Center Fielder

JUST THINK what Joe DiMaggio would have accomplished if he'd played more than 13 seasons in the Bigs.World War II came along. Like Ted Williams and other stars of his generation, he served his nation as a soldier. Exploiting his exceptional skills, earning the adoration of multitudes, entertaining a nation, would wait.Even missing three seasons that could have been his best, Joe DiMaggio compiled a lifetime batting average of .325, led the American League in home runs twice, in runs-batted-in twice, in batting average twice and was its most valuable player thrice.

The North Carroll softball team kept its streak alive. Unfortunately, so did Thomas Johnson.Junior pitcher Lisa Tunney tossed a two-hit, complete-game shutout, and the host Panthers defeated their Central Maryland Conference rival, 4-0, in the third round of the Class 3A West state regional playoffs in Hampstead yesterday.North Carroll, ranked sixth with a 16-2 record, knocked the 14-8 Patriots out of the playoffs for the third consecutive year. The Panthers had lost to Thomas Johnson, 5-4, in eight innings last Tuesday.

BOSTON -- Next year's Orioles remain a vague creature. Only eight shopping days remain until the waiver deadline, and a line is forming outside the club's front offices. However, Scott Erickson last night likely made a convincing pitch against his being included in any coming purge.Again resembling the heavy-ball pitcher the Orioles love, Erickson strong-armed them to a 5-2 win over the Boston Red Sox, completing a sweep of a two-game series before 33,605 at Fenway Park. A trend is developing here.

Brady Anderson has played center field for the past four seasons. He said he plans to occupy that position for the next four as well."I've never heard of any dissatisfaction with my play in center," Anderson said before last night's 11-5 victory over Toronto. "And there shouldn't be, either."Well, his opinion isn't shared by all.Orioles general manager Pat Gillick, while refraining from direct criticism, said yesterday that Anderson plays too shallow in center, and that Jeffrey Hammonds could challenge him at that position next spring.

As long as the numbers say the Orioles aren't out of playoff contention, Ray Miller won't listen to anything else, including reason. It's his job to push for the improbable, to keep stoking the fire even as the flames are reduced to a mere flicker.For eight innings yesterday, the embers were barely warm to the touch. Who could have imagined that the Anaheim Angels would wind up getting burned?Mike Bordick hit a two-run homer off closer Troy Percival in the ninth to tie the score, and Eric Davis singled in Brady Anderson to complete the rally and give the Orioles a 3-2 victory before an announced crowd of 48,038 at Camden Yards that appeared much smaller but sounded twice as loud as the comeback took shape.

HittingScott Brosius, Yankees: 2 HRs.Greg Vaughn, Padres: grand slam.Cecil Fielder, Angels: grand slam, 6 RBIs.Yamil Benitez, Diamondbacks: grand slam.PitchingBrad Radke, Twins: 9 innings, 0 runs, 4 hits.Orlando Hernandez, Yankees: 9 innings, 1 run, 4 hits.FieldingMike Cameron, White Sox: The center fielder made a leaping catch at the eight-foot fence in right-center in the seventh to rob Mark McGwire of a potential 30th home run.Pub Date: 6/10/98

VIERA, Fla. -- Orioles center fielder Brady Anderson will undergo X-rays this morning to determine whether he suffered a broken bone or a severely bruised left hand in yesterday's exhibition game against the Florida Marlins.Anderson was struck just above the last two fingers of his left hand while stealing second base during the sixth inning. Catcher Charles Johnson's throw eluded shortstop Edgar Renteria and glanced off Anderson, who quickly got to his feet, ran to third base, called time, then hustled into the clubhouse.

PHOENIX -- As Orioles owner Peter Angelos tries to salvage faltering negotiations, the competition for free-agent outfielder Brady Anderson may intensify today. The New York Yankees are believed ready to extend a four-year offer thought to exceed the $30 million package tendered Wednesday by the Atlanta Braves.Angelos and Anderson met last night for a second consecutive day. While Angelos continues to reject Anderson's demand for a five-year contract in return for accepting less salary from the Orioles, the club apparently improved its offer from $23 million to $25 million.

It was a '90s kind of deal. The Cleveland Indians traded their contract problem to the Atlanta Braves for a star-quality outfielder who had priced himself out of the starting lineup and a center fielder on a fixed income.Confused?This is only the beginning. Major-league owners have been trying for years to find a way to emulate the NBA and the NFL and -- with the signing of the new collective bargaining agreement -- they finally have succeeded. You can't go to a game without tripping over the luxury tax threshold or pick up the newspaper without getting another unwanted economics lesson.

If he has to play in pain, Brady Anderson will play silently.Talk about his run of nagging injuries? The Orioles' All-Star center fielder will sooner squeeze his bat to sawdust. And he is not about to needlessly sacrifice one of his precious bats.The two things you won't hear from Anderson are "I want out" and an alibi."I don't like to talk about that," he said repeatedly before last night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays when asked about his various ailments.For the record, he has a bruised left calf from the double hit he took in a Detroit doubleheader July 4. His right knee is cranky and sore.

