Rbis

Josh Hader Old Mill, sr., pitcher •Left-hander went 10-0 for No. 12 Patriots with an 0.39 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 722/3 innings •Pitched four shutouts, including one no-hitter; one shared no-hitter •Batted .409 with four home runs, 27 RBIs; Brooks Robinson All-Star, drafted by the Orioles in 19th round   Lee Lawler Reservoir, sr., pitcher •Right-hander posted...

I'm a little afraid to toss this question around in the bar today. I'm afraid some of you may be throwing haymakers if the discussion gets heated. It could turn into a donnybrook or brouhaha if things get ugly. (Yes, I know it is a fake bar, there will be no physical altercations. But it allowed me to get the words donnybrook and brouhaha into a blog. I'm forever grateful for my imagination). Anyway, for Tuesday's paper I wrote a story about Orioles third baseman Manny Machado and his rapid ascension from prospect to one of the best young players in the big leagues.

With four RBIs last night, Juan Gonzalez of the Texas Rangers became the second player to reach 100 RBIs before the All-Star break. A look at the players with the most RBIs at the break:RBIs, Player, Team, Yr, G103, H. Greenberg, Det '35, 76101, Gonzalez, '98, 8791, H. Killebrew, Min, '69, 9690, Lou Gehrig, NYY, '34, 7390, Tommy Davis, LA, '62, 8990, Tony Perez, Cin, '70, 8890, George Foster, Cin, '77, 89Pub Date: 7/06/98

Some criticized the Orioles for not acquiring middle-of-the-order bat this offseason, but so far in this young season, they have gotten excellent production from the third, fourth and fifth hitters in their batting order. Through 18 games, hitters for the Orioles in those spots have combined for a .356 average with 18 doubles, 14 home runs, 43 runs scored and 47 RBIs. In the weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camden Yards, hitters in those spots went 7-for-11 with three runs scored, a double, a homer and two RBIs.

FREDERICK -- Michael Meggers went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, two runs and a home run to lead the Winston-Salem Spirit (5-6) over the Frederick Keys (6-6), 6-4, in a Carolina League game at Harry Grove Stadium last night.Calvin Maduro gave up five runs in six innings for the loss.

Cal Ripken continued a home run barrage last night that began in late May when manager Davey Johnson was toying with the idea of moving the shortstop to third base.Ripken isn't going anywhere.Since that trip to Seattle, Ripken has gone deep and driven in runs at a remarkable rate. He's now on pace to put up numbers similar to his 1991 MVP season in which he hit 34 homers, drove in 114 runs and batted .323.The world's most durable baseball player was at it again last night in consecutive game 2,223.

PHILADELPHIA -- Johnny Damon's two-run triple in the eighth inning helped New York overcome Ryan Howard's two homers and seven RBIs in the Yankees' 9-7 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies last night. Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada homered and Bernie Williams went 5-for-5 for the Yankees, who ended a three-game skid despite another subpar outing from Mike Mussina. Howard hit his 24th and 25th homers to tie the injured Albert Pujols for the major league lead and had a tiebreaking two-run triple in the seventh.

CLEVELAND - The Orioles and Cleveland Indians took their time yesterday deciding what eventually became the Indians' 12-11 win in 13 innings at Jacobs Field. Before they were done, Indians center fielder Kenny Lofton screamed his return as a base-stealer and Orioles first baseman Chris Richard suggested his time is near with his new organization. The pitching-thin marathon was played in miniature between Richard and Lofton. Lofton ended it with a one-out home run off Mike Trombley in the 13th inning after stealing a club-record five bases in the first seven innings.

Bill "Swish" Nicholson, 81, who led the National League in both home runs and RBIs in consecutive seasons, died in his hometown of Chestertown early yesterday morning.Playing for the Chicago Cubs, Nicholson had 128 RBIs and 29 homers in 1943 and 122 RBIs and 33 home runs the following year. He scored a league-high 116 runs in 1944 and was beaten out for Most Valuable Player honors by Marty Marion by one vote. The following season, he played on the last Cubs team to win the pennant.Nicholson, an outfielder, entered the major leagues in 1936 with the Philadelphia Athletics, played for the Cubs from 1939 to 1948 and spent the seasons from 1949 to 1953 with the Philadelphia Phillies.

CHICAGO -- Mike Bordick, the Orioles' unlikeliest slugger, has quietly added another distinction to a breakout April. Two days after the fact, it was learned that the Orioles' shortstop has broken the 31-year-old franchise record for April RBIs. The feat occurred Tuesday night in the third inning of the Orioles' 12-6 win over the Chicago White Sox. Bordick lofted a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Rich Amaral and gave him 25 RBIs, one more than Frank Robinson collected in 1969.

