Jay Gibbons

After being selected from the Toronto Blue Jays organization in the 2000 Rule 5 draft, designated hitter-outfielder Jay Gibbons has become the Orioles' second-longest tenured field player behind Melvin Mora. Gibbons hit .277 last season with 13 home runs and 46 RBIs, and played only 90 games because of a knee injury. Does it bother you when people call you injury-prone? -- It doesn't tick me off. People have to understand that I play hard on the field and it's hard to control sometimes, when you go into the wall or something like that, not getting banged up. I've had a couple of injuries the last few years, but hopefully it's past me. What are your best and worst memories during your career in Baltimore?

We know the Orioles have had some revolving doors at certain positions over the years - left field, first base, etc.  - but the Orioles' recent run on Opening Day designated hitters is pretty astounding. Assuming, of course, that you recognize DH as a position. Right-handed hitting Steve Pearce gets the call today at DH against Tampa Bay lefty David Price. Pearce becomes the 11th different DH the Orioles have used on Opening Day in the past 11 seasons. That's right, 11 DHs in 11 seasons.

Jay Gibbons, Orioles outfielder What was the most memorable hit of your career and why? The one that sticks out to me is my rookie year, I hit a pinch-hit three-run home run against Greg Maddux to tie the game. ... I think it was two pitches and then - boom - tie game. Just ... knowing that I got [Maddux] that one time was a good feeling.

It has been nearly five years since he set foot in Camden Yards. But if the Orioles advance to host American League Division Series games this weekend, Jay Gibbons will be there, clad in orange and black, whooping it up in the cheap seats with a mob of playoff-starved fans. "Are you kidding me? That is something I just can't miss," said Gibbons, an Orioles outfielder from 2001 through 2007, during the team's darker days. "Things were so tough for so long, and I always wanted to make the playoffs.

Here is all you really need to know about the Jay Gibbons situation: There has been speculation he might get a reprieve from his 15-day suspension for admitted use of human growth hormone, and that's actually bad news for the Orioles. It might be bad news for Gibbons, too, even though negotiations between Major League Baseball and the players union could result in a revised drug policy that would allow him to avoid the suspension and the loss of almost $500,000 in salary. The suspension, if it sticks, might actually be more of a reprieve than the possible reprieve.

Major League Baseball didn't do the Orioles any favor by postponing the 15-day suspension of outfielder-designated hitter Jay Gibbons, because the 10-day reprieve only complicates the club's uncertain roster situation during the final weekend of spring training. Whether the suspension is eventually revoked entirely has become irrelevant, because the Orioles have to decide before Opening Day to keep Gibbons or give that spot on the 25-man roster to utility player Scott Moore. That might be simple enough - based on their spring performances - if there wasn't an added layer of labor/management politics to muddy up the issue.

There are plenty of reasons I love Opening Day, not the least of which is the opportunity to see Jim Hunter in a tuxedo. And that's no rental tux. My man Hunter will be the master of ceremonies today for the pre-game festivities at Camden Yards, which means the afternoon will go off without a hitch unless Jim suddenly decides to jump on Andy MacPhail's Brutal Honesty Bandwagon and starts tackling guys on the orange carpet. That's unlikely, but even Jimmy knows that this is going to be a rebuilding year and that he'll have to temper his expectations.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail laid it out to owner Peter Angelos in a phone conversation about outfielder Jay Gibbons within the past couple of days. "I gave him the ramifications and what my thinking was," MacPhail said. "I hadn't really reached any conclusions myself. I was wrestling with this one. I was really, to be honest with you, looking for some advice. His advice was, `You gotta do what you gotta do.' Those were the last words that he left me with, and I took the position of, `Well, this is what we have to do.' " Needing to set their Opening Day roster by yesterday afternoon, the Orioles released Gibbons, the second-longest-tenured member of the club, and will absorb the $11.9 million left on his contract over the next two years.

It has been nearly five years since he set foot in Camden Yards. But if the Orioles advance to host American League Division Series games this weekend, Jay Gibbons will be there, clad in orange and black, whooping it up in the cheap seats with a mob of playoff-starved fans. "Are you kidding me? That is something I just can't miss," said Gibbons, an Orioles outfielder from 2001 through 2007, during the team's darker days. "Things were so tough for so long, and I always wanted to make the playoffs.

