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05-26-2003, 11:05 AM
Jeff's doing really well.......
..........and some other news and notes...... Mighty Mel making a mighty understatement, and R-Lo possibly headed to a couple rehab assignments.... also BJ might be back soon. :D
Sorry, Tex, Conine sure is a hit when he plays in Arlington
3-RBI day puts him at .344; Mora 'feeling comfortable'
By Roch Kubatko
Sun Staff
Originally published May 26, 2003
ARLINGTON, Texas - Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the statistics belonging to Orioles first baseman Jeff Conine.
Conine drove in three runs in yesterday's 13-10 victory over the Rangers, two coming on a sixth-inning double to the fence in center field. His career average against Texas actually dipped to .371 after going 1-for-6. He's batting .344 at The Ballpark in Arlington.
There's no easy answer to why Conine hits so well against the Rangers, and on their home turf.
"It's got to be one of those statistical fluky things," he said, borrowing a reporter's suggestion.
"I was commenting the first night we were in here, I don't think the lights are that great. It's kind of tough to see during the first part of the game, with the sun and the way the crowd is. It's a difficult place to see, especially in the field. So I don't know. There are just some of those teams like that."
Until this season, Conine did little against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a team that's never finished above last place in its five-year existence. But he owned the Atlanta Braves while playing in the National League.
"I hit like .360 against them," he said. "It's something you can't really put a finger on. Some teams and some pitchers, you have good success against."
The opportunities keep coming to Conine, who's missed only one game this season. He stayed on the bench April 13 after being hit on the left elbow the previous day in Boston. Jay Gibbons took his place in the field.
Conine gets his rest from all the open dates on the schedule. The Orioles have been off for three consecutive Mondays, including today, and six overall.
"I feel great," said Conine, who has hit safely in 24 of his past 27 games, leaving his overall average at .278. "I haven't had one at-bat where I've felt like, 'Oh man, I'm super tired. I need a day off.' "
Perhaps a strong work ethic comes from waiting until the 58th round to be drafted, as Conine did in 1987. Eight years later, he was named Most Valuable Player in the All-Star Game. Two years after that, he celebrated a world championship in Florida.
"I never could have envisioned half of what's happened over my career," he said. "It's been a storybook, really."
Mora sizzles at plate
With two doubles and three singles yesterday, Melvin Mora registered his seventh consecutive multi-hit game. It was the first five-hit game of his career.
His next unscheduled day off could come in October.
Mora's double in the fourth inning tied the score, 7-7. He also walked, reaching base six times, and ended the day with his average up to .346.
Mora hit a career-high 19 home runs last year, and has six going into tomorrow's game against the Anaheim Angels. But he's not attacking every pitch like he's trying to drive the ball 500 feet - an approach that led to some bad habits and a .144 average over his last 34 games of the 2002 season.
"You don't see that wild, long, lifting swing we saw most of last year," manager Mike Hargrove said.
In one of the season's biggest understatements, Mora said, "I'm feeling fine. I feel comfortable at the plate."
If he was any more comfortable, he'd be dragging a recliner into the batter's box.
"Melvin's approach is real good right now," Hargrove said.
Rehab stint for Lopez
Rodrigo Lopez, on the disabled list with a strained muscle on his left side, will pitch a simulated game in the Camden Yards bullpen this week before going on an injury rehab assignment.
Lopez threw off a mound twice during the road trip, most recently on Saturday, and said he's no longer in pain.
"It's a lot better," he said. "I was throwing a lot of strikes in the bullpen."
Hargrove estimated that Lopez will need at least two starts in the minors to build his pitch count before returning to the Orioles' rotation.
The Orioles will consider activating outfielder B.J. Surhoff tomorrow, but they continue to monitor his left knee, which required a magnetic resonance imaging test last week. He performed more drills in the outfield yesterday.
"He felt better yesterday than the day before," Hargrove said.
Jack Cust is expected to return to Triple-A Ottawa when Surhoff is activated.
Floppy Friday fireworks
The Orioles are offering a three-for-one promotion for Friday's game against the Rangers at Camden Yards. And it has nothing to do with recalling players at Ottawa.
All fans 21 and over will receive an Orioles floppy hat. Also, all high school and college students may purchase an upper-deck reserved ticket for $5.
The team also has rescheduled Fireworks Night for Friday after postponing it May 16 because of rain.
Around the horn
Alex Rodriguez's 15th homer tied him with Toronto's Carlos Delgado and New York's Alfonso Soriano for the league lead. ... Orioles closer Jorge Julio pitched the ninth for his 13th save and third in five days.
Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun
..........and some other news and notes...... Mighty Mel making a mighty understatement, and R-Lo possibly headed to a couple rehab assignments.... also BJ might be back soon. :D
Sorry, Tex, Conine sure is a hit when he plays in Arlington
3-RBI day puts him at .344; Mora 'feeling comfortable'
By Roch Kubatko
Sun Staff
Originally published May 26, 2003
ARLINGTON, Texas - Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the statistics belonging to Orioles first baseman Jeff Conine.
Conine drove in three runs in yesterday's 13-10 victory over the Rangers, two coming on a sixth-inning double to the fence in center field. His career average against Texas actually dipped to .371 after going 1-for-6. He's batting .344 at The Ballpark in Arlington.
There's no easy answer to why Conine hits so well against the Rangers, and on their home turf.
"It's got to be one of those statistical fluky things," he said, borrowing a reporter's suggestion.
"I was commenting the first night we were in here, I don't think the lights are that great. It's kind of tough to see during the first part of the game, with the sun and the way the crowd is. It's a difficult place to see, especially in the field. So I don't know. There are just some of those teams like that."
Until this season, Conine did little against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a team that's never finished above last place in its five-year existence. But he owned the Atlanta Braves while playing in the National League.
"I hit like .360 against them," he said. "It's something you can't really put a finger on. Some teams and some pitchers, you have good success against."
The opportunities keep coming to Conine, who's missed only one game this season. He stayed on the bench April 13 after being hit on the left elbow the previous day in Boston. Jay Gibbons took his place in the field.
Conine gets his rest from all the open dates on the schedule. The Orioles have been off for three consecutive Mondays, including today, and six overall.
"I feel great," said Conine, who has hit safely in 24 of his past 27 games, leaving his overall average at .278. "I haven't had one at-bat where I've felt like, 'Oh man, I'm super tired. I need a day off.' "
Perhaps a strong work ethic comes from waiting until the 58th round to be drafted, as Conine did in 1987. Eight years later, he was named Most Valuable Player in the All-Star Game. Two years after that, he celebrated a world championship in Florida.
"I never could have envisioned half of what's happened over my career," he said. "It's been a storybook, really."
Mora sizzles at plate
With two doubles and three singles yesterday, Melvin Mora registered his seventh consecutive multi-hit game. It was the first five-hit game of his career.
His next unscheduled day off could come in October.
Mora's double in the fourth inning tied the score, 7-7. He also walked, reaching base six times, and ended the day with his average up to .346.
Mora hit a career-high 19 home runs last year, and has six going into tomorrow's game against the Anaheim Angels. But he's not attacking every pitch like he's trying to drive the ball 500 feet - an approach that led to some bad habits and a .144 average over his last 34 games of the 2002 season.
"You don't see that wild, long, lifting swing we saw most of last year," manager Mike Hargrove said.
In one of the season's biggest understatements, Mora said, "I'm feeling fine. I feel comfortable at the plate."
If he was any more comfortable, he'd be dragging a recliner into the batter's box.
"Melvin's approach is real good right now," Hargrove said.
Rehab stint for Lopez
Rodrigo Lopez, on the disabled list with a strained muscle on his left side, will pitch a simulated game in the Camden Yards bullpen this week before going on an injury rehab assignment.
Lopez threw off a mound twice during the road trip, most recently on Saturday, and said he's no longer in pain.
"It's a lot better," he said. "I was throwing a lot of strikes in the bullpen."
Hargrove estimated that Lopez will need at least two starts in the minors to build his pitch count before returning to the Orioles' rotation.
The Orioles will consider activating outfielder B.J. Surhoff tomorrow, but they continue to monitor his left knee, which required a magnetic resonance imaging test last week. He performed more drills in the outfield yesterday.
"He felt better yesterday than the day before," Hargrove said.
Jack Cust is expected to return to Triple-A Ottawa when Surhoff is activated.
Floppy Friday fireworks
The Orioles are offering a three-for-one promotion for Friday's game against the Rangers at Camden Yards. And it has nothing to do with recalling players at Ottawa.
All fans 21 and over will receive an Orioles floppy hat. Also, all high school and college students may purchase an upper-deck reserved ticket for $5.
The team also has rescheduled Fireworks Night for Friday after postponing it May 16 because of rain.
Around the horn
Alex Rodriguez's 15th homer tied him with Toronto's Carlos Delgado and New York's Alfonso Soriano for the league lead. ... Orioles closer Jorge Julio pitched the ninth for his 13th save and third in five days.
Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun