Left Fielder

Capping the most productive season of his career, left fielder B. J. Surhoff received 33 of 34 first-place votes to win the Most Valuable Oriole Award.If only he could have enjoyed the honor.Surhoff's enthusiasm was tempered by the Orioles' 78-84 finish, their second losing season in a row after back-to-back appearances in the American League Championship Series."It's something that'll be nice later, maybe a couple years from now or when I'm done playing," he said. "I appreciate the recognition, but it would have been a lot nicer if we were continuing to play.

NEW YORK -- Tonight Mike Mussina makes his final start before All-Star reserves are announced Wednesday. He will be throwing perched atop the bubble as New York Yankees manager Joe Torre juggles politics with qualifications to finalize his 28-man roster.It would be perversely typical of Mussina's productive but frustrating first half if he wasn't named because of the Orioles' last-place standing. Mussina enters tonight's start 9-4 with a 3.70 ERA. Mussina's record is deceptive because of lacking bullpen support and his ERA distorted due to a single 10-run outing against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on April 21."

PHILADELPHIA -- Splitting time between an intermediate level crossword and a request for introspection, B. J. Surhoff handles both with ease. Approached for the turning point of a season that has been nothing short of remarkable, the Orioles left fielder ponders only briefly.If the reply were a crossword, he would answer in ink.Surhoff remembers May 29. A Saturday afternoon in Oakland when he did not start because of an 0-for-12 slump and the presence of starter Gil Heredia.A lifetime ago -- or, say, just last season -- Surhoff would've plopped heavily on the bench, grinding his teeth, perhaps obsessing over his recent string of failed at-bats and wondering how he could reverse a three-day slump sitting beside the water cooler.

SEATTLE -- For most of this season, the Orioles have enjoyed witnessing the development of a gifted young pitcher who could throw with the same velocity and purpose in the ninth inning as in the first. Last night against the Seattle Mariners they saw a painful side to the process.The Mariners slammed four home runs, three off Sidney Ponson, as they powered to a 10-6 win before 23,100 at the Kingdome. Before done with a game that broke apart during a six-run second inning, the Mariners equaled the '87 Orioles' record for most homers in a month (58)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Orioles suffered setbacks on two fronts yesterday when free-agent left-hander Chuck Finley opted for the Cleveland Indians' three-year, $26 million offer, and left fielder B. J. Surhoff notified the club that he would not accept any trade to the New York Mets.Finley, 37, had been the Orioles' primary free-agent target. He received a modified three-year offer from the Orioles on Monday night and had been scheduled to meet with club executives this week, but instead reached agreement with the Indians yesterday and is due to sign today.

It took 10 games for B. J. Surhoff to get his first RBI, and a pulled hamstring since then to slow him down. And even that didn't last long.The Orioles' left fielder had begun to emerge from his early-season hitting funk when he left an April 22 win over Chicago with a leg injury sustained while running out a fly ball. He missed the next five games, but not a single beat upon his return.Surhoff has gone 15-for-32 with eight RBIs, including his first home run, since rejoining the lineup last Tuesday.

ScoringYankees first: Raines doubled to left. Boggs grounded out to pitcher Erickson, Raines to third. Williams grounded out to shortstop C.Ripken, Raines scored. Martinez grounded out to pitcher Erickson. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Yankees 1, Orioles 0.Orioles second: Palmeiro walked. Bonilla popped out to catcher Leyritz. C.Ripken doubled to left center, Palmeiro to third. Murray grounded out to shortstop Jeter, Palmeiro scored, C.Ripken to third. Surhoff grounded out to second baseman Duncan.

Atlanta BravesWhere they're coming from: After disappointments in 1991, 1992 and 1993, the Braves finally broke through and won the World Series last fall, beating the Indians in six games. They won the East with a 90-54 record despite off-years from several regulars: shortstop Jeff Blauser, right fielder David Justice and center fielder Marquis Grissom.Where they're going: Atlanta may be even better this year, if Justice and Grissom come back. In spite of their long chase for the title, this is a young team.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Orioles manager Davey Johnson is in a quandary.His best center fielder and his best left fielder is the same person Brady Anderson.Expect Anderson to turn up in both places this season.Anderson is a fixture in left at Camden Yards, but his speed and athleticism have landed him in center for much of the spring. He could turn up at either spot when April rolls around, depending on where the Orioles are playing."Brady has all the tools," Johnson said. "I've asked Brady about the different ballparks in the American League.

BASEBALL fans like to argue about the most eccentric player of recent memory. Was it Mark "The Bird" Fidrych? Bill "Spaceman" Lee? Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky?Funny, all three of those famous flakes were pitchers. And now comes Steven John "Turk" Wendell, a minor league hurler for the Chicago Cubs franchise, whose sundry quirks were the subject of a cover story in the August 8 issue of the New York Times Magazine.Here, writer Pat Jordan describes Wendell's pre-pitch preparations:"When Wendell is on the mound to start an inning, he waits for the ball from the umpire, who has already been warned by Wendell's catcher not to throw it to him. The umpire rolls the ball to Wendell as if he were playing boccie.

The Orioles have reached the mathematical halfway marker in this transitional 2009 season, and we've learned as much about ourselves as we have about this maddening team. We've learned that we want to be patient but aren't really equipped for that after 11 straight losing seasons. We've learned that Andy MacPhail is a stubborn individual, which we like a lot sometimes and sometimes we don't. We've learned that Dave Trembley is a nice guy who's probably going to finish last again this year, and we want to both blame him and exonerate him at the same time.

DETROIT -- Kevin Millar was not in the Orioles' starting lineup for the fifth time in the past eight games last night, and he acknowledged that the frustration is starting to build. "It's getting there," said Millar, clearly measuring his words. "I am just going to be patient at this time and let things play out. It always works out. But it's been frustrating. We've been losing a lot. We were playing good as a group and then we got in a tough spell as a team. Personally, you just wait your turn now. "It is what it is right now. I am an employee here.

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- Catcher Ramon Hernandez rejoined his teammates at Tropicana Field yesterday and got through batting practice with no setbacks to his strained left oblique muscle. However, it appears he'll return to the Orioles' lineup Friday at the earliest. "I'm guessing the same thing," Hernandez said when asked if he thinks Friday is the most realistic day for his activation from the disabled list and his season debut. "I think I'm almost ready. I've been doing everything, for the most part - throwing, running, playing catch, catching bullpens, and it doesn't bother me for that.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- While two charter buses ran idle outside Cooper Stadium here, a throng of fans crowded near the exit of the visiting clubhouse for Orioles' autographs after the team's rare appearance in Ohio's capital city. Brian Roberts, seemingly a fan favorite everywhere, was surrounded as he signed, and so too was hobbled left fielder Jay Payton, who grew up about an hour east of here. Orioles vs. Nationals Today, 2:05 p.m., Norfolk, Va., MASN, 105.7 FM

Tough wind Bright sunshine and swirling wind combined to make it an interesting day for outfielders. Orioles center fielder Adam Stern lost track of a routine fly in center in the ninth that allowed the game-winning run to reach base in Boston's 3-2 win in Fort Myers. Former Oriole Alex Ochoa made it to second on the dropped ball, and then he scored on Kevin Cash's one-out single against Steve Green. Nice grab Left fielder Freddie Bynum also had a bout with the wind, but he turned it into a highlight-reel catch.

THE SEASON is young, but not for Larry Bigbie. The Orioles left fielder has a problem. He's not embarrassed to admit it. In fact, Bigbie was eager to seek outside counsel for help with this problem. "I need a good luck charm," Bigbie said. "I always have some kind of good luck charm, but I need a new one. I want to have a good season. I thought maybe you could help me think of something." Imagine my surprise, honor and delight when Bigbie singled me out to help him yesterday and not Page 2 columnist Peter Schmuck.

Not having the luxury of waiting for Larry Bigbie to ease his way back into the lineup, the Orioles placed their starting left fielder on the disabled list yesterday and purchased the contract of Val Majewski from Double-A Bowie. Bigbie missed the previous two games after straining a groin muscle in batting practice before Monday's series opener against the Oakland Athletics. He slipped on the rubber turf in foul ground while attempting to field a ball. The announcement came the same day that the Orioles lost their starting center fielder, Jerry Hairston, to a season-ending ankle injury.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Orioles left fielder B.J. Surhoff has been on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, but his return is being delayed because of his left knee. Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said Surhoff injured the knee while running the bases Saturday. On Sunday, Surhoff said he was ready to come off the disabled list, but he remained in Baltimore yesterday to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam. "We'll know more when we get the results," Hargrove said. Surhoff, 38, needed reconstructive surgery on his right knee last year, costing him the final five months of the season with the Atlanta Braves.

AMERICAN LEAGUE Who's hot Eric Milton of the Twins beat the Royals for the fourth time in a row and the 10th time in 12 career decisions. Who's not The White Sox's bullpen has already been tagged for eight runs on 10 hits and seven walks in the first two games. Line of the day Carlos Guillen, Mari ners shortstop AB R H RBI HR 4 1 3 4 0 NATIONAL LEAGUE Who's hot The Astros have gone a team-record 103 straight games without being shut out. Who's not The Padres are only 5-20 all-time at Bank One Ballpark.

BOSTON - Painting a verbal portrait with platitudes, abstract responses and economic absolutes, Orioles vice president for baseball operations Syd Thrift reached baseball's winter meetings yesterday afternoon as some Picasso of diminished expectations. Are the Orioles interested in free-agent slugger Juan Gonzalez after meeting with his representative, Jeff Moorad? Thrift hedged but did not repeat last week's tough-sounding refrain of "going in another direction," a suggestion the Orioles might stick around in case Gonzalez's slow-developing market doesn't extend beyond three years.