Chris Sabo

June 29, 1994: Chris Sabo hit the game-winning single in the 10th inning as the Orioles beat the Indians.

June 29, 1994: Chris Sabo hit the game-winning single in the 10th inning as the Orioles beat the Indians.

The 1994 salaries for players on the Orioles' Opening Day roster and disabled list. Figures were obtained by The Associated Press from management and player sources and include salaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income.Player .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..SalaryCal Ripken .. .. .. .. .. .. ...$5,665,822Rafael Palmeiro .. .. .. .. .. ..5,469,479Mike Devereaux .. .. .. .. .. ...3,375,000Sid Fernandez .. .. .. .. .. .3,333,333Brady Anderson .. .. .. .. .. ...3,083,333Ben McDonald .. .. .. .. .. .. ..2,675,000Chris Hoiles .. .. .. .. .. .. ..2,000,000Chris Sabo .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .2,000,000Harold Baines .. .. .. .. .. .. .1,800,000Lee Smith .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..1,500,000Mark McLemore .. .. .. .. .. .. .1,000,000Mike Mussina .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .750,000Lonnie Smith .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .750,000Jamie Moyer .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..725,000Tim Hulett .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...550,000Mark Eichhorn .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 525,000Leo Gomez .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .500,000Alan Mills .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...500,000Mark Williamson .. .. .. .. .. .. .350,000Jim Poole .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .270,000Arthur Rhodes .. .. .. .. .. .. ...230,000Jeff Tackett .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .162,500Jeffrey Hammonds .. .. .. .. .. ...150,000Jack Voigt .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...150,000Damon Buford .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .130,000Brad Pennington .. .. .. .. .. .. .130,000dl-Paul Carey .. .. .. .. .. .. ...115,000dl-Manny Alexander .. .. .. .. .. .109,000

They're so desperate in New York that George Steinbrenner is said to be interested in signing Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden in an attempt to rehabilitate the Yankees.In Toronto, the natives are becoming increasingly restless and disinterested in a team that would be lost without David Cone.And in good old Baltimore, there are indications that owner Peter Angelos is being encouraged to add another superstar, somebody like Kirby Puckett or Barry Bonds, to his collection. No matter that it would take all of the cream from the minor-league system, and even some from the big-league level.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- What about the Ford, Chris? You know, the Escort. The car with 200,000 miles on the odometer, the car you still drove even after you were making $1 million a year."

* BRAVES: Two-sport star Deion Sanders and the team apparently have agreed on a multiyear contract that would keep him with the Braves until the end of each season. Braves general manager John Schuerholz said yesterday that Sanders and the Braves had reached an "understanding" on a contract. Earlier this year, Sanders rejected an $11 million, three-year offer, seeking about $1 million more over three years plus an option for 1996. Sanders had his contract renewed by the Braves in March for $1 million, but is not required to stay with the team past July 31 because of his commitment with the Atlanta Falcons, for whom he plays cornerback.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Brady Anderson, Mike Devereaux, Rafael Palmeiro, Harold Baines, Cal Ripken, Chris Hoiles. The names say the Orioles have a potent offensive ballclub.Opposing pitchers say the same.But the numbers say otherwise. They say the Orioles are a below-average hitting team.The Orioles average 5.2 runs, compared with an American League average of 5.5.Nobody expects it to last."There are no easy outs in that lineup," Minnesota Twins right-hander Kevin Tapani said after defeating the Orioles, 5-2, yesterday on a five-hitter.

When last heard from, before this weekend, Chris Sabo was dTC on a mission. He wanted out of the dugout, Baltimore, the American League and his role as an occasional designated hitter -- in that order."

Orioles right fielder Jeffrey Hammonds expects to have an answer tomorrow as to when his ailing right knee might be ready for play.Hammonds, who has missed all of May with a concussion and then a strain of the medial collateral ligament in his knee, is to be examined tomorrow by team orthopedist Michael Jacobs."

Their 1994 season has not even begun, and the pressure already is on the Kansas City Royals. They can identify with the prevailing win-it-now attitude in Baltimore, because they also have made major improvements and they, too, play in a city that is hungry to recapture its past baseball glory.The similarities do not end there. Both teams enter their season-opening series today at Camden Yards hoping to break out cleanly after getting off slowly a year ago.The Royals, who brought back memories of the 1988 nightmare on 33rd Street with their 1-16 start in 1992, opened last season with nine losses in their first 11 games.

