Roster

Nine games under .500. A stretch of nine straight losing seasons that is primed to extend to a decade. Last place in the American League East. A roster stocked with under-performing and high-priced veterans. The situation might scream for an overhaul. But as top Orioles executives sift through a season that has gone horribly wrong, they vow to stay the course, sticking to the plan that was supposed to lift the organization back to prominence but has yet to yield such results. With the trade deadline a little more than six weeks away, there are no plans for a drastic face-lift of the roster, club executives Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette said this week.

JUPITER, Fla. -- Attempting to make space on their major-league roster, the Orioles suffered a painful and somewhat embarrassing loss yesterday when the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed Steve Montgomery, the club's injured minor-league Pitcher of the Year, off waivers.The Orioles had thought the maneuver a low-risk move. Montgomery, 24, underwent season-ending surgery earlier this month to repair a frayed rotator cuff and partially torn labrum. In attendance for the Orioles' exhibition against the St. Louis Cardinals, general manager Pat Gillick and assistant general manager Kevin Malone were stunned when notified of theDodgers' claim around 2 p.m."

PHOENIX -- Before last season, Jeff Reboulet arrived at the Orioles' Fort Lauderdale spring training facility without a job and with no guarantees. Next February, he will return with a major-league contract and the prospect of serving as the American League East champion's man for all positions.Two days after the club lost utility infielder Aaron Ledesma to the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Orioles re-signed Reboulet to a one-year, $450,000 contract.Though Reboulet's return didn't hinge on Ledesma's departure, the loss only heightened the 33-year-old's significance to a team that struggled with infield depth for much of last season.

BaseballOrioles: Added 1B Domingo Martinez to 40-man roster.Angels: Purchased contracts of P Jeff Edsel, P Mike Freehill, P Matt Perisho, C Bret Hemphill and added to 40-man roster.Astros: Named John Tamargo manager of Single-A Kissimmee.A's: Added RHP Carl Dale, RHP Brad Rigby, LHP Bret Wagner to 40-man roster; sent LHP Steve Wojciechowski, LHP Andrew Lorraine, OF Damon Mashore to Triple-A Edmonton.Blue Jays: Traded OF Lonell Roberts to Rangers for a player to be named; traded INF Miguel Cairo to Cubs for P Jason Stevenson; added P Kelvim Escobar, P Joe Young, 1B Ryan Jones, 2B Jeff Patzke, OF Anthony Sanders to 40-man roster.

BaseballChicago (AL): Added 3B Greg Norton, C Julio Vinas, C Scott Vollmer and P Brian Woods to 40-man roster. Designated C Barry Lyons and C Chris Tremie for assignment.Detroit: Added P Cam Smith, P Brian Moehler and P Henry Santos to 40-man roster.Florida: Signed OF Devon White to a three-year contract. Designated OF Darrell Whitmore for assignment.Houston: Added OF Richard Hildalgo, P Ryan Creek, P Mike Grzanich, P Oscar Henriquez and P Rich Loiselle to 40-man roster.Milwaukee: Added P Byron Browne, IF Gabby Martinez, OF Brian Banks and OF Todd Dunn to 40-man roster.

BaseballOrioles: Added P Aaron Lane, P Calvin Maduro, P Garrett Stephenson, C B. J. Waszgis, IF Juan Bautista, IF Brad Tyler and 3B Scott McClain to 40-man roster. Claimed P Oscar Munoz off waivers from Minnesota and added him to 40-man roster.Boston Red Sox: Signed Kevin Kennedy, manager, to a one-year contract extension through 1997. Added 1B Ryan McGuire, P Rafael Orellano and P Rich Betti to 40-man roster.California Angels: Added P Geoff Edsell, P Ryan Hancock, P Pete Janicki, P Ben VanRyn, IF George Arias and IF Tim Harkider to 40-man roster.

The Washington Redskins will be looking for one or two good men today.After making seven roster moves to get their roster down to the final 53-player limit yesterday, the Redskins will be checking the waiver wire to see if they can find a player or two let go by other teams who can help them.Last year, they picked up defensive lineman Marc Boutte and wide receiver Leslie Shepherd after they were waived by the Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively, on the final cut. Both made the roster this year, and Boutte is starting.

Maryland native Desmond Armstrong was one of four players cut from the U.S. National soccer team yesterday as the Americans trimmed their roster in preparation for World Cup competition, which is nearly a month away.Armstrong, 29, from Columbia, was one of two defenders released along with Jeff Agoos, 26. Midfielders Janusz Michallik, 28, and Brian Quinn also were cut as the roster was reduced to 25. Three more players must be cut before the final roster is set June 3."It was a surprise," the former University of Maryland standout said last night.

BOSTON -- The newest member of the Orioles was putting on a major-league uniform for the first time when a voice shot from across the clubhouse."Dostal, as soon as I meet you, can I have your tickets?" Brady Anderson said in search of extra complimentary tickets for last night's series opener at Fenway Park.With that, Bruce Dostal was officially one of the boys. After eight years in the minor leagues, Dostal was being hit up for tickets from a major-league ballplayer.He had arrived, seemingly from out of nowhere.

