Baltimore's Cal Ripken lays down a sacrifice bunt in the second inning of the season opener against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Monday. (AP)

By Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 6, 1999; Page D1

BALTIMORE, April 5 – Opening Day 1999 at Camden Yards produced all the usual excitement and eloquence about newness and rebirth. But throughout the Baltimore Orioles' wild 10-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays today, the words rang truer and the feelings ran deeper, as if the last Opening Day of the millennium might have signaled some bigger wave of change.

If so, a symbolic moment occurred in the bottom of the third inning. Right fielder Albert Belle, the Orioles' new superstar and, apparently, an instant fan favorite, had just lofted a three-run homer, giving the Orioles the lead and sending the sellout crowd of 46,733 into delirium. Belle was raising both arms in a curtain call, when from out of the dugout popped rookie Willis Otanez, quietly stepping into the on-deck circle to pinch-hit for Cal Ripken.

Ripken, 38, baseball's eternal Iron Man and the symbol of this team for 17 years, was pulled from the game in the third inning with what was described as lower back stiffness. Amid speculation that Ripken might retire after this season, the sight of someone else at third base for the Orioles raised the possibility that this might have been Ripken's final Opening Day.

Ripken was taken to a hospital late in the game to have the back examined, but General Manager Frank Wren said he expects Ripken to play Wednesday, following Tuesday's off-day. "He's day to day," Wren said. "It's just stiffness. It's not unusual this early in the year. It's not a major thing."

Teammates said Ripken was in discomfort before the game, but tried to play through it. However, after running hard to first on a sacrifice bunt, he told Manager Ray Miller the back was too stiff for him to continue. Miller instantly removed him.

"It was a prudent move," Miller said. "It stiffened up on a cold day. I'm not going to take chances. He's not a young man. . . . He has good recuperative powers. I think he's proven that over the years."

While Ripken deals with the travails of his age and the taxing, daily nature of baseball, Belle appears to be a superstar in the prime of his career. And on Opening Day, of all days, the possibilities seem endless. Though he continued his spring policy of not speaking to the media before or after the game, Belle's exuberant curtain call spoke volumes.

"Albert came here to play ball. The team needed him and the fans needed him. And he came through," said first baseman Will Clark, like Belle making his Orioles debut. "They respect that, and they showed it. And he gave them a curtain call."

Belle's homer, an opposite-field shot on a low fastball from starter Wilson Alvarez, was the first of what the Orioles hope will be many from Belle, one of baseball's premier sluggers whom the Orioles are paying $65 million over the next five years. Belle, a notoriously slow starter early in the season, hit only one homer in spring training.

The Orioles revamped their aging roster this winter, and today fielded a starting lineup with only four returning players from last season. But many of the team's new players produced today. Belle had four RBI. Clark singled, doubled and drove in two runs. Designated hitter Jeff Conine drew a pair of walks. Catcher Charles Johnson singled twice. Right-handed reliever Mike Fetters pitched out of a sixth-inning jam. And new closer Mike Timlin earned the save by getting two quick outs in the ninth.

Center fielder Brady Anderson isn't a new member of the Orioles, but he appeared to be rejuvenated, going 3 for 4 with a solo homer and two RBI. Although Anderson has been with the team for more than a decade now, he was injured throughout 1998 and his numbers dropped precipitously. Healthy again, Anderson, the team's leadoff hitter and sparkplug, is one of the major keys to the Orioles' season.

"Brady's going to have a great year if I can keep him from crashing into walls," Miller said. "He's in a great frame of mind."

The blitz of offense allowed the Orioles to win on a day in which they didn't pitch particularly well. Ace starter Mike Mussina (1-0) made the fifth Opening Day start of his career, but the first without catcher Chris Hoiles – who was released by the team Friday. Mussina, uncharacteristically wild (four walks) and flat (eight hits), labored through a five-inning, four-run afternoon.

The Orioles' bullpen was alternately awful and awesome. New right-hander Ricky Bones, who relieved Mussina after the fifth, couldn't get out of the sixth inning, getting only one out and loading the bases. But Fetters, after walking Jose Canseco to force in a run, made a brilliant escape, striking out Fred McGriff and coaxing a groundout from John Flaherty.

Heathcliff Slocumb, yet another new right-hander, also botched his only inning, which happened to be the ninth. Slocumb faced two batters; he hit one, and gave up a double to the other. Now faced with a save situation, Miller brought in Timlin with runners at second and third, one out and the tying run at the plate. Timlin, a nasty sinkerball pitcher, overpowered Robert Smith (groundout) and Randy Winn (strikeout) to end the game.

So the Orioles finished the day uncertain of the status of Ripken, but they also left encouraged by what the next 161 games might bring, thanks largely to the powerful bat of Belle.

"Opening Day is like the rebirth of major league baseball, and we've got a superstar who hit more homers than anyone in baseball the last eight years," Miller said. "He hits a homer and we win on Opening Day, right off the bat. It doesn't get any better than that."

Orioles Notes
Injured second baseman Delino DeShields (broken thumb) left the team to begin a three-day rehabilitation assignment at the minor league camp in Sarasota, Fla. He will play Friday night for Class AA Bowie, and could be activated from the disabled list Saturday.