No Matter How Well They Do, Orioles Can’t Duplicate 1989

Whether you are Rocky Balboa or Frank Robinson, they say the sequel is never as good as the original.

With any luck, the 1990 Baltimore Orioles will get better reviews than Rockys II through IV. Why, they have already got a meaner Mr. T -- Mickey Tettleton.

But first things first:

The Orioles won’t duplicate last season.

They won’t even come close.

Manager Frank Robinson said as much at the end of last year, and who could disagree? Just as the Orioles absorbed more punishment than they deserved in 1988, they exceeded their normal allotment of good fortune in 1989.

In the movies, Rocky always wins.

In real life, things balance out.

That said, the Orioles might actually improve on last year’s 87-75 record and second-place finish -- if their young players continue to improve.

Or, they might slip to a sub-.500 record and the middle of the American League East standings -- if those same young players stagnate, or even worse, regress.

“You can’t get complacent,” Robinson says. “You can’t slack off.”

Yes, the American League Manager of the Year is worried about his own sophomore jinx, having completed just his first full season as Baltimore manager.

“If I’m as upbeat and on top of things, they’ll be the same way,” he says. “I have to guard against it. I can’t sit back and say I expect things. I have to stay on top of them.

“They should be proud of what they accomplished last year. But you don’t get too comfortable with it. You don’t let it interfere with what you have to do this year.”

The scary thing is, the Orioles might not be as good even if they perform as Robinson wishes. Last year was unusual, special, yes, even magical.

Look at the offense: The Orioles ranked 12th in the American League with a .252 average last season and were shut out 15 times, their most since 1968. But only four major-league teams exceeded their total of 708 runs.

Look at the pitching: Seven pitchers recalled from triple A (Mickey Weston, Jay Tibbs, Mark Huismann, Dave Johnson, Curt Schilling, Mike Smith and Ben McDonald) combined to go 13-8 with two saves.

Yo Rock, still there?

Offensively, it helped that the Orioles stole 118 bases, their most since 1976; drew 593 walks, second in the majors; and batted .261 with men in scoring position.

Defensively, it helped that they set a major-league record for best fielding percentage in one season (.986), which was fortunate for the Orioles, since their pitchers struck out only 676, fewest by a major-league staff since ’83.

Robinson likes to say that “the defense comes to the park every day.” He is right, but defense requires diligence, the kind clubs often find difficult to maintain.

The Orioles, of course, have no reason to be complacent, but their only off-season acquisitions were infielders Mike Brumley (.199 career average) and Marty Brown (.174), and pitchers John Mitchell (three major-league wins) and Joe Price (4.70 earned-run average in ‘89). Brumley was released earlier this week.

From the front office down, the perspective has changed.

Now about that sequel ...

Starting Pitching:

--MEMORABLE SCENES FROM ‘89: Bob Milacki facing the minimum 27 batters against the Minnesota Twins ... Jeff Ballard’s heroic September stands against the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays ... Dave Johnson crying after his first major-league victory ... Pete Harnisch stepping on a nail ... Ben McDonald coaxing a double play on his first major-league pitch.

--KEY ACTOR IN 1990: Harnisch.

--KEY UNDERSTUDY: Jay Tibbs.

--SCRIPT: The Orioles went 18-5 in games started by Milacki and Ballard after Aug. 17, but they were 7-13 in all other games. It is clear they need a quality third starter to emerge this season, as well as a presentable fourth and fifth.

Milacki should only get better after becoming the first rookie in 71 years to lead the American League in starts (he tied Dave Stewart and Mark Gubicza with 36). He threw 243 innings, pitching into the seventh in more than two-thirds of his starts.

Ballard showed his mettle once and for all the final week. True, the Orioles provided him with 5.66 runs per start, but his ERA was only 3.43. The question now is how he will recover from two operations to his left (pitching) elbow.

