Hargrove

The Orioles aren't the only organization under construction at the moment. Orange cones are being placed around the Pittsburgh Pirates, who fired manager Jim Tracy and senior director of player development Brian Graham, among others. If Graham's name sounds familiar, he was part of manager Mike Hargrove's coaching staff, but only for a brief period. Graham was relegated to being an eye-in-the-sky from the press box because the Orioles had too many field coaches, and Eddie Murray wasn't going to budge off first base.

Mike Hargrove quit as manager of the Seattle Mariners the other day. You remember Hargrove. He was here once. He used to manage the Orioles. No, really. Same guy. I looked it up. He was here for four consecutive seasons, between 2000 and 2003. Don't feel bad, if your memory is fuzzy on this. Hargrove's record as Orioles manager was 275-372. In three of his four seasons, the Orioles finished 30 or more games out of first place. So, if you can't remember the details of the Hargrove years, it's probably because you only paid attention to the Orioles out of the corner of your eye. Let's face it: Losing is part of life.

Here's one for Orioles fans who think their beloved franchise is cursed. The big league debut of left-handed starter Garrett Olson Wednesday brings to mind the inner workings of the 2004 draft, and how a disaster was remedied the next year. Former Orioles scouting director Tony DeMacio was about to select Georgia high school shortstop Chris Nelson with the eighth overall pick in 2004. Owner Peter Angelos stepped in and required the club to take Rice University pitcher Wade Townsend instead.

The Orioles still haven't decided whether Rob Bell or Garrett Olson will take Steve Trachsel's turn tomorrow. Team officials wanted to see what happened last night before announcing their choice. Olson remains a possibility, but if last night's game was a factor, that would seem to indicate Bell is the front-runner, as long as he wasn't needed in long relief. Or maybe I'm not reading clearly between the lines. For those of you asking about two injured pitchers, Adam Loewen is done for the year after having a screw inserted in his left elbow, but he's expected to be ready for spring training.

Good morning -- Mike Hargrove -- We'd have thought that if .425 ball with the Orioles didn't make you lose your passion, nothing would.

Storied franchise looking for an on-field supervisor with good communication skills and ability to work under pressure. Applicant must be an energetic people person who can deal with stinging criticism, sometimes from thousands at once. Must be able to make split-second decisions, often while sitting next to a continually rocking employee. Experience with underperforming millionaires and undefined management hierarchy preferred but not required Willingness to demonstrate fiery theatrics (dirt-kicking, cap-turning)

Former Orioles reliever Arthur Rhodes signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners on Friday. Remember when the Orioles wanted him to be a starter? Turns out, it wasn't good to have him sitting around for four days, thinking about his next appearance. And he sure wasn't a closer. Setup suited him perfectly. Catcher Fernando Lunar has returned to the Atlanta Braves' organization. He was part of Syd Thrift's 2000 trade that sent B.J. Surhoff to Atlanta for Lunar, pitcher Luis Rivera and outfielder Trenidad Hubbard.

There was the year when the top went out and the year when only the top was lit. The Maryland company that has been trimming the National Christmas Tree for more than five decades has seen its share of holiday surprises, but that, decorators say, is part of the fun. On Wednesday night, President Bush and first lady Laura Bush flipped the switch to light the tree that Hargrove, a Lanham-based events company, spent four weeks preparing for the occasion....

On October 12, 2006 LEROY devoted father of five daughters, two sons, one son-in-law, numerous grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends. Friends may call at the Carlton C. Douglass Funeral Service, P.A., 1701 McCulloh St. on Tuesday 1-9 p.m. Family will receive friends Wednesday 10-10:30 a.m. at the Mt. Hattin Baptist Church, 2409 Aisquith St. with services following. Interment King Memorial Park.

NEW YORK -- Is that Roy Hargrove over there? Standing outside the Jazz Gallery on a breezy, sun-drenched afternoon in Lower Manhattan, the guy sure looks like him from several yards away. But Roy Hargrove is taller -- or so it seems in promotional shots. Outfitted in roomy jeans, a pin-striped navy blue blazer, a Burberry skull cap and aviator shades, the slight, compact man lights a cigarette and drags on it quickly as the reporter approaches the building. "Roy?" The jazz trumpeter extends his hand; the cigarette dangles from his lips.