TORONTO (AP) - Rafael Palmeiro inserted earplugs after he was loudly booed during Tuesday's night's game between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.
Fans booed the Orioles veteran during his first at-bat. When he came up for his second at-bat, he was sporting earplugs.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=260 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>Rafael Palmeiro uses ear plugs to fight crowd noise. (Adrian Wyld / Associated Press)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Palmeiro struck out swinging in the first inning, popped out weakly to the pitcher in the fourth, lined out to first base in the sixth and took a called third strike in the eighth as the Orioles were defeated 7-2. He has been in a prolonged slump that began after he returned from a 10-day suspension for testing positive for steroids.
Mired in a 2-for-24 skid in which he went hitless in his prior 16 at-bats, Palmeiro started as the DH, one day after interim manager Sam Perlozzo suggested he has lost his job as the Orioles' regular first baseman.
Palmeiro has heard jeers and disparaging remarks since returning from his suspension. He is the most prominent major league player punished for taking banned drugs. In March, Palmeiro testified before the House Government Reform Committee. He jabbed his finger in the air for emphasis and declared: "I have never used steroids. Period."
I think Raffy screwed up here. Every road team is going to boo the crap out of him if he shows that his feelings are hurt and he needs ear plugs to keep the bad sounds away. While going 0-4...
Fans booed the Orioles veteran during his first at-bat. When he came up for his second at-bat, he was sporting earplugs.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=260 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
Palmeiro struck out swinging in the first inning, popped out weakly to the pitcher in the fourth, lined out to first base in the sixth and took a called third strike in the eighth as the Orioles were defeated 7-2. He has been in a prolonged slump that began after he returned from a 10-day suspension for testing positive for steroids.
Mired in a 2-for-24 skid in which he went hitless in his prior 16 at-bats, Palmeiro started as the DH, one day after interim manager Sam Perlozzo suggested he has lost his job as the Orioles' regular first baseman.
Palmeiro has heard jeers and disparaging remarks since returning from his suspension. He is the most prominent major league player punished for taking banned drugs. In March, Palmeiro testified before the House Government Reform Committee. He jabbed his finger in the air for emphasis and declared: "I have never used steroids. Period."
I think Raffy screwed up here. Every road team is going to boo the crap out of him if he shows that his feelings are hurt and he needs ear plugs to keep the bad sounds away. While going 0-4...
