This, that and the other

The notebook is cleaned out but my mind remains cluttered.

You’ve been warned.

* Anyone with an obsession over splits is going to be drawn to Adley Rutschman.

He’s a conversation starter.

Rutschman batted .219 with a .631 OPS from the left side of the plate. However, he hit .280 with an .889 OPS from the left side as a rookie, compared to .174 with a .552 OPS from the right.

That's my immediate response to whether he should ditch switch-hitting. I carry it in my imaginary holster.

Now go to his stats when catching versus serving as designated hitter.

Rutschman batted .298 with an .854 OPS this season in 186 plate appearances as the DH, compared to .231 with a .650 OPS in 448 plate appearances when catching. He hit .284 with an .874 OPS in 203 plate appearances as DH in 2023 and .276 with a .786 OPS in 480 plate appearances when catching. Not as lopsided, but still tilted.

The numbers also were better as DH during his rookie season, again in a smaller sample size with most of his starts coming in the field.

None of this is a suggestion that he should become the primary DH. It’s just an interesting nugget.

* Athletics closer Mason Miller was chosen the American League’s Rookie of the Year yesterday by The Sporting News, which compiles votes from players, managers and executives.

Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser might be the favorite for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America honor. He’s a finalist for the Players Choice Award with Austin Wells and Wilyer Abreu.

Cowser belongs in that group, but so does Miller, who posted a 2.49 ERA and 0.877 WHIP with 28 saves for a bad team and averaged 14.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Miller also earned the win in the All-Star Game and threw a 103.6 mph fastball to Trea Turner that ranked as the fastest ever in the Midsummer Classic since tracking began in 2008. He struck out two batters, including Shohei Ohtani on a slider.

Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.  is The Sporting News’ AL Comeback Player of the Year. Orioles pitcher Albert Suárez is 0-for-2 after failing to rank among the MLBPA’s finalists.

Brandon Hyde won back-to-back Sporting News Manager of the Year awards in 2022-23, but Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt ended the streak.

Cowser and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle are Gold Glove finalists but the Fielding Bible Awards were presented yesterday to Detroit’s Riley Greene and Atlanta’s Matt Olson, respectively.

Mountcastle finished fifth in voting, the only Orioles player to crack the top five.

* The Yankees-Dodgers are meeting in the World Series for the first time since 1981, a memorable matchup for a few reasons, and not all of them good.

A players’ strike that ran from June 12-Aug. 8 split the season into two halves. The Dodgers won the championship in six games after the Yankees did the same in 1977 and ’78, but it felt tainted.

Everything that year seemed abnormal, including the selection of World Series Most Valuable Player.

Why choose one when you can have three? Quick, name them.

Too late.

Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager shared the award, which was lame. At least narrow it to two, like the Diamondbacks’ Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in 2001.

* After sharing my memories of former Anne Arundel County Sun columnist Pat O’Malley, I wanted to also mention the passing of longtime Evening Sun sportswriter Phil Jackman earlier this month at age 87.

Jackman wrote the popular “TV Repairman” column, with one-paragraph critiques that could be harsh and hilarious. He didn’t pull any punches. The Massachusetts native had a wicked sense of humor.

We didn’t cross paths much because I was working for the Anne Arundel bureau, but I’ll always appreciate our brief conversation in the Calvert Street building after my promotion to the Orioles beat. I mostly wrote the pregame notebooks, and Jackman took the time to walk over to my desk, compliment my work and offer some advice.

“Give them a wink and a smile.”

I interpreted his words to mean that I should shorten my notebook items. Have some fun with them. Post more quick hits. Don't take it too seriously. Something like that. 

It was an extremely kind act from someone who didn’t really know me but wanted to help out a young scribe.

* Former Orioles pitcher Rudy May passed away this week at age 80.

Older fans will remember that the Orioles acquired May in the 10-player trade with the Yankees in 1976. May, Rick Dempsey Tippy Martinez, Scott McGregor and Dave Pagan came to Baltimore in exchange for Doyle Alexander, Elrod Hendricks, Ken Holtzman, Grant Jackson and Jimmy Freeman. McGregor got the final out in the 1983 World Series and Dempsey was named Most Valuable Player.

May went 11-7 with a 3.78 ERA in 24 appearances after the trade and 18-14 with a 3.61 ERA, 11 complete games and four shutouts over 37 starts in 1977. The Orioles included him in another important trade in December, sending him to the Expos with Bryn Smith and Randy Miller for outfielder Gary Roenicke, reliever Joe Kerrigan and closer Don Stanhouse.

May crafted a 16-year career in the majors, returning to the Yankees for the last four. He was important to the Orioles – both with his arrival and departure.

*As long as I'm fixated on death, legendary pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, one of the most dominant players of his era, also passed away this week at age 63.

Valenzuela is forever linked to the Dodgers, of course, but it gets overlooked that he appeared in 32 games with the Orioles in 1993 after spending the previous year in Mexico and agreeing to a minor league deal. He registered a 4.94 ERA and 1.444 WHIP with 79 walks and 78 strikeouts in 178 2/3 innings.

The signing came after a suggestion from Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, who worked as assistant general manager, and special assistant Fred Uhlman Sr.

“(Robinson) mentioned to me about 10 days ago that Fernando was someone we should give some consideration to,” general manager Roland Hemond said in a Baltimore Sun article. “We checked with (Uhlman), who said, ‘He can pitch better than a lot of pitchers in the major leagues.”

Uhlman scouted Valenzuela during a game in the Caribbean Series. Dave Johnson was the opposing pitcher.

Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. posted his condolences on the former Twitter.

“I was so sorry to hear the news about Fernando. He was a great teammate and a tremendous competitor who made his mark on the game. One of a kind. Condolences to his family and the @Dodgers organization and fans.”

* I have my own Valenzuela story and it doesn’t involve the Orioles.

A friend talked me into flying to Los Angeles in the mid-80s, my first trip there and my first flight as an adult, which led to my first use of a vomit bag. I also made my only visit to Dodger Stadium for a Sunday afternoon game featuring Valenzuela.

Our van got a flat tire and we drifted into a gas station, where one of the employees informed us that the garage was closed until Monday. No mechanics on site. He apologized but insisted that he couldn’t help us. My friend’s final plea went something like this:

“We’re going to Dodger Stadium to see Fernando.”

That was the magic word.

“Fernando!” he said, and changed our tire in 30 seconds.  

I don’t remember the opponent, only that Valenzuela struggled and I missed multiple innings trying to purchase an overrated Dodger Dog. I also wore white shorts, well above the knees, and a tank top. A photo of me posing against a railing in the upper deck is stored in a box at my house.

My wife has instructions to burn it after I die.