The day after Peter Angelos bought the Orioles, an old friend of mine, Frank Daily, approached me at the local supermarket."I go way back with Pete Angelos, even before he was on the City Council," said Daily, who for many years was involved in local politics. "I know Pete real good."You mark my word -- before it's all over, Pete's going to make George Steinbrenner look like a priest."I remembered that not because I believed it but because it was a funny line.Imagine another owner making the controversial New York Yankees boss look like a priest.

Forget the salary cap.Don't attempt to restrict free agency.Junk salary arbitration.Don't even think about asking the players to partake in revenue sharing.If baseball doesn't play in Pittsburgh, then it doesn't play in Pittsburgh. Back up the moving van.Lower the requirement for free agency from six years to three years.Increase the major-league minimum salary and allow significantly higher minimums for players with one and two years' service time.Let's play ball.Don't let some pompous nerd say it's much more complicated than that.

CLEVELAND -- No sense fretting about the Orioles' pitching. These are the rock-'em, sock'-em '90s. You don't outpitch your opponents, you outscore them.The Cleveland Indians got the final say last night, because right now Albert Belle is the ultimate rock-'em, sock-'em robot, possessing a devastating knockout punch.Still, the Orioles have every right to be encouraged as they open a 10-game homestand tonight against California. They're finally hitting the way everyone anticipated in the spring.

CLEVELAND -- Don't look back, Cal Ripken. Brady Anderson is keeping pace with you.Anderson was in the starting lineup last night after leaving the previous night's game in the seventh inning with a strained right hamstring.He and Ripken are the only Orioles who have played in all 74 games this season."I asked him how he feels, he said he's ready to play and he plays," Orioles manager Johnny Oates said.Anderson had missed only 13 innings going into last night's game.Why didn't he take a day off?

Harold Baines had three hits, drove in four runs and homered for the second night in a row last night. No big deal. Hitting is his designated role for the Orioles.Mike Mussina limited the opposition to one run over seven innings and again stopped a losing streak. Being the stopper of the staff, this should come as no great surprise.No, the surprising element of the Orioles' 6-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Camden Yards last night came from another source.It came from Chris Sabo, something of a blend between Charlie Chaplin and Roberto Clemente in right field.

Orioles right-hander Mike Oquist was breezing so smoothly through the Minnesota Twins lineup early yesterday afternoon, it seemed as if he was in the midst of one of his quick long relief appearances.Then the third inning arrived and served as a reminder that this indeed was an Oquist start.The Twins scored six runs, all charged to Oquist, in the third and ripped their way to a sweep-averting, 10-4 victory over the Orioles in front of the 27th consecutive sellout crowd at Camden Yards, this one numbering 47,088.

Peter Angelos is reclining comfortably in his luxury suite at Camden Yards, with a waitress named Michelle hovering nearby, a luscious dinner menu awaiting his choosing, and various men in expensive suits hoping to grab little increments of his time when third baseman Chris Sabo sprawls to interrupt a sharp ground ball on its way to left field."

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Orioles basically will go with a four-man rotation for the rest of the month starting this weekend, a move made possible by three off days on the schedule, plus an exhibition game in Rochester.Orioles manager Johnny Oates was waiting to check the status of Arthur Rhodes' left knee before settling on his rotation.Before last night's game, Oates said he did not know which left-hander, Rhodes or Jamie Moyer, would be taken out of the rotation and limited to one spot start, May 21 at New York, then rejoin the rotation May 31.If Moyer stays in the rotation, Rhodes could face anything from a stay on the disabled list, to bullpen duty, to a Triple-A assignment.

When last heard from, before this weekend, Chris Sabo was dTC on a mission. He wanted out of the dugout, Baltimore, the American League and his role as an occasional designated hitter -- in that order."

BOSTON -- Three hours before the game, the Orioles lineup went up on the big, creaky door leading from the clubhouse to the field. One by one, the players filed in, took a look -- and took a second look."