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    Now this may take letting your imagination run wild, but our two major sports franchises may have something in common with the 1939 film classic The Wizard of Oz.

  First, let’s consider the early success of the Birds’ new skipper Buck Showalter, who we feel justified in calling “The Wizard of O’s’’ after posting a 12-8 record and giving the  Texas Rangers fits including a shocking sweep of the Western Division leaders on their home turf.

  Everyone thought Showalter, who had enjoyed past successes as boss of Texas, Arizona and the New York Yankees, would wait until the Orioles had completed their 13^th straight losing campaign and evaluate the team from afar before coming on board. A cautious approach was certainly justified. But the man who says he thrives on major challenges surprised everyone by taking over in late July.

  With one wave of his magic wand, suddenly everything turned positive in Birdland. The youthful starters—Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz and Brad Bergesen—began to live up to all the hype and were aided by an unexpected surge of offense spearheaded by Luke Scott, Ty Wigginton and a rejuvenated Felix Pie.  To further help matters, the defense began making crucial plays while the bullpen, led by a now healthy and seemingly  unhittable Koji Uehara, helped win several nail-biters.

   But before someone tears away the curtain to reveal Showalter, like the Wizard of Oz, simply pushing all the right buttons, it could be time for a reality check. Next month, save for six games with Detroit, the Orioles’ schedule will be exclusively against the four teams ahead of them in the intimidating Al East-New York, Tampa Bay, Boston and the combative Toronto Blue Jays. Even Darth Vader and Harry Potter would cringe fighting these odds.

  The University-town of Moscow, Idaho is so cozy that if you blink twice, you’re liable to miss it.  But one place you must visit is the colorful Corner Club saloon on Main Street, which its owner, Herm Goetz, converted in the early Forties from a small chapel with hardwood floors and a beamed ceiling.

  If you believe all the stories, it’s said that a patron once rode his horse into the tavern and ordered a beer for himself and his horse. Another tall tale had a cowboy riding a buffalo in one door and out the other.

  But the real legend surrounding the Corner Club endured for 23 years, dating back to 1962 when Gus Johnson arrived from Boise Junior College to play for the University of Idaho Vandals. Once the locals caught sight of the “Honeycomb’’, a name bestowed on him by his coach, Joe Cipriano, for his sweet play, the small Memorial gym became the place to be for locals in awe of the muscular Johnson’s prodigious  dunks, rebounding skills and suffocating defense. Two hours before a home game, long lines formed outside and filled the arena to the rafters.

   The native of Akron, O. had been lightly-recruited coming out of Central High, where he was a teammate of Nate Thurmond, as were most African Americans during that time period. But keeping him a secret for long proved impossible when he challenged Creighton’s Paul Silas for the national rebounding title by averaging 20.3 rebounds in addition to scoring 19 points a game, mostly of the jaw-dropping variety.

Flake:An odd person, unconventional.

 Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of watching some classic athletic eccentrics perform in their chosen field. Such noteworthy flakes as former Baltimore Colt running back Joe Don Looney, who said he talked to buildings because they didn’t talk back, Detroit pitcher Mark Fidyrich who talked to the baseball in his glove, and, more recently, Laker forward Ron Artest who would call his shrink at halftime of games in order to focus better on the court.

   But all these celebrated flakes pale in comparison to former Brooklyn Dodger and Baltimore Oriole righthander  Billy Loes, who, for his utter daffiness, should have been a lefty, and, in any case, belonged in a higher league.

   How else to explain that Loes, 80, was dead for over two weeks before newspapers discovered it?  This did not seem that odd to Bob Villante, who is currently serving as the Dodgers’ alumni director.  A year ago, Villante tried to call Loes at the Tucson, Ariz., hospice where he was recovering from heart surgery and a diabetes disorder. The hospital told Villante that Loes had left the premises.  When they finally hooked up, Loes said, “That’s a lie.  I escaped.’’

   CERTIFIABLE:Synon:Stark Crazy

   That was the only word we could think of to adequately describe any suitable candidate interested in replacing interim boss Juan Samuel before the hapless Orioles conclude what promises to be their worst season ever.

   This particularly applies to apparent front-runner Buck Showalter after Bobby Valentine wisely eliminated himself from contention. Why would Showalter, who boasts an admirable 882-833 record as past manager of the Yankees, Rangers and Diamondbacks accept the job before spring training next year?

   All of the other likely job applicants have losing big-league records save for former Birds’ skipper and second baseman Davey Johnson, who managed the team for seven years and led them to their last playoff appearances in 1996 and 1997. But Johnson, who boasted a big ego, ultimately learned that matching egos with self-possessed Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos, the boss would always win.

   There are also two major reasons why Showalter should come to his senses before moving to Baltimore, even if promised a four-year deal and more say over personnel decisions. There are currently much more attractive job openings in Chicago and Toronto .Lou Piniella’s premature retirement announcement has high-profile ex-managers like Larry Bowa and Valentine eying a fresh start with the Cubs, whose nucleus is certainly superior to the Orioles. If Cubs’ fans had their druthers, they’d opt for their former Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, despite his limited minor-league managerial experience.