O's Penn Is Delighted to Make Spring Debut

JUPITER, Fla., March 7 -- While his bleary-eyed and road-weary teammates reluctantly stuffed jerseys and pants into their black equipment bags, pitcher Hayden Penn quickly, efficiently and eagerly packed for the trip here. No one on the bus was looking forward to Wednesday's exhibition game against the Florida Marlins more than Penn, the Baltimore Orioles prospect whose opportunities to crack the starting rotation have been met with disappointment.

Last May, after being recalled from Class AAA Ottawa to replace Daniel Cabrera in the rotation, Penn was struck with appendicitis. John Halama started in his place while Penn lay on the clubhouse couch in agonizing pain before being sent to a local hospital, where he underwent an appendectomy. Adam Loewen eventually got the rotation spot and is now firmly entrenched there. When Penn got a second chance in September, he flopped (15.10 ERA).

This spring, after Kris Benson had a partially torn rotator cuff diagnosed, Penn was again at the top of the list of candidates to replace him in the rotation. The team signed veteran Steve Trachsel, but still hoped Penn, with a standout spring, could fill the rotation slot.

Several weeks into camp, Penn sprained his left ankle while carrying boxes at the team hotel, causing him to miss several days of practice and canceling his first scheduled appearance.

"That's life," said Penn, 22. "It happens to everyone one way or another. Yeah, it was disappointing, but it happens and you have to learn from it."

Penn began to warm up in the bullpen during the third inning of Wednesday's game. He tugged at his hat before throwing the first warmup pitch and grabbed the rosin bag between pitches. Finally, after Miguel Tejada grounded into a double play to end the fourth inning, Penn sprinted from the bullpen to begin his first inning of the spring.

Penn's debut was not spectacular; he loaded the bases but did not allow a run in an inning of work. He said he had little pain but felt his ankle give a bit while throwing one curveball. To get him on the mound in a game was the main accomplishment.

"I don't know how far behind I am," Penn said. "I know everyone has thrown. I was the last guy to throw."

Penn hardly said a word in the clubhouse before Wednesday's game, but after the outing, he was chatty. Penn spoke with reporters, then talked with Orioles utility infielder Chris Gomez. Penn first met Gomez at age 12 when he was selected to go on the field at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego to meet a Padres player, who happened to be Gomez.

"He was my favorite major league player," Penn said. "Still is."

Penn, who is 6 feet 3, was a standout basketball player at Santana High School in San Diego and played in a California high school all-star game against Tyson Chandler, now a center with the New Orleans Hornets. During his junior year he was recruited by San Diego State to play both sports. When baseball coach Tony Gwynn visited at his home, Penn said he told Gwynn he'd likely play basketball, too. Gwynn, a two-sport star at San Diego State, did not argue.

But in his senior year at Santana, Penn reached 90 mph on the radar gun. He was drafted by the Orioles and basketball became just a hobby. One day, he said, if he fails at baseball, he'd like to play college basketball, perhaps at a junior college.

In the meantime, Orioles Manager Sam Perlozzo has not given up on Penn. He said he wants Penn to throw three innings in his next outing, which likely will be Monday. Penn said he was told he has an opportunity to make the 25-man roster.

"We would not rule anything out," Perlozzo said. "There's a long way to go and anything can happen. We'd like to see him force our hand and give us somebody who can step in there if we need them."