Homer

THE ROLAND PARK Second Presbyterian Church looked absolutely stunning last Saturday for the wedding of Natalia Pia Melanie Sommer and Richard Matthew Dohler. Thousands of wildflowers, miles of lace ribbons and tulle, and window sills decorated with Singapore orchids set the stage for the nuptials of the daughter of pop music star Donna Summer and her first husband, Helmut Sommer,and the son of Dick and Bonna Dohler, he's an Ellicott City builder.The church was filled with the music of German trumpeteer Langston Fitzgerald and selections of Bach, Beethoven and Vivaldi, played by the church's music director Margaret Budd on the organ.

David Ortiz smashed a homer to right on Monday that was part of Boston's three-run sixth to tie the score at 5-5. It has a little more significance than that, though. The blast traveled past the flag court and landed on Eutaw Street - the 62nd time that has happened in Camden Yards' 20-year history and 37th time by an opponent. It was Ortiz's second shot there, the first coming on Sept. 9, 2003 against Damian Moss. What's most interesting is that there have been five homers hit onto Eutaw (four by an opponent; one by Chris Davis)

It obviously was a good sign for the Orioles that Nick Markakis, who is coming off January abdomen surgery, homered in his first regular-season at-bat. But what was most impressive is where the ball landed: left field. It was just the 12th time in 105 career homers, that Markakis planted one to the opposite field. It was his first left-field homer since 2008. Markakis has hit just 27 homers in his past two seasons - and there are plenty of theories why. He's never used the abdomen injury as an excuse, but when doctors went into repair the tears they found scar tissue from previous injuries that apparently were undiscovered.

In their most recent hot stretch, the Orioles have milked the drama -- with their previous seven wins coming by a margin of three runs or fewer. For much of Saturday's 6-5 victory, the trend looked like it finally would end, with their most consistent starter, Jason Hammel, cruising, and Adam Jones and Nick Markakis each hitting two-run homers against the Washington Nationals to take a 6-0 lead into the fifth. But these surprising, exciting, befuddling Orioles apparently don't do things the easy way. There must be no fun in that after all these years of losing.

On July 31, 2003 HOMER TAYLOR of Middle River, MD. He is survived by his loving wife Gertraud, his sister-in-law Erika Krawczyk and her husband Peter. Services private. Arrangements by Loudon Park Funeral Home.

In what was sure to be the most exciting night of baseball we see this fall, the Orioles and the Red Sox went down to the wire in Baltimore on Wednesday while the Rays and the Yankees played extra-innings in Florida. With the two wild-card races being decided in Game 162 -- St. Louis edged Atlanta in the National League -- it had already been a fun night for baseball fans. But things really started to get crazy when Dan Johnson, a .119 hitter in 2011, capped off a seven-run Rays comeback with a two-out home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

On October 2, 2005, HOMER T. RICHARDS beloved husband of Vanessa F. Richards (nee Scott), devoted father of Homer T. Richards, II, step father of Dennis and Brian Clasing, loving son of the late Homer J., and Christine Richards, dear brother of Bill, Ray, Boyd and Chrisie Richards and Vicky Bowen. Also survived five grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Graveside service will be held at Holly Hill Memorial Gardens on Wednesday at 11 A.M. Visiting hours at the Connelly Funeral Home of Essex, 300 Mace Avenue on Tuesday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Interment Holly Hill Memorial Gardens.

On Sunday, January 9, 2005, JULIUS HOMER; loving husband of Rhona Homer (nee Besser); beloved step-father of Stephanie Beth Mendel, of University Heights, OH and Ryan Michael Mechanick, of Crestview, FL; devoted brother of Gladys Kahn, of Silver Spring, MD; beloved brother-in-law of the late Werner Kahn; beloved uncle of Dr. Joel Kahn; loving step-grandfather of Seth Mendel. Services at SOL LEVINSON & BROS., INC., 8900 Reisterstown Road, at Mt. Wilson Lane, on Tuesday, January 11, at 12 noon.

Earlier this year, I did two top-10 lists in connection with the 20 th anniversary of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The first was rank the top 10 games in stadium history. The second was to rank the top 10 moments in stadium history. Yes, there was some overlap -- Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2,131 st consecutive game was the top in that category, and his victory lap was the top moment -- but I tried to separate them a little. For the moments list, I tried to winnow the game into one moment we'll never forget.

On May 21, 2003 DOROTHY CARRIE HOMER; dearest wife of the late Harvey G. Homer; devoted mother of Leonard C. Homer and wife Elizabeth L. and the late Judith L. Lichtman; dear mother-in-law of Stanley Lichtman and wife Paulette; loving sister of Margaret Prenett; beloved grandmother of Jeffrey C. Homer and B. Douglas Lichtman. Also survived by other loving relatives and friends. Family invite friends to call at the Charles L. Stevens Funeral Home Inc. 1501 E. Fort Ave., Locust Point, MD on Tuesday 10 to 10:30 A.M. Funeral Services will be held immediately following the visitation.

Adam Jones stepped up the plate for his seventh at-bat Wednesday night with the voices of the hecklers around home plate ringing in his ears. With Kauffman Stadium emptied out from 15 innings of baseball, he could hear the Royals fans reminding him of his previous six hitless at-bats, including two strikeouts. It was his three failed attempts with runners in scoring position that irked the Orioles center fielder the most, ones that could have had him and his teammates back in their hotel beds hours earlier.

The Orioles have acquired left-handed minor-league reliever Mike Belfiore from the Diamondbacks as the player to be named later in the Josh Bell trade, the club announced Saturday. The 23-year-old was 0-0 with a 2.37 ERA with 28 strikeouts and just five walks in 19 innings this season with Arizona's high Class-A team in Visalia, Calif. This is the first season in Belfiore's four minor leagie seasons that he's pitching exclusively out of the bullpen. In four minor-league seasons, Belfiore is 9-16 with a 4.05 ERA and 267 strikeouts in 282 2/3 innings Bell, once seen as the Orioles' third baseman of the future, was acquired in July 2009 along with minor league pitcher Steve Johnson in the deadline deal that sent closer George Sherrill to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Nick Johnson's brief career in an Oriolesuniform offered few highlights until Friday night. The 33-year-old had grown frustrated with his inability to contribute to the burgeoning Orioles offense. It seemed as though he had left his bat at spring training in Sarasota, where he impressed the organization as one of the biggest dark horses to make the club as a non-roster invitee. But with sole possession of first place in the AL East on the line, Johnson played the role of hero. Johnson, who opened the season with a 0-for-28 hitless streak, hit a game-winning two-run homer in the seventh inning to give the Orioles a 4-3 win over the Rays on Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 26,669 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles entered Thursday's doubleheader with the hot-hitting Rangers focused on survival. Orioles pitchers served up eight home runs (and 24 runs) in the first two games of the series to the most dangerous hitting lineup in the American League. A string of injuries - the Orioles made 12 roster moves since Monday - had players shuttling back and forth between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk. A beleaguered bullpen staff - still taxed from playing 39 innings in three games in Boston over the weekend - needed to avoid an early arrival in both games.

Here are a couple thoughts on Josh Hamilton's four-home run night against the Orioles - only the 16 th in major league baseball history, the first at Camden Yards and only the second in Baltimore. The other was at Memorial Stadium on June 10, 1959, when Rocky Colavito of the Cleveland Indians did it. After Hamilton reached the milestone - a blast to center on a 0-2 pitch from Darren O'Day - the Orioles fans reacted appropriately. I know he is on the opposing team, but it was fantastic to see the fans - there were only 11,263 of you, so I don't want to see 20,000 stories next year about how all of you were there - jump to their feet and applaud this guy. And when Hamilton went out to the outfield after the eighth, he received another ovation - that apparently was especially cool for the Raleigh, N.C., native, who says he gets “worn out” by heckling Orioles fans, presumably about his well-publicized battle against addictions.

Earlier this year, I did two top-10 lists in connection with the 20 th anniversary of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The first was rank the top 10 games in stadium history. The second was to rank the top 10 moments in stadium history. Yes, there was some overlap -- Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2,131 st consecutive game was the top in that category, and his victory lap was the top moment -- but I tried to separate them a little. For the moments list, I tried to winnow the game into one moment we'll never forget.

On October 22, 2003, HOMER. R. HAMMOND, beloved husband of the late Mildred M. Hammond, loving step-father of Jean J. Sease, Joanne Evans and Jacqueline Rettig. Also survived by eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great great grandchildren, loving brother of William Hammond. Family will receive friends on Sunday 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM. at HARRY H. WITZKE'S FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, INC., 4112 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City. Services will be held on Monday at 10 A.M. at St. John's Episcopal Church, with Interment following at St. John's Cemetery.

On February 21, 2003, HOMER GREEN SR.; beloved husband of the late Anna Marie Green; devoted father of David A. and his wife Susan, and Homer Jr. and his wife Kathleen; cherished grandfather of Michael and his wife Michelle, Cynthia and her husband Shawn Casper, Homer III and his wife Julie, Dustin, Dawn and her fiance Dan Graham, and David. Also survived by eight great-grandchildren. Relatives and friends may call at the family owned Ambrose Funeral Home of Landsdowne, 2719 Hammonds Ferry Road, on Tuesday from 5 to 8 P.M. A Memorial Service will be held Friday at 10 A.M. at the Glen Haven Memorial Park.

Before the Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton did it Tuesday night, the Cleveland Indians' Rocky Colavito was the only player to hit four home runs in a game against the Orioles. Colavito went deep four times at Memorial Stadium on June 10, 1959. Here's a story The Sun ran 30 years later, reflecting on the slugger's feat.   June 18, 1989 ROCKY IV 30 years ago, Rocky Colavito ended a slump by becoming only the third player to hit four homers in four consecutive at-bats in a nine-inning game Rocky Colavito clicked his way down the tunnel from the visitors clubhouse and emerged in the Cleveland Indians dugout carrying his K-55 bats -- 33-ounce models that most hitters would consider light when compared with the weight of a 3-for-28 batting skid.

Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton had 10 homers coming into Tuesday's game, including one Monday night. By the eighth inning Tuesday, he had 14 on the season. Yes, Hamilton had four homers - all of the two-run variety - on Tuesday. It's the 16 th time that has happened in major league baseball history and only the second involving the Orioles. The first was  June 10, 1959, when Cleveland's Rocky Colavito hit four at Memorial Stadium. Hamilton also had a double in his five at-bats for 18 total bases, which sets an American League record, one behind the 19 total bases recorded by the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shawn Green in 2002.