Jerry Hairston

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - It has been a long time since anyone had to worry about who would bat at the top of the Orioles' lineup. Brady Anderson was a fixture there for more than a decade before the club decided to go in a new direction in 2002. Now, someone needs to step up and take his place. Manager Mike Hargrove has given that a lot of thought over the past few months. He has sorted through a list of candidates that includes veteran shortstop Mike Bordick, new center fielder Chris Singleton, outfield prospect Luis Matos and even a few names that might not ring a bell with the average fan. But he kept coming back to the same guy ... and the same questions.

Good morning --Jerry Hairston-- A classy move to be at Elrod Hendricks' memorial service even though you're no longer an Oriole Question of the day Do you agree with the Ravens' decision to bring back Brian Billick? I've been saying for months that Billick deserves to come back and fix this mess. A lot of things have to change - both in training camp and in the locker room. But can Brian re- invent himself? Can a leopard change his spots? Aye, that's the rub. ... Fran Vojik Glen Burnie You mean owner Steve Bisciotti's decision.

MESA, Ariz. -- Jerry Hairston knew last summer that he would probably be playing elsewhere this season. From the moment Brian Roberts returned from the injured list and Hairston was moved from second base to the outfield, Hairston figured that his days as an Oriole were numbered. When he was finally traded in early February to the Chicago Cubs in the deal that sent Sammy Sosa to the Orioles, Hairston looked at it as a chance to play regularly in the city in which he grew up. It's one of baseball's oddities that Hairston is so comfortable putting on the uniform of a team he usually rooted against as a kid. Asked last month if it seemed strange to him to be a Cub when he grew up a White Sox fan, Hairston smiled.

MESA, Ariz. -- Jerry Hairston knew last summer that he would probably be playing elsewhere this season. From the moment Brian Roberts returned from the injured list and Hairston was moved from second base to the outfield, Hairston figured that his days as an Oriole were numbered. When he was finally traded in early February to the Chicago Cubs in the deal that sent Sammy Sosa to the Orioles, Hairston looked at it as a chance to play regularly in the city in which he grew up. It's one of baseball's oddities that Hairston is so comfortable putting on the uniform of a team he usually rooted against as a kid. Asked last month if it seemed strange to him to be a Cub when he grew up a White Sox fan, Hairston smiled.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A degree of suspense entered the Orioles' clubhouse yesterday but checked any sense of tension at the door. Jerry Hairston and Delino DeShields stepped inside to be greeted by a supposedly uncertain situation at second base. Hairston brandished youthful exuberance. DeShields spoke with a veteran's calm cut by last season's lingering hurt. Beginning with today's first official workout by position players, Orioles manager Mike Hargrove begins sorting out a position that last year featured a mix of injury, bad feelings and discovery.

Jeff Conine and Jerry Hairston each hit a two-run homer, and Rick Helling pitched five strong innings, as the Orioles topped the New York Mets in a game shortened to eight innings because of rain. Helling had a splitting headache when the game began but turned in his best start this spring, holding the Mets to one run on four hits. His cut fastball was sharp, and he finished with six strikeouts. The top of the Orioles' lineup looked impressive, as Jerry Hairston and Gary Matthews hit back-to-back singles to start the first inning.

Moose - DOWN - A heavy season has become unbearable. Jerry Hairston - UP - Gone but not forgotten for four months, he has reminded Camden Yards how to turn on the electricity. Delino DeShields - UP - Position switch or not, he has been the most consistent offensive presence this season. Team MVP? Jason Johnson - DOWN - His talent provides no reason for a 1-9 record. Without a doubt, this season's biggest enigma. Birth certificates - DOWN - We've heard about the Orioles being a graybeard team.

Highlights and lowlights from the Orioles' 13-8 loss to the Texas Rangers in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. DOWN - Al Reyes: Needs to get his act together. And quickly. UP - Delino DeShields: Put him in the outfield and he hits like an outfielder. UP - Jose Mercedes: Can't touch him. DOWN - B. J. Ryan: Another ninth-inning implosion. UP - Mike Bordick -- Two hits from the two hole, including his second homer. UP - Jerry Hairston: Forget the error. He's having a tremendous spring. The bats Eight runs and 11 hits should be enough.

