It’s March 29, 1996, and the Orioles are still down in Florida as Spring Training winds down. They lost 9-8 to the Red Sox, with closer Randy Myers giving up a 3-run homer to Kevin Mitchell with two outs in the 9th. Myers isn’t concerned: “My job today was to stretch out my fastball, and that’s what I did. If I had struck him out, it wouldn’t have made a difference.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 10C, March 30, 1996) That may be true, but come April 1 there will be a difference between a strikeout and a home run.

For the most part, the O’s are remarkably healthy heading into the season. The main injury of note is Alan Mills, the veteran middle reliever who has appeared in 148 games over the last four seasons in Baltimore. He had shoulder surgery in the offseason, had a setback this spring, and is still about a week to 10 days away from throwing off a mound. New manager Davey Johnson isn’t trying to set any timetables, “Because if I do,” he said, “then Millsy will try to beat it.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 10C, March 30, 1996)

Alan Mills was born in October of 1966 in Lakeland, Fla. Growing up, he loved football most, but there was a complication: He only had one kidney. Doctors advised him to switch to baseball. He liked playing the outfield best, but reluctantly took the mound and changed his career trajectory forever.

“He didn’t want to do it,” his high school coach, Bill Bullock, told The Ledger (Lakeland) in 2010. “But when a winner is told something is best for the team, he does it, and Alan made the best of it.” (The Ledger [Lakeland, Fla.], p. A8, December 27, 2010)

Mills went to Tuskegee University after graduation, but a year later the school stopped giving out scholarships for baseball, so he transferred to Polk Community College. He was drafted by the Red Sox in the first round of the 1986 draft. One of his conditions for signing was that the team cover his final two years of college. The Red Sox refused, so Mills did not sign. Months later, in the supplemental draft, the Angels again picked him in the first round. They agreed to pay for college, so he signed.

The next year, the Angels traded him to the Yankees, and he would make his debut in the Bronx in 1990 at 23 years old. He was about a league average bullpen arm across 36 games that first year, but ended up spending most of 1991 in Triple-A Columbus.

Prior to 1992, the Yankees sent him to Baltimore and he has been a regular in the bullpen since. After very solid seasons as a bulk reliever in 1992 and 1993 — he threw over 100 innings both years — he has struggled considerably in both 1994 and an injury-plagued 1995. 

After the season, Mills was surprised when the Orioles re-signed him despite his injury and poor performance. “I don’t want to get caught up in the excitement of trying to get back,” he said. “There will be a lot of temptation to push it. You’ll have your friends around you firing the ball, but I just want to take it one step at a time … and make sure I’m healthy.” (Baltimore Sun, p. D1, February 7, 1996)

While he will start 1996 on the injured list, he shouldn’t miss all that much time and if he’s effective he should slot right back into his spot as a bullpen regular.

Mills definitely represents a bygone era of baseball — especially compared to 2026. He’s an intimidating presence on the mound, staring almost right through batters with the outline of a tin of chewing tobacco in his back pocket. Like his teammate Arthur Rhodes, Mills is also a Black American pitcher, and in that regard he was an outlier even among his contemporaries. While there were significantly more Black Americans in MLB in the 1990s (16-19% compared to about 6% today), they only represented 6% of pitchers. (In 2024, only 29 of the 802 pitchers who appeared in a game were Black Americans.)

Nearing 30 years old and coming off a major injury, the clock could be ticking on Mills’ career. But the O’s have stocked up on the bullpen this offseason, so he doesn’t need to rush back. When he’s ready, he’ll have a spot waiting for him as he looks to make the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Friday at the Box Office

The #1 movie in America on Friday, March 29, 1996, is once again The Birdcage, for the fourth consecutive week. The top new movie of the weekend came in at second, and it is the Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd joint, Sgt. Bilko, a salute to the 1950s television series “You’ll Never Get Rich.” A 2.5 star syndicated New York Times review appearing deep in the back of The Baltimore Sun said it was “consistently funny” while acknowledging it was probably most suited for people who remembered the original series. (Baltimore Sun, p. 10D, March 29, 1996)

Fun in the Sun

Welcome to a recurring segment where I find fun things in today’s (in 1996) Baltimore Sun!

Today’s Sun had an entire section devoted to the new baseball season. It included analysis of every team and little profiles on each member of the O’s Opening Day roster. As you can see, star second baseman Robbie Alomar’s arrival in Baltimore is the big news.