Jesse Orosco: Ageless Relief

June 28, 1999 / 11:02 PM EDT / AP

Jesse Orosco hasn't been pitching forever. It just seems that way.

Orosco was warming up in the bullpen at Comiskey Park this month when someone yelled from the bleachers, Â"Hey Orosco, how did you pitch to Ty Cobb?Â"

Orosco never did slip a changeup past The Georgia Peach. And he doesn't receive Social Security, as some wisecracking teammates suggest.

But this much is true: No big league pitcher has made more relief appearances than 42-year-old Jesse Orosco. His 1,051 relief appearances is one more than Kent Tekulve.

And Orosco now is only 16 games short of breaking Dennis Eckersley's standard of 1,071 games.

Â"The relief record is very, very important. But total games is the one that means the most,Â" Orosco said.

Orosco had only modest expectations 20 years ago after landing a spot on the opening day roster of the 1979 New York Mets.

Â"Ever since I was a little tot, my plan was to play in the majors,Â" he said. Â"Once that happened, I said to myself, `I'd be happy as anything if I could just play three or four years here.Â"'

It was a time when Burt Reynolds was the biggest box office draw and Â"YMCAÂ" was the hot song in the discos. Eddie Murray, now an Orioles coach, was in his third season with Baltimore and Sidney Ponson, now a key member of the Baltimore rotation, was just learning to walk.

Orosco outlasted disco and Murray, and the left-hander has done more than just show up for work regularly. He has a 3.02 lifetime ERA, an 84-74 record and 140 saves. And few people remember that he won three games in the 1986 NL championship series before recording the final out in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox.

Orosco, who made four starts early in his career, has made a living out of entering from the bullpen and retiring left-handed hitters. He doesn't stick around for long, but he does show up quite often he averaged 70 appearances the last two seasons and leads the team this year with 30.

Â"You know that if you use him for one or two batters you can use him five days in a row,Â" Orioles manager Ray Miller said. Â"That's pretty remarkable for a guy 40 years old.Â"

The players like to kid him about his age, but most realize the dedication it takes to put together such a career.

Â"He's won a World Series. He's played 20 years and he's seen a lot of great players,Â" Baltimore shortstop Mike Bordick said. Â"The man is dedicated to the game, but it's still amazing that he's been able do this for so long.Â"

So very long.

Â"What I'm most happy about is the fact that I've been able to be out there every day. The manager knows I'll be there,Â" Orosco said. Â"There have been some ups and downs but I've been pretty consistent over the course of more than 1,000 games.Â"

He has an uncharacteristic 6.88 ERA this season, but Orosco plans to complete a contract that could keep hi pitching through 2001. That would enable him to join the handful of players whose careers covered parts of four decades.

Â"After I pass (Eckersley's) record I still have to go out and do my job,Â" Orosco said. Â"I want to go 35, 50, 80 more games right through next year.Â"