Ovation

He sat in the visitors' dugout at Camden Yards, defending once more his decision to sign with the Texas Rangers and wondering what kind of reception he'd get from a crowd that used to cheer his every heroic move.Rafael Palmeiro was back in Baltimore last night for the first time since spurning the Orioles' five-year, $50 million offer for the chance to return to his home state. Unable to play first base because of two arthroscopic surgeries on his right knee this spring, Palmeiro has been serving as designated hitter and a constant reminder of what the Orioles once had in their possession.

Thirty years after the assassination of his father, Martin Luther King III visited the University of Maryland, College Park yesterday and called on students to become leaders and activists on race issues.King, 40, who was elected president last November of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization his father co-founded in 1957, spoke to more than 500 of the university's students and faculty gathered in the Stamp Student Union.But some of the people he most wanted to reach -- the uninspired -- didn't attend his speech.

Like an actor in a Shakespearean tragedy, Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. Chairman Christian H. Poindexter strode onto the stage at the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre yesterday, lamenting the utility's recent woes but vowing to fight onward.In a soliloquy complete with passion, rage and determination, Poindexter bemoaned the company's recent tribulations: its decision to stick a dagger in a planned $3 billion alliance with Potomac Electric Power Co. because of regulators' demands and its failure to win legislation that would allow it to change to a holding company.

CHICAGO -- With supreme self-possession, an air of quiet defiance and a touch of humor, Hillary Rodham Clinton took on her critics last night, defending her belief that "it takes a village" to raise a child, and rocking the convention hall.As Mrs. Clinton stepped up to the podium here in her hometown, the convention hall exploded in a thunderous ovation -- with the crowd waving "Welcome Home Hillary" signs, chanting and stomping their feet -- that lasted almost five minutes."I'm overwhelmed by your warm welcome," she said.

Eddie Murray's timing was impeccable. On the one-year anniversary of Cal Ripken's historic 2,131st consecutive game, Murray launched his 500th home run and became only the third player in baseball history to reach both 500 homers and 3,000 hits.Murray turned Camden Yards into a carnival when he hit a first-pitch split-fingered fastball into the right-field bleachers off Detroit Tigers pitcher Felipe Lira in the seventh inning to end the suspense that had been building since he hit his 499th homer at the Kingdome in Seattle last Friday.

CHICAGO -- With supreme self-possession, an air of quiet defiance and a touch of humor, Hillary Rodham Clinton stood up to her Republican critics last night, and presented herself to the American public -- and an adoring convention audience -- as a caring, passionate advocate for families.As the controversial first lady stepped up to the podium here in her hometown, the convention hall exploded in a volcanic ovation -- with the crowd waving "Welcome Home Hillary" signs, chanting and stomping their feet -- that lasted four minutes and appeared to deeply touch Mrs. Clinton.

The Inquiring Reporter:Why don't we just cut to the chase and begin Cal Ripken's standing ovation on Labor Day?Also, are we correct in assuming Cal never missed a day of school, never missed church and Sunday school, a dentist's appointment or a homework assignment?Also, what's your best guess as to how many times Cal will see the movie "Silence of the Lambs" when he's already seen it 20 times and the thing was released in 1991? A thousand?* Tell me, is that excruciatingly tense battle for the wild-card spot in the American League playoffs dominating your every thought, word and deed these days?

OAKMONT, Pa. -- He couldn't make it all the way up the 18th fairway at Oakmont Country Club without his eyes welling at the resounding ovation he received. He couldn't make it through a bunch of post-round interviews without breaking down.Arnold Palmer bowed out tearfully yesterday from the United States Open. Exactly 41 years after playing here in his first Open, the legendary king of golf closed what had been a memorable show. The memories came crashing down on Palmer, 64.His only Open victory, at Cherry Hills in 1960, a tournament many considered the seminal event in the popularity of the PGA Tour.

WITH TECHNOLOGY now making it possible to consider 200- or even 500-channel cable television systems, it's not surprising that Ovation Inc., an Alexandria, Va., media company, has announced it will introduce a new fine arts cable network for high-quality theater, music, dance and visual arts. The company recruited J. Carter Brown, former director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, as board chairman and plans to start with 12 hours of daily programming late next year.This fine arts network initially may try to find its niche among the 200 million people who visited American museums last year.

If there was any doubt about how Baltimore regarded native son Cal Ripken, it was dispelled in one mighty rush of warm air last night.When 48,000 souls loosened their vocal chords in pre-game introductions for the Orioles shortstop in the simmering humidity of the 64th All-Star Game, there was no doubt.The love affair was never stronger."The ovation was beyond what anyone could comprehend," an appreciative and humble Ripken said afterward."I've had a lot of good things happen in my career.

