O's to pay respects to late P.R. director Barlow

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- About 30 Orioles, including manager Buck Showalter, will leave Friday afternoon's game at 3 p.m. ET and get on a private plane to the Virginia area to attend memorial services for Monica Barlow.

Barlow, who died Friday morning at age 36 from stage IV lung cancer, served as the organization's public relations director and worked through her diagnosis for more than four years.

Showalter said the plane was originally going to seat 10, but there was such a demand in the clubhouse that owner Peter Angelos was arranging to get a different aircraft.

"Everybody wants to go, we had that problem and Mr. Angelos expanded the plane," Showalter said. "He will be [angry] I brought it up, but it's a hell of a gesture."

The plan is for the group to leave after playing four or five innings and return around 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday night. Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, J.J. Hardy and pretty much all of the team's regulars will be going, with bench coach John Russell taking over and managing the rest of the game against the Phillies.