It’s September 27, 1996, and Roberto Alomar spit in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck. With just a couple games left to play, the O’s season has its most controversial moment to date. After Alomar’s ejection in the first inning, the O’s didn’t do much damage, falling 3-2 to the Jays but clinching at least a tie for the wild card because Seattle lost later in the evening.

But all eyes were on Alomar’s loogie. When he was called out on strikes on a ball way outside of the strike zone, the typically reserved Alomar let Hirschbeck hear it. Eventually, the ump threw him out of the game and Alomar raced to get into his face. As O’s manager Davey Johnson tried to pull him away, Robbie very clearly launched a wad of spit directly into the ump’s face.

“I’m not going to lie,” Alomar said to the Sun’s Buster Olney. “He called me a name, and I called him the same name back. … They can do anything to you, but you can’t do anything to them. I’ve never seen anyone miss a pitch so far outside.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 6C, September 28, 1996)

Hirschbeck, who also was the ump who ejected Robbie the last time he was ejected, in July 1995, was very mad. “He spit all over my face is what he did,” he said. “In my eyes, everywhere. Twenty-one years, never [before].”

The spitting was probably unacceptable, it’s true, but I do believe that Hirschbeck insulted Robbie. What Robbie did next in his interview is where he crossed over into supervillain territory.

“I think he got problems with his family after his son died.” Wait, really Robbie? Hirschbeck’s young son, John, died in 1993 of a rare disease. “I know that’s something real tough in life for a person. I don’t know, he just changed personality-wise. He just got more bitter.”

Not the best time to bring this up, Robbie, even if you are cutting a heel promo. 

The pearl clutching started immediately.

“Roberto Alomar couldn’t have been more wrong to spit in umpire John Hirschbeck’s face after being ejected form last night’s game at SkyDome,” wrote the Sun’s John Eisenberg. “How could such a smart player do such a dumb thing? How could a player who does so many things right do something so incredibly wrong?” (Baltimore Sun, p. 1C, September 28, 1996)

It does seem like Alomar will almost assuredly be suspended. The real question is whether that suspension will be in the playoffs. Because if the O’s are without one of their best players when they go up against mighty Cleveland, it could be a disaster. I guess we just have to wait and see.

As for the game, Brady Anderson hit his 49th homer, but the O’s couldn’t do much else off of Paul Quantrill and three relievers. Scott Erickson was solid if unspectacular, giving up three runs in six-plus innings and falling to 13-12 on the season.

But the O’s are two games up on the wildcard with two to play. They can clinch as early as tomorrow. Here’s hoping they can bounce back from today’s ugliness and give O’s fans a real reason to celebrate.

Here is the box score with the not-so-lovely totals.

Brady has so many bricks.

49! He’s so close!

Orioles (87-73) at Blue Jays (73-87), 1:05 p.m.

Starting Pitchers
BAL – RHP Mike Mussina (19-11, 4.93 ERA)
TOR – RHP Erik Hanson (13-17, 5.53 ERA)

For the second week in a row, “The First Wives’ Club” is the #1 movie in America, raking in more than $21 million. The top new movie of the week, coming in a distant second, is “Extreme Measures.” It may in fact be the greatest crime thriller ever made that stars both Gene Hackman and Hugh Grant. Unfortunately, Hugh Jackman was unavailable.

Less than four months after Israel elected a right-wing fanatic determined to undermine the peace process, violence has erupted in the West Bank and Gaza. According to a wire story on the front page of the Sun, at least 39 Palestinians and 11 Israelis were killed yesterday, with more than 740 Palestinians and 50 Israelis injured.

Days ago, the Israelis opened a tourist tunnel near two of the Islam’s holiest shrines in Jerusalem, a provocative act that sparked widespread protests by the Palestinians. The U.S. has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to close the tunnel, but he refused. He said it would reward violence. Bibi never thinks violence should be rewarded…

The Clinton administration was really hoping they could hang their hat on a peace deal, and they are scrambling to try to get it back on track. “We are prepared to do anything we can that will be of assistance,” Bill Clinton said, ambiguously. “I’ve made that clear that I personally was prepared to do anything I could.”

One Israeli politician had a blunt assessment. “There is no peace process now,” said Ephraim Sneh, a Labor Party parliamentarian.

No peace process? Seems like Netanyahu is getting rewarded for violence.

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

This is your chance to get stuff from a 17th century Spanish galleon!