J.J. Hardy has found new life in 2011 with the Baltimore Orioles. Photo by Scott Salisbury.

J.J. Hardy was jogging to his spot along the first baseline for player introductions when a revelation struck him with the subtlety of a fastball to the ribs.

His childhood dream had come true. He was a Big League ballplayer.

That was opening day of the 2005 season and the Tucson native was the starting shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Before long, Hardy bullet-pointed the term “all-star” onto his hardball resume.

Quicker than it takes a pitcher to pick a runner off of first base, the Sabino High School alum’s career began to founder. As Hardy soon found out, baseball can be as fickle as it is rewarding.

But if there’s one thing the storied game is notorious for, it’s its second, and sometimes third and fourth, chances.

Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy slugged 30 home runs (career high) and 80 RBI (tied career high) for the Orioles in 2011, his first season in Baltimore. Photo by Scott Salisbury.

For Hardy, his quest back into baseball’s good graces took part in a city appropriately dubbed ‘Charm City’ as a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

“2009 was a rough season and I kind of got a new start in Minnesota,” Hardy said before the start of the 2011 season.

After five seasons with the Brewers, Hardy landed a gig as the Twins’ starting shortstop to begin the 2010 season.

But injuries limited him to 101 games — his lowest total since playing only 35 games in an injury-plagued 2006.

Minnesota promptly shipped him off to Baltimore in the off-season — his third team in as many seasons.

“I’ve got a new start here in Baltimore,” Hardy said at the Orioles’ spring training complex in Sarasota,Fla.

“Things are going really well.”

Hardy uttered those words before the season and before a strained oblique shelved him until early May.

The Orioles were so impressed with the Tucson-native Hardy, Baltimore signed him to a 3-year, $22 million contract this summer. Photo by Scott Salisbury.

Despite missing 34 games, Hardy enjoyed the best season of his seven-year career, hitting a personal-best 30 home runs and knocking in 80 runs.

His 30 home runs made him and teammate Mark Reynolds (37 homers) the first pair of Orioles to hit 30-or-more long balls in a season since 1996 when Brady Anderson (50) and Rafael Palmeiro (39) led the Birds.

His 30th home run, in fact, could be the biggest long ball of the season for the Orioles. It gave Baltimore two of the four runs they needed to upset the Red Sox in the season finale and knock Boston from postseason contention.

“We won’t have to stay up at night wondering if he gets it,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter during spring training. “He gets the professional part of it. He’s obviously very athletic. At a very young age, he’s grasped the winning and team part of it.”

Showalter and Baltimore liked what they saw in Hardy so much, that they inked the 29 year old to a three-year extension in July that will pay him $22.25 million through 2014.

Aside from being skilled at the plate and in the clubhouse, he also saw a resurgence with his glove. Hardy led all American League shortstops in fielding percentage (.990) and range factor (4.70).

The Orioles, unfortunately, ended the year with their 14th consecutive losing season.

Hardy, however, is still optimistic about Baltimore’s future.

“Three teams in seven years but I feel like this is nice, it’s a good fit,” he said.

Good fit and quite possible a revelation.

“Growing up I always dreamed of being a ballplayer.”

Ian Kinsler chose locker-room chess matches to idle away his time while recouping from the high-ankle sprain that shelved him for 59 games this season.

Despite a disappointing regular season and plenty of time spent in said locker room, the Canyon Del Oro High School grad has finally set aside his bishops and turned Tampa Bay Rays’ pitchers into his pawns.

Tucson-born Ian Kinsler hits a RBI single during the fifth inning of game two in the 2010 ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Kinsler enters tonight’s crucial ALDS Game Five swinging a hot stick. With a strong night, the Texas Ranger second baseman could challenge for the ALDS Triple Crown — if such an honor existed.

Kinsler is third in the American League so far this postseason with a .357 average and tied for second with 3 RBI. He sits only behind teammate Nelson Cruz and his three home runs as the only other player to go deep multiple times (twice) in the MLB playoff’s first round.

In four games, Kinsler has five hits in 14 at bats, scored 4 runs and wracked up a .438 on-base percentage.

Talk about making up for lost time. Or is it: talk about stepping up when it counts?

Whatever the cliché, the Rangers — who have never won a postseason series in their 49-year history — are glad to have the Kinsler-of-old back in their lineup.

His 9 home runs and 45 RBI in the regular season are a significant demise from his 31 dinger, 86 RBI campaign in 2009 — a year that lifted him among the game’s elite second basemen.