Good morning -- Jay Gibbons -- If at first you don't succeed, there's always designated hitter.

More baseball Gibbons on DL with eye woes; Baltimorean in Fan Cave Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jay Gibbons , a former Oriole, was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, after new contact lenses failed to fix the vision problems he has been having all spring. "It's been a battle and we ran out of time," Gibbons said. Gibbons left camp two weeks ago to visit a specialist in San Francisco, who prescribed new contacts; the old ones kept popping out. He came back and reported his vision was great.

There are plenty of reasons I love Opening Day, not the least of which is the opportunity to see Jim Hunter in a tuxedo. And that's no rental tux. My man Hunter will be the master of ceremonies today for the pre-game festivities at Camden Yards, which means the afternoon will go off without a hitch unless Jim suddenly decides to jump on Andy MacPhail's Brutal Honesty Bandwagon and starts tackling guys on the orange carpet. That's unlikely, but even Jimmy knows that this is going to be a rebuilding year and that he'll have to temper his expectations.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail laid it out to owner Peter Angelos in a phone conversation about outfielder Jay Gibbons within the past couple of days. "I gave him the ramifications and what my thinking was," MacPhail said. "I hadn't really reached any conclusions myself. I was wrestling with this one. I was really, to be honest with you, looking for some advice. His advice was, `You gotta do what you gotta do.' Those were the last words that he left me with, and I took the position of, `Well, this is what we have to do.' " Needing to set their Opening Day roster by yesterday afternoon, the Orioles released Gibbons, the second-longest-tenured member of the club, and will absorb the $11.9 million left on his contract over the next two years.

Major League Baseball didn't do the Orioles any favor by postponing the 15-day suspension of outfielder-designated hitter Jay Gibbons, because the 10-day reprieve only complicates the club's uncertain roster situation during the final weekend of spring training. Whether the suspension is eventually revoked entirely has become irrelevant, because the Orioles have to decide before Opening Day to keep Gibbons or give that spot on the 25-man roster to utility player Scott Moore. That might be simple enough - based on their spring performances - if there wasn't an added layer of labor/management politics to muddy up the issue.

Here is all you really need to know about the Jay Gibbons situation: There has been speculation he might get a reprieve from his 15-day suspension for admitted use of human growth hormone, and that's actually bad news for the Orioles. It might be bad news for Gibbons, too, even though negotiations between Major League Baseball and the players union could result in a revised drug policy that would allow him to avoid the suspension and the loss of almost $500,000 in salary. The suspension, if it sticks, might actually be more of a reprieve than the possible reprieve.

NOT GREAT BUT BETTER Orioles starter Adam Loewen believed he pitched much better than the results indicated. Whether it was true or not, there was no disputing that the young left-hander was far sharper than he was in his first exhibition start last week. Loewen allowed an unearned run on four hits and one walk while striking out two over two innings. The Orioles had hoped Loewen could get through three innings, but his pitch count was at 44 after two innings and the Orioles took no chances with the pitcher, who is trying to make a comeback from elbow surgery.

The numbers 12 Number of no-decisions this year for Sidney Ponson in 21 starts. 4 Losses in past five starts for Travis Driskill. 4-6 Orioles record since Mike Bordick fractured his kneecap. 0 Errors for Melvin Mora in past seven games at shortstop. 3 Multi-homer games for Jay Gibbons in July.

WASHINGTON -- A congressional subcommittee might summon major league baseball players - who have been reluctant to appear in the past - to testify at its upcoming hearing on the sport's problems with performance-enhancing drugs, the panel's chairman says. "There is a possibility we would invite some ballplayers," Illinois Rep. Bobby L. Rush, chairman of an Energy and Commerce subcommittee, said in an interview. "Of course, that's a sensitive subject." In March 2005, another House committee investigating steroids used its subpoena power to compel the testimony of Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa and several other current and former stars - most of whom had resisted appearing.

Presumably, any day now George Mitchell will release a scathing report on steroids in baseball that will either eternally restore our faith in the national pastime or shock us all into moving to Ottawa and becoming NHL fans. But there's a slight problem with this premise: As far as shock goes, baseball has successfully waited out our attention span. Steroids, human growth hormone, amphetamines, the cream, the clear, equine Viagra - it's all pushed to the very back of my mind's medicine cabinet.