Reggie Jackson

Editor's note: Each week, InsideMdSports.com provides this blog with a Maryland recruiting feature that previously appeared as premium content on its site. Once slated for a summer commitment, Vaux Roberts (Pa.) junior Rysheed Jordan now appears more likely to wait until the dawn of his senior season to make a college decision. “He was going to commit in July, but he's really not ready for that yet. He doesn't entirely know what he wants to do. Does he want to stay close to home or does he want to [get away]

During his 21-year career that culminated with his election to the Hall Of Fame last week, Reggie Jackson changed teams four times, three times as a free agent.He developed the reputation of a wandering superstar -- have bat, will travel wherever the price is right. He says the image is all wrong. During his news conference in New York last week, Jackson was asked how much he thought he would command on the open market today."I don't know," he said, "but I'll tell you this -- if somebody came up and offered me $8 million, I wouldn't take it to play just anywhere.

* Pitcher Zane Smith runs his record to 6-1 as a Pirate as Pittsburgh beats the Cubs to reduce its magic number to 5. Baseball roundup on Page B8.NEW YORK -- On June 13 he was batting .209. The furor over his consecutive-games streak had reached a fever pitch. It seemed doubtful Cal Ripken would produce his typical offensive season, not to mention his best defensive season.Now it's Sept. 27, and here's Ripken, with 20 homers for thninth straight year, as well as a team-high 83 RBIs. Home run No. 20 came last night in the Orioles' 4-2 loss to New York.

Numberzzzzz:At the rate the betting line for the Super Bowl is going -- 17, 18, 19, all aboard! -- it could be in triple figures before XXIX graces our televisions Jan. 29. Nebraska might not be that much of a 'dog.* Here's a statistic that might stop you in your tracks: Mike Schmidt had 10 league-leading totals in home runs and RBIs during his career, which outdoes well-known sluggers like Henry Aaron (8), Ted Williams (8), Jimmie Foxx (7), Lou Gehrig (7), Hack Wilson (6), Mickey Mantle (5)

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Earl Weaver had to be perfect.He wouldn't have it any other way.Since learning of his election in March, Weaver dreamed of the afternoon when he would join the immortals of baseball in the Hall of Fame. He spent the following months writing and rewriting his speech -- rehearsing it "at least 100 times."Weaver paced back and forth in the minutes leading up to 2: 30 p.m. yesterday, bubbling over with nervous energy and counting down the moments until the ceremonies started.

Moves Basketball NBA: Suspended Pacers F Ron Artest three games without pay and fined him $35,000 for breaking television equipment after game Friday night against Knicks. College FLORIDA: Announced that junior QB Rex Grossman will forgo senior season and enter NFL draft. UCLA: Named Mark Weber offensive line coach. Hockey KINGS: Activated RW Steve Heinze. Today in history Jan. 5 1964 - Keith Lincoln of the San Diego Chargers rushes for 206 yards in 13 carries, catches seven passes for 123 yards, completes one pass for 20 and scores two touchdowns in a 51-10 rout of the Boston Patriots for the AFL title.

DETROIT - Rafael Palmeiro has joined some exclusive company on baseball's all-time home run list, but he said the name that comes next means more than all the others. Palmeiro has hit 535 home runs. With one more, he'll match Mickey Mantle for 11th on the all-time list. "I grew up hearing my dad talk about Mickey Mantle," Palmeiro said. "My dad spoke about him so much, I thought he was a baseball god. And Mickey is one of the all-time greats." Jose Palmeiro was the driving force behind his son's development as a baseball player.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Dan Pasqua was arrested at his home in Dumont, N.J., yesterday on drug charges.Pasqua was charged with two disorderly persons offenses of possessing less than 50 grams of marijuana and a smoking pipe, Bergen County (N.J.) Prosecutor John Fahy said.He was issued a summons to appear in Dumont Municipal Court on Nov. 13, Fahy said.Pasqua, a free agent, did not return phone calls to his Dumont home.His agent, Alan Nero, called the incident an "unfortunate misunderstanding."

When are the Orioles going to do something to improve their situation for next season? When are they going to dump some money into the free-agent market?If you can read above the third-grade level and spend your drive time listening to talk shows, you've seen or heard that topic discussed more often than Operation Desert Shield in the last few months. But the fact is the Orioles are doing the most important thing for their future.They've gotten a year older.That was the bad news seven years ago, when they were coming off a world championship season.

Look at the bright side, Orioles fans. When the Baltimore Brawlers decided to slug it out with the Yankees rather than simply losing to them Tuesday, at least it wasn't "Strike Out Domestic Violence Night" at Yankee Stadium.No such luck during a minor league game in 1995 between the Winston-Salem Warthogs and the Durham Bulls. On the very night the Bulls management was promoting peaceful familial relations at the ballyard, its players elected to engage in a melee with the Warthogs. Chances are the public-service message was somewhat muted by the events on the field that night.