Derek Jeter

The Maryland State Police have taken steps to remind officers of proper behavior when providing security at Camden Yards after a report said two troopers asked New York Yankees players for autographs during Sunday night's American League Division Series opener. The report from the New York Post said troopers, assigned to provide security around the Yankees dugout, asked Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher for autographs during the ninth inning of the Orioles' 7-2 loss. Greg Shipley, a spokesman for Maryland State Police, said he could not confirm troopers had asked for autographs but said the MSP is investigating the claim and has "reacted as if it did happen.

Orioles fans, your time has finally come. Who's had it tougher than you the past 14 years? The Backstreet Boys? You watched so much bad baseball you almost forgot what good baseball looked like. Season after season, it felt as if the Orioles were out of the race by Arbor Day. You watched the parade of mediocre players, over-matched managers and timid front office types come and go, took all that abuse from your out-of-town friends, and wondered if it would ever get better. And now it has. Oh, man, has it gotten better.

Derek Jeter continues to move up the all-time hits list, and for the second time this season he passed an Orioles great Tuesday night. Jeter's leadoff home run against the White Sox's Francisco Liriano in Chicago was the Yankee shortstop's 3,256th career hit, moving him past Hall of Famer Eddie Murray for sole possession of 11th place on the all-time list. On June 29, Jeter passed Cal Ripken Jr. (3,184) for sole possession of 13th on the list with a double that also came in the first inning of a game against the White Sox. With the Orioles' most prolific hitters out of the way, Willie Mays (3,283)

The night was staged for Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen to take the spotlight. And with more than 1 million viewers in his native Taiwan watching his big league debut half a world away at 7 a.m. there, Chen nearly pitched well enough to earn his first major league win against one of the deadliest lineups in baseball. Three national TV networks in Taiwan carried the game live, but it was decided nearly two hours after Chen exited the game. As the temperature dipped, the Orioles and Yankees played deep into the chilly Baltimore night at Camden Yards on Tuesday, with the teams trading goose eggs through the late innings of a 12-inning game.

Guess it's not so surprising that a Yankee wanted a taste of the Bronx before suiting up against the Orioles Tuesday. Derek Jeter and Andruw Jones stopped by Chazz: A Bronx Original , the Fells Point restaurant owned by actor Chazz Palminteri, writer and star of "A Bronx Tale. " In the middle of a series against Baltimore, Jeter and Jones ordered a veal meatball, a coal-fired burrata pizza, chicken parmesan and shrimp served over polenta. Considering they were sorta feeding the enemy, the Chazz PR people were thrilled about the star encounter, sending out a press release about the lunch, including the shot of the Yankees smiling with restaurant general manager (and, they add, "huge Yankees fan")

NEW YORK - Fifty years later, Sal Durante admitted he was so short, he needed to stand on his seat to catch that ball - the one hit by Roger Maris, a man whose stature just keeps growing. There was only admiration Saturday at Yankee Stadium for the reluctant and possibly under-appreciated star whose 61st home run on Oct. 1, 1961, broke what had been the most revered record in sports. The Yankees brought back Maris' family. They brought back two sons of Mickey Mantle, who had been the people's choice in a two-way race to break Babe Ruth's venerated single-season home run mark.

Not having won a home series against the New York Yankees in more than two years, the Orioles seemingly had the perfect opportunity Monday night. The Yankees were without shortstop Derek Jeter, who missed his second consecutive game with a knee bruise, and third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who was sent back to New York for more tests on an injured thumb. On the mound for the Orioles was Alfredo Simon, coming off perhaps the best start of his big league career, and the club was one day removed from a season-high six-game winning streak.

He is Mr. November, and every other month in which Major League Baseball is played. He has more hits than Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, a higher career batting average than Mickey Mantle and a higher postseason average than Joe DiMaggio. And it won't be long before Derek Jeter is a new lord of New York Yankees lore. With six more hits, the shortstop will become the first player to collect 3,000 hits while playing exclusively with the most storied franchise in baseball. He resumed his pursuit Monday against the Cleveland Indians after spending the last three weeks on the disabled list with a strained right calf.

Every team has its guy — a fringe candidate it believes should be recognized as an All-Star. For the Rays, it's Kyle Farnsworth, the journeyman reliever manager Joe Maddon refuses to call his closer, even though he entered the weekend 15 of 16 in save situations. Maddon says the job description is "relief pitcher extraordinaire. " The guy for the Giants is 33-year-old Ryan Vogelsong. He opened the season at Triple-A Fresno but has outpitched Tim Lincecum since taking Barry Zito 's spot in the rotation.