Bordick

Every day, he comes to the park early. Every day, he takes extra hitting. Every day, he drains the most out of his ability.Shortstop Mike Bordick was a favorite of his new teammates and coaches even after he opened his Orioles career by going 75 at-bats without an RBI.His work ethic is that special.His game, too."Even if he hits .220, he's worth every penny," right fielder Eric Davis said after Bordick went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in last night's 7-1 victory over Oakland."When you're making plays when you're not going good [at the plate]

No one wants to be a downer when writing about opening day especially when the Orioles pull off a comeback victory like they did Friday over the Minnesota Twins by a score of 9-5. But  MASN's telecast of the home opener featuring Gary Thorne, Jim Palmer and Mike Bordick was nowhere near worthy of the play on the field by the Orioles. Someone needs to tell the boys in the booth it's the Orioles who made the playoffs last year - not them - and it's time for them to raise their games.

Shortstop Mike Bordick had the honor of recording the last out, fielding Jay Buhner's grounder and throwing to first. On the surface, it was one of his more routine plays in a series highlighted by his spectacular defense. He acknowledged, though, feeling a little jumpy."It took a little funny hop," he said, grinning. "That was pretty exciting, you know? Once I got rid of the ball and I saw it was on a true line, I just threw my hands in the air. I knew we had done it. That was exciting, really exciting."

I have been putting off this post for a couple of weeks. It's about Mike Bordick's performance on MASN as an analyst on Orioles games. It started with a colleague, who is usually a keen observer of sports media, casually stopping me in the newsroom to say, "Z, you gotta write about Bordick. " As he said it, he shook his head side to side, winced and gestured with two thumbs down. So, I started watching and listening to the likable former Orioles shortstop. Instead of jumping into print with what I saw after a couple of games though, I also started asking other media types who watch a lot of Orioles baseball about their impressions of him. Representative of what I mainly heard was this: "Geez, Z, you're not going to rip Bordick, are you?

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The mere mention of the Orioles possibly moving Cal Ripken to third base caused seemingly unending controversy in 1996, but the reality of it happening in 1997 is causing nary a peep.What's up with that? Simple. Mike Bordick is the right replacement for Ripken at shortstop.He is the only replacement, in fact, who could have made this delicate maneuver a go.Ripken wouldn't have signed off on the idea so happily if the Orioles had tried to replace him with erratic Shawon Dunston, swaggering Kevin Elster or any of the other debatable options they considered last winter.

It had been a nice night for Cal Ripken, with his three-RBI performance at the plate and the public's recognition of his streak. Then Mike Bordick made it his night, too.The Oakland shortstop's two-run homer in the eighth inning powered the Athletics' 8-7 win last night, completing their first sweep of the Orioles in three years. The Orioles blew three-run and one-run leads in losing their third straight and sixth in seven games at home.At least, with six games to go before Ripken is expected to break Lou Gehrig's consecutive-games record, the pageantry was nice.

YOU WANT to complain about the Orioles? Go ahead. Knock yourself out. The club has made any number of moves and decisions about which you can complain. But their decision to re-sign shortstop Mike Bordick to a two-year deal yesterday isn't one of them. Their failure to re-sign Mike Mussina and fill the rotation with sure-thing starters? Sure, you can complain about that. But not about bringing Bordick back. Their failure to plug the holes in the bullpen, after owner Peter Angelos guaranteed it would happen?

Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra are potential Hall of Famers, a latter-day Willie, Mickey and the Duke. How can Mike Bordick make the American League All-Star team against such competition? Most likely, he can't. But Bordick is worthy of All-Star consideration, and that fact alone is testament to his remarkable first half. Fans might not view the late-blooming Bordick as one of the game's best shortstops - he is fifth in the AL balloting - but his younger peers do. "He's solid, a great player, for sure," Garciaparra said.

