Bordick Signing a Positive Move by the Orioles

You want to complain about the Orioles? Go ahead. Knock yourself out. The club has made any number of moves and decisions about which you can complain.

But their decision to re-sign shortstop Mike Bordick to a two-year deal Wednesday isn’t one of them.

Their failure to re-sign Mike Mussina and fill the rotation with sure-thing starters? Sure, you can complain about that.

But not about bringing Bordick back.

Their failure to plug the holes in the bullpen, after owner Peter Angelos guaranteed it would happen? Go right ahead and moan.

But don’t moan about Bordick.

Their impossible-to-decipher methodology, which consists of talking about committing to youth in one breath and then committing to a trio of free agents aged 32, 34 and 35 in the next? Go ahead, scream at the top of your lungs in frustration. You have every right.

But leave Bordick out of it.

Yes, he’s 35 and his signing is just the latest indication that the club’s idea of rebuilding is curious to say the least, but he brings so many positives to the club on and off the field that anyone second-guessing the signing should listen to Orioles hitting coach Terry Crowley.

“Ooh, I wanted him back,” Crowley said Wednesday. “I went in and pushed for him a little. Actually, I pushed for him a lot. You just want guys like that on your team.”

Only a baseball Scrooge wouldn’t. Bordick brings excellent defense, intelligent hitting, a humble outlook, an all-out effort every night, a peerless work ethic, a family that lives year-round in the community--hey, what more do you want?

If one of your complaints about the Orioles is they don’t play hard, connect with fans or resemble the heady, unassuming clubs you used to cheer for, you can’t complain about Bordick. He does all that and more. He makes all the pitchers better, stabilizes the defense up the middle and is a good example to any young player who wanders through the clubhouse.

Sure, you could argue that he’s a career .262 hitter who has peaked, and the club isn’t going to win in 2001 and probably won’t in 2002, either, so Bordick’s playing time should go to a younger guy. Why not develop one when nothing is at stake?

But while that’s logical thinking, the sad reality is the Orioles had no one else to play shortstop for the next two years. Melvin Mora showed last season that he wasn’t dependable enough, and one of the Orioles’ favorite prospects, 19-year-old Ed Rogers, is still developing. The Orioles needed someone and with Bordick apparently lacking in attractive alternatives, it was a good fit for both sides.

The Orioles will benefit most from the alliance. All things being equal, it’s always good to have players who make the fans feel better about cheering for their team--an area in which the Orioles need help. And as for the suggestion that Bordick has peaked, be careful--like Paul Molitor, he could be one of those players who keeps getting better with age.

“He still runs well, he makes the pitchers better [with his fielding] and he was hitting .300 when he left (in a trade with the Mets) last season,” Crowley said. “I feel confident that we can get back into our routine and he can hit that well again.”

His daily, early hitting routine with Crowley helped make him into a player the Orioles could get four players for in a trade last July. Yes, his hitting tailed off a bit with the Mets, especially in the playoffs, but the Mets weren’t quite as willing to fully support the routine he wanted.

“The things we do here might be as good as or better than what the Mets do,’ Crowley said. ‘We’ve had success with Bordy and some other guys who have been around the block (including B.J. Surhoff, Charles Johnson and Cal Ripken). I’m looking forward to getting back to working with Mike.”