ASHBURN, Va. -- As Washington Redskins coach Richie Petitbon ponders his first roster cutdown, injuries are going to play a role in his decisions.Petitbon, who must slice his roster from 79 to 60 players today, indicated that wide receiver Stephen Hobbs will join Matt Elliott and Jim Lachey on the injured reserve list. Under the new rules, that means they'll be out all year.Hobbs has been sidelined by a deep groin pull all training camp, and Petitbon said: "It doesn't seem like it's going to get better [soon]

As several Orioles ate breakfast in the middle of the home clubhouse at Camden Yards on Wednesday morning, a television report came on trumpeting the pending arrival of top prospect Matt Wieters. From now until Friday, when Wieters will be summoned from Triple-A Norfolk to make his major league debut against the Detroit Tigers, the Orioles players will hear plenty more about the switch-hitting catcher, though they say that's just fine by them. "I'm absolutely excited to see him," Orioles first baseman Aubrey Huff said.

MOORE DOUBLES UP Utility infielder candidate Scott Moore doubled twice and scored the first run of the game, raising his average to .438. He is 7-for-16 with the two doubles, a triple and a home run in eight games. Manager Dave Trembley said yesterday that Moore is a candidate to make the Opening Day roster, depending on the size of the pitching staff, but he still appears to be something of a long shot to open the season in the major leagues. The Orioles already have Melvin Mora starting at third base and Ty Wigginton locked into the 25-man roster, which means they have to go with 12 pitchers and something has to give to make room for Moore.

Seldom does a Seattle series go by that I don't get several e-mails or personal entreaties to interview reliever J.J. Putz. And, of course, this is understandable because of the similar ridiculousness of our respective surnames. Some of you probably remember that I did just that a couple of years ago for a column in The Sun. I approached J.J. in the Mariners clubhouse and introduced myself and expected some kind of reaction when he heard my last name, but he just stared at me as if I had just surfed back from Gilligan's Island.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail laid it out to owner Peter Angelos in a phone conversation about outfielder Jay Gibbons within the past couple of days. "I gave him the ramifications and what my thinking was," MacPhail said. "I hadn't really reached any conclusions myself. I was wrestling with this one. I was really, to be honest with you, looking for some advice. His advice was, `You gotta do what you gotta do.' Those were the last words that he left me with, and I took the position of, `Well, this is what we have to do.' " Needing to set their Opening Day roster by yesterday afternoon, the Orioles released Gibbons, the second-longest-tenured member of the club, and will absorb the $11.9 million left on his contract over the next two years.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Orioles designated hitter Jay Gibbons has repeatedly said he has come to terms with his 15-day suspension for violating Major League Baseball's substance-abuse prevention program. Gibbons, who admitted to using human growth hormone, won't be eligible to play his first game until April 15, giving the Orioles a little more than a month to mull over a potentially difficult decision about one of their longest-tenured players. With a crowded outfield and plenty of designated-hitter types on their roster, the Orioles don't appear to have a role for Gibbons.

College football Music City Bowl 4 p.m. [ESPN] With Florida State - minus a chunk of its roster suspended for suspected academic misdeeds - facing Kentucky, the Seminoles might need to be creative in filling out their roster. With this bowl being played in country music's capital, Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden could check on how much eligibility Brooks and Dunn have left.

You've been here before, right? This little midseason crossroads where you hope that whatever transpires the next three months of the baseball season makes you forget everything that transpired the previous three months. It's where you gaze up at the top row of warehouse windows and beg, plead and bargain. I'll dress my kid like an Oriole Bird bobblehead for the next 10 Halloweens if you can just sign a cleanup hitter. The on-field story lines are yawn material at this point. Almost all of the intrigue surrounding the Orioles over the second half of the season will take place away from the playing field.

In wake of change, depth of O's commitment unclear Depth of club's commitment unclear You say the Orioles can't go wrong whether they pick Joe Girardi or Davey Johnson as their next manager, do you? Of course they can go wrong. What organization are we talking about here? The same one that fired its old manager, Sam Perlozzo, yesterday and held a news conference to talk about it, without having his successor already in place. Unfortunately, the fan base is so cynical after 9 1/2 lousy years, it's conditioned to expect the worst.

Nine games under .500. A stretch of nine straight losing seasons that is primed to extend to a decade. Last place in the American League East. A roster stocked with under-performing and high-priced veterans. The situation might scream for an overhaul. But as top Orioles executives sift through a season that has gone horribly wrong, they vow to stay the course, sticking to the plan that was supposed to lift the organization back to prominence but has yet to yield such results. With the trade deadline a little more than six weeks away, there are no plans for a drastic face-lift of the roster, club executives Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette said this week.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans who are disabled and can't work often wait two to three years to receive benefits from the Social Security Administration. Americans teetering on the edge of financial ruin as they enter the disability system can only hope that the Woodlawn-based agency approves their claims on the first go-around. Those whose claims are denied twice face a virtual abyss. Once they appeal the denials, it takes applicants more than 500 days on average to get a final decision from an administrative law judge, who arbitrates disputes between the agency and those seeking aid. And the majority of people who appeal to these judges win, said Richard Warsinskey, president of the agency's managerial association.