Young Orioles Are Gaining Some Respect

Three hours before the first pitch Wednesday, the manager stood behind the batting cage at Memorial Stadium, watching batting practice.

The afternoon was clear and cool, with a constant, healthy breeze. Sunlight shone in the manager’s eyes and off his uniform. His hands were stuffed into his back pockets. He was talking about his team. And he was happy.

Yes, happy. Even though his team had lost in the 13th inning the night before. Even though his team had won only five games, not enough to scare away boos in many cities. Even though his bullpen was shaky and his lineup didn’t have much power and, if he were to look in the mirror and admit the truth, he was one of the few major-league managers for whom the playoffs are but a pipe dream in 1989.

No matter. He still was happy. His team had played 12 games so far this season, nine on the road against tough teams, and had been ahead in 11. Only once had it been blown out, in an 8-3 loss in Minnesota.

Otherwise, every game had been close, usually to the end. Opponents were sweating to beat his team again. And it had been a while since that was the case. A long while. So the manager stood in the breeze and smiled.

“I think what we’re talking about here is getting respect again,� Frank Robinson said. “I know some people are saying, ‘Hey, it’s still early in the season; we know they’re going to fall flat one of these days.’ But those people are going to be surprised at how we’re going to go after them from the first out to the last out. It’s not going to be easy when they play us.�

Tough talk. A jutting chin from the manager of a team that lost 107 games last year and was in fifth place as he spoke, despite the credible start. But this season is not about wins and losses. Not about height in the standings. It is about taking the first step back from the nadir that was last season, the blackest of black holes. It is about being competitive.

That is what the Orioles have been during the first two weeks of this season. Competitive. They have played three of the toughest teams in the American League -- the Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox -- and they have been close in virtually every game. If you think that isn’t newsworthy, you haven’t been watching the last few years.

“I don’t know if we have caught specific teams by surprise,� Robinson said, “but maybe we have caught the whole baseball world by surprise. I think that the baseball world thought we were going to be young, not competitive. People said, ‘Hey, what are the Orioles going to do this year? Oh, not much.’ But we’ve caught them by surprise with how hard we have played and hard it has been to beat us.

“I’m not happy about losing games, like we did last night. But we’ve lost seven games in all so far, and I can’t remember one when I left the stadium upset with the loss. We’ve played hard and aggressively every night. I’m very satisfied with how things have gone.�

The 13-inning loss to Kansas City was a fine example. The Royals took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the Orioles rallied, scoring a run in the first, another in the fourth and two in the fifth. And it was the way they scored the runs that so enthused the manager. Stolen bases. Bunts. Runners taking extra bases. Gambling on the basepaths.

“Being aggressive,� Robinson said. “There isn’t a thing in this game that helps the attitude on a club more, makes them believe in themselves. It’s the way we’re going to play. We can’t just sit back and wait for the three-run homer anymore. We know this. We’ve talked about it since spring training. And so far I’ve been happy with the way the team has adapted to what essentially is a new style of ball.�

Take the fifth inning of the 13-inning loss. Brady Anderson singled, stole second on the first pitch, then went to third when the Royals’ catcher threw the ball into center field. Phil Bradley singled Anderson home, stole second, then was thrown out at third when Joe Orsulak tried to bunt his way on base. Cal Ripken doubled, and Orsulak, running with the pitch, scored on a close play at the plate.

Two runs.

Two runs the Orioles would not have scored last year. Last year, no Oriole stole more than 12 bases. This year, Anderson already has five. He also has five doubles, seven walks, a .390 on-base percentage and has scored 11 runs, seventh-best in the league.

Last year, the Orioles stole 69 bases. They already have 16 this year; they will steal 215 if they keep up the pace all season.