Monday Bird Droppings

School of Roch: Another newcomer, left field and the Red Sox - MASN
"I'd be surprised if we have another bench-clearing incident - though the Red Sox might be a bit cranky after playing 16 innings last night - but Showalter is still seething over the punishments handed down by Major League Baseball. Closer Kevin Gregg is expected to begin serving a reduced suspension tonight, and Michael Gonzalez will follow once Gregg returns to the roster. Vladimir Guerrero is on the disabled list with a fractured wrist, which Showalter mentions every single day."

Kevin Cowherd: Orioles' anger at Red Sox hasn't cooled - baltimoresun.com
"As a general rule, baseball players tend to fight about as well as hockey players knit. That's why bench-clearing brawls are usually pretty dull affairs. There's a lot of cussing and grunting and groaning. There's a lot of pushing and shoving. Maybe you'll see a haymaker or two whistle harmlessly through the air, but that's pretty much the extent of the action. On the other hand, the Orioles are in such a death spiral right now that another melee with the Boston Red Sox, who come into Camden Yards on Monday for a three-game series, might actually be the high point of the season for O's fans."

5 reasons re-signing J.J. Hardy is a great move by the O's - Baltimore Sports Report
"Though nothing official has been announced, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that Hardy’s deal is worth $22.25 million and that he has a no trade clause with eight teams per season. This news came as a breath of fresh air during what was a tough losing streak for the Orioles. Here’s five reasons why this deal was so important."

Hardy, Markakis, Johnson, Uehara - baltimoresun.com
"Several people have questioned why in the world would shortstop J.J. Hardy want to sign a contract extension with the Orioles when they are struggling so badly, and he likely would have several contenders bidding for his services after this season. Obviously, a three-year, $22.25 million contract extension is a nice comfort for a player with an extensive injury history. But the two other factors that immediately come to mind are loyalty and commitment."

Life After Andy MacPhail: Options Within the Organization - Camden Depot
"There are several candidates to take the reins of the day to day operations. There are internal options, experienced external options, and inexperienced external options. In a series of three posts, I will review some of those potential options. This first post will consider internal options."