Now Batting for the Orioles, Methuselah

You get the idea that Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post was getting a bit disgusted with the Baltimore Orioles when he wrote:

“What’s [Oriole owner Peter Angelos] thinking when he says ‘it’s about time’ to trade for younger players? When exactly will it be time--next week, when half of the Orioles qualify for AARP benefits?

“Look at this team. It’s older than ‘The McLaughlin Group.’ [Joe] Carter is 38, Eric Davis 36, Harold Baines 38, Cal Ripken 37, [Norm] Charlton and [Doug] Drabek 35, Jesse Orosco 42. With old goats like that, they could trade for Milton Berle and get younger.”

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Trivia time: Who was the last 20-game loser in the major leagues?

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Quick start: The University of Nebraska is building 42 luxury boxes at Memorial Stadium, and the $20-million project was paid for quickly when the 10 closest to midfield were leased for 25 years for $2 million each.

That leaves the remaining 32 as gravy, at $750,000 each for 10 seasons.

Downside: The construction at Nebraska held down attendance for the spring football game to about 52,000.

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Maybe it’s the name: The starting third baseman for the Marlin season opener was Josh Booty, who was sent to triple-A Charlotte after batting .158 for Florida, then to double-A Portland after batting .142 at Charlotte.

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The Kid and the kids: The Boston Globe’s Peter May figures that “Larry Brown is well on his way to constructing his ideal: a college team. He has on his [Philadelphia 76er] roster a handful of 19-year-olds, either in age or in mind, including Derrick Coleman.”

Until Coleman was cut loose Tuesday.

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End of the line? Dan LeBatard in the Miami Herald, on the arrest of oft-arrested Dolphin running back Lawrence Phillips:

“If Phillips did punch a woman for having the audacity to refuse his dance request, then he is beyond salvation, even using football’s forgiving standards.

“This man has cost himself about $10 million with off-field behavior, and he knows Miami might be the last stop, so you don’t need a courtroom to know Phillips’ very presence at a bar at 3 a.m. makes him guilty of bad judgment.”

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Trivia answer: Brian Kingman of the Oakland Athletics in 1980.

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And finally: From Toronto Sun columnist Bill Lankof: “Down on the field, balls fly everywhere except in the net, players spend 90 minutes kicking each other in the ankles and rolling around on the grass in agony. Up in the stands, fans practice scarf-waving while punching, fighting, bouncing chairs off each other’s noggins and cursing and poking on each other.

“In soccer, these games are called ‘a friendly.’ ”