Roberto Alomar

Expos: Montreal has hit a team-record 47 homers in August.Padres: Reggie Sanders and Eric Owens, each with 30 stolen bases, became the first San Diego pair to reach that mark in the same season since Roberto Alomar (42) and Tony Gwynn (40) in 1989.Rockies: Dave Veres got his 26th save, breaking the single-season franchise record set by Darren Holmes in 1993.

The start of the Sept. 5 game between the Orioles and Cleveland Indians was delayed 89 minutes by rain. Denise Hirschbeck and her three children rode down an elevator to the sub-concourse level at Camden Yards, in search of her husband, John, and a new family friend, Indians second baseman Roberto Alomar.John Hirschbeck was in the umpires' room, waiting out the delay. His wife and children were visiting from Poland, Ohio. He led them to a hallway outside the visitors' clubhouse, and asked an Indians player to summon Alomar.

Psst, buddy, wanna buy a still life resembling a Cezanne, but for only about half of what his fetched?China is milking the goof-up bombing of its embassy for everything it's worth. Well, wouldn't you?Don't look now, but something about Cleveland really agrees with Roberto Alomar.Coleman Craten made its money the old-fashioned way: Out of thin air.Pub Date: 5/12/99

CLEVELAND -- Harold Baines smiled. And Jim Thome loved it."He never shows much emotion," Thome said yesterday after Cleveland's 11-1 victory over Boston in Game 2 of the American League Division Series."

Cal Ripken -- UP -- He arrived at No. 2,500 playing to the form that crafted his identity.Bullpen madness -- DOWN -- Cut through spring's happy talk. What was last year's most consistent strength now resembles pot luck. Replacing Arthur Rhodes with Terry Mathews on Thursday was season's biggest shocker. Results were not.Roberto Alomar -- DOWN -- Picked off twice and charged with interference last weekend in Texas. Unusual for one of the game's most alert players.Tractor man -- UP -- Chris Hoiles showed why he is one of this team's most enduring players.

AND SO WE COME to that grand day when each of us, from Parris Glendening to Ellen Sauerbrey, from Daniel P. Henson to Susan Gaffney, from Thomas Frazier to Martin O'Malley, from Peter Angelos to Roberto Alomar, from Bill Clinton to Linda Tripp, from - ah, write your own darned comparison - gives thanks for our bountiful blessings.So, somewhere between the first of the televised football games and the last of the turkey giblets and sauerkraut and Bromo Seltzer, herewith our 23rd consecutive offering of Things to Be Thankful For.To wit:Be thankful Daniel P. Henson wants to tear down public housing just as Washington officials want to investigate millions in overspent federal money for shoddy workmanship on some of that very housing.

Italian? Seafood? How about four years plus an option?Orioles majority owner Peter Angelos has scheduled a working dinner tonight with free-agent first baseman Rafael Palmeiro and his agent, Jim Bronner, in an attempt to retain the team's Most Valuable Player.Palmeiro is scheduled to fly from his Dallas home to Baltimore today as the Orioles grow increasingly concerned about a lineup at risk of losing its four most productive players from last season.According to one source familiar with the Palmeiro negotiations, the Orioles have upgraded their long-standing three-year, $21 million offer to a four-year contract approaching $32 million.

Eric Davis -- UP -- Orioles' "electric player" is a leading candidate to become club's second consecutive AL Player of the Month. When the competition is Albert Belle, chances look good. Davis is making a case for 1999.Kevin Malone -- EVEN -- Pat Gillick and Ray Miller have lobbied for his promotion to GM, but nothing is ever that simple in the warehouse. Structural issues remain, and Malone continues to toil without a contract.Jimmy Key -- DOWN -- Thursday's three-inning effort in Detroit answered few questions.

DENVER -- The 69th All-Star Game figured to be an offensive showcase, and anything less would have been a fraudulent advertisement for hitter-friendly Coors Field. But did baseball's midseason festival have to turn into a circus?Maybe it was the thin air. Maybe it was the thin pitching. Maybe it was a combination of all the factors that have turned 1998 into the year of the big hitter that turned the All-Star Game into the biggest offensive free-for-all in the history of the event.The American League scored in each of the last six innings on the way to a 13-8 victory over the National League that featured so many offensive highlights that there isn't room to list them all.It was the highest-scoring All-Star Game.

Four days have lapsed since Rafael Palmeiro smacked his 300th career home run and the 29th of a career season. Only two players in the American League have hit more home runs, and one of them -- Ken Griffey -- is placed in the company of Maris and Ruth. As for Palmeiro, he sits and waits for when he might be mentioned in the company of the 1999 Baltimore Orioles.Palmeiro starts his 100th game tonight. He enters with a .297 average and 80 RBIs to go with a home run pace that projects to 47 for the season.

