Big Leagues

New Orioles manager Davey Johnson was sitting in the dugout at blustery Camden Yards yesterday, holding court in the aimless way that baseball managers do in the hours before game time. "I'd say we're very strong up the middle," the former Mets and Reds manager deadpanned when someone asked him to assess his team. "Yeah, that's definitely a strength of ours. " Not long after that, the Orioles' season was under way and Johnson's middle infield - the historic pairing of shortstop Cal Ripken and second baseman Roberto Alomar - went right to work.

The first step toward Ryne Sandberg's becoming the next manager of the Philadelphia Phillies was put into motion Thursday when the Hall of Fame second baseman was named the team's third-base coach and infield instructor. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. denied that was the intent after he recited the myriad changes to the coaching staff following the .500 season that ended the Phillies' run of five straight National League East titles. "We've made no promises to Ryne Sandberg," Amaro said.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Turns out, everybody is rooting for Tuffy Gosewisch. Colin Curtis, a non-roster invitee in Yankees camp? Team Tuffy. Roy Halladay, a two-time Cy Young winner? Team Tuffy. And if you believe that a catcher's value cannot be measured by batting lines and stolen base percentages, then you will end up on Team Tuffy, too. "Honestly, I would take him any day of the week," Halladay said. "I really would. " You might know the name. Born James Benjamin Gosewisch, his parents decided on a more appropriate moniker during a toddler-hood in which he rained destruction upon everything he touched.

Jim Willis has managed youth baseball teams for 20 years, so you'd think the 46-year-old could contain his enthusiasm. But he couldn't. It never gets old. "We're going to the World Series," said Willis, manager of the Little League Big League Division team of 16- to 18-year-olds from Cumberland County, N.J. For the second consecutive season, Willis' District 3 team will compete in the Little League Big League Baseball World Series,...

Pete Hissey has loved baseball as far back as he can remember. The 18-year-old grew up playing shortstop through Junior American Legion ball, even though he throws lefthanded. Lefthanded shortstops, of course, are about as rare as can be, so Hissey was shifted to the outfield when he reached high school to take advantage of his strong and accurate throwing arm. But the recent Unionville graduate, named The Inquirer's Southeastern Pennsylvania Baseball Player of the Year for 2008, still likes the idea of playing shortstop.

It has been more than a year since Turk Wendell has pitched in the major leagues. So, yes, he is happy to be back. Wendell said he was pain-free less than a year after he underwent right-elbow surgery to alleviate chronic tendinitis and after a setback in spring training put him on the disabled list to start the season. "I want to put all this behind me," he said. The Phillies activated Wendell, who had not pitched in the majors since Sept. 18, 2001, and optioned pitcher Eric Junge to triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre yesterday.

Bo knows bouncebackability. Less than two months after receiving the jolt of his baseball life, Ernest "Bo" Donaldson has advanced beyond regroup to thrive. Donaldson, a righthanded reliever out of Simon Gratz High (class of 1991), Gloucester County (N.J.) College and the University of Tampa, was promoted last week to Chattanooga, Cincinnati's club in the Double A Southern League. He moved up after posting sparkling numbers with Rockford, of the Class A Midwest League.

When you are minutes from playing in your second minor-league game of the season, only to be told to fly to Denver early the next morning instead, then you cross two time zones on little sleep and don a major-league uniform again far sooner than you expected - well, that can leave you a little dazed. "This kind of came out of nowhere," Lou Marson said yesterday, standing in front of his new locker and rubbing glassy eyes. Marson, 22, was summoned to Denver after catcher Carlos Ruiz strained his right oblique muscle chasing a pop-up Friday.