Earl Weaver

BALTIMORE -- Former All-Star outfielder Pat Kelly, who played for five different teams during a 15-year major league career, died Sunday after a heart attack. He was 61. He was selected to play in the 1973 All-Star game during a season in which he hit .280 in a career-high 144 games with the Chicago White Sox. Mr. Kelly played in the World Series as a member of the 1979 Baltimore Orioles. He was a minister with Lifeline Ministries in Maryland after his retirement. Born in Philadelphia as Harold Patrick Kelly, the fleet-footed outfielder was 23 when he played his first game with...

WASHINGTON - Mike Flanagan, a Baltimore Orioles pitcher who won the Cy Young Award in 1979 and later served as the team's general manager, pitching coach, and a TV broadcaster, died Wednesday at his home north of Baltimore at 59. His body was found Wednesday afternoon about 250 feet behind his home in the Sparks community of Baltimore County. The Maryland medical examiner ruled yesterday that Mr. Flanagan died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. Police authorities said he had been upset about financial matters.

WASHINGTON - Mike Flanagan, a Baltimore Orioles pitcher who won the Cy Young Award in 1979 and later served as the team's general manager, pitching coach, and a TV broadcaster, died Wednesday at his home north of Baltimore at 59. His body was found Wednesday afternoon about 250 feet behind his home in the Sparks community of Baltimore County. The Maryland medical examiner ruled yesterday that Mr. Flanagan died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. Police authorities said he had been upset about financial matters.

FLORIDA - The other sports don't have anything like it. Football? Sure, you can drive down Route 1, sit in the sweltering sun, and watch two-a-days in July at Gillette. If you're a hockey krishna, you've probably made the trip to Wilmington to view the early skates at rusty Ristuccia. And plenty of us remember Celtics rookies running up and down the court at Marshfield High School back in the day. I'm pretty sure Ming Dynasty on Route 139 opened just to accommodate Red Auerbach.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn took their place in baseball's shrine yesterday, saluted as much for their character as for their Hall of Fame careers. Commissioner Bud Selig and a record crowd came to cheer them and all that was good about the game. A continent away, a different scene played out. Barry Bonds failed to tie the home run record, a chase tainted by his surly nature and a steroids investigation. Ripken and Gwynn sensed that poignant counterpoint on their induction day. "This day shouldn't be all about us," Ripken said.

FLORIDA - The other sports don't have anything like it. Football? Sure, you can drive down Route 1, sit in the sweltering sun, and watch two-a-days in July at Gillette. If you're a hockey krishna, you've probably made the trip to Wilmington to view the early skates at rusty Ristuccia. And plenty of us remember Celtics rookies running up and down the court at Marshfield High School back in the day. I'm pretty sure Ming Dynasty on Route 139 opened just to accommodate Red Auerbach.

Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox. Enough is enough. Since 1998, that's been the order of finish in the American League East. It's been the Filthy Rich Guys, followed by the Just Plain Rich Guys, with everyone else cashing welfare checks. You know what? It hasn't done us any good. What this Yankee-Red Sox thing has done is bring out all our worst qualities. We've become distressingly smug and condescending.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Full circle. Ten years after. Lots of water under the Edison Bridge. Exactly one decade after he was fired by John Henry and Larry Lucchino at the Sanibel Harbour Resort, Dan Duquette returned to Fort Myers yesterday. He is the new executive vice president of baseball operations for the moribund Baltimore Orioles. "I'm glad to be back, glad to be working for the Orioles, and I'm glad to get another opportunity," Duquette said in the press box at Fenway South Tuesday.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A miserable week for Lee Mazzilli began with Rafael Palmeiro's suspension and ended with the manager's dismissal. The Baltimore Orioles fired Mazzilli yesterday in the middle of a massive slide, just three days after Palmeiro became the biggest major league star to be caught using steroids. "It's not the kind of week that you want to have very often, that's for sure," Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts said. Sam Perlozzo was appointed interim manager for the rest of the season -- and he won his first game.

►Today is Sunday, Aug. 14, the 226th day of 2011. There are 139 days left in the year. ►Today's birthdays: Broadway lyricist Lee Adams ("Bye Bye Birdie") is 87. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Russell Baker is 86. Singer Buddy Greco is 85. Baseball Hall of Fame coach Earl Weaver is 81. College Football Hall of Famer John Brodie is 76. Singer Dash Crofts is 73. Rock singer David Crosby is 70. Country singer Connie Smith is 70. Comedian-actor Steve Martin is 66. Actor Antonio Fargas is 65. Singer-musician Larry Graham is 65. Actress Susan Saint James is 65. Actor David Schramm is 65. Author...

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn took their place in baseball's shrine yesterday, saluted as much for their character as for their Hall of Fame careers. Commissioner Bud Selig and a record crowd came to cheer them and all that was good about the game. A continent away, a different scene played out. Barry Bonds failed to tie the home run record, a chase tainted by his surly nature and a steroids investigation. Ripken and Gwynn sensed that poignant counterpoint on their induction day. "This day shouldn't be all about us," Ripken said.

BALTIMORE -- Former All-Star outfielder Pat Kelly, who played for five teams during a 15-year major league career, died Sunday at a hospital in Chambersburg, Pa., after a heart attack. He was 61. Mr. Kelly was selected to play in the 1973 All-Star game during a season in which he hit .280 in a career-high 144 games with the Chicago White Sox. He played in the World Series as a member of the 1979 Baltimore Orioles. He was a minister with Lifeline Ministries in Maryland after his retirement.

Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Red Sox. Enough is enough. Since 1998, that's been the order of finish in the American League East. It's been the Filthy Rich Guys, followed by the Just Plain Rich Guys, with everyone else cashing welfare checks. You know what? It hasn't done us any good. What this Yankee-Red Sox thing has done is bring out all our worst qualities. We've become distressingly smug and condescending.

Matt Joyce homered and the Tampa Bay Rays snapped their five-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Tigers last night in Detroit. Tampa Bay got within 1 1/2 games of first-place New York, and Detroit lost for the eighth time in 10 games to stay nine games behind the White Sox in the AL Central. David Price (15-5) struggled with his command, walking four batters in five innings, but nine strikeouts helped him allow just two runs. Three Rays relievers finished, with Rafael Soriano pitching the ninth for his 32d save in 34 tries.