Baseball Sunday

The quote

"(He's) been booed by the booingest fans in the world."

—Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon

scoffing at the idea that the rough treatment by Tropicana Field fans might be contributing to designated hitter Pat Burrell's batting woes, referring to his nine years playing for the Philadelphia Phillies

The stat

5: Orioles starting pitchers who have won their major-league debuts this season: Koji Uehara, Brad Bergesen, Jason Berken, David Hernandez and Brian Matusz. That's the most since the 1888 Chicago White Sox had six, but Orioles catcher Matt Wieters claimed he wasn't impressed with the old record. "That's when they started baseball. So everybody was debuting," he joked.

Around the horn

Getting a sign

Twins shortstop Orlando Cabrera, 34, is amused by the youthful enthusiasm of 23-year-old centerfielder Carlos Gomez. He even enjoys the intricate handshake routine Gomez goes through in the dugout while congratulating a teammate.

But after Gomez missed a hit-and-run sign, Cabrera was puzzled. "If you can remember all the handshakes, how can you not remember the signs?" he asked Gomez.

Bad press

This was the lead to the New York Post game story this week after Nelson Figueroa gave up six runs in 1? innings against Arizona:

"Any chance Mets GM Omar Minaya dialed the wrong number and actually called up Ed Figueroa for last night's start?

"Then again, the 60-year-old former Yankees pitcher might have given the Mets a better chance than Nelson Figueroa, who can shuffle his fanny back to (Triple A) Buffalo — or points further north — ASAP."

Trippin'

The Braves played the Dodgers at Turner Field last Sunday night, a game that was originally scheduled for the afternoon but was moved to accommodate ESPN.

Then the players flew to San Diego, arriving around 3 a.m. — 6 in the morning Atlanta time — before having to play the Padres that night. Not surprisingly, they looked tired and listless in a 4-2 loss.

At least manager Bobby Cox didn't use that as an excuse. "Doesn't matter, still have to play the games," he said with a shrug.

Fountain of youth

Wayne Terwilliger, 84, has been in baseball for more than 60 years and is still going strong as a coach for the Fort Worth Cats of the independent Central League.

Asked for the secret to his continued vitality, his response was short and to the point. "I eat a lot of bananas for potassium and drink Budweiser Light," he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "That's the answer."

—Philadelphia Daily News

Get to know a league

Florida State League