Velocity

Howard County police are considering four types of guns to replace the ones officers have carried for 11 years, saying the new equipment would be more economical and have better stopping power.Officials have narrowed their preferences to four -- a .357 semiautomatic SIG-Sauer, a .40 SIG-Sauer, a .45 SIG-Sauer and an updated version of what they now use, a 9 mm.The main differences among the semiautomatic weapons are the size and velocity of the bullets they use and the histories of the weapons, said Sgt. David Richards of the staff inspections unit.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Toss another question atop the Orioles' season of riddles: Whatever happened to Scott Erickson?Erickson's frustrating spring continued last night in another numbing 5-3 loss, this one to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before 17,660 at Tropicana Field. Before his 1 2/3 innings were done, Erickson had tried everything in his power to defuse a lineup that refused him a breath. But the damage occurred too quickly for the Orioles to avoid tumbling to 3-10.Two games remain on this road trip's forced march.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Mike Mussina became the first Orioles pitcher to go five innings in yesterday's 3-3 tie with the St. Louis Cardinals, the only run against him coming on a third-inning, opposite-field home run by Mark McGwire. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out five.Mussina's only serious trouble came in the first inning, when the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs. But Mussina, whose error started the inning, struck out Brian Jordan and Willie McGee and retired Brian Hunter on a liner to left.

SEATTLE -- The Orioles had punctured his aura of invincibility once again, leaving Seattle Mariners ace Randy Johnson to try and figure out how a makeshift lineup of part-time players and slap hitters could succeed where some of the best lineups in the American League had failed.There was no easy answer."Maybe you should tell all of the Baltimore hitters to start wearing California Angels or Toronto Blue Jays jerseys," he said sarcastically.Might not be a bad idea. The Orioles, for no apparent reason, have beaten Johnson three times this year and won all four games he has appeared in against them.

Camden Yards patrons will know exactly how hard Armando Benitez is throwing this season, and fans who don't have the benefit of sitting behind home plate won't have to guess whether Mike Mussina's last pitch was a curve or changeup.New message boards at Oriole Park will provide instant radar-gun readings on each pitch and identify the type of pitch just thrown -- fastball, changeup, slider, etc. One set of signs will be located on the upper-deck facing in left field, the other on the facing of the lower deck along the right-field line.

Kent Mercker is going to the bullpen.Mercker was signed as a free agent in the off-season to solidify the Orioles' starting rotation but his dwindling velocity, a mere 80 mph in his three-inning, four-home run, six-run performance Tuesday, and inability to get hitters out prompted manager Davey Johnson to move him to relief.Rick Krivda, who started last night's rained-out second game, will replace Mercker in the rotation."Right now, obviously, I have no business being up here starting," said Mercker, who is 3-6 with a 7.43 ERA. "Going to the bullpen is probably the best thing for me and the team.

Orioles pitching coach Pat Dobson has started calling pitches from the bench in some key situations.Almost all of the time catchers Chris Hoiles and Gregg Zaun call pitches from behind home plate, but they've looked to the bench for help about a half-dozen times the last two weeks.For example, Thursday night Jimmy Haynes was pitching with the bases loaded when Zaun looked to the dugout and Dobson called a pitch that resulted in a groundout. Other times, the catcher is signaled from the bench if he hasn't yet looked over.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Ben McDonald wasn't pretty in his first rehabilitation stint with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings last night, but he was effective.The right-hander had control problems in his first start in more than a month, walking four Syracuse Chiefs in 3 2/3 innings. The positive news: McDonald, who has spent much of the season on the disabled list with tendinitis in his pitching shoulder, gave up only one hit. He got a no-decision in the Wings' 7-2 win.Syracuse scored two runs during McDonald's 62-pitch appearance.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The government has been using low Earth orbit satellites to track manatees, caribou herds and storm systems for nearly 20 years. But Ralph de Palma and Margaret Jordan have bigger game in mind.They want to use them to track 20- and 40-foot cargo containers filled with bananas, mangoes and melons through the Caribbean.The two are partners in Caribbean Satellite Services, an 18-month-old company that is pioneering commercial uses for low Earth orbit, or LEO, satellites from its office overlooking the Port of Miami.

This was not a draft pick for numbers fanatics.On the surface, the Orioles appear to have committed an error by taking right-handed pitcher Alvie Shepherd as their first-round choice in baseball's summer draft yesterday.After all, Shepherd's numbers for Nebraska this spring were horrendous. A 2-5 record, 6.57 ERA and 47 hits allowed in 38 innings don't usually excite scouts. But there is a deeper aspect to the story.Shepherd stands 6 feet 7 and weighs 230 pounds. Baseball America ranked his velocity -- his fastball reaches the high 90s -- No. 1 among available college pitchers.