Then there is Harnisch, who held opponents to a .249 average last season, lowest among Orioles starters, but averaged 5.57 walks per nine innings, highest rate in the majors. No one doubts his arm, but after another shaky spring, the Orioles have their fingers crossed.

If Harnisch pitches well -- he was 4-4 with a 3.57 ERA his last 10 starts in ’89 -- he would reduce not only the burden on Ballard and Milacki, but the pressure on No. 1 draft pick McDonald and the fifth starter as well.

That might not be necessary in McDonald’s case -- remember when former major-league manager Dick Williams predicted he would be the Orioles’ ace by mid-summer? Club officials would be satisfied if McDonald developed into this year’s Gregg Olson. He just might.

The fifth starter likely will be Johnson over John Mitchell and Tibbs. Johnson won four of his first six starts last season, then went zero for eight (five losses, three no-decisions). Still, Robinson admires his courage.

Tibbs has made remarkably rapid progress from rotator-cuff surgery to his right (pitching) arm, but Robinson seems reluctant to keep him -- even though he was 5-0 at the time of his injury, after going 4-15 in ’88. Another to watch: Lefthander Eric Bell, who was sent to Rochester earlier this week.

Relief Pitching

--MEMORABLE SCENES: Gregg Olson striking out the Athletics’ Dave Parker, Dave Henderson and Mark McGwire to preserve a 2-1 victory in Oakland ... Mark Williamson retiring all 14 batters he faces to outduel the Royals’ Tom “Flash” Gordon in extra innings at Kansas City ... left-hander Kevin Hickey holding left-handed hitters Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, George Brett and Harold Baines to a combined one for 17.

--KEY ACTORS: Brian Holton and Joe Price.

--KEY UNDERSTUDY: Jose Bautista.

--SCRIPT: First of all, no one expects Olson to slump, not after his ’89 accomplishments: 27 saves (American League rookie record), one home run allowed in 85 innings (best ratio in the majors); and 21 consecutive scoreless appearances after July 31.

Likewise, no one expects setup man Mark Williamson to suddenly turn into Luis DeLeon. Williamson, currently suffering from a strained left buttocks muscle, might not repeat last year’s statistics -- 10-5 with a 2.93 ERA and nine saves. But he has a resilient arm and allowed nearly 25 percent of his runs (eight of 35) to the Athletics.

That leaves the middle-inning relievers, a major problem last year. Robinson picks his spots with Hickey, who averaged 3.9 batters an appearance last season, second lowest in the American League. Holton and Price, then, will carry most of the burden, even with rosters at 27.

They will probably be joined the first three weeks by Mitchell and either Bautista or Jay Aldrich. The Orioles like the idea of the hard-throwing Bautista in relief, as long as he is not the pitcher who averaged one homer every 19 at-bats last year, worst in the majors.

Holton was 7-3, 1.70 for the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, but only 5-7, 4.02 for the Orioles last year. He could return to ’88 form if he has indeed rediscovered his curveball. But last year he stranded only 14 of 30 inherited runners, second-worst average in the American League.

Price, a free agent, throws harder than the left-hander he replaced, Mark Thurmond. Price pitched for the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants last year and started six times -- including the Red Sox’s crushing 9-8 loss to the Orioles Aug. 2, a game in which he struck out eight in 5 1-3 innings.

Infield

--MEMORABLE SCENES: Cal Ripken Jr. crushing a three-run homer off Roger Clemens on Opening Day ... Craig Worthington making like Brooks Robinson at third base ... Randy Milligan hitting a three-run home run to tie Boston at 6 after Orioles fell behind 6-0 ... Tim Hulett going 5-for-5 with the bases loaded ... Bill Ripken diving into the hole.

--KEY ACTOR: Milligan.

--KEY UNDERSTUDY: Hulett.

--SCRIPT: For the first time, Milligan will play every day at first. For the first time, Bill Ripken might lose his job at second. Ripken Jr. is Ripken Jr., and Worthington returns as the club’s best clutch hitter -- .313 with men in scoring position last year, .223 all other times.

