IT IS TIME TO GO, BUT YORK'S STIDFOLE DOES IT WITH A GREAT ATTITUDE

It is so refreshing when a player decides to move on with his life outside of baseball, and leaves with a warm feeling about his playing days even though he did not quite make it to that universal goal of playing in the major leagues.

The latest example is reliever Sean Stidfole, only 27, who helped the York Revolution win back-to-back Atlantic League titles.

"I would play baseball until I die, I really would," Stidfole told Jim Seip in a story for the Revs' Inside Pitch. Stidfole knew he should not pass up an offer outside the game. "I got a pretty good job offer and I just figured it was about time," the 6-foot-3 right-hander said. "The last two years have been so great...and I want to remember (my career) like that."

After a 13-8 record with three consecutive under-4.00 earned run averages with Penn State, the Pennsylvania native spent five seasons in the Toronto farm system. Much of the last two of those years were in Triple-A, only one notch below the American League. He was one of the last cuts by the Blue Jays during spring training just two springs ago, then became a workhorse in the York bullpen where he got into 128 games in two seasons, every one of them in relief.

CORY ALDRIDGE BACK IN USA, SIGNS WITH ORIOLES

Baltimore has made an interesting signing, inking outfielder Cory Aldridge, who played in Korea last year.

It would not be a shock to see the 32-year-old Aldridge get some time in the Birds' major league camp even though he was placed on the Double-A Bowie, MD roster. The lefty hitter spent most of 2008 with Newark, and two years later he won a brief promotion to the Los Angeles Angels, playing in five games. Aldridge had made a big impression when he hit .395 (15-for-38) in 26 spring training games for the Angels. He also played a few major league games with Atlanta in 2001.

ODDS 'N ENDS

It was disappointing to learn that longtime major league first baseman-outfielder Daryle Ward was handed a 50-game suspension for use of banned amphetamines. Now 36, Ward played at Newark in 2009-10-11. He also was in the White Sox and Arizona farm systems last year. Ward is a free agent, but would have to sit out 50 games if he signs with a major league organization...The rumor mill is mentioning former Newark and Long Island outfielder Jay Gibbons, a free agent, as a possible candidate to get a look from the New York Mets. Gibbons hit .255 in 55 at-bats for the Los Angeles Dodgers early last season after shaking off eye issues which cut into his spring training and may have cost him an opportunity to platoon in leftfield...The non-roster count for onetime Independent players is up to 32 with 15 of them having experience in the Atlantic League.

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