With ears still ringing...

By Roch Kubatko

May 31, 2008 7:38 PM

If the Orioles go through with plans to put “Baltimore” on the road jerseys, they should wear them whenever the Red Sox come to Camden Yards.

There had to be more noise here for Manny Ramirez’s 500^th home run than anything Fenway Park could have generated.

“We block that out,” Jamie Walker said. “You knew coming in what to expect. It’s a lot cheaper for Boston fans to come here and watch a game than go to a game in Boston. You just block it out and try to do your job. It (angers) me. Yeah, it does. But the only way you win your fans back is you beat them. That’s how it goes.”

I assume he means beating the Red Sox and not his fans.

“It’s just part of the game,” Jay Payton said. “It’s Boston, it’s close to home. Boston fans can’t get tickets in Boston for the most part and a lot of fans want to be a part of history. You’ve got Manny hitting his 500th home run. You understand it. The first time we played them here this year, there wasn’t quite the following.”

Twenty-four players are part of the 500 Home Run Club – which I believe includes valet parking. Three Orioles pitchers have served up the milestone homer – Bradford, Stu Miller (Mickey Mantle on May 14, 1967) and Mike Cuellar (Harmon Killebrew on Aug. 10, 1971).

Manager Dave Trembley removed Garrett Olson after 89 pitches because three straight right-handers were coming up – in case anyone was curious.

David Ortiz had X-rays on his strained left wrist that came back negative. He's day-to-day.

To the reader who asked why Jim Johnson has been limited more to one-inning appearances, Trembley doesn’t want to “overextend” him this early, and it’s a new role for him.