Conine

A broken-down body for a slimmed-down body. That's how you evaluate Chris Hoiles for Jeff Conine, and never mind the other particulars. Chris Fussell, a young pitcher with little chance of ever joining the Orioles' rotation, was merely the bait for Conine.The release of Hoiles is a sad event for anyone who knew "Tractor," a humble, hard-working throwback who spent a decade in the organization after arriving in the Fred Lynn trade. Still, it had to be done. Hoiles, physically unable to catch and a liability at first base, had turned into the right-handed equivalent of Harold Baines.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jeff Conine could have filled the first months of his post-baseball career with golf, fishing and travel - the usual pursuits that a 41-year-old man with financial security might enjoy. Instead, Conine, a 17-year veteran of six big league teams who had two stints with the Orioles, has spent long hours swimming, cycling and running in preparation for an ambitious triathlon schedule that will culminate in the Ironman world championship in Kona, Hawaii, in October.

Alicia Conine put up such impressive numbers last year as a freshman first baseman at Anne Arundel Community College that she was named a preseason All-American this spring.Just one problem. How could she equal a season where she batted .500 and established school records for hits (50) and RBIs (42)? Would anything less suffice?And was even more expected?"I sat her down in my office before we got into our games this year and said, 'Look, Alicia, we've brought in some nice talent and I don't want you to feel like you have to put up the kind of statistics you did before.

News item: President Bush is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for tonight's regular-season debut of the new Washington Nationals ballpark. My take: It was a tough choice for the president. The Orioles offered him the chance to throw a couple of innings in relief tomorrow, but he couldn't clear his schedule. News item: The Nationals showed off their new ballpark last night, facing the Orioles in the final exhibition game of the spring for both teams. My take: Nice place.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jeff Conine was the only National League All-Star who didn't play in 1994, and when Felipe Alou picked Conine for the team again this year, the Montreal manager promised Conine: You will play.Conine did play, and thanked Alou in his own special way, hitting a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning last night to give the NL a 3-2 victory over the American League last night, at The Ballpark in Arlington. Conine was named the MVP.The NL had three hits, and all were bases-empty homers, the others by Houston's Craig Biggio and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Mike Piazza.

It happened to Al Weis in the 1969 World Series, Bret Saberhagen in the 1985 World Series, and Francisco Cabrera in the 1992 playoffs. Now it's happening to Jeff Conine, who hit the pinch homer to give the National League a 3-2 win over the American League in Tuesday's All-Star Game.Instant fame. The marginal racquetball fan might've had a better chance of recognizing Conine than the average baseball fan -- Conine and his wife are nationally known mixed-doubleschampions -- but that has changed.

The negotiations were fast and furious. The Florida Marlins needed to have Jeff Conine on their roster by midnight Sunday for him to be eligible for their postseason roster, and the frantic attempt to close a complicated deal would come down almost to the last minute. The Orioles had agreed in principle to a trade that would bring them two of the Marlins' better young pitching prospects, 20-year-old right-handers Denny Bautista and Don Levinski, for one of the most popular players on the Orioles' roster.

The newest Oriole, Jeff Conine, will play some left field and likely spell his buddy Jay Gibbons in right on occasion. He will see time both at first base and at designated hitter. But nearly as important as all those roles in the mind of Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan, Conine also is being asked to provide a strong influence over a clubhouse that several players felt was badly in need of a vocal leader last season. "I take that very seriously," Conine said. "I think management, that's one of the reasons that they brought me back.

SEATTLE - Orioles first baseman Jeff Conine has been through this countless times, with trade talk swirling around him, making him wonder where he's going to finish the season. At least this time, the talk involves the Florida Marlins, the team that plays a short drive from his family's offseason home in Weston, Fla. Conine is still known as "Mr. Marlin" in those parts after being named the 1995 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. Last week, the Marlins approached the Orioles about swapping first basemen - Conine for Derrek Lee. To land a young cleanup hitter such as Lee, the Orioles would probably have to eat some of the $7 million Conine has remaining on his contract, which includes an option for 2005.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The show begins when a pinch runner is sent into the game. That's when Jeff Conine, normally possessing a wit so dry it could use a splash of vermouth, suddenly transforms himself from Orioles first baseman to comedic actor. Conine limps toward the Orioles' dugout with a grimace that suggests he's in tremendous pain. He waves off the trainer, ignoring how nobody is rushing to his aid. On some days, his batting helmet is slammed to the ground for effect. As actors go, Conine is more Pauly Shore than Paul Newman, but he's fooled enough people this spring to keep himself amused and an entire team loose.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said that ideally, he would have liked to give David Newhan a few more rehabilitation starts before bringing him back up to the major leagues. However, Sunday's trade of Jeff Conine left the Orioles thin in the outfield, leaving them little choice but to activate Newhan. Newhan, on the disabled list since fracturing his right fibula on April 17, wasn't in the starting lineup last night, but Perlozzo said he will find the veteran some at-bats as part of a likely outfield rotation with converted infielders Brandon Fahey and Fernando Tatis.

