Saturday Bird Droppings

Recaps of last night's umpiring can be found at The Sun, Orioles.com (with video of Buck channeling Earl Weaver), MASNsports (with post-game Buck), and Dallas Morning News.

Orioles Insider: Showalter and Markakis question the umpiring; Umpires refuse comment
"I didn’t use any words against him, I didn’t use any profanity. He may not have liked the tone in my voice, but I didn’t like the strike zone in the last at-bat." Nick Markakis is a man of few words, but he got his point across last night.

School of Roch: Markakis: "I didn't get one strike thrown to me..."
"The first two at-bats, (C.J. Wilson) made good pitches It just built up and built up and I feel in that last at-bat, I didn't get one strike thrown to me and I was on my way back to the dugout." More Nick goodness contained within.

School of Roch: Showalter: "We're trying to keep the field level"
"Obviously, he was having a tough night and you're just looking for a sense of fairness, and emotions take over. That's one thing that can't happen. You can't get emotionally involved as an umpire. Ninety-nine times out of 100, I come in here and tell you we had a chance to make it not matter. It was really tough tonight." I think that quote speaks the most about Buck's feelings about the game. When he's saying the ump changed the game, that's a pretty big deal.

Orioles Insider: Info on Reimold, Berken, Lugo
Nolan Reimold may get a September call-up, Jason Berken goes to NYC to get a second opinion on his fabrum bear, and Julio Lugo played LF last night because C.J. Wilson is death to lefties.

MLBPAA honors Wigginton with award | orioles.com: News
The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) will honor Ty Wigginton on Saturday with one of its Heart and Hustle Awards.

Healthy Uehara impresses Showalter | orioles.com: News
"I know what I've seen since I've been here. I can see why he was somebody that was coveted to bring in. Keeping him healthy, I know, has been a challenge, but it's pretty obvious when he's healthy that he can make a really good contribution."

Steve Melewski: Chorye Spoone to the DL
"After allowing a career-high eight walks and also hitting three batters last night, today the Bowie Baysox put right-handed pitcher Chorye Spoone on the disabled list." Geez, with those numbers, you almost hope it's because he was hurt.

Brian Roberts' 'Baseball Bash' fundraiser for University of Maryland Hospital for Children has new site - baltimoresun.com
For each of the past three years, the Bash has raised about $200,000, roughly 20 percent of the money the hospital has brought in.

Angelos to host O'Malley fundraiser before Orioles game - Baltimore Business Journal
Interesting, considering how much the two men disagreed about relocating the Expos to Washington. "Temporarily he and I were not on good terms," Angelos said of O’Malley. "But that was then, and this is now."

IN THE MINORS

Bulls clinch fourth straight division crown, Mudcats get a win against Mobile | Triangle Offense | Independent Weekly
Rocco Baldelli homered and doubled for both RBI, leading the defending Triple-A National Champion Bulls to a 3-1 road win over the Norfolk Tides on Friday night and yet another title in the International League’s South Division.

Baysox Squeeze Squirrels
The win pushes the Baysox to 66-58 on the year and keeps them in second place with the final playoff spot in hand as the season enters the final weeks, one game ahead of third-place Harrisburg.

Shorebirds fall in extra innings | delmarvanow.com | The Daily Times
Nick Haughian struck out 10 batters over 6 2/3 innings and allowed only six hits and a run.

ValleyCats take tough loss to Aberdeen despite great pitching by David Martinez - The Saratogian Sports
Crazy play to end the game.

Orioles split twinbill " Local Sports " Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV
Blueifled won one and lost one. Yeah, I know the headline said that.

GCL Orioles lost 7-6
Mychal Givens played at went 1-for-4 with an RBI. It's only his second game back from injury after starting just seven games for Delmarva before getting hurt.

The Canadian Press: Major league teams cater to allergy sufferers by offering peanut-free seating
The Frederick Keys, a minor-league team in Maryland, keep an allergist on hand during their annual peanut-free game to scan for signs of anaphylactic shock, a deadly reaction that can result in suffocation.

So you want to be a minor leaguer...
Here's a tweet from Delmarva's Matt Hobgood at 8:10 this morning: "Finally going to bed after just getting to the hotel in Hickory. Good night?"