Mike Bordick will no longer be known as the slick-fielding, pesky shortstop for the Oakland A's. He has become The Shortstop Who Replaced Cal Ripken.That fact was not lost on Bordick when he decided to sign with the Orioles, ensuring Ripken's shift to third base. Bordick, 31, said he pondered the move, and the expectations that come with it, for weeks leading up to the signing. He concluded he was up to the challenge."I had a few reservations," Bordick said at a news conference at Camden Yards yesterday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The thought began hitting Orioles shortstop Mike Bordick last season, when a career-threatening shoulder injury came and left him staring at the end. "What will I do when my playing days are over?" Bordick thought. The answer was never far from his mind. He'd like to be a coach and perhaps even a manager. "There's no doubt I'm going to be involved in baseball," Bordick said last week. "I've thought about different career opportunities, and everything keeps coming back to what I know."

Before former Orioles shortstop Mike Bordick began talking with MASN about becoming a color analyst for 2012, he was already in line for expanded duties within the Orioles organization. And that likely won't change even if Bordick is hired by the Orioles-run television station, according to Orioles player development director John Stockstill. Bordick is expected to be the organization's minor league base running and infield coordinator in 2012 and will also work more closely with Stockstill to have an expanded voice in player placement as the season progresses.

The Orioles just sent out this release announcing that former Orioles shortstop Mike Bordick will join MASN as a TV color analyst. He will work approximately 80 games this coming season. The Sun reported Wednesday that Bordick had discussions with MASN about the position and planned to meet with them today. Bordick has also been a valued instructor within the organization -- he was the club's coordinator of offensive fundamentals -- and will likely have an expanded role within the organization despite moving to the broadcast booth.

The Orioles have an opening in their broadcast booth for a color commentator, and they are considering popular former shortstop Mike Bordick. Bordick said he has had some conversations with MASN and expects to meet with officials from the Orioles-owned station again Thursday. “I am very interested in a MASN opportunity, and they seem interested, too,” said Bordick, who was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame last year. Bordick, 46, spent six of his 14 seasons in the major leagues with the Orioles and became a fan favorite for his hustle, work ethic and humility, acting as a steadying influence on a terrific 1997 team that was filled with stars.

The man who replaced Cal Ripken Jr. at shortstop in 1997, and had one of the greatest defensive seasons at the position in 2002, will be inducted into the Orioles' Hall of Fame this August. Mike Bordick , who played with the Orioles for parts of six seasons from 1997 to 2002, will receive the honor on Aug. 13 before the team's game against the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. Also to be honored that night will be head athletic trainer Richie Bancells , who will receive the Herb Armstrong Award for contributions to the organization from non-uniformed personnel.

. - When Miguel Tejada was a minor leaguer in the Oakland Athletics' organization in the 1990s, he heard Mike Bordick's name every day. It was almost always in the context of how to do things the right way. "Every time the instructors made some comment about infielding, they would always point to him as an example," Tejada said. Back then, Tejada was a bit intimidated by Bordick, the A's starting shortstop whom Tejada essentially replaced in 1997 when Bordick left for Baltimore as a free agent.

When Miguel Tejada was a minor leaguer in the Oakland A's organization in the 1990s, he heard Mike Bordick's name every day. It was almost always in the context of how to do things the right way. "Every time the instructors made some comment about infielding, they would always point to him as an example," Tejada said. Back then, Tejada was a bit intimidated by Bordick, the A's starting shortstop who Tejada essentially replaced in 1997 when Bordick left for Baltimore as a free agent.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- At some point in virtually every game a ground ball finds Mike Bordick. It finds him ready to take whatever hop it presents, ready to make an accurate throw and ready afterward to step back to his position with head down regardless of the play's difficulty.The Orioles shortstop is a stealth candidate for his first Gold Glove and the first Orioles shortstop to win the award since Cal Ripken in 1992.Bordick, 34, is enjoying a career offensive season. He finished last night's two-hit game against the Anaheim Angels with a .275 average, 20 points above his lifetime mark, with a career-best 70 RBIs and is three shy of last year's high of 13 home runs.

The Orioles are reaching back into their most recent period of success to try to improve a glaring deficiency for now and the future. The club signed a one-year deal with former Oriole Mike Bordick this month to become its new minor league offensive coordinator. Bordick, 44, will be responsible for working with the club's prospects on offensive fundamentals such as base running, bunting and situational hitting. "Basically, it'll be getting guys to understand the importance of small ball.