The righthanded-hitting Milligan has waited nine pro seasons for this chance. He led the club with a .394 on-base average last year and finished with 45 RBI in 365 at-bats. The Orioles figure he is good for 70 RBI over a full season. Only Jim Traber would protest.

Second base is another story. Bill Ripken will start, even though he is coming off surgery to his right shoulder, even though Hulett is a more productive hitter. The question, as always, is: Does Ripken’s superior defense make him worth the sacrifice on offense?

Ripken Jr. has no such worries. Granted, he has not hit .300 since 1984, but he has averaged 24 homers and 93 RBI over that stretch. He should be more relaxed now that better hitters surround him. And isn’t it about time he won a Gold Glove?

The same question might soon be asked about Worthington, who played in 145 games at third, most by an Oriole since Doug DeCinces in 1977. Worthington led major-league rookies with 70 RBI, and was second to Ken Griffey Jr. with 15 homers. Difficult numbers to improve.

Hulett, Rene Gonzales and Marty Brown are expected to play utility roles. Hulett primarily plays second base and third. Gonzales plays all four infield positions. Brown plays first base and third, catcher and left field.

Catcher

--MEMORABLE SCENES: The Mick hitting his 12th homer off Nolan Ryan May 29 to beat his previous high ... The Mick going deep twice against the Milwaukee Brewers with his parents in attendance at Memorial Stadium ... The Mick getting showered with Froot Loops ... Bob Melvin making like The Mick in Yankee Stadium, hitting his first home run in more than a year.

--KEY ACTOR: Mickey Tettleton.

--KEY UNDERSTUDY: Brown.

--SCRIPT: It’s easy to get carried away with Tettleton’s heroics, but he is not the only catcher on this team. The pitching staff had a 3.74 ERA with Melvin catching last year, a 4.25 ERA with Tettleton. Melvin doesn’t hit like The Mick, but he’s valuable nonetheless.

The likely plan this season is for the switch-hitting Tettleton to be the catcher against right-handers and the designated hitter against left-handers. He could use the break from catching coming off knee surgery to his left knee. His 26 home runs last year came in only 117 games.

Melvin is a part-time player because his .184 career average against right-handers is the lowest of any active player. His career mark against lefties, however, is .283, and 20 of his 32 RBI last year came with two outs.

Brown will be the third catcher, an important role when Tettleton and Melvin are in the lineup at the same time. Robinson now has the freedom to remove Melvin for a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner without using his pitcher to bat.

Outfield-DH

--MEMORABLE SCENES: Mike Devereaux hitting the first sudden-death home run by an Orioles rookie since Ripken Jr. in 1982 -- we think ... Steve Finley crashing into the right-field wall after his catch on Nick Esasky Opening Day ... Phil Bradley smashing a home run to lead off the final three-game series against Toronto ... Joe Orsulak going 3-for-3 with two homers on national television in Yankee Stadium ... Stan Jefferson doing a two-step around home plate to avoid a September tag.

--KEY ACTOR: Finley.

--KEY UNDERSTUDY: Brady Anderson:

--SCRIPT: The equation collapses if Finley is a bust. Bradley is a rock in left field, and Devereaux might prove nearly as solid in center. But the Orioles are counting on Finley to merit playing time in right, so that Orsulak can be the left-handed DH. Jefferson hurts the defense.

Bradley became the first Oriole to finish with at least 10 doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases, but he batted only .236 in the second half after starting the season with a .316 mark. Defensively, he is a gem: His .990 fielding average led American League left fielders.

Every year it appears Orsulak might be squeezed for playing time, but every year he gets close to 400 at-bats. He led the club in batting (.288) for the second consecutive season, nearly doubled his career-high RBI total (27 to 53) and improved his defense considerably. He will be challenged as the left-handed DH by Sam Horn, who came into camp this week.

Finley started the spring 3-for-24. He had a .158 average in only 38 at-bats against left-handers as a rookie.