Journeyman

Baltimore native Hasim Rahman will go after his fourth win in five months and his third straight knockout Wednesday night in Rochester, N.Y., against journeyman Terrence Lewis, who is the fifth fighter to be considered as Rahman's opponent for the card at Frontier Field. Co-manager Steve Nelson and matchmaker Jim Borzell announced the new opponent last night. Lewis (31-14-1, 21 knockouts) was originally scheduled to fight Rahman (38-5-1, 31 KOs) in April before pulling out. Mario Cawley replaced Lewis and was knocked out in two rounds.

The nomadic professional baseball career of Orioles left-hander Dana Eveland has seen its share of spring training sites. When the 28-year-old pitcher arrived at the Ed Smith Stadium Complex last weekend, it marked Eveland's seventh stint with a big league organization in as many years. The Orioles hope Eveland, acquired in a trade with the Dodgers during this offseason's winter meetings for a pair of prospects, has found his form. Eveland - on the other hand - hopes he's found a home.

It wasn't fair, really. Left-hander Doug Johns came off the disabled list and made the most of a very difficult situation, but was the hidden victim of the ugly bean brawl that marred Tuesday night's game. His solid performance in place of injured Mike Mussina got lost in the scuffle."I think that was my deepest disappointment," said pitching coach Mike Flanagan. "We prepared as best we could. He took his game out there and he made big pitches when he had to. If we win that game for him, it's a big mood setter.

Shayne Graham has been a place-kicking vagabond since Billy Cundiff outbooted him for a job in Ravens training camp two summers ago. After stints with five other teams since, Graham has made sure to never leave his Virginia home without packing his cleats. "When you get a call, you've got a backpack in the back of your car and you go," he said. The Ravens came calling Wednesday. With Cundiff ailing from a left calf injury, they signed Graham, an 11-year NFL veteran who earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2005.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The expansion Arizona Diamondbacks are the eighth organization that former Orioles pitcher Gregg Olson has played for since he left Baltimore, but this just might be the right place and the right time for him to re-establish himself as a solid reliever.He has played in both leagues, and a few others along the way, all the while trying to recover the mechanics and arm strength that made him one of the top closers in the game from 1989 to 1993. That effort has been largely unsuccessful, but this spring was different.

What makes John Parrish an interesting acquisition? He transformed himself from a journeyman reliever into a candidate for the Orioles' major league rotation, which I'm told has a few openings. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/schmuckblog)

Don't look now but in the American Airlines affair Bill became the hands-on domestic president he said he would, and saved Thanksgiving for many, many people.Italians voted for Fascists and Communists in local elections as the only way to throw out the crookists.Bosnian Serb commanders have a new ally in their genocide campaign: General Winter.The Orioles went out and got a journeyman pitcher for only $3 million a year.

A senior city inspector is acting as the electrical consultant for a construction company he regulates and has helped the contractor win $125,662 in state government work.Leon A. Peters, a supervisor of construction and electrical inspections for the Baltimore Housing department, made it possible for Journeyman General Contractors to close the state deal because he provided the electrical expertise the company lacked, the firm's president said. Mr. Peters is already under scrutiny for owning a rundown rental property.

Keys to the game, STICKING WITH A GAME PLAN After dominating the Atlanta Falcons by mostly running the ball last week, the Redskins started throwing the ball and trying trick plays. It cost them momentum and helped the Falcons rally from a 14-0 deficit to win. The Redskins probably should give the ball to Ladell Betts until the Eagles prove they can stop him. DON'T LET GARCIA GET GOING He might not be Donovan McNabb, but 36-year-old journeyman Jeff Garcia, the Eagles' starting quarterback, showed Monday night against the Carolina Panthers that he is still capable of making plays, evidenced by his three touchdowns and 312 yards passing.

The prolific passers will come later. This weekend, the NFL's wild-card round offers a mixed bag of postseason quarterbacks, some more vulnerable than others. Included in the NFC bracket is a 37-year old, undrafted refugee from the Canadian Football League (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Jeff Garcia) and a 36-year-old journeyman (the Washington Redskins' Todd Collins) who hadn't started any game in a decade until last month. The AFC's field includes a former fourth-round pick who threw only three interceptions this season (David Garrard of the Jacksonville Jaguars)

Over 13-plus years of losing baseball, the Orioles have seemingly hit rock bottom so many times that it's impossible to recount. They finished 4-32 in 2002 and started 2-16 in 2010. They went from first place to fourth in a little more than three months in 2005. They were beaten by the Texas Rangers, 30-3, in 2007, then were no-hit by the Boston Red Sox's Clay Buchholz in his second career start just two weeks later. They've endured repeated shakeups in the manager's office and in the front office, steroid scandals and arrests.

