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Mike Bielecki was a local guy who needed a favor.
Bielecki grew up in Dundalk and attended Loyola College. He rooted for the Orioles as a kid and a young adult. And right there in front of him, on Sept. 6, 1995, was the chance to throw a pitch in an historic game at Camden Yards.
Cal Ripken Jr. was about to break Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games record, with the milestone becoming official after the top of the fifth inning – known simply as 2,131. The digits do all the explaining.
Bielecki was on the California Angels’ roster, two years before the team changed its name to Anaheim. They were in town to play the Orioles, and Bielecki requested that manager Marcel Lachemann use him in relief behind starter Shawn Boskie. It didn't have to be for long.
“I had pitched a few days before that,” said Bielecki, who owns a home in Lutherville with his wife and step-daughters, and two others in Ocean City and Bradenton. “That night was supposed to be my side day for a starter, and I asked my manager if there was any way possible he could let me get in the game just for one hitter. I didn’t care. Just let me throw to one hitter so I can get my name in the box score.
“I played Little League against Cal and being from Baltimore, I thought, man, it would be cool to get in there and just have your name in that game. And he said, ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ So he said, ‘Don’t do your side and sit in the bullpen.’”
The phone rang in the sixth inning following a 22-minute, 15-second delay to honor Ripken, complete with an iconic lap around the warning track.
“You’re going in next inning,” Bielecki recalled. “And I was like, ‘Man, I hope I don’t face Cal, because if one gets away and I hit him in the hand and break his hand, I’ll go back home and my house will be on fire.' But I ended up pitching the full inning and I didn’t face Cal.”
Bielecki allowed a hit to Chris Hoiles in a scoreless inning and he struck out two batters – Harold Baines to start and Mark Smith to finish.
“I remember that I wanted to get one of those baseballs, because they were keeping an eye on those things and they were making sure everyone threw the balls back,” Bielecki said. “I had a perfect opportunity. I struck (Smith) out for the third out and the catcher rolled the ball back to the mound, and I had already started to run off the field. And I was like, ‘Man, I can’t run back there and get the ball now. It would be too obvious.’ I wanted to get the ball that I threw because I knew it was in the game and it was authentic and all that.
“I got past the foul line and I realized. I told myself, if there’s a way to get the ball, get it, because I knew I could get Cal to sign it, and it will be a piece of history. I got a ball and Cal signed it, but I really wanted the one that I threw. It was a thrill.
“Guys were getting those third outs and they were running those baseballs right into the clubhouse and putting them in their locker.”
Angels players lined up outside the dugout to applaud Ripken, who kept taking curtain calls and motioning for the game to resume. Rafael Palmeiro and Bobby Bonilla finally gave him a push to begin the lap around the field. Bielecki watched from the bullpen.
“I just remember it went on so long," he said. "Our team was just letting it go, even if it had went on for an hour. It’s a pain in the butt for the pitchers because they’ve got to wait and wait and wait, and for the position players, tighten up. But it was just electric and it was really cool to be a part of that.
“As it was coming up to it, I knew that we would be there for his tying and breaking games, and I was just so proud when we got here of the city and the fans, the ceremony for Cal. It was so cool.”
Bielecki’s last major league season was in 1997 with the Braves, wrapping up a 14-year career that began with his selection by the Pirates in the first round of the 1979 draft and debut five years later. The Orioles signed him in June 1993 after he was released by the Indians, and they let him go two months later following nine Triple-A starts and a 6.14 ERA.
And what is he doing now?
“I’m spending my kids’ inheritance. That’s what I’m doing,” he quipped.
“Just enjoying myself.”
He’ll always have 2,131.
“Man,” he said, “I can’t believe it’s 30 years already.”
* The Orioles made one of their under-the-radar moves last month when they claimed right-hander Carson Ragsdale on waivers from the Giants and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.
Ragsdale, 27, started yesterday for the Tides and tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 1.33. He held Nashville to three hits and struck out five.
Ragsdale had a 5.37 ERA and 1.515 WHIP in 18 games with Triple-A Sacramento, but he’s allowed only three runs in 20 1/3 innings with Norfolk. He’s waiting to make his major league debut after the Phillies drafted him in the fourth round in 2020 out of the University of South Florida.
The Orioles have used 67 players to draw within three of Miami’s major league record set last year. The injured list won’t supply new blood. Jordan Westburg, Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sánchez could return later this month and they’re among the 67. Scott Blewett began his injury rehab assignment Wednesday and he’s made 13 appearances with the Orioles. Colin Selby has made nine.
Grayson Rodriguez underwent a debridement procedure on his right elbow and won’t pitch in 2025.
* Reliever Corbin Martin cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Norfolk.
Martin was designated for assignment Tuesday in San Diego. He recorded two saves but posted a 6.00 ERA and 1.722 WHIP in 17 appearances. Martin had a 1.23 ERA and 0.955 WHIP in seven July games and a 9.28 ERA and 2.250 WHIP in 10 August appearances.
* The Dodgers are listing Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and TBD as starters this weekend against the Orioles, who are starting Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers and Tomoyuki Sugano.
Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is expected to get the ball Sunday for Los Angeles.
Shohei Ohtani starts Monday against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
* Infielder Luis Almeyda was removed from Class A Delmarva’s game last night with lower back discomfort.
Almeyda, 19, was 0-for-2 and is batting .238 with a 662 OPS in 53 games.
Cobb Hightower hit his first home run with the Shorebirds.
* The Orioles have hit three home runs in succession twice this season for the first time in club history.
Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson joined the trio of Gary Sánchez, Ramón Urías and Ryan O’Hearn in 2025. Here are the others, courtesy of STATS:
8/6/17: Jonathan Schoop, Chris Davis and Trey Mancini vs. Aníbal Sánchez
8/19/16: Manny Machado, Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo vs. Collin McHugh
8/25/14: Delmon Young, J.J. Hardy, Chris Davis vs. Jake Odorizzi (2), Kirby Yates
5/10/12: Ryan Flaherty, J.J. Hardy, Nick Markakis vs. Colby Lewis
7/20/10: Luke Scott, Ty Wigginton, Adam Jones vs. Matt Garza
9/5/95: Jeff Manto, Mark Smith, Brady Anderson vs. Brian Anderson
9/16/85: Cal Ripken Jr., Eddie Murray, Fred Lynn vs. Aurelio López (2), Bob Stoddard
5/8/79: Eddie Murray, Lee May, Gary Roenicke vs. Jim Todd
9/4/69: Frank Robinson, Boog Powell, Brooks Robinson vs. Earl Wilson
9/10/65: Brooks Robinson, Curt Blefary, Jerry Adair vs. Fred Talbot, John Wyatt (2)
4/30/61: Jim Gentile, Gus Triandos, Ron Hansen vs. Paul Foytack
If we’re talking franchise history, the St. Louis Browns’ Clint Courtney, Dick Kryhoski and Jim Dyck homered in succession against Johnny Sain on July 16, 1953 at Busch Stadium.