Glenelg senior shortstop Leah Allen has to go way back to recall her first memory with a bat in her hand. When she was 2 years old, Allen would go to the backyard with her father, Harold, and play with a Wiffle ball and bat. She signed up for an organized softball league as soon as she was old enough. A four-year starter, two-year captain and returning All-Metro first-team selection, Allen is the do-it-all catalyst who has led the No. 2 Gladiators to an 9-0 record so far this season.

1. Calvert Hall Coach: Lou Eckerl Last season: 30-6, No. 1 Postseason: MIAA A Conference champion Outlook: After returning to the top of the conference in 2012, the Cardinals enter as the favorite to slug their way to another title. Senior catcher Alex Murphy could set several offensive records. Senior outfielder Ron Farley batted .733 with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs in the playoffs last year. 2. Glenelg Coach: Dave Boteler Last season: 19-5, No. 8 Postseason: Class 2A South regional finalist Outlook: With most of their players returning, the Gladiators hope to improve on last season's 1-0 loss to Patuxent in the regional final, Boteler said.

Brady Acker Atholton, junior, outfielder After batting .351 with 21 stolen bases last season, Acker earned a spot on this year's Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches' preseason All-State team. UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Wilmington, George Mason and George Washington are among the schools recruiting the Raiders' leadoff hitter. Logan Dubbe Glenelg, senior, pitcher-outfielder An All-Howard County first-team selection, Dubbe was 6-2 with a 1.04 ERA and 56 strikeouts in a team-leading 52 innings pitched last season.

GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE Mets 5, Nationals 3: Stephen Strasburg surrendered three hits over two innings - including a single and home run to the first two batters he faced - in his first action since Sept. 7. David Wright was hitless in three at-bats for New York, but Marlon Byrd went 2-for-2 and scored a run in his team debut.   Marlins 8, Cardinals 3: Juan Pierre collected two hits, scored twice and drove in a run while Giancarlo Stanton drove in two runs for Miami, which likely lost catcher Jeff Mathis for six weeks with a broken right collarbone.

With FanFest just around the corner next Saturday, the Orioles caravan will make four visits across the state that will include appearances by Orioles team representatives and players. On Wednesday, pitchers Brian Matusz and Kevin Gausman will visit the William Talle Recreation Center in Frederick to meet children in the Frederick Police Athletic League and Boys and the Girls Club from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Pitchers Chris Tillman and Zach Britton will appear on Thursday at the JC Penney concourse of the Westfield Annapolis Mall from 6 to 8 p.m. They will sign autographs, take photos with fans and take part in a Q-and-A session.

First baseman Joe Mahoney, who was designated for assignment by the Orioles earlier this week, has been claimed off waivers by the Florida Marlins. Mahoney was designated on Wednesday to make room for newly acquired third baseman Danny Valencia. The Orioles acquired Valencia from the Red Sox for cash considerations. “You're surprised when something like that happens,” Mahoney said. “But when it happened I was hoping I would get another opportunity from another team and I did, so I'm looking forward to turning the page and getting an opportunity to play down south.” The 25-year-old Mahoney was called up to the Orioles twice last season, making his major league debut on July 7 in Anaheim.

He's new and he's hot.Nobody this season has made more of an immediate impact on the Orioles farm system than Domingo Martinez, the 29-year-old first baseman signed out of the Mexican League to play for Triple-A Rochester.In his first six games with a team battling for the playoffs, Martinez went 15-for-27 (.556) with three home runs and 18 RBIs. He had at least two hits and two RBIs in every game.The Red Wings scored 51 runs in the first six games Martinez played and had at least 14 hits in the first five with him in the lineup.

Glenelg's David Boteler turned in one of the most impressive batting performances of the season last Monday.He smashed three base hits off Centennial's Denny Chapman, one of the toughest pitchers in the Baltimore area this season. Chapman throws in the 85- to 90-mph range and has a scholarship to Virginia."Even though I played with him all through the Howard County Youth Program, with the radar guns and all his press lately I guess I'd have to say I was a little intimidated by him," Boteler said.

Cabrera lifting Tigers Phil Rogers Chicago Tribune I know Mike Trout has done historic things, but unfortunately his Angels team is also history, eliminated from the wild-card race on Monday, the same day that Miguel Cabrera's Tigers clinched the AL Central title. That's a difference-maker to me in the MVP vote. I will take Cabrera over Trout because one will play in the postseason and the other will not. Trout was a better player this year, and as such is a strong candidate for the Hank Aaron Award, but the Tigers wouldn't have sniffed October without Cabrera and now they have a chance to win the World Series.