Brian Roberts feature for the Chapel Hill News and Advocate
B-Rob still shines for Baltimore
The CHHS grad has cooled off a bit since the All-Star break, but Brian Roberts remains a star for the Orioles.
By DENIS GORMAN, CORRESPONDENT
BALTIMORE — These are not heady times for the Baltimore Orioles.
On top of the world, and the American League East, barely more than a month ago, the Orioles are 11 games off the pace for the AL wildcard.
Heading into Tuesday’s game with Tampa Bay, Baltimore (53-58) had lost 18 of its last 22 games.
The month of August has been the worst, and not just because the Orioles began it dropping five of seven games and firing manager Lee Mazzilli. They also had to witness star hitter Rafael Palmeiro being suspended for 10 days after testing positive for steroids. The revelation rocked all of Major League Baseball, but it shook the Orioles the most, and now the team seems almost devoid of hope.
“It’s not the kind of week that you want to have very often, that’s for sure,” said second baseman Brian Roberts, who played at Chapel Hill High School and UNC before making it to the big league. “I don’t think anybody really saw it coming.”
One of baseball’s most explosive offenses finds itself struggling to hit, to say nothing of scoring runs. The starting pitching, historically a Baltimore strength, has been hit hard in recent weeks, both figuratively (a 5.33 ERA for the month of July) and literally (Sidney Ponson and Daniel Cabrera left games last week, after being hit by batted balls). And a taxed bullpen hasn’t held anyone in check.
The Orioles’ hot start to the 2005 season has become a distant memory, as Baltimore seems destined for another postseason spent watching other teams battle in the playoffs.
But despite the gloom that surrounds one of baseball’s glamour franchises, there are rays of light. Brian Roberts is one of those.
At 5-feet-8, 175 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes and a sly grin, Roberts still looks more like someone’s kid brother than a major league second baseman.
But, when he takes the field, it’s apparent why he’s on the verge of supplanting Alfonso Soriano as the American League’s best second baseman — and why he started for the A.L. in the All-Star game in mid-July.
Offensively, BRob, as he’s called by his teammates, has posted staggering numbers, despite a slight slowing since the all-star break: a team-leading .325 batting average, 135 hits, 30 doubles, 20 stolen bases, 52 extra-base hits, 17 home runs and five triples.
“It started off probably better than it’s going right now. You don’t expect to start off quite as good as I did,” Roberts said.
A right-handed batter, Roberts’ level swing allows him to spray the ball to all fields. He’s patient at the plate, where he’s compiled a .402 on-base percentage, fourth overall in the American League.
Defensively, he’s just as good, having committed only four errors through Baltimore’s first 104 games.
For casual observers, Roberts’ 2005 season has been a revelation. But a closer examination of his career statistics shows that Roberts’ numbers have improved every season.
In 2004, Roberts’ first season as the everyday second baseman, he hit .273 with 50 doubles, 53 RBI, 56 extra-base hits and 29 stolen bases. Before that, Roberts and Jerry Hairston Jr. split time at second base. It was tough for both because they were close friends who wanted to play every day.
“Anyone who plays this game knows how difficult it is, even when the job is yours,” Roberts said. “It’s a frustrating game. If you’re worried about going 0-for-15 and not playing for a week after that, it’s hard.”
On the rise
Roberts’ story, like any worth telling, wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if there wasn’t an obstacle to overcome.
He’s triumphed over two; one life-threatening, and the other still causes him and his family pain and confusion.
When Roberts was five, he was diagnosed with a hole in his heart. Doctors were able to surgically repair the defect, but the lasting result was intangible.
Roberts, maybe more than any other Oriole, can relate to the sick children he visits.
“I don’t know if I appreciate (baseball and the ancillary things that come with it) more than anyone else; I certainly see, when I visit a kid, that life can be a lot different than it is,” he said.
“I obviously feel very fortunate and very blessed. I appreciate everything I’ve been allowed to do.”
After graduating from Chapel Hill High School, Roberts enrolled at the UNC, where his father, Mike, was the baseball coach.
Brian won honors as the 1997 NCAA Freshman of the Year, but UNC fired his father after the season. Upset with the university’s decision, Roberts transferred to the University of South Carolina.
To this day, father and son say they don’t understand why North Carolina fired Mike.
On the other hand
Miguel Tejada is considered one of the 10 best players in the game. At 5-9, 215 pounds, without an ounce of fat on his body, Tejada looks as if he is built out of granite. If Michelango’s David came to life, he’d bear a resemblance to Tejada.
He plays baseball’s glamour position, shortstop. He’s among the American League leaders in eight offensive categories.
Indisputably, he’s the Orioles’ most important player.
Except...
Tejada doesn’t think so. In his mind, the player Baltimore can least afford to lose is the one he sees over on the other side of second base.
“He’s great,” Tejada said of Roberts. “He does everything. I’m really comfortable (playing with him). We’ve been here last year and this year. We are where we are because of him. It’s not easy to find a good leadoff man in this game, and he’s (played well) this year. He’s the reason we’ve done so (well).”
Roberts laughed off Tejada’s comments.
“It’s nice of Miggy to say something like that,” Roberts said. “I don’t think it’s true. We have
guys — a lot of guys — who make other guy’s jobs easier. That’s how a good team should be: Everyone should fill a role.
“It’s a good place to be, when you’re in a lineup with Melvin Mora, Tejada, Javy Lopez, Sammy Sosa. It makes my job a little easier.”
