Waiting Game

Joe BorowskiWhat he would be doing if there were no strike: Borowski, 23, would be attempting to win a spot in the Orioles' bullpen in a critical spring for him. Borowski has pitched five seasons in the organization, but has been stuck at Double-A Bowie the last two years. In 1994, he saved 14 games and had a 1.91 ERA.Where he is instead: Sitting out the wait in his hometown of Bayonne, N.J.How he's filling his time: Borowski drives to his alma mater, Marist High School, to work out with prep baseball players.

Final exams begin Monday for students at Washington College and the upcoming weekend is a prime opportunity for them to review and study for the tests. But the members of the men's lacrosse team may find it difficult to look at a book as they await word from the NCAA selection committee about their postseason fate. The No. 10 Shoremen own a 12-4 record and are sixth in the South region rankings. But they got bounced by No. 2 Dickinson from the Centennial Conference tournament semifinals on Wednesday and will learn whether they have earned an at-large spot from the Pool C candidates when the 26-team field is unveiled late Sunday night.

Final exams begin Monday for students at Washington College and the upcoming weekend is a prime opportunity for them to review and study for the tests. But the members of the men's lacrosse team may find it difficult to look at a book as they await word from the NCAA selection committee about their postseason fate. The No. 10 Shoremen own a 12-4 record and are sixth in the South region rankings. But they got bounced by No. 2 Dickinson from the Centennial Conference tournament semifinals on Wednesday and will learn whether they have earned an at-large spot from the Pool C candidates when the 26-team field is unveiled late Sunday night.

The Orioles and right-handed pitcher Jair Jurrjens still have not finalized a one-year deal, nearly a week after the 27-year-old began his team physical. But Jurrjens remains hopeful that he'll soon be a member of the team and will join the Orioles' pitchers and catchers for their Feb. 12 reporting date in Sarasota, Fla. “I hope so, the only thing I can do is keep working and getting ready,” Jurrjens said by phone Wednesday. “We're still trying to discuss some small stuff on the contract.

ASHBURN, Va. -- Think of what Jason Campbell has gone through for the past 18 months this way: What if you were an accountant, and you were only allowed to practice doing tax returns? Or a stage actor who could only rehearse his lines before an empty theater with the lights dimmed? Ever since the Washington Redskins traded three draft picks to get in position to select the former Auburn quarterback No. 25 overall in the 2005 draft, Campbell has been waiting to get on the field for a regular-season game.

Lonnie Smith doesn't mind the waiting game because he is simply happy still to be in the game.So the fact that he was the last Oriole to appear in a game this season -- and didn't make his first start until last night -- was hardly upsetting to the Orioles' backup designated hitter."

Does anybody have a spare crystal ball? How about a Ouija board that specializes in predicting the outcome of college football games? Mickey Holmes needs one.Holmes, the executive director of the USF&G Sugar Bowl, would like to know whether there's a national championship game in his immediate future. One between the top two teams in the country."We're just going to have to wait like everyone else," Holmes said yesterday from New Orleans. "That's one of the things we wanted from the coalition.

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- It was like the old days, before men were allowed in the delivery room. A group of men sat in one room yesterday, nervously waiting for an announcement about the possible birth of a professional football team in Baltimore."

With fewer than four weeks remaining to sign his 2011 draft picks, Orioles director of amateur scouting Joe Jordan finds himself in a familiar position in late July. "We're just kind of in a waiting mode on some stuff," Jordan said. "We have offers out there to pretty much all of them. We're going to sign some guys here soon or we're going to move on to other things. Obviously, I'm talking about guys down in the draft. We have priorities. We have a first- and second-rounder that are not signed, and they are our top priorities.

The last time Mount St. Joseph boys basketball coach Pat Clatchey had his whole team assembled, during practice Feb. 4, he made sure to set down some common-sense rules in anticipation of missing time because of the snow. He told his players to avoid pickup games, don't do anything crazy in the snow and stay away from Snickers bars. Snickers bars? "Yeah. I told them not to eat any Snickers - don't be satisfied because we still have unfinished business and they have to stay focused and they have to stay hungry," he said.

With three of their biggest offseason needs seemingly filled a week before Christmas, the suddenly aggressive Orioles are now expected to adopt a wait-and-see approach before putting the final touches on their 2010 roster. After adding veteran starter Kevin Millwood in a trade with the Texas Rangers last week and agreeing to terms with left-hand- ed closer Mike Gonzalez and former Colorado Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins on Wednesday, team officials acknowledged that their next move probably won't come until 2010.

Baltimore's liquor board revoked the liquor license for the Suite Ultralounge nightclub in the basement of the Belvedere Hotel, and the people of Mount Vernon and Mid-Town rejoiced. That was Nov. 13. This past Saturday, the club held a "Slumber Express" teen pajama party. This coming Friday, the self-acclaimed "Belvedere's Hottest Dance Club" is advertising an appearance by the group Definition for those 18 and older, with the bonus "ladies free all nite," and of course, it's bring-your-own-booze for those 21 and older.

It's understandable that fans wanted to see catching phenom Matt Wieters in an Orioles uniform on Opening Day, but it just wasn't sensible. What would you rather have had? A couple weeks of Wieters now as a rookie or a whole year of him when he is in his prime? I thought so. If Wieters were on the Opening Day roster, his service-time clock would have begun ticking. Assuming he remained on the club's 25-man roster or disabled list, Wieters would have been eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.

CHICAGO -- The Orioles will not only have to make a decision on who will start Tuesday in place of injured Adam Loewen, they will also have to find a starter for Wednesday. Yesterday's doubleheader will force manager Dave Trembley to either bring back Brian Burres or Steve Trachsel, the starters of the two games yesterday, on three days' rest Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays or find a starter from the bullpen or minor leagues. Trembley, who gave Matt Albers a spot start rather than bring somebody back on three days' rest after a doubleheader earlier this month, said he would be willing to allow Burres or Trachsel to come back a day early, but a lot depended on how they pitched yesterday.