NEW YORK - Jerry Hairston, Gary Matthews and Jay Gibbons all hit first-inning home runs, and the Orioles finished the exhibition season at .500 with a 7-3 victory over the New York Mets yesterday at Shea Stadium. Pat Hentgen, who will begin the season in the Orioles' bullpen, gave up a two-run homer to Mike Piazza in the first inning and left after the third. Jeff Conine had three hits for the Orioles, and Melvin Mora added his second home run of the spring. The Orioles finished exhibition play 14-14-1.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Jerry Hairston is gone, the Orioles having sent him to the Chicago Cubs in the Sammy Sosa deal, and second base belongs exclusively to Brian Roberts. No competition. Few worries. This is Roberts' fifth spring training camp, but it's unlike the previous ones. A close friend has left, and so has the pressure of earning a job. "We spent a lot of time around each other, and we're used to being around each other," said Roberts, who reported early. "But at this point, we're glad that he moved on. I know he's happy where he is, I'm happy where I am, and hopefully it will work out the best for both of us."

With the Orioles itching to bolster their starting pitching staff, two scenarios have risen to the fore: signing free agent Carl Pavano and trading for Oakland Athletics veteran Tim Hudson. The chance of getting both pitchers appears slim, but the Orioles could land one, and vice presidents Jim Beattie and Mike Flanagan will continue exploring the possibilities, as they leave today for the winter meetings in Anaheim, Calif. The Orioles' attempts to woo Pavano have been well-publicized, but according to major league sources, they've also had serious talks with Oakland general manager Billy Beane.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Some teams have bad losing streaks. The Orioles have strap-on-your-seat-belt plunges that come with almost no warning, taking a season that was starting to look promising and robbing it of all that was good. First-year manager Lee Mazzilli doesn't want to hear the comparisons, but the story line seems to repeat itself every year. Last season, under former manager Mike Hargrove, the Orioles played an impressive series against the Boston Red Sox to improve their record to 57-59.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Orioles catcher Javy Lopez remembers when Bruce Chen was considered one of the best young pitching prospects in baseball. Lopez was there when Chen made his major league debut with the Atlanta Braves in 1998. Six years and eight organizations later, Chen will get another chance, when he starts tonight for the Orioles against the Oakland Athletics. "I guess when he left Atlanta, things changed for him," Lopez said of Chen, 27, who arrived yesterday from Triple-A Ottawa, where he went 4-3 with a 3.22 ERA. "He was a big, quality pitcher at that time."

With their losing streak at six games yesterday, the Orioles maintained an air of calm as they dressed for the charter flight to Oakland that begins a two-week exile from their home ballpark. But even in their finest clothing, the indignity of being swept by a last-place team still seeped into their pores. Scoring twice in the ninth inning and loading the bases with two outs patched a few wounds to their collective pride, though it only delayed an 8-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays before 44,482 at Camden Yards.

Rankings writers are bad comedians It seems the sports department of The Sun is populated with people far more interested in being comedians than reporting on sports. It doesn't matter who is writing the team rankings column on Sundays. As each writer takes his turn, he sees it as an opportunity to try out his comedic wit. So far, all have been dismal failures, but Joe Christensen's efforts in Sunday's edition hit an all-time low. His comment on the Atlanta Braves, who lead their division by a large margin, was the following: "Fans are still bored to tears listening to Skip Caray."

CHICAGO - Jerry Hairston in the outfield? Apparently, that's not just a possibility. Yesterday, Orioles vice president Mike Flanagan called it "a probability." To keep Hairston and Brian Roberts in the same lineup, the Orioles even considered putting Hairston in the outfield during yesterday's doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Flanagan said. Instead, Roberts played second base in the first game, and Hairston played second base in the second game. "Right now second base is Brian Roberts' job," Flanagan said.

VERO BEACH, Fla. - With little more than a week remaining until Opening Night, Orioles executive vice president Jim Beattie all but ruled out the possibility of his team pulling a trade yesterday. Beattie said there's about a 90 percent chance a trade won't happen before the season starts. "Everyone's kicking the tires, but I don't see a deal getting done right now," Beattie said. Beattie and Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta had a lengthly conversation beneath the canopy at Holman Stadium yesterday during the second of two rain delays in the Orioles' 11-4 victory.