Maybe Mother Nature didn't want Matt Wieters to get a big head. The stage was set for him to make his major league debut Friday in front of a big, happy crowd on a combined $6 college special and Fireworks Night at Camden Yards. The Orioles had the whole thing planned to perfection, right down to the four-game winning streak that perked up the fan base in advance of the arrival of the team's most celebrated minor league prospect in a generation. The heavens, however, couldn't wait. The clouds opened late Friday afternoon and drenched the ballpark, forcing the cancellation of batting practice, delaying the start of the game and - for a while - dampening the big walk-up crowd the club was anticipating after making the surprise announcement Tuesday night that Wieters was headed here from Triple-A Norfolk to join a team that has gotten younger just about every day this week.

Musical worlds collided Thursday night when rocker Trey Anastasio took the stage with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and conductor Marin Alsop. There were no casualties. Anastasio, founding member of Phish and a songwriter with a refreshing avoidance of conventional chord progressions, has been collaborating with traditional classical ensembles for several years now. His most ambitious effort in this field is a half-hour piece called Time Turns Elastic that he co-wrote with Don Hart, composer-in-residence of Orchestra Nashville.

Brian Roberts was hit on the left foot or ankle by Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jesse Litsch in the bottom of the sixth inning and limped off the field to a loud ovation. Clearly, the crowd recognized the possibility that fans were seeing the last appearance by Roberts in an Orioles uniform. ... I think the Orioles will sign him to an extension in the next few months. (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/schmuckblog)

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- In spring training, early batting practice is known as "pitching practice" because it's not designed for the guys holding the bats. The pitchers are being evaluated as they throw from behind a protective screen and simulate game conditions for the first time. Kevin Millar had no interest in leaving the bat on his shoulder yesterday. He launched the second offering from reliever Jim Hoey over the tall screen in left field, the ball bouncing onto one of the back fields.

Two years after anticipation of her appointment caused a near-mutiny among its players, Marin Alsop made her official Charm City debut as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra last night, receiving a standing ovation as the took the stage. The ovation was repeated, even more emphatically, at the conclusion of the concert. The audience seemed reluctant to leave. If you go The BSO performs at 8 tonight and 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Tickets: $28-$60.

No words are intoned in Richard Danielpour's extraordinary new symphonic work. They're not needed. Rocking the Cradle, premiered Thursday night by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, speaks volumes about the American composer's impassioned views on the war in Iraq. Listeners uncomfortable with the idea of classical musicians taking stands on controversial issues may want to skip the concert, which is repeated this morning at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Same for those disinclined to be within earshot of anti-war sentiment.

The ovation started when Rodrigo Lopez gave the ball to manager Sam Perlozzo and broke out into a slow jog off the mound at Camden Yards. En route to the dugout, Lopez stopped long enough to tip his sweat-soaked cap and point at his family seated behind home plate. About 30 hours earlier, Lopez had no idea if he'd still be on the Orioles to make a start against the Seattle Mariners. Trade rumors swirled around the right-handed pitcher, but Monday's deadline passed and there Lopez was last night, in an Orioles uniform and acknowledging a well-earned standing ovation from an announced crowd of 20,226.

On Feb. 3, Joyce Elkins filled a prescription for a two-week supply of nitrogen mustard, a decades-old cancer drug used to treat a rare form of lymphoma. The cost was $77.50. On Feb. 17, Elkins, a 64-year-old retiree who lives in Georgetown, Texas, returned to her pharmacy for a refill. This time, after a huge increase in the wholesale price of the drug, the cost was $548.01. Elkins' insurance does not cover nitrogen mustard, which she must take for at least the next six months, at a cost that will now total nearly $7,000.

IT WASN'T HARD to identify with Jason Gore, the walking human interest story who stepped to the first tee at Pinehurst yesterday with a chance to deliver one of the great long-shot victories in the history of the U.S. Open. It was even easier to identify with him a few hours later, when he double-bogeyed the 18th hole to finish with a final round of 84 ... a mile or so behind New Zealand's Michael Campbell, who actually did deliver one of the great long-shot victories in Open history. Gore was the guy with the perpetual smile who found himself in the highly unlikely position of being paired with defending champion and three-round leader Retief Goosen in the last group yesterday.

Camp, about a group of budding actors and the summer camp designed especially for them, gets its emotions right. If only the same could be said about its story line. The setting is Camp Ovation, a summer program geared to the performing arts. Sent there for the summer are young men and women who freely admit to being misfits, the kids who are always at the wrong end of fights, jokes and awkward social situations. The opening sequence, in which we see a girl forced to take her brother to the prom, a boy who gets beaten up after attending his prom in a dress, and an overweight girl whose frustrated parents have her mouth wired shut, draws us into the lives of these kids immediately.