Mickey Tettleton

There's little disputing that the 1993 Orioles are a talented team. But so are the 1993 ex-Orioles, especially on the mound:Starters: Dennis Martinez (Expos), Mike Morgan (Cubs), Curt Schilling (Phillies), Pete Harnisch (Astros), Jose Mesa (Indians)Relievers: Storm Davis (Athletics), John Habyan (Yankees), Jose Bautista (Cubs), Mike Boddicker (Royals)Catcher: Mickey Tettleton (Tigers)First base: Eddie Murray (Mets)Second base: Bill Ripken (Rangers)Shortstop: Juan Bell (Phillies)Third base: Rene Gonzales (Angels)

Penn State began what it calls a "new era" of football Saturday by allowing 21 unanswered second-half points in a 24-14 loss to Ohio University. Penn State played its first game under Coach Bill O'Brien and fourth since former coach Joe Paterno was fired last November. An announced crowd of 97,186, about 9,000 below Beaver Stadium capacity, returned to pledge support for O'Brien and his football team, which went through a tumultuous offseason. On the field, however, second-half lapses led Penn State to its first opening-day loss 2001.

Athletics: Mark McGwire didn't start for the second straight game because of back spasms. . . . The Athletics have hit 50 home runs during their streak.Braves: Atlanta is 6-4 on the 17-game road trip prompted by the Olympics.Giants: San Francisco has given up nine grand slams this season, tying the National League record set by Houston in 1987. The major-league record is 10, set by Seattle in 1992.Pirates: Steve Parris became the 15th starter in 102 games. He had made four relief appearances since his recall from the minor leagues.

Give Toronto Blue Jays rookie Henderson Alvarez some credit for not discriminating by level. He has now beaten easily the Orioles and the Bowie Baysox in the same month, though, to be honest, he did have a little more trouble taming the Orioles' Double-A affiliate. On Wednesday night, in just his fifth big league start, Toronto's 21-year-old Venezuelan right-hander was three singles short of perfect for eight innings in a 13-0 dismantling of the Orioles before an announced 14,211 at Camden Yards.

2003 voting Hall of Fame voting results (496 votes were cast; 372 were needed for election; x-elected): Player..................Votes......Player..........Votes x-Eddie Murray.......423.......Dave Parker... 51 x-Gary Carter 387 Fernando Valenzuela 31 Bruce Sutter 266 Keith Hernandez 30 Jim Rice 259..................Darryl Kile 7 Andre Dawson 248 Vince Coleman 3 Ryne Sandberg 244 Brett Butler 2 Lee Smith 210 Sid Fernandez 2 Rich Gossage 209 Rick Honeycutt 2, Bert Blyleven 145 Tony Pena 2 Steve Garvey 138 Darren Daulton 1 Jim Kaat 130 Mark Davis 1 Tommy John 116 Danny Tartabull 1 Jack Morris 113 Danny Jackson 0 Alan Trammell 70 Mickey Tettleton 0 Don Mattingly 68 Mitch Williams 0 Dale Murphy 58 Todd Worrell 0 Dave Concepcion 55 Note: Kaat, Kile, Coleman, Butler, Fernandez, Honeycutt, Pena, Daulton, Davis, Tartabull, Jackson, Tettleton, Williams and Worrell are no longer eligible for election by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

The free-agent watch is marked by a series of critical dates, the first of which is Sunday. Either the Orioles re-sign catcher Mickey Tettleton by then, or face competition for his services on the open market.In theory, the deadline is significant for Tettleton too, for if he signs before Sunday, he will retain his rights to free agency the next time his contract expires.But Tettleton's agent, Tony Attanasio, yesterday dismissed those "repeater rights" as a motivating factor in his talks with the Orioles, which are expected to resume today.

Agent Tony Attanasio is leaving open the possibility that catcher Mickey Tettleton will accept a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles, but only if adverse market conditions force him into salary arbitration.Tettleton is seeking a multiyear contract but has yet to receive a multiyear offer. The Orioles have asked him to accept a one-year deal and might get their wish if they are willing to meet a Dec. 7 deadline for offering arbitration.If Tettleton has not signed with anyone by that date, the Orioles will have the option of offering salary arbitration.

Two general managers who supposedly were pursuing Mickey Tettleton denied they had interest in the free-agent catcher yesterday, while sources with two other clubs indicated he was not a priority item.Agent Tony Attanasio said Wednesday that five and possibly six teams were interested in Tettleton, but yesterday's developments raised new doubts about the demand for his client.The Orioles want to re-sign Tettleton for one year, and if he is still a free agent by next Friday, they must offer him a contract through salary arbitration to preserve their right to draft-pick compensation.

You don't need to repair the Hubble telescope to discover the outer limits of the free-agency madness. It's right here in front of us. The line ends where Mickey Tettleton begins.Mickey has, uh, struck out again.It isn't just the Orioles who didn't want Tettleton. No one wanted him. He's the automatic headliner on the new show: "America's Least Wanted."Is this embarrassing or what? In this era of profligate spending, when you get $3 million a year if you can tie your shoelaces without help, at a time when Larry "$4.5 million for two years even though he's 37 and you never heard of him" Andersen is about to break the bank, every team in baseball has effectively said to Tettleton, "We'd rather eat hot lead than even talk to you."

