers Danys Baez and Chris Ray then coughed up a five-run lead, and the Orioles lost a stunning 6-5 game.

Team / / Orioles Position / / Right-handed starter Comment / / Orioles fans have been waiting for him to come into his own since the big right-hander shut down the Chicago White Sox in his 2004 major league debut. He has won 31 games in his three seasons, and everyone knows about his fastball in the high 90s and power curve. But he has been hampered by an inability to throw strikes. Cabrera turns 26 in May, and, with a full year under the tutelage of pitching coach Leo Mazzone, this could be his year of maturation.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Two weeks from the start of the season, the Orioles had an open date yesterday. Without a game to play, the club and its observers could analyze the Orioles' performance at spring training, something not measured by the team's 9-8-2 record. If signs of progress aren't readily apparent in a balky offense, the starting rotation and bullpen clearly are improved, and the only remaining questions about the roster involve the last spots on the bench and in the bullpen.

The Orioles signed first baseman-outfielder Aubrey Huff to a three-year, $20 million deal this offseason. Huff, 30, has played 6 1/2 of his seven major league seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He is a career .285 hitter with 141 home runs and 487 RBIs. He was born in Marion, Ohio, and got married a couple of weeks before reporting to training camp. What are your early impressions on the team and the clubhouse? -- It's great. So far, so good. It's a great group of guys. Everybody is very positive and upbeat for the season.