Orioles Go South With a New Look

With spring training under way, today’s Morning Briefing is dedicated to the Grand Old Game.

No major league manager envies Frank Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles this spring.

“This isn’t spring training,” wrote Tim Kurjian of the Baltimore Sun. “This is a tryout camp.”

The team goes to spring training with only two players, Cal Ripken and Phil Bradley, assured of everyday jobs. There are only two pitchers who have spots guaranteed: starter Dave Schmidt and Brian Holton, who might start, might pitch middle or long relief, might be the short reliever or might be any of the above.

Only two players, pitchers Mark Thurmond (32) and Schmidt (31), are in their 30s. Twenty-six of the 38 players on the major league roster have fewer than two years of major-league experience.

When the roster is sliced to 24, together they will probably be earning less in 1989 than Eddie Murray will be making over the next three years with the Dodgers. Murray and a host of other veterans, who made a combined $8.6 million last year, were traded, released or lost to free agency.

Robinson is in charge of molding these 53 men, 22 of whom were not in the organization when spring training began last year. It is Robinson’s first spring training as a manager since 1984.

Where does he start?

“Fundamentals,” he said.

Trivia Quiz: Who were The Sporting News’ favorites going into the 1988 season? (Answers below.)

Add Orioles: The outlook is not all bad. For a couple of weeks they’ll have one of the nicest training sites in the majors at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota, Fla. The 123-acre site used to be the Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy.

In decrepit Bobby Maduro Stadium at Miami, where the Orioles used to train and where they will move March 1 for the start of exhibition games, there is one main field. The park borders the Overtown and Liberty City sections that were involved in riots during Super Bowl week.

Twin Lakes Park has four full fields, more batting cages, pitching mounds and room for players to work.

General Manager Roland Hemond said: “People say the Orioles of the Earl Weaver era got by with less. But they did it in an era when everyone had about the same kind of training facilities. Now, when you go around and see the quality work other teams are given, we were left behind.”

Trivia Answer: The San Francisco Giants in the NL West (they finished fourth), the New York Mets in the NL East (first), Oakland A’s in the AL West (first) and Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East (fourth). Of the other division winners, the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox both were picked for fourth.

Quotebook

Angel pitcher Dan Petry, working out in a Detroit Tigers sweat shirt in Tiger Stadium, where he used to play: “I’ve got an Angels T-shirt underneath. They don’t need sweat shirts in California. They don’t sell Angel sweat shirts.”