Batting Average

It's easy at this point in the baseball season to moan about brutally disappointing players. If you spent $30 to $35 of your fantasy budget on Jermaine Dye or Andruw Jones, your apoplexy is understandable. If you counted on rookies Alex Gordon or Chris Young to be fresh centerpieces, go ahead and rip up your prospect guides in outrage. If you thought Adam Wainwright would make the transition from closer or that Barry Zito had another stellar year in him, know that you have my sympathies.

Senior center fielder Dustin Tarlow leads Westminster in batting average (.429), has four home runs to lead the county, two triples, 16 stolen bases, 14 RBIs and has scored 20 runs. Westminster coach Bryan Harman also coached Tarlow as a 12 year-old on the Carroll County Rangers. "He's a great listener," Harman said. "But I say his work ethic is the main thing. He never stops working to make himself better." Tarlow, a member of the National Honor Society, has a 3.8 grade point average and played on the school's soccer team.

The first half of the season ends today with the New York Yankees gasping for air, the Milwaukee Brewers pumping their fists and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals fighting for the title of the major leagues' worst team. In other words, the first half, as always, had some surprises and some almost certainties. Here's a look at midseason awards - with a twist added at the end: anti-awards for the biggest disappointments. MVP Awards AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, New York The Yankees aren't a playoff-bound team and now he's banged up. But you can't deny his numbers: He's winning two-thirds of the Triple Crown and is in the top 15 in batting average.

1982 Two dates from Ripken's rookie year defined the course of his career. On May 30, The Streak began. On July 1, he was moved from third base to shortstop. He responded by winning the American League Rookie of the Year award and helping the Orioles remain in contention for the AL East crown until the final game. His first Opening Day was memorable, with three hits, including a home run. The season included 44 consecutive errorless games at third base, his first grand slam and a five-hit game.

Normally, when I grow bored with fantasy football, I can look to baseball's hot-stove happenings for a little inspiration. But let me tell you baseball lovers, the market offers slim pickings this year. When Andruw Jones, he of the .222 batting average in 2007, and Carlos Silva, he of the 89 strikeouts in 202 innings, are among the most enticing free agents, it's hard to muster much enthusiasm for next week's winter meetings. The New York Yankees have re-signed (or will if the deals aren't official)

PHILADELPHIA -- The greatest hitter of his era has spent the past 14 years putting up numbers out of a 1930s time warp. But now, just over the horizon -- he's just two away after getting three hits last night -- Tony Gwynn can finally see the round number that will define his career:Three thousand, as in 3,000 hits.Other men have been there (21, in fact). Other men have done that. But no hitter of this generation will have done 3,000 the way Tony Gwynn will have done 3,000."People tell me that 3,000 puts me in select company, but I think I'm probably in select company already," said Gwynn, who had two singles and a grand slam in last night's 7-6 loss to the Cardinals, putting him two hits short of 3,000.

CLEVELAND -- Brady Anderson entered uncharted territory in his first at-bat last night. A lined single off Cleveland Indians starter Jaret Wright pushed him to a .245 average.A year ago the number would have seemed like a depression. Three months ago it seemed like a cliff. While the Orioles continue a second-half salvage operation that includes a revitalized offense, Anderson continues to piece together a competent season in spite of a disastrous April and May.Anderson's first-inning single extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Who are these guys anyway?That must be the question Naval Academy baseball opponents are asking this season. The Midshipmen have gone on a school-record home-run binge that has carried them to a 23-15 overall record and the regular-season Patriot League championship.The Mids have bashed 29 homers after hitting five last season. They had six against Lafayette and five against Maryland Eastern Shore.The 29 homers surpass theschool single-season mark of 25 that was set in 1993.Sophomore designated hitter/first baseman Mark Zematis has seven, and senior shortstop Todd Benke and sophomore right fielder Luke Braham are tied with six.Tomorrow and Sunday, top-seeded Navy is host to the Patriot League tournament.

Cal Ripken turns 38 in August. His game appears in sharp decline. And his consecutive-games streak rolls on, a runaway train with no conductor.Any other player in any other sport would be facing major questions about his future. Ripken isn't even facing questions about the end of his streak.If Michael Jordan can discuss age and fatigue through the NBA Finals, why can't Ripken acknowledge that as an older player, his world, too, has changed?For that matter, why can't the Orioles protect their future Hall of Famer from himself, and take steps that could help him remain as productive as possible?

The Orioles scored five runs in the early innings off the hottest pitcher in the major leagues on Wednesday night. Then they sat back and waited to see if those runs would hold up.That wasn't the intent, of course, but the Orioles did not score another run until the Anaheim Angels had come back from a four-run deficit to turn the game around and set the Orioles up for a disheartening, 7-6 defeat in the decisive game of a three-game series at Edison International...

