masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgAfter Orioles manager Buck Showalter spoke at length yesterday about his praise and admiration for former teammate and former player Don Mattingly, it was Mattingly’s turn today.

Sitting in the visiting dugout at Camden Yards, the Dodgers manager remembered his days as Showalter’s minor league teammate in 1981 and 1983, and as his player with the Yankees from 1992-95.

“Just the respect that you get for a guy over time and you realize his ability. As a young guy going through the minors,…After Orioles manager Buck Showalter spoke at length yesterday about his praise and admiration for former teammate and former player Don Mattingly, it was Mattingly’s turn today.

Sitting in the visiting dugout at Camden Yards, the Dodgers manager remembered his days as Showalter’s minor league teammate in 1981 and 1983, and as his player with the Yankees from 1992-95.

“Just the respect that you get for a guy over time and you realize his ability. As a young guy going through the minors, you don’t really notice everyone else. You are just trying to get better,” Mattingly said.

“But then, when he became our coach and then the (Yankees) manager you could really see those qualities. He was the guy that turned things around over there. I know Joe (Torre) gets a lot of credit but Buck really was the guy that turned that thing around. Him and Stick (Gene Michael).

“He would know who was going to be special. He would talk about (Derek) Jeter and (Jorge) Posada and (Andy) Pettitte and Mariano (Rivera). At that time, they were all in the minor leagues, but he was right on all of them. That was the group he would talk about it.”

When you hear Mattingly talk about Showalter back then as the skipper in New York, you can understand that Showalter did then with that team what we’ve seen him do here with this team.

“I give him credit for seeing that and changing our whole attitude. He brought in attitude guys. Guys like Spike Owen, guys you wouldn’t think about,” Mattingly said. “Mike Gallego, then we got (Paul) O’Neill and slip in Boggsy (Wade Boggs) and Jim Abbott, guys who knew how to play the game right. We needed the whole tone changed on our club and he did that.”

Thursday at the Yard, Showalter talked about Mattingly.

Baysox notes: Bowie is playing at Akron tonight. Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia was activated by the Baysox and is playing right field and batting sixth. He went 0-for-2 in his first two at-bats, but then delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning to give Bowie a 4-3 lead. That marked his first hit and first RBIs as a member of the O’s organization.

Meanwhile, Caleb Joseph’s nine-game RBI streak is going to end tonight. He went 0-for-1 and then left the game as Bowie took the field for the last of the second inning. I have not gotten any confirmation from the Orioles, but it appears he fouled a ball off his ankle. That is all I have on that right now.

And as of 8:45 p.m., the rain is still coming down and the tarp remains on the field at Camden Yards. No word yet on the fate of tonight’s game or if they can get it in.

Rainout tonight: Tonight’s game has been officially postponed by rain. There will be a split doubleheader tomorrow at Camden Yards with games starting at 1:05 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. The celebration of the life of Earl Weaver is still on for 6 p.m. tomorrow.