NATION One survivor in jet crash A commuter jet mistakenly trying to take off on a runway that was too short crashed into a field in Lexington, Ky., yesterday and burst into flames, killing 49 people and leaving the lone survivor - a co-pilot - in critical condition, federal investigators said. pg 1A Atlantis launch unlikely The chances that the space shuttle Atlantis would be launched into orbit this week diminished by the hour yesterday as NASA prepared for Tropical Storm Ernesto and the possibility of moving the spacecraft into shelter.

Usually, a going-away present goes to the person doing the departing. But that wasn't the case at Camden Yards yesterday as Jeff Conine doubled in the tying run in his last action before the Orioles traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies. Conine almost came to the plate with a chance to win the game in the ninth, but Miguel Tejada beat him to it, singling through the right side to give the Orioles a 5-4 victory and series sweep over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before 21,301. Tejada, who also made two superb defensive plays in the late innings, leaped around with his arms in the air after the victory.

Brian Roberts, one of Jeff Conine's closest friends on the Orioles, went out to dinner with Conine on Saturday night and, as he joked, "got the hugs and kisses over with." Conine and his teammates were aware of the trade talk between the Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies revolving around the popular 40-year-old veteran. Conine arrived at Camden Yards yesterday morning, fully expecting to get called into manager Sam Perlozzo's office to learn that the deal had been completed. Instead, he would wait several more hours and play a major role in the Orioles' 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays with two RBIs, including the game-tying double in the eighth inning.

The Orioles inducted Doug DeCinces, a power-hitting third baseman who succeeded Brooks Robinson, and Chris Hoiles, a tough catcher who helped spearhead the club's last run of excellence, into the organization's Hall of Fame in a ceremony before yesterday's game. The team also honored deceased trainers Ralph Salvon and Eddie Weidner with the Herb Armstrong Award for contributions from non-uniformed personnel. Hoiles said he enjoyed going into the Hall with DeCinces. "It's really kind of special because we've got two generations and two different stadiums and really, two different teams," he said.

The plan started earlier this year with the signing of outfielder Jay Gibbons and Melvin Mora to multi-year extensions and Orioles vice president Jim Duquette hopes it continues this offseason when the club is looking to lock up two more significant parts of its nucleus. Duquette acknowledged yesterday that the Orioles will explore multi-year extensions with starting pitcher Erik Bedard and second baseman Brian Roberts in the offseason. Bedard is eligible for free agency after the 2009 season, while Roberts is tied to the club through 2008.

New Oriole Jeff Conine left some playing time behind when he parted company with the Kansas City Royals on Friday, but he was more than willing to make that trade-off for the chance to return to the playoffs this year."

Around the horn Temporary bleachers have been installed on the flag court in right field and above the bullpens to accommodate the extra fans for Cal Ripken's last games. ... Orioles relievers had churned out 25 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings before Buddy Groom allowed three runs Wednesday night. ... Conine is batting .331 (60-for-181) with four homers and 37 RBIs in his past 47 games. He leads the club with 44 multi-hit games. ...Former Orioles Gary Roenicke and Rick Dempsey will sign autographs and greet fans at the Babe Ruth Museum tomorrow.

NEW YORK -- The Orioles' Jeff Conine last night reached 400 plate appearances for this season. When Conine hits 450, which he is on pace to do before the end of August, a $2 million contract option will vest for 2007. The 40-year-old outfielder-first baseman has said he'll contemplate retirement after this season, but last night he maintained that his thought process is to return next year with the Orioles. "It all depends on the complexion of the team next year and what they do this offseason," Conine said when asked whether his projected role in 2007 will influence his thinking.

Kansas City, Mo. -- The Orioles could have a tough decision on their hands in the coming weeks regarding the future of Jeff Conine, who signed a one-year, $1.7 million deal in December with an option for a second season. The option vests if Conine reaches 450 plate appearances and the 40-year-old is on pace to eclipse that mark with 320 plate appearances with 61 games remaining. Conine would earn $2 million next season if the option vests, a high price for a player who will turn 41 next June and is obviously not in the club's long-term plans.