PHILADELPHIA - -Rookie left fielder Nolan Reimold spent the first couple of weeks after his mid-May promotion impressing the Orioles with his power. Lately, he has opened some eyes with his patience. Reimold, who was often questioned in the minor leagues for his pitch selection, had drawn walks in seven straight games entering Friday night's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. During that span, he struck out only once. "He has had some of the most impressive at-bats that we've taken as a team all year, and under some really difficult circumstances," said Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.

Very little has gone right this season for Oakland (21-30), which enters Friday's series opener with the Orioles mired in last place in the American League West, mostly because of a punchless offense. Heading into Thursday, the A's ranked last in the AL in batting average, home runs, slugging percentage, extra-base hits and batting average with runners in scoring position. Outfielder Matt Holliday, acquired in a trade with the Colorado Rockies before the season, is starting to heat up, going 8-for-19 with three doubles, a homer and five RBIs in his past five games.

When it comes to winning championships, St. Frances no longer lives by basketball alone. Earlier this week, the Panthers baseball team won the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association C Conference championship. It's the first non-basketball title in school history. "It has been a long, hard five years," said Panthers coach Brian Boles, who started coaching St. Frances in 2005. "I am so proud of our guys. We've followed the saying, 'Championships are won before the game is played.

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones has left his mark everywhere in the first five weeks of the season, and that includes the home bullpen at Camden Yards. The New Era baseball cap sign that hangs there now carries a significant dent, courtesy of Jones' line-drive home run off the New York Yankees' Brett Tomko on Saturday, a blast that left the park fast and landed with a thud. Such displays of power, talent and bat speed are becoming regular occurrences for the 23-year-old, whose rapid growth has gotten the attention of teammates and opponents, and given the Orioles something to feel good about in a season that has had its share of frustrating moments.

Markakis, Orioles finalize 6-year extension baseball Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis passed his physical yesterday and finalized his six-year, $66.1 million extension with the club. The Orioles will have a news conference today at noon to announce the deal, which will keep one of the organization's building blocks with the club through at least the 2014 season. The deal includes a $17.5 million mutual option for the 2015 season with a $2 million buyout, a limited no-trade clause in which Markakis can block a deal to eight teams each year, standard incentive clauses, escalating clauses that can be worth as much as $7.5 million, and a $2.1 million signing bonus to be paid over the next two seasons.

Boston Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew is not giving up on a return this season, despite a back injury that has sidelined him since last month. "I'm confident, but I can't predict what's going to happen," Drew said. "I know what's going on. I've got a herniated disc that isn't any fun. We've got some capable players that can fill in and do a good job. "My thing is not to go out there and be a hero and be stupid and really hurt pitching staffs by not tracking fly balls the way I'm capable of and hurt the team by not being able to swing the bat effectively," he said.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Dave Trembley made it clear he's not expecting young left-hander Garrett Olson to go into Fenway Park tonight and pitch seven shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox. He simply wants to see one thing from Olson that he hasn't seen in a while - improvement. "I would think that every opportunity he gets is a big one. We're looking for improvement, that's all," Trembley said. "I'm not looking for him to be perfect. We're looking for him to be somewhat more consistent, get us deeper in the game, command the fastball."

WASHINGTON - The Washington Nationals opened the doors this season to a sleek, $611 million stadium - Nationals Park. The owners and the city provided fans with cherry blossoms, enviable sightlines, an expansive plaza beyond the outfield and a kids play area. But one thing management can't do is put runs and hits up on the new the 4,500 square-foot, high-definition scoreboard - the largest in the major leagues. Even after signs of improvement - including sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in a recent home series - the Nationals were last in baseball in batting average (.244)

Matt Wieters keeps writing unbelievable baseball stories with his bat down on the Double-A Bowie farm. Thursday afternoon, the 6-foot-5 catcher walked to home plate as a pinch hitter with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning and the Baysox trailing Harrisburg 8-3. Wieters hit the first pitch high over the right-field wall for a grand slam at Prince George's Stadium, bringing the tying run, Lou Montanez, to the plate. Montanez has been the hottest hitter in the Eastern League the past few weeks, taking over the home run lead with 22, RBI lead with 77 and runs scored lead with 75 while being tied for fifth in batting average at .315 through Saturday.

Boys Woody Wlodarczyk C. Milton Wright, baseball The three-year starting catcher led the No. 3 Mustangs to the Class 4A state final for the second time, the previous time being in 2006. Wlodarczyk went 4-for-7 with two doubles, a triple, three runs scored and three RBIs in this year's state tournament. On Friday in the state final, a 7-6 loss to Sherwood of Montgomery County in eight innings, Wlodarczyk was 2-for-4, including a double that tied the score in the fifth. Wlodarczyk, who is headed to Harford Community College, led his team in batting average (.513)