When Billy Cundiff ran down his thank-you list after making the Pro Bowl last Tuesday, he was careful not to omit the mayor of Evesham Township in Marlton, N.J., Randy Brown. Yes, the mayor of Evesham Township. The kicking guru mayor of Evesham Township, if you want to be precise. For most of the past three seasons, Brown, 43, has served as kicking technique coach with the Ravens, a part-time job that requires a two-hour commute from New Jersey to Maryland twice a week. He's at the team's Owings Mills complex for Wednesday and Thursday practices, and he returns Saturday for Sunday games, home and away.

Orioles outfielder Corey Patterson is accustomed to the mercurial ways of big league baseball. He's been a can't-miss prospect, overhyped bust, rejuvenated castoff and veteran journeyman. In 2010 alone, Patterson was a spring training invitee for the Seattle Mariners, out of work completely, an Orioles farmhand, and a major-league starter. Now, he is back to being a reserve, in the starting lineup Thursday for just the fourth time in August. "For me, I just come in every day and I still do my same routine mentally and physically.

At age 9, Ty Wigginton was playing Little League baseball under his father's tutelage when a manager from an advanced level asked whether the boy could be moved up. About halfway through the season, after seeing his son handle his age group with ease, Don Wigginton relented, and young Ty joined the 11- and 12-year-olds. The following season, Don Wigginton decided to manage one of the older teams, but Ty was already on a roster, so he had to trade two 12-year-old All-Stars to get his son onto his team.

The good news was there was no ninth-inning implosion that left the Orioles lamenting another potential victory that got away. But in some respects, their 3-0 loss last night before an announced 21,148 at Camden Yards might have more galling because they were shut down by a well-traveled pitcher whom the Toronto Blue Jays acquired for cash considerations on the eve of spring training. Dana Eveland, a 26-year-old left-hander with his fourth big league team, turned in 7 1/3 shutout innings, allowing only five hits and four Orioles to reach scoring position.

What makes John Parrish an interesting acquisition? He transformed himself from a journeyman reliever into a candidate for the Orioles' major league rotation, which I'm told has a few openings. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/schmuckblog)

A senior Baltimore building inspector was suspended without pay yesterday after disclosures that he has unusually close ties with the construction companies he regulates.Leon A. Peters, a supervisor of electrical inspections, was put on indefinite leave after disclosures that he had worked on the side for two contractors and had taken cash payments from others. The city also asked for an immediate investigation by the state's attorney.On Sunday, The Sun reported that Mr. Peters had issued building permits to contractors who employ his son, had accepted cash "tips" for shortcutting the building and inspections process, and had signed off on documents peppered with erroneous and misleading information.

WASHINGTON - When the Washington Capitals played their first NHL game, they were worried about their inexperienced defense. Last night, 30 years later to the day, the Caps were again worried about their defense. But these Caps, unlike their ancestors, won last night, and in spectacular fashion, too, beating the New York Islanders, 6-1, in the season opener. Playing a strong group defensive system in which all five players dropped back to protect their zone, the Capitals came within one shot of a shutout and created the offensive chances the system is designed for. Star right wing Jaromir Jagr took a pass from his 19-year-old center, Boyd Gordon, and scored Washington's first goal 2:04 into the game.

The prolific passers will come later. This weekend, the NFL's wild-card round offers a mixed bag of postseason quarterbacks, some more vulnerable than others. Included in the NFC bracket is a 37-year old, undrafted refugee from the Canadian Football League (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Jeff Garcia) and a 36-year-old journeyman (the Washington Redskins' Todd Collins) who hadn't started any game in a decade until last month. The AFC's field includes a former fourth-round pick who threw only three interceptions this season (David Garrard of the Jacksonville Jaguars)

Keys to the game, STICKING WITH A GAME PLAN After dominating the Atlanta Falcons by mostly running the ball last week, the Redskins started throwing the ball and trying trick plays. It cost them momentum and helped the Falcons rally from a 14-0 deficit to win. The Redskins probably should give the ball to Ladell Betts until the Eagles prove they can stop him. DON'T LET GARCIA GET GOING He might not be Donovan McNabb, but 36-year-old journeyman Jeff Garcia, the Eagles' starting quarterback, showed Monday night against the Carolina Panthers that he is still capable of making plays, evidenced by his three touchdowns and 312 yards passing.