The Questions with Brian Roberts/Orioles Second Baseman

What was your welcome-to-the-big-leagues moment?
I was called up in midseason, and I went straight from the airport to the locker room. Our manager [Mike Hargrove] said, "You're playing shortstop and hitting second. Don't get nervous." That was impossible. There were 45,000 people there, and Cal Ripken was playing third. I almost [peed on] myself.

What's one thing fans don't realize about playing in the majors?
The number of games. From February to October we have about 15 days off.

If I were commissioner for a day, I would ...
go back to a balanced schedule. It's not fun to face the Red Sox and the Yankees 18 times a year. We're not exactly on a level playing field. They can go over the salary cap and pay the tax. We should play more teams outside our division. It would mean more travel, but it would be worth it for a better chance at the playoffs.

If I weren't playing baseball, I would ...
be a radio or sports broadcaster. In college at South Carolina, I did some stuff with the radio station and really liked it.

Last Week

Roberts, 27, came to camp as the clear-cut starter for the first time. After seeing Sammy Sosa club homer after homer in batting practice, Roberts said, "It was fun to watch."

This Week

The O's open their spring schedule with Thursday and Friday games against Florida.

COLOR PHOTO

STEVE MOORE (ROBERTS ACTION)

COLOR PHOTO

MARK GOLDMAN/ICON SMI (ROBERTS HEADSHOT)