MINNEAPOLIS - -His back still sore, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was unavailable for Monday night's game against the Minnesota Twins, and it's possible he might not play in the series. "My back hurts, so I've just got to deal with it," said Jones, who had mild mid-back spasms and was pulled from Sunday's 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox before the bottom of the first inning. Jones saw a doctor and received treatment Monday, and he was in no mood to discuss his condition. He did say he felt considerably better and estimated he would be out of the lineup "for a couple of days, probably."

SEATTLE - - The Orioles, of all teams, know how dominant Erik Bedard can be, so it would have been easy to dismiss Tuesday as one of those inevitable nights where they were shut down by a very good pitcher. The problem with that theory is it has been happening far too frequently to give the Orioles the complete benefit of the doubt. Bedard overwhelmed his former team, taking a three-hit shutout into the seventh inning in the Seattle Mariners' 8-2 victory over the Orioles in front of an announced 17,978 at Safeco Field.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The ball found young center fielder Adam Jones early in the first intrasquad game yesterday, but not in the way the Orioles would have liked. Jones, the centerpiece in the Orioles' return from the Seattle Mariners in the Erik Bedard deal, was hit in the leg by Nick Markakis' hard ground ball while he was trying to steal second base in the first inning. That was just the beginning of an eventful day for Jones, who went 0-for-1 with two walks, got doubled off first on Luis Terrero's line drive to second and also misplayed Ben Davis' fly ball into a triple.

The Erik Bedard trade saga is expected to be resolved soon as the Orioles and Seattle Mariners attempt to clear up issues that stalled a deal that was nearly completed earlier this week. Reached last night, Orioles owner Peter Angelos declined to comment, referring questions to president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, who did not return phone calls from The Sun. However, team officials expect the deal for the Orioles' ace, which would send young center fielder Adam Jones, reliever George Sherrill and pitching prospects Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio to Baltimore, to be resolved one way or another in the next couple of days.

If the Orioles don't trade for a young center fielder in the coming weeks, they will likely turn their attention to last year's Opening Day starter, Corey Patterson. "I have had discussions with his representative, Scott Boras, and they are familiar with our interest," Orioles president Andy MacPhail said. "We have agreed we will touch base a little later." A month ago, it seemed unlikely Patterson, 28, would return to Baltimore. The Orioles hadn't pursued him, and a half-dozen teams were actively searching for a starting center fielder.

1. Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees, third baseman Technically, he is not a free agent, but he can opt out of his final three years (and $81 million) by Nov. 10. He says he loves New York, but he's booed when he missteps and is a constant tabloid target. Look for Rodriguez, 32, to be elsewhere in 2008. Orioles factor: They dealt with agent Scott Boras once this year and agreed to a contract outside their comfort zone ($6 million bonus to first-round pick Matt Wieters). Don't bet on it happening again this winter.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Corey Patterson's recent surge has helped energize the Orioles' offense. Has it also improved his chances of getting re-signed by the club? Patterson will be a free agent after this season, and the Orioles still haven't made a decision on his long-term future, according to multiple team sources. But if the 27-year-old center fielder wants to return for a third season with the Orioles - and he says he definitely would like to explore it - he hasn't hurt his cause over the past month.

Offense -- He's got some power and is a good high-fastball hitter, but he is still feeling his way through the league. He's not disciplined enough to be a true leadoff hitter at this point in his career, but he may be down the road. Defense -- He can really run and is a good defender. He has a solid arm, especially for a center fielder. Overall -- He doesn't have too many weaknesses, that's for sure. He has to learn how to put all his tools together. If he can do that, his upside is a Mike Cameron-type player.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- It was not in between the lines where Orioles center fielder Corey Patterson noticed a difference. Sure, he enjoyed each of his career-high 45 stolen bases last season. The 16 home runs were also nice, as were the running or diving catches he made that placed Patterson on the Orioles' highlight reel seemingly on a nightly basis. But the most important thing was when he left the ballpark last year, whether he had just gone 0-for-4 or had two hits and two steals, he was content with himself.

The Orioles signed center fielder Corey Patterson yesterday to a one-year deal, leaving starting pitcher Erik Bedard as the club's only remaining arbitration-eligible player. Patterson will make a base salary of $4.3 million in 2007, the midpoint between the Orioles' offer ($4 million) and the number ($4.6 million) filed by Patterson's agent, Scott Boras. "The process is made to negotiate a deal," Orioles vice president Jim Duquette said. "We've had a willingness and a track record here of winning arbitration cases, but you never want to go. It's only when you feel like the other side is being unreasonable when you want to go. There were a couple of signings within the class that made it apparent that a midpoint settlement would be a proper one."