Relievers

An ancient proverb tells us that a good name is better than great riches. But many of today's over-the-counter drug makers see a good name as the path to wealth.Actifed, Alka Seltzer, Anacin, Bayer, Benadryl, Maalox, Midol and Tylenol are just a few of the familiar brands being applied to a wide range of products.Once upon a time you could walk into a pharmacy and know what you were buying when you purchased a package with a trusted name. Those days are long gone.Millions of Americans grew up identifying Bayer with aspirin.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The starting rotation is deep, which makes it easier to plant all those troubling signs. The lineup is missing a bona fide cleanup hitter who rattles both opposing pitchers and empty bleacher seats. The infield defense is suspect on the left side. Heavy expectations are being placed on fragile bodies. But how about that bullpen? Pressed to name a team strength as the Orioles completed their 10th day of workouts yesterday, club officials and players are unanimous in their selection of the bullpen.

Do apple seeds contain a poisonous substance? Will Prozac ruin my sex life? Exactly how much caffeine is in soft drinks and pain relievers? Does melatonin relieve insomnia and prevent cancer?These are just a few of the questions being asked and answered on the information highway. E-mail medicine is changing the way people get answers to their health concerns.It used to be that when someone got sick, he went to the doctor, got a prescription for some pills and swallowed them faithfully. Patients were rarely told what they were taking and had little or no access to information about side effects.

Angels pitcher Mark Langston is turning back questions about his supposed lack of intestinal fortitude. He has won eight of his last nine decisions and is 5-1 after Angels losses this year. His overall record is 9-2. He didn't reach victory No. 9 last year until Sept. 11.* The Athletics' top three relievers -- Gene Nelson, Rick Honeycutt and Dennis Eckersley -- pitched in the same game for the first time this year on Wednesday. Last year, they appeared together 16 times and the A's won 15 of those games.

The Orioles' bullpen did something unusual the other night.It failed.Left-hander Arthur Rhodes gave up three runs in the eighth inning of a loss to the Anaheim Angels on Saturday night, and was as shocked as everybody else. Orioles relievers have grown so accustomed to success that anything less seems, well, a lot less than likely.Rhodes, for example, had not lost a game since May 25, even though he is one of the workhorses in middle relief. The bullpen has 22 victories, a combined 2.67 ERA and 46 saves in 52 opportunities.

SEATTLE -- How stupid does Seattle closer Heathcliff Slocumb look now for predicting that Randy Myers was headed for a fall?Slocumb's own bullpen is so bad, it can't even keep the games close enough for Myers to attempt a save.Before the Division Series, an American League scout said, "The difference is, Baltimore gets to bat for nine innings and Seattle gets to bat for seven."And after two games, with both Mariners starters failing tocomplete more than five innings, the difference appears more pronounced than ever.

As Tuesday night crept toward Wednesday morning, the Orioles' bullpen became the loneliest place in Camden Yards. Lodged in another extra-inning thriller, the O's relievers, one by one, were called in to pitch against the Seattle Mariners, until closer Jim Johnson was the only one remaining, joined shortly by reinforcement Tommy Hunter in the 14 th . They were stretched to the limit, but these Orioles are definitely no stranger to extra innings....

BOSTON -- Armando Benitez sat at his locker with his head in his hands, sat there a good five minutes while his teammates gathered around two large tables to eat their post-game meals.Moments before, Benitez had suffered his first true adversity as a major-leaguer, giving up a game-winning, pinch-hit homer to Wes Chamberlain in the bottom of the ninth inning at Fenway Park.This is the test, for Benitez, for any young pitcher. Chamberlain circled the bases pumping his right arm high in the air. The first-place Boston Red Sox emptied their dugout to swarm him at home plate.

If the Orioles don't improve their bullpen after last season's debacle, it won't matter if they sign a marquee starter, add speed to the outfield or make any of the other changes being contemplated.If they don't solidify a bullpen that blew 25 saves in 1999, they'll tread water at best during the off-season and probably struggle again next year. Yes, it's that important.Signing Arthur Rhodes would help, but owner Peter G. Angelos is balking at giving him a fourth year of guaranteed salary and the Orioles apparently have fallen behind the Indians, Dodgers and Mariners in the race for Rhodes.

As pools of talent go, pitching coach Larry Schillenberg is in waterup to his neck. But under the circumstances, the Anne Arundel Community College assistant baseball coach couldn't be happier."