Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-- --The distinction went to Cal Ripken Jr., then Miguel Tejada and now Melvin Mora. The Orioles usually reserve the prime locker in the home clubhouse at Fort Lauderdale Stadium for a high-profile veteran.
This year, Mora got the nod after the offseason trade of Tejada. Brian Roberts and Kevin Millar apparently finished as runners-up, with their lockers to Mora's right.
So what did it all mean for Mora, the longest-tenured Oriole?
"Trouble," Mora said. "It means trouble."
Mora was referring to the locker's proximity to the spot in the clubhouse where the media often congregate. To him, that outweighed the positives of having the prized locker.
"Does it make me the best player? It doesn't matter. I know Cal Ripken had it, and it's always good to be where Cal Ripken has something," he said. "He's not only a hero in Baltimore, he's a hero in the whole world."