The CHHS grad has cooled off a bit since the All-Star break, but Brian Roberts remains a star for the Orioles.
By DENIS GORMAN, CORRESPONDENT
BALTIMORE — These are not heady times for the Baltimore Orioles.
On top of the world, and the American League East, barely more than a month ago, the Orioles are 11 games off the pace for the AL wildcard.
Heading into Tuesday’s game with Tampa Bay, Baltimore (53-58) had lost 18 of its last 22 games.
The month of August has been the worst, and not just because the Orioles began it dropping five of seven games and firing manager Lee Mazzilli. They also had to witness star hitter Rafael Palmeiro being suspended for 10 days after testing positive for steroids. The revelation rocked all of Major League Baseball, but it shook the Orioles the most, and now the team seems almost devoid of hope.
“It’s not the kind of week that you want to have very often, that’s for sure,” said second baseman Brian Roberts, who played at Chapel Hill High School and UNC before making it to the big league. “I don’t think anybody really saw it coming.”
One of baseball’s most explosive offenses finds itself struggling to hit, to say nothing of scoring runs. The starting pitching, historically a Baltimore strength, has been hit hard in recent weeks, both figuratively (a 5.33 ERA for the month of July) and literally (Sidney Ponson and Daniel Cabrera left games last week, after being hit by batted balls). And a taxed bullpen hasn’t held anyone in check.
The Orioles’ hot start to the 2005 season has become a distant memory, as Baltimore seems destined for another postseason spent watching other teams battle in the playoffs.
But despite the gloom that surrounds one of baseball’s glamour franchises, there are rays of light. Brian Roberts is one of those.
At 5-feet-8, 175 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes and a sly grin, Roberts still looks more like someone’s kid brother than a major league second baseman.
But, when he takes the field, it’s apparent why he’s on the verge of supplanting Alfonso Soriano as the American League’s best second baseman — and why he started for the A.L. in the All-Star game in mid-July.
Offensively, BRob, as he’s called by his teammates, has posted staggering numbers, despite a slight slowing since the all-star break: a team-leading .325 batting average, 135 hits, 30 doubles, 20 stolen bases, 52 extra-base hits, 17 home runs and five triples.
“It started off probably better than it’s going right now. You don’t expect to start off quite as good as I did,” Roberts said.
A right-handed batter, Roberts’ level swing allows him to spray the ball to all fields. He’s patient at the plate, where he’s compiled a .402 on-base percentage, fourth overall in the American League.
Defensively, he’s just as good, having committed only four errors through Baltimore’s first 104 games.
For casual observers, Roberts’ 2005 season has been a revelation. But a closer examination of his career statistics shows that Roberts’ numbers have improved every season.
In 2004, Roberts’ first season as the everyday second baseman, he hit .273 with 50 doubles, 53 RBI, 56 extra-base hits and 29 stolen bases. Before that, Roberts and Jerry Hairston Jr. split time at second base. It was tough for both because they were close friends who wanted to play every day.
“Anyone who plays this game knows how difficult it is, even when the job is yours,” Roberts said. “It’s a frustrating game. If you’re worried about going 0-for-15 and not playing for a week after that, it’s hard.”
On the rise
Roberts’ story, like any worth telling, wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if there wasn’t an obstacle to overcome.
He’s triumphed over two; one life-threatening, and the other still causes him and his family pain and confusion.
When Roberts was five, he was diagnosed with a hole in his heart. Doctors were able to surgically repair the defect, but the lasting result was intangible.
Roberts, maybe more than any other Oriole, can relate to the sick children he visits.
“I don’t know if I appreciate (baseball and the ancillary things that come with it) more than anyone else; I certainly see, when I visit a kid, that life can be a lot different than it is,” he said.
“I obviously feel very fortunate and very blessed. I appreciate everything I’ve been allowed to do.”
After graduating from Chapel Hill High School, Roberts enrolled at the UNC, where his father, Mike, was the baseball coach.
Brian won honors as the 1997 NCAA Freshman of the Year, but UNC fired his father after the season. Upset with the university’s decision, Roberts transferred to the University of South Carolina.
To this day, father and son say they don’t understand why North Carolina fired Mike.
On the other hand
Miguel Tejada is considered one of the 10 best players in the game. At 5-9, 215 pounds, without an ounce of fat on his body, Tejada looks as if he is built out of granite. If Michelango’s David came to life, he’d bear a resemblance to Tejada.
He plays baseball’s glamour position, shortstop. He’s among the American League leaders in eight offensive categories.
Indisputably, he’s the Orioles’ most important player.
Except...
Tejada doesn’t think so. In his mind, the player Baltimore can least afford to lose is the one he sees over on the other side of second base.
“He’s great,” Tejada said of Roberts. “He does everything. I’m really comfortable (playing with him). We’ve been here last year and this year. We are where we are because of him. It’s not easy to find a good leadoff man in this game, and he’s (played well) this year. He’s the reason we’ve done so (well).”
Roberts laughed off Tejada’s comments.
“It’s nice of Miggy to say something like that,” Roberts said. “I don’t think it’s true. We have
guys — a lot of guys — who make other guy’s jobs easier. That’s how a good team should be: Everyone should fill a role.
“It’s a good place to be, when you’re in a lineup with Melvin Mora, Tejada, Javy Lopez, Sammy Sosa. It makes my job a little easier.”
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 2:52 AM
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