Pitcher

WHILE I WAS WATCHING a baseball game, an incident occurred that made me question why this sport, above all others, is considered the great American pastime.In this particular game, the pitcher was obviously agitated because things hadn't been going too well. It was his own fault, of course, since he was an incompetent.So he reared back, let fly and the ball sped toward the batter's head.The batter sprawled in the dirt, and the ball missed conking him by only a matter of inches.When he got up, he shouted a few obscenities at the pitcher.

The Orioles will use two left-handers in the four-game series i Boston starting tonight. Oates said he didn't consider making adjustments in his rotation to keep either Jamie Moyer and/or Fernando Valenzuela from pitching in Fenway Park."

Calvin Maduro barely stands 6 feet tall. His fastball wouldn't burn up any radar gun.Physically, Maduro, 20, isn't a prototypical pitching prospect. What makes Maduro special is his endurance.In his four years of professional ball, Maduro has led his team in innings pitched and has made the most starts on the staff inthree of those years.And he doesn't reach his best form until the second half of the season. Maduro, who has won seven straight decisions, went 6-1 over the final 3 1/2 months of last season and won six straight decisions in July 1993.

Making it all the way to the major leagues is like climbing a mountain.It takes unbounded confidence from the climber, because it is such a capricious journey. And each minor crisis along the way must be dealt with successfully, while the climber maintains his focus on the peak.But nothing short of the top will satisfy 23-year-old Mark Carper, the Highland pitcher now making his ascent through the pro baseball ranks.Carper, plagued by knee and arm injuries since ending his phenomenal three-sport high school athletic career at Atholton in 1986, has had the kind of healthy and successful summer that's sure to boost his confidence and his career.

Former Oriole pitcher Ken Dixon, whose professional baseball career was sidetracked by drug problems in 1989, was arrested near City Hall early today and charged with misdemeanor possession of cocaine, city police said.Police said Dixon, 30, of the first block of Clinton Hill Court in Middle River, was arrested after police spotted what they thought was an illegal drug transaction on the corner of Fayette and Holliday streets about 1:30 a.m.Police apprehended one man and said he had a glassine bag of suspected cocaine on him.Police spokesman Dennis Hill identified the man as Dixon, who ** pitched with the Orioles from 1984 to 1987 before being traded to Seattle and released.

The Orioles today selected left-handed pitcher Luke Hagerty with the sixth pick of the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, held today as part of baseball's annual Winter Meetings. Hagerty was then traded to the Florida Marlins for a player to be named later. Hagerty appeared in four games each for the Chicago Cubs' Rookie League affiliate in Mesa and Single-A Boise. He was selected by the Orioles from the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa roster. The Orioles had three players taken from the Double-A Bowie roster by other organizations during the minor league phase of the draft.

Pitching is a science not easily perfected. In fact, it probabl never has been, and never will be, perfected -- there are too many ways to fail.Not even a living legend, 45-year old Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers, has perfected the craft. The eternal flamethrower has posted a major-league record seven no-hitters and over 5,600 strikeouts, but his won-loss record is just over .500.In 26 seasons in the big show, Ryan has 319 victories, good for 12th on the all-time list. But for most of his career, he has been a .500 pitcher.

The Baltimore Orioles appear intent on signing a free-agent pitcher to fill out their starting rotation, but the market does not seem to share their enthusiasm."

Northern of Calvert coach Mike Johnson calls Kelly Shipman a "once in a lifetime" pitcher.Last night in the Class 4A state championship game at Randazzo Park in Severn, fourth-seeded Perry Hall found out why.The junior windmiller tossed a no-hitter, striking out 16, and the Patriots' potent lineup did the rest en route to a 10-0 victory, giving third-seeded Northern its first-ever state title.It was her sixth no-hitter of the season, and her second straight.She became the only pitcher in state playoff history to throw back-to-back no-hitters in the semifinals and finals.

Three days later, it still hasn't sunk in. Mike Morgan, a $3 million man. Just what everyone expected when he pitched for the Orioles in 1988.Mike Morgan, the guy who gave up six straight hits without getting an out in Kansas City to send the Orioles to 0-16. Mike Morgan, the guy who won only one game the entire year.Morgan, 32, had three decent seasons in Los Angeles, but still was only 33-36. He's coming off his first winning year, and his career began in 1978. Lifetime, he's 67-104.You think the New York Mets giving Bobby Bonilla $29 million is crazy?