Storm Davis

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Storm Davis is listed as "day to day" after leaving Friday night's game with an inflammation in the arch of his left foot.If Davis is unable to take his regular turn Wednesday, Dennis Rasmussen will move up a day and take his place. That would put the veteran left-hander in position to assume Davis' spot in the rotation if necessary.Davis, who described himself as "sore" yesterday, has had trouble with his foot all spring, but Friday night was the first time he had to curtail activity.

People often ask me the point of spring training, and that surprises me. Because the point seems so obvious.The underlying theme of spring training is to succor (sucker?) the folks back home.Because when it's February here, and it's ugly and raining and cold and miserable even with global warming, it's 80 degrees in Florida. That's where the ballplayers are and the writers are and the sportscasters are, and everyone's poolside happily sipping poolside-style beverages. Down there, everything looks good.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles' most difficult spring decision revolves around a pitcher who is their No. 7 starter. Jose Mesa is out of minor-league options. Either the Orioles trade him, or risk losing him on waivers.Mesa, 25, opened last season as the club's No. 2 starter, but the way things stand, he won't make this team. The rotation is set with five other righthanders, and veteran lefthander Dennis Rasmussen is the logical replacement if one of them gets hurt.Problem is, Mesa can't be demoted without being exposed to the waiver process, which makes him available to every team.

Orioles pitchers and catchers report today, but before getting carried away with Rick Dempsey Mania, consider the plight of his main competition, longtime minor-league catcher Jeff Tackett.Tackett, 26, has been in the organization since 1984, giving him longer uninterrupted service than anyone but the Ripkens. Now, after three seasons at Triple-A, he's finally close to a breakthrough, when along comes this 42-year-old man.The Orioles couldn't wait to get rid of Dempsey -- not to mention Storm Davis -- in 1986.

The Baltimore Orioles are getting ready to begin anew, and why not? They have a new stadium, a new spring training address, three new coaches, a couple of new starting pitchers and a new preseason program devised by their nearly new manager.If only they could be sure that 1992 will not be the same old `` story.When the pitchers and catchers open workouts at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota, Fla., on Friday, there will be plenty of new faces, but there also will be plenty of room to wonder if the Orioles did enough during the off-season to rebound from a pair of very discouraging seasons.

For the first time in his career, Storm Davis has higher expectations than the ones he's expected to fulfill.No longer is he haunted by the shadow of Jim Palmer. No longer is he pegged as a future Cy Young Award winner. No longer is he expected to step up and anchor the pitching staff.The Orioles hope their most recent acquisition can fill in the fourth or fifth spot in a starting rotation that lacks depth and pitch 175 to 200 innings."In my mind I know I can do it," said the righthander, whose return to Baltimore resembled a family reunion during a sometimes emotional news conference at Memorial Stadium yesterday.

Storm Davis came back to Baltimore yesterday -- just for a visit, but soon to try his hand in the renovation of the Baltimore Orioles pitching staff.New teammate and old soulmate Glenn Davis picked him up at the airport and drove him to Memorial Stadium, where he talked about his past and his future at the press luncheon in his honor.He was acquired last week from the Kansas City Royals for catcher Bob Melvin. He and his wife, Angie, were flown in by the Orioles yesterday to meet the media, though Storm knew almost everybody from his first tour of duty here.

Fans are not convinced that Storm Davis is the answer to the Orioles' pitching problems.Out of 369 respondents to yesterday's "It's Your Call" question, 226 (61 percent) said he isn't enough to solidify the Orioles staff. The other 39 percent (143) said his acquisition is all the Orioles rotation needed."It's Your Call" represents a sampling of opinions from certain segments of the community, but it is not balanced demographically, as would be done in a scientific public opinion poll.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Storm Davis is coming back to Baltimore.He is coming back to where he started his major-league career. He is coming back to solidify the Baltimore Orioles' starting rotation. He is coming back to make a family dream come true.The Orioles, who traded Davis to the San Diego Padres in 1986, traded reserve catcher Bob Melvin to the Kansas City Royals to reacquire him on the final night of baseball's annual winter meetings.This has to be good news to Orioles first baseman Glenn Davis, who has been like a brother to Storm since both were playing high school football and baseball at University Christian High School in Jacksonville, Fla.It also was a sudden turn of fortune for Orioles general manager Roland Hemond, who was in danger of being shut out at the winter trade convention after the Montreal Expos decided to pass on a long-discussed deal for first baseman Randy Milligan.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Storm Davis is coming back to Baltimore.He is coming back to where he started his major-league career. He is coming back to solidify the Orioles' starting rotation. He is coming back to make a family dream come true.The Orioles, who traded Davis to the San Diego Padres in 1986, traded reserve catcher Bob Melvin to the Kansas City Royals to reacquire him on the final night of baseball's annual winter meetings."I wore that [Orioles] uniform with pride, and I put it back on with pride," Davis said.