curses!

Sent down to Triple-A Norfolk by Baltimore on Saturday, Craig Tatum didn’t like it one bit. “It (stinks),” the former Mississippi State star from Hattiesburg told mlb.com. “But what can you do?” Tatum was hitting .271 and by all accounts had played good defense, which is his forte. The lousy Orioles actually were better, record-wise, in games Tatum started. But when No. 1 catcher Matt Wieters came off the DL, Tatum was the odd man out. He could be optioned to the minors without passing through waivers. The other catcher, Jake Fox, could not. So the O’s kept Fox. Tatum likely will get another chance. Maybe he can blame his bad fortune on the Sports Illustrated jinx. Tatum wasn’t on the cover, but he did make an inside photo spread in the current (July 26) issue. The pic shows him catching a bat flung by former Mississippi Brave Yunel Escobar. One question: What does that tattoo on Tatum’s left arm spell out?