(Best E Casino) - Everyone knows that major league careers don't last forever and yet it is never easy to watch a veteran get to the point where he is no longer the performing well enough to hold down a spot on a club roster.
In the case of right-hander Steve Trachsel, it became rather clear in the last few weeks that the 16-year hurler was nearing an end, at least, that is, with the Baltimore Orioles.
Trachsel, who was picked up as a free agent after playing with the Chicago Cubs for the second time in his career, went from the starting rotation for the Orioles to begin the 2008 campaign, to the bullpen and then limbo when he was designated for assignment on Tuesday.
The 37-year old started off the season well enough with a victory over Seattle in his first appearance in early April, but from there the wheels slowly began falling off.
Of his last eight appearances, Trachsel made it through three innings just three times and only once did he manage to work his way back into the win column. Because of his ineffectiveness, Baltimore manager Dave Trembley was forced to send Trachsel to the bullpen to see if there was any life left in the aging arm.
Unfortunately, the transition to reliever was anything but a relief for Trachsel, who on Saturday allowed four runs -- two earned -- on four hits and a pair of walks in just an inning of work versus Toronto on the road. Issuing a total of five walks in the last six innings, without the benefit of a single strikeout, was one of the factors that led to Trembley making the tough decision to sever ties with Trachsel.
Control has been a growing concern since the start of the 2006 campaign when he was in his final season with the New York Mets. Despite having a .500 record (24-24) over the term, Trachsel has found it more and more difficult to take care of batters on his own, logging just 151 strikeouts in 362 1/3 innings, compared to 181 walks. Giving up 10 home runs in under 40 innings this season was far from encouraging also.
At this point, the aging Trachsel might be near the end of the line, with the O's needing to either place him on waivers, make an unlikely trade or release him outright within 10 days of removing him from the 40-man roster.
ALL-OR-NONE STAR
As of Monday, June 9 the Red Sox and Yankees continued to dominate in fan voting for the 2008 All-Star Game, with the gala set for Yankee Stadium for the fourth and final time.
Among the players listed as the top-five vote-getters at the infield positions and DH, and the top 15 choices for outfielders, only one wears a Baltimore uniform. Second baseman Brian Roberts has picked up just under a quarter- million votes, yet that still leaves him more than 100,000 behind Detroit's Placido Polanco who is in the fourth spot and has less than half the votes generated by Boston's Dustin Pedroia (809,114).
Roberts currently leads the O's with 19 doubles and five triples and is tied for the team lead with 35 runs scored. He is second in hits with 68 and is among the top hitters on the club overall with a .283 batting average, but are those the sort of numbers that demand Roberts be given All-Star consideration?
WHO'S HOT
Designated hitter Aubrey Huff, who entered Tuesday night's game against Boston just 1-of-7 with three strikeouts versus Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima, broke out in a big way with a crucial two-run single in the late innings and tied a career high with four hits overall in a 10-6 victory in Beantown.
Nick Markakis has logged a staggering 14 hits in his last six games, knocking in five and scoring five runs along the way.
The aforementioned Roberts has boosted his numbers over the last week with five doubles and 11 hits overall in 25 at-bats, crossing the plate five times and bringing in another five ahead of him.
WHO'S NOT
With the Orioles hitting a collective .306 over the last six games, it is tough to find players who are not carrying their weight. While Melvin Mora has registered just three hits in 19 at-bats (.158), two of those have been home runs. He has knocked in four and scored four runs of his own in five games, so he is still getting the job done for the most part.
Relief pitcher Matt Albers has appeared in a pair of games in the last week, permitting three runs in just 1 2/3 innings while missing out on a save opportunity and suffering one of the team's two losses.
ON DECK
The Orioles continue their three-game set with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway tonight, finishing it up with Thursday's affair.
After that the team gets back to familiar surroundings in Baltimore, yet go against unfamiliar foes in Pittsburgh and Houston during interleague play over the next week, with the Milwaukee Brewers showing up on the schedule next weekend on the road as well.