James leads Cavs to rout in opener nba playoffs Newly crowned Most Valuable Player LeBron James scored 34 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who waited nine days between playoff games after a first-round sweep, pulled away in the second half for a 99-72 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks in their Eastern Conference semifinal opener on Tuesday. James added 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals as the top-seeded Cavs won their fifth straight lopsided postseason game. Report: Favre to meet with Vikings coach nfl Retired quarterback Brett Favre, a three-time NFL Most Valuable Player, will speak to the Minnesota Vikings this week, ESPN reported Tuesday.

With the Orioles, Roberto Alomar just seemed like a big, immature kid, but there never seemed to be any malice in him, and you couldn't deny the Hall of Fame talent. There's no reason for this week's revelation to affect his chances of getting into Cooperstown. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/schmuckblog)

Poll results Last week we asked which former Oriole would be the next to go into the Hall of Fame, and it was quite the race between second baseman Roberto Alomar and pitcher Curt Schilling. You feel Alomar will beat Schilling there. The results: Roberto Alomar, 29.2 percent (1,374 votes) Curt Schilling, 27.5 percent (1,294 votes) Mike Mussina, 17.2 percent (807 votes) Lee Smith, 14.2 percent (667 votes) Sammy Sosa, 6.6 percent (312 votes) Rafael Palmeiro, 5.3 percent (249 votes)

If there is one thing that's crystal clear in the wake of the monthlong Miguel Tejada controversy, it is that the Orioles have a real treasure in Melvin Mora and should move decisively - as in, say, tomorrow - to finalize a contract extension that removes any doubt about his continued strong presence in the organization. This should get no argument from anyone who has been paying attention to the way Mora has evolved into a team leader and invested himself in this community. Probably won't get any argument from team officials, either, since they already have had some preliminary discussions with Mora's agent.

NEW YORK - Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts was aware that he has been in a pretty good groove at the plate lately and that his doubles total was mounting. After all, nearly 30 percent of his hits have gone for two bases. But the fact that he is vastly approaching a team record was breaking news to the Orioles' leadoff batter. With Roberts' third-inning double Saturday, his 43rd of the season, he moved into a tie with Roberto Alomar (1996) and Delino DeShields (2000) for third place on the team's all-time single-season list.

Free agents The 183 players who have filed for free agency. Eligible players may file through next Sunday (x-filed provisionally pending team decision on 2004 option): American League Orioles (7) - Tony Batista, 3b; Hector Carrasco, rhp; Scott Erickson, rhp; Brook Fordyce, c; Pat Hentgen, rhp; x-Kerry Ligtenberg, rhp; B.J. Surhoff, dh. Anaheim (2) - Eric Owens of; Scott Spiezio 1b. Boston (8) - John Burkett, rhp; Bill Haselman, c; Todd Jones, rhp; Dave McCarty, of; Robert Person, rhp; Jeff Suppan, rhp; Mike Timlin, rhp; Todd Walker, 2b. Chicago (8)

The next day or so could deliver a major rush of trading activity as baseball's best teams move to shore up their rosters for the stretch drive and non-contenders attempt to take advantage of that competitive spirit to rebuild for the future. Or not. The deadline for making trades without passing players through waivers arrives tomorrow afternoon (4 p.m.), but there already have been several significant deals completed over the past month and an increasingly complex business environment has made it more and more difficult to pull a complicated transaction together at the last minute.

Who's hot The Phillies have won 12 of 14, picking up 5 1/2 games on the Braves in the NL East in 10 days. Who's not Jarrod Washburn of the Angels has given up 13 homers over 30 2/3 innings in his past five starts. Line of the day M. Cabrera, Marlins LF-3B AB R H RBI HR 6 4 4 4 2 He said it "It's human nature to want to play for a winner. My own ties here make me optimistic that it could be done here." Mike Lowell, Marlins third baseman and Miami native, told he wouldn't be traded this season On deck Roberto Alomar is expected to join the White Sox today against the Twins.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Roberto Alomar hit a grand slam off reliever B.J. Ryan in the sixth inning, and the New York Mets cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Orioles yesterday in their final game in Florida this spring. Manager Mike Hargrove and left fielder B.J. Surhoff were ejected in the third inning for arguing an interference call on Gary Matthews, who stumbled across the plate as catcher Mike Piazza attempted to throw to second. Ryan gave up five runs, walked two and threw a wild pitch in the sixth.

It's a fact The Dodgers haven't lost a four-game series since Aug. 9-12, 1993, against the expan sion Rockies. Milestone Roberto Alomar of the Mets reached 2,500 hits last week, the 77th major-leaguer to do so. The number 21:58: Pirates' rain delay total in 19 games this season, including 18 hours during or before 17 home games.