Friday Bird Droppings

This week reminds me of those old Southwest "Wanna get away?" commercials. It's been brutal, but the Orioles are thinking warm thoughts as they prepare for next week's minicamp.

Source: O's agree to Minors deal with Arencibia | orioles.com
Poor Steve Clevenger. On the positive side, being a free swinger of Cuban heritage with a country singer for a wife, Arencibia's got plenty in common with his future teammates.

School of Roch: Looking ahead to the minicamp
Live baseball action at Twin Lakes. So THIS is the new year!

Could Colby Rasmus Be The Next Nelson Cruz For The Orioles?
"It may be a long shot for Colby Rasmus to be the next Nelson Cruz, but Paul Folkemer says it's probably a risk worth taking for the Orioles."

Steve Melewski: Prospect profile: Catcher Jonah Heim makes solid early impression with Orioles
When the Orioles drafted three high school catchers among their top seven picks in the 2013 draft, they knew it was going to take time ...

Camden Depot: Did Jonathan Schoop Make a Subtle Adjustment in the Postseason? If this trend continues...

On this day in 1903, Baltimore's baseball franchise was sold to consortium from New York. The franchise became the Yankees. In 1915, George Sisler was declared a free agent after a contentious two year battle with the National Commission (the early version of baseball's commissioner). On this day in 1980, Baltimore native Al Kaline was elected to the Hall of Fame while Jim Palmer was elected to the Hall on this day in 1990.

It's the birthday of Dunbar alum Muggsy Bogues. You may remember the diminutive Bogues from his time with the Washington Bullets when he played in the same lineup with Manute Bol. During his years with the Charlotte Hornets, he was given a start with the International League's Charlotte Knights.