Kinsler is the last Tucson-born player left in the MLB playoffs after J.J. Hardy (Sabino High School) and the Minnesota Twins quietly bowed out to the New York Yankees in three-straight games.

Hardy had a double in 10 at bats, and basically filled up the rest of his stat sheet with two strikeouts.

Tucson has seen its share of players recently win World Series rings in the last six seasons, including: Shelley Duncan (Yankees 2009), Chris Duncan, (Cardinals, 2007), and Brian Anderson (White Sox, 2005).

Of course, if Kinsler and the Rangers lose tonight, it’ll be check and mate on yet another lost season in Arlington.

Playing with his third franchise in eight months, Anderson saw his Big League dream stalled after five seasons and a .227 career batting average and 22 home runs.

The conversion to right-handed pitcher appears slow for the ex-Canyon Del Oro High School standout.

Brian Anderson pumps his fist after winning a friendly hitting game among Kansas City teammates in March at the Royals' spring training facility in Surprise, Ariz. Days later, Anderson announced he's converting from an outfielder to a pitcher--a risky experiment that has paid mixed dividends to date. Photo by Scott Salisbury.

The Royals promoted Anderson after he hurled five scoreless innings, striking out six batters and giving up two hits, for the club’s Arizona League squad.

His debut with the Single-A Burlington Bees was a bit auspicious. Anderson gave up three runs (two of them earned) and walked a batter in a third of an inning pitched. The rough outing gives him an ERA of 54.00 with the Bees.

No one said it would be easy, especially for a player who hasn’t taken the mound since his days at the University of Arizona. Reports say his fastball is ticking in the low 90s as he builds up his arm strength, while adding additional pitches (slide and changeup) to his repertoire.

At Arizona in 2002, Anderson went 0-2 with four saves and an 8.18 ERA in 11 innings pitched for the Wildcats.

The former White Sox first-round pick is, technically, on Kansas City’s 40-man roster, meaning he’s could travel to the Big Leagues when the rosters expand at the end of the month.

The Royals, however, sit buried in the American League Central division — 21 games out of the wildcat slot.

BEWARE THE INJURY BUG

You always hear the same adage bantered about, every time a wealth of talent hails from a particular town or region.

“Must be something in the water,” they say.

Whatever’s in the Tucson water, it’s probably best you put your glass down and switch to drink bottled water.

It’s been a tough, injury-riddled year for many of the Tucson’s prime baseball talents — including some of the most seasoned MLB players ever to hail from the Old Pueblo.

Here’s a look at what can best be described as an infirmary list as the 2010 season enters its dog days.*

SCOTT HAIRSTON

San Diego Padres; Canyon Del Oro High School 

KEY STATS: .232 BA; 10 HR; 33 RBI 

GAMES PLAYED: 79 

GAMES MISSED DUE TO INJURY: 16 

INJURY: Hamstring

J.J. HARDY

Minnesota Twins; Sabino

KEY STATS: .258 BA; 4 HR; 21 RBI 

GAMES PLAYED: 63
GAMES MISSED DUE TO INJURY: 43 

INJURY: Knee, Toe and Wrist

IAN KINSLER

Texas Rangers; Canyon Del Oro 

KEY STATS: .298 BA; 6 HR; 38 RBI 

GAMES PLAYED: 76
GAMES MISSED DUE TO INJURY: 21 

INJURY: Ankle and Groin

RYAN PERRY

Detroit Tigers; Marana

KEY STATS: 2-4; 1 SV; 4.99 ERA; 11 Holds

GAMES PLAYED: 33
GAMES MISSED DUE TO INJURY: 21

INJURY: Bicep

COMING AND GOING

A look at the Tucson players shuffling back and forth between the Major and minor leagues:

TIM WOOD

Sabino

The Florida Marlins sent the RHP down to the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs on July 9 after posting a 5.53 ERA.

SHELLEY DUNCAN

Canyon Del Oro

The season-ending injury to Cleveland Indian centerfielder Grady Sizemore opened a roster spot for Duncan. Since being called up, the first baseman has hit .274 with 6 home runs in 45 games.

CHRIS DUNCAN

Canyon Del Oro

The slugging outfielder has played in 82 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, but hasn’t done much to merit a September call-up to the Washington Nationals. Duncan has 7 home runs, 27 RBI and a paltry .191 batting average on the year.

*FOR YOUR INFORMATION

The term “dog days of summer” dates back to the ancient Romans, who believed that Canis Major, the brightest star in the sky, provided the Earth with heat. Canis Major — also known as “Big Dog” or the “Dog Star” — rises and sets with the summer sun. This led to the belief that two heat sources made for hotter days.