Get out your 20-20 hindsight glasses. The second (and final) meeting of the Baltimore Orioles chapter of second guessers is hereby called to order. The topic: hitters. The Orioles outfield is in disarray. Andy Van Slyke, Matt Nokes and Damon Buford (who was sent to the minors Friday) have hit a combined .114 with four home runs and 13 RBI. This week's selection is a review of the hitters the Orioles could have signed.CHARACTERS ........ COMMENTJay Buhner -- UP -- This guy wasn't worth $18 million.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter and acting bench coach John Russell wanted to deliver the news to Matt Wieters, but there was the small matter of finding the young catcher on a day the players didn't have to report until much later. Their search took all of a couple of seconds. About four hours before the series finale with the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, Wieters was stationed in front of his laptop in the visiting clubhouse at Turner Field, watching scouting tape of the Texas Rangers hitters the Orioles will face Monday.

No player personified the 1989 Orioles more than Mickey Tettleton, the poster boy for the "Why Not?" crew that nearly won a pennant. Spurned by other clubs, Tettleton joined Baltimore and blossomed in that magical summer as the no-name Orioles gave fans the ride of their lives. That the Birds battled the Toronto Blue Jays to the wire before losing the American League flag was attributable greatly to Tettleton, the Popeye-armed journeyman catcher who batted with a chaw in his cheek and a stance all his own. So what if he stood soldier-straight at the plate, abandoning the hitter's crouch?

2003 voting Hall of Fame voting results (496 votes were cast; 372 were needed for election; x-elected): Player..................Votes......Player..........Votes x-Eddie Murray.......423.......Dave Parker... 51 x-Gary Carter 387 Fernando Valenzuela 31 Bruce Sutter 266 Keith Hernandez 30 Jim Rice 259..................Darryl Kile 7 Andre Dawson 248 Vince Coleman 3 Ryne Sandberg 244 Brett Butler 2 Lee Smith 210 Sid Fernandez 2 Rich Gossage 209 Rick Honeycutt 2, Bert Blyleven 145 Tony Pena 2 Steve Garvey 138 Darren Daulton 1 Jim Kaat 130 Mark Davis 1 Tommy John 116 Danny Tartabull 1 Jack Morris 113 Danny Jackson 0 Alan Trammell 70 Mickey Tettleton 0 Don Mattingly 68 Mitch Williams 0 Dale Murphy 58 Todd Worrell 0 Dave Concepcion 55 Note: Kaat, Kile, Coleman, Butler, Fernandez, Honeycutt, Pena, Daulton, Davis, Tartabull, Jackson, Tettleton, Williams and Worrell are no longer eligible for election by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Well, that was more like it. Three hits in seven innings. A dazzling 94-pitch effort in the cold. A 9-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.That was Mike Mussina last night, as good as ever.The rest of the season?It depends on the calcium deposit in his right elbow.Maybe it won't bother Mussina.Or maybe it will lead to arthroscopic surgery that would sideline him a minimum of four weeks.No one knows."It's just something you get used to," Orioles pitching coach Ray Miller said. "Mike probably has never felt anything like that in his arm before."

Athletics: Mark McGwire didn't start for the second straight game because of back spasms. . . . The Athletics have hit 50 home runs during their streak.Braves: Atlanta is 6-4 on the 17-game road trip prompted by the Olympics.Giants: San Francisco has given up nine grand slams this season, tying the National League record set by Houston in 1987. The major-league record is 10, set by Seattle in 1992.Pirates: Steve Parris became the 15th starter in 102 games. He had made four relief appearances since his recall from the minor leagues.

BaseballAmerican League: Named Texas Rangers' Mickey Tettleton (.556, 11 RBIs) Player of the Week. Named Cleveland Indians' Albert Belle (17 homers) Player of the Month and Seattle Mariners' Norm Charlton (2-0, 11 saves) Pitcher of the Month.Florida Marlins: Assigned C Steve Decker, IF Mario Diaz, OF Russ Morman, OF Tommy Gregg and P Richie Lewis outright to Triple-A Charlotte.BasketballL Atlanta Hawks: Signed G Donnie Boyce to a two-year contract.Charlotte Hornets: Signed G Pete Myers.Denver Nuggets: Signed F Antonio McDyess to a three-year contract.

The Baltimore Orioles corraled another player eligible for salary arbitration yesterday when pitcher Kevin Hickey agreed to a one-year contract worth $250,000."

Baltimore Orioles general manager Roland Hemond said yesterday that a team representative will watch Jim Palmer throw next week in Miami in what could be a prelude to an invitation to spring training for the Hall of Fame pitcher."

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Two hours before the first pitch, Mark McLemore popped his head into Johnny Oates' office."You're either playing left field or second base, I don't know which," Oates said."

At The Ballpark in Arlington (Texas)Day .. .. .. Time .. TV .. .. StartersTonight . .. 8:05 .. 2, 7. .. Kevin Brown (5-6, 3.91) vs.Bob Tewksbury (7-3, 3.66)Tomorrow ... 8:35 .. 54, 50 . Mike Mussina (9-5, 4.93) vs. undecidedRadio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) and WTOP (1500 AM)Rangers updateIt's only a two-game series but this one will be a real grudge match. You've got former Orioles (manager Johnny Oates, utility man Mark McLemore, outfielder Jack Voigt and designated hitter Mickey Tettleton)