Monday Bird Droppings

It's Opening Day for every team in baseball besides the Yankees and Red Sox, who played last night, and the Orioles and Rays, who play tomorrow. It's just weird. The good thing about it, though, is that we don't have the pesky day off after Opening Day. That day is my least favorite day of the entire year. 

Commentary: Mother's Day mark will tell all for Orioles
This opinion piece posits that May 9 is a bellweather date because of the rough schedule in the first month. Fair point. But then the author stupidly suggests that O's fans will give up if the team is "well under the break even mark". Um, I don't think fans are going to give up when the team has 5 months of baseball left, particularly since the hardest stretch will out of the way. -zk

Next for Hobgood: Delmarva - MASNsports.com
Right-hander Matt Hobgood will get his wish and start the season in the Shorebirds' rotation. It will be his first full-season experience. And he said his fastball is already faster than last year at Bluefield, reaching 92 mph and staying 88 to 90 mph during Spring Training. Can't wait to see him in Salisbury. -duck

What Rhodes has learned | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com
Former Oriole Arthur Rhodes has been in the bigs for 23 years. A cool interview with him that includes a shout-out to Cal Ripken Jr. -zk

Angle to undergo surgery - MASNsports.com
Matt Angle broke his hand swinging the bat in his last plate appearance in a Spring Training game. He's going to have surgery and have the bone removed. Really. They don't fix it, they just take it out. Weird. -duck

Fantasy baseball: Orioles apologize to fans - baltimoresun.com
A hypothetical apology letter from the Orioles to their fans for the last 12 years. -Stacey

Orioles lineup has flexibility and balance, but no clear No. 4 - baltimoresun.com
Looking at the Orioles lineup. Just don't put Izturis 2nd. -Stacey

Delmarva's first full-time sports station goes live | The Daily Times
Movin' on up! -Stacey

Trembley, O's need to take next step
Do we believe Andy MacPhail when he says the hardest part is over? -Stacey

Sports Business - Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry on Hiatus for Most of the Summer - NYTimes.com
"Imagine: no summer games between the teams at Fenway — in fact, none from May 9 until Oct. 1." Gee, I can't imagine that. HOW WILL BASEBALL SURVIVE? -zk

Today in Camden Chat history:

2005 - Long day off  
2006 - Gameday Thread: Rays (0-1) at O's (1-0) 
2007 - Perlozzo sums up his losing philosophy in one sentence  
2008 - Frightened Bedard refuses to face mighty Orioles 
2009 - Opening Sunday Open Thread: Braves @ Phillies