Whether intended as a prank or a protest, Orioles right fielder Albert Belle created an organizational swirl last night by posting a petition at his locker to boycott next Monday's exhibition in Rochester.

Belle's handmade sign said simply: Petition to Boycott Exhibition Game in Rochester on Monday, 6/28/99. Below were spaces for players to register their support. Belle was the first to sign, and later on Scott Erickson's signature appeared underneath. Club officials apparently were not amused.

Chief operating officer Joe Foss noted Belle's handiwork during a brief stopover and mentioned it to manager Ray Miller. The sign was removed before the end of batting practice.

Club officials chose not to address the matter last night except to deny any suggestion that the exhibition game is up for negotiation. For several weeks players wondered whether the game would be canceled as part of a quid pro quo for playing a Cuban all-star team in season May 3.

Player representative Mike Mussina said yesterday that he considers Monday's game a certainty regardless of any clubhouse dissatisfaction.

Tickets for the game were sold out within hours after being made available. According to general manager Frank Wren, the game is mandatory for all players, including Belle.

"There is certainly precedent for playing two exhibitions in a season," Wren said last night. "It happens regularly when teams play in the Hall of Fame Game. It's happened here before."

The Orioles remain sensitive to the precedent. In 1997, second baseman Roberto Alomar abstained from the game in Rochester immediately after the All-Star Game. Alomar never notified then-manager Davey Johnson of his intention to miss the game in order to travel to Puerto Rico to be with family following his grandmother's death. Johnson subsequently fined Alomar $10,000 without first gaining consent from majority owner Peter Angelos.

Angelos became further enraged when he learned Johnson had asked Alomar to make out a check to a charity that retained Johnson's wife, Susan, as a fund-raiser.

Wren, who spent most of the day at Delmarva and chaperoning two of the club's first-round draft picks, said he was not fully aware of Belle's protest but would investigate further.

Hairston starts in hurry

As the early weeks of the season ticked away, infielder Jerry Hairston was struggling so badly that he said he couldn't hit high school pitching, let alone the stuff being thrown by Triple-A competition.

Hairston eventually found a groove at Rochester, reminding the Orioles why he's regarded as one of their top prospects. And yesterday, he found the home clubhouse at Camden Yards and his name in the lineup against Boston right-hander Pat Rapp.

Hairston, 23, was recalled when second baseman Delino DeShields went on the disabled list retroactive to Sunday with a strained right hamstring. He was hitting .268 with 11 doubles, two triples, six homers, 28 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

This is Hairston's second tour with the Orioles. He received a September call-up last season and was hitless in seven at-bats. "In my situation, all I really want to do is get better. I was hoping I'd get another opportunity," he said.

"This team's on a roll, and I definitely don't want to hinder them," said Hairston, who hit .326 in 55 games at Double-A Bowie last season. "This is a big series for us, and I really want to be a part of helping this team win."

Hairston, who went 0-for-2 last night, said his early struggles at Rochester, when his average stayed below .200 through the first month, were caused by allowing some "situations" to affect him. Though he wouldn't specify, he had to deal with Jesse Garcia's moving ahead of him among middle-infield prospects and the signing of DeShields for three years.

"The last six weeks I really turned it around and have been hitting the ball very well," he said. "I really started playing like Jerry again and not worrying about what I can't control."

Two first-rounders signed

The Orioles secured two more of their first-round draft picks, including Clemson pitcher Mike Paradis, the 13th overall selection, who had agreed last week to a $1.7 million bonus. Also signed was outfielder Keith Reed, the 23rd overall selection, for $1.15 million.

Paradis, 21, went 6-1 with a 4.43 ERA at Clemson. Reed, 20, was named the Big East Player of the Year at Providence after hitting .398 with 17 homers and a school-record 79 RBIs. Both worked out at Camden Yards yesterday.

Paradis and Reed, who played on the same American Legion team in Auburn, Mass., will report to Rookie League Bluefield.

Paradis is a sinker/slider pitcher whose stuff is suited for Camden Yards, where any fly ball has a chance to reach the seats. He also mixes in an occasional changeup.

"I'm just going to go out there and go after everybody. Be aggressive," he said. "I'll try to work ahead in the count and use my fastball, my movement, to try to get ground balls."

Moose call

Mussina launched the Orioles Summer Reading Program yesterday by sharing a book with a group of students at the Cherry Hill branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

The program, sponsored by The Baltimore Sun, is being offered in 19 library systems across Maryland in addition to the Police Athletic League. "I thought about it as a small part of my time to help promote something to kids that can last them a lifetime if they get interested in reading," Mussina said.

His reading selection yesterday? The children's story "Playing Right Field," by Willy Welch.

Around the horn

Boston reliever Tom Gordon has been told by doctors to rest his ailing right elbow for at least five weeks. Gordon was placed on the disabled list June 14 with an elbow strain. After consulting with Dr. James Andrews in Alabama, the right-hander was told that he has a strained ligament in the elbow and must take an extended break. The 12th annual Orioles Wives Food Drive will take place Saturday and Sunday at Camden Yards. Non-perishable food items will be received at all gates before the games, with the collections benefiting the Maryland Food Bank.

Pub Date: 6/23/99