Hardy

This time last year, there were more questions than answers about Orioles shortstopJ.J. Hardy. Personally, the newcomer fit in well: Unassuming, friendly, movie-star good-looking and the unrivaled and unbeaten king of the clubhouse ping pong table. But professionally, who was he? What had the Orioles received from the Minnesota Twins in December 2010 when they acquired Hardy and his nearly $6 million contract for two minor league pitchers (Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson)? Was Hardy the shortstop with the explosive bat and rocket arm that impressed early on in Milwaukee, a guy who had the potential to be - gasp - included in the same sentence with Hall of Famer Robin Yount among Brewers fans?

SARASOTA, Fla. - Top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy made his first competitive appearance in Saturday's intrasquad game, and it could be summed up in three words: Short and sweet. Bundy struck out Adam Jones and Mark Reynolds looking and got Matt Wieters on a soft fly ball to right. Nobody got a long look at him, but he made a great first impression just the same. "That guy is going to be as good as he wants," said Jones, who got a small but steady diet of fastballs from the 19-year-old right-hander.

Orioles shortstopJ.J. Hardy, who signed a long-term contract with the team during his terrific first season in Baltimore, said he signed a multi-year deal because he sees a lot of promise in the young players on the Orioles' roster. "Winning is important to me," he said. "I see a lot of potential. I really do. I feel like we've got a lot of young pitchers, and I think it's time for them to step up and do what they are capable of. I know that's what everyone has been saying for a couple of years now, but they've got a few more years under their belt, and I think it's time for them to go out and do it. " From a personal perspective, he said that having the security of the long-term deal has allowed him to enjoy the offseason and recharge his batteries for 2012.  "Signing that contract said a lot," he said.

As the year comes to a close, it seems appropriate to look back on the most lasting Orioles memories of 2011. It's no easy task, as there plenty of things that stood out in the past 12 months, and there are many ways to go about this. But I'm going to name a best memory and worst memory, both on and off the field. (Of course, as one would expect of a 69-93 season, there are far more bad on-field memories than good ones, but I'm sticking to one each.) Below are the things that left the biggest impression on me. We'd like to hear yours in the comments section.

Glenn William Hardy, retired president of the Accurate Weatherstrip and Screen Co., died of complications from dementia Nov. 30 at Gilchrist Hospice Center. The Hydes resident was 79. Born in Baltimore, he was the son of George A. Hardy, who founded the screening business, and homemaker Helen Fody Hardy. He was raised in Pikesville's Colonial Village and attended McDonogh School, where he played varsity baseball and football. As a guard in his junior year, he broke his left arm in two places; in the first game of the football season in his senior year, he broke the same arm. This time it took a metal plate to repair the damage.

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. And if that's true, then stop in for a coffee or sandwich at Vancherie's Union Avenue Café in downtown Havre de Grace. “If Cheers was a breakfast and lunch place, it would be Vancherie's,” says owner Becky Fitzgerald. Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays and 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekends, Vancherie's serves breakfast all day. “Our omelettes are really, really good,” says Becky. “Everyone has a favorite, especially the crab omelette, which is made with lump crabmeat, tomato and cheddar.” Other popular dishes include the crab melt - crab and melted Swiss cheese on a grilled English muffin - and the BLT. Vancherie's serves up large portions made to order with fresh ingredients, many of which come from local farms or the café's backyard vegetable garden.

Center fielder Adam Jones would have settled for just taking the next step in his development as a star-quality player, but he didn't complain when local media picked him out of a surprisingly large field to be this year's Most Valuable Oriole. "It's a tremendous honor," Jones said Wednesday. "We've played a long season, and there are a lot of guys — J.J. Hardy had a hell of a year, [ Matt ] Wieters had a great year, Jim Johnson has had one hell of a year — there were some quality guys.

For 14 seasons, Camden Yards has been devoid of playoff hopes in September. Now, that malaise is spreading to the visitors' dugout. With a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night, the Orioles (62-88) have won four consecutive games against teams clinging to postseason dreams. They have one more game against the Angels on Sunday, then try to ruin the baseball lives of the American League wild-card-leading Boston Red Sox next week at Fenway Park. "I think it more so just shows the type of people we are as a team," said Orioles rookie left-hander Zach Britton, who allowed just three hits, two walks and a run over seven excellent innings.

None of it would have mattered -- not the six strong innings from resurgent rookie Zach Britton, not J.J. Hardy's latest clutch hit, not the Orioles' stirring comeback against a seemingly in-control David Price -- had first baseman Mark Reynolds not made the right decision on the game's final play Friday. Reynolds realized early that Hardy's throw from short was going to bounce before it reached first base. He also knew that if the ball got by him, the Tampa Bay Rays, who had the bases loaded and two outs when Brandon Guyer hit the ground ball in the hole, were going to score two runs and deal the Orioles the latest in a season full of gut-wrenching losses.

So much has gone wrong this season for the Baltimore Orioles, it's difficult at times to say where the franchise should even begin to focus its attention as it tries to address the problems that have led to another frustrating year. But what has become clear, even as the summer turns into a long and miserable slog, is that the one position the Orioles don't need to stress over next year is shortstop. In the series opener Friday against the Detroit Tigers, J.J. Hardy made a case for why it's still worth your time to pay attention to this team, even as the losses mount.