It’s May 2, 1996, and the O’s have a day off today to lick their wounds after two straight losses to the Yankees that took a combined nearly 10 hours to play.

As the team takes a break, all eyes are on the man who hasn’t had a day off in almost 15 years. Cal Ripken, Jr., was removed for a pinch runner in the eighth inning of yesterday’s marathon 15-inning game against the Yankees. Today, everyone is talking about his “benching.”

Cal was mad after the game – possibly about the loss, possibly about being removed for the first time since 1982. He refused to comment.

Today, O’s general manager Pat Gillick is doing damage control. “What Cal has done for baseball, and especially what he did for the game in 1995, is something that is so outstanding it can’t be measured,” he said. “But at the same time, the manager has to do what he feels is proper to do to try to win the game. If he thinks he has someone who can steal or run or help score a [critical] run, that’s what he has to do.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 6D, May 3, 1996)

The Brewers are coming to town this weekend. Let’s see if the O’s can get right against them. Until then, adios!

No game means no new bricks.

Brewers (12-14) vs. Orioles (14-13), 7:35 p.m.

Starting Pitchers
MIL – RHP Ricky Bones (1-4, 4.93 ERA)
BAL – RHP Scott Erickson (1-2, 3.48 ERA)

Here’s a fun lede in today’s Sun: “Saying it’s ‘payback time,’ the Maryland attorney general filed a $13 billion lawsuit against U.S. tobacco companies yesterday to recoup money the state has spent treating smoking-related illnesses among the poor.”

Maryland is the eighth state to file such a lawsuit in the last two years, joining some odd bedfellows in Florida, Mississippi, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia.

“We will allege and prove that [tobacco companies] have engaged in suppressing and misrepresenting health information to keep the public ignorant,” said Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. “I intend to win this case by forcing the industry to answer some very devastating questions: ‘What did they know, when did they know it, and why did they cover it up?’”

Jeez, he sounds serious. He has help, as the state brought in Orioles owner Peter Angelos to handle the lawsuit.

For their part, the tobacco companies are shocked, and I mean shocked, to be accused of such things. Peggy Carter, who has dedicated her life to the wonderful pursuit of being the spokesperson for R.J. Reynolds, presumably starting with “Well, I never…” responded.

“I find it troubling that the attorney general is suggesting that certain groups in American society are not capable of making decisions about advertising messages,” she said. Oh boy…

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

This is quite a deal on decorative mulch.