Saturday Bird Droppings

Orioles notes and observations (Davis, other teams and Davis, Kim) - Baltimore Sun
"To get the most for his client, though, Scott Boras often has to wait out the market before getting the megadeal done. And it’s going to be interesting to see how long Chris Davis is willing to be patient. He’s an enigma; sometimes he’s very chilled and other times he’s frenetic."

Colorado Rockies trade rumors: Orioles not interested in parting with Kevin Gausman - Purple Row
"You can cross one more young, talented pitcher off the list of potential Colorado Rockies trade targets this winter, it would appear." And make it a permanent Sharpie, folks. We ain't dealing Kevin Gausman.

Hot Stove: Orioles, Royals, A's interested in free-agent Scott Kazmir - CBSSports.com
"Ex-A's star Scott Kazmir is said to have multiple three