I'd like to wish a very happy birthday to my good friend, Duck. Without him it is likely I would have gone mad by now, and it is certain that Camden Chat wouldn't be half as great as it is. To Duck! (Oh, and dude, I have no idea if you like the Beatles or not, but it is common practice among my people to play this song as the birthday boy or girl enters the room, and you are certainly one of my people)
Now, onto the links...
Recaps from last night's fantastic win can be found at the Baltimore Sun, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, and our very own SBN.
Steve Melewski: Wiggy reacts to his suspension
Ty Wigginton has been suspended three games and fined for his outburst against umpire Gary Darling on Thursday. It's been an eventful year for ol' Wigglypuff.
The O’s – A Bill Withers Odyssey
Ok so I love Bill Withers. I mean, who doesn't, right? I don't know which one of the Eutaw Street Hooligans wrote this post, which compares every aspect of being an Orioles fan to a different Bill Withers song, but I think it's fantastic.
Victoria Advocate | Giants announcer Jon Miller in touch with his roots
A great article on former Orioles announcer Jon Miller, who is being given the Ford C. Frick Award this weekend in Cooperstown. Miller says that the best baseball announcer is whomever you listened to as a kid. I guess that's why I love him so much.
The Idiot's Guide To Camden Yards
A very fun read on one baseball fan's first trip to OPaCY. I actually laughed a couple times, especially about the fan who loves Craig Tatum. He takes a few shots at the team but is very complimentary of the environment and fans.
Major Leaguer leaves Tides players happy and well-fed | PilotOnline.com
It's tradition for a rehabbing major leaguer to buy his minor league teammates a post-game meal, but Mike Gonzalez did it twice, including a seafood feast the Tides players aren't used to. That's cute.
Recaps from the minors...
Lehigh Valley IronPigs drop 8-3 decision to Norfolk Tides | lehighvalleylive.com
Josh Bell, Brandon Snyder, and Michael Aubrey hit home runs to lead the Tides to the victory.
Flying Squirrels break out the big bats, bury Bowie 14-4 | Richmond Times-Dispatch
The good news is Joe Mahoney went 3-for-4 with another home run and Joel Guzman hit two home runs (giving him 22 on the year to lead the Eastern League). The bad news is that Ryohei Tanaka gave up 10 runs in 2.2 innings and Caleb Joseph had to leave the game after a collision at the plate.
Keys beat Pelicans, 8-5
Zach Clark allowed 2 runs in six innings and the offense rolled behind multi-hit games from Ronnie Welty, Billy Rowell, L.J. Hoes, Miguel Abreu, and Pedro Florimon. Xavier Avery had a single and a walk.
Shorebirds Drop Wild Affair to Hickory - WBOC-TV 16
The Shorebirds tried to comeback from an 8-1 deficit but ultimately lost 9-7. Benches cleared when Keiron Pope was hit in consecutive at bats, so that was probably fun for the fans.
Renegades Shut Down IronBirds, 5-2 : The Dagger
Bruno Sanchez got knocked around for 5 runs in 3.1 innings by the Hudson Valley Renegades. Michael Flacco, playing third for the first time this year, had two hits, and Trent Mummy had a single and a walk.
Oh, and one last thing. Do you want to know one more reason why I love Brian Roberts? Here are the total pitches taken by the Orioles last night (total pitches, plate appearances, pitches per plate appearance):
Brian Roberts: 24, 4, 6
Ty Wigginton: 18, 4, 4.5
Cesar Izturis: 13, 3, 4.33
Luke Scott: 14, 4, 3.5
Adam Jones: 10, 3, 3.33
Miguel Tejada: 11, 4, 2.75
Felix Pie: 8, 3, 2.67
Craig Tatum: 7, 3, 2.33
Corey Patterson: 5, 3, 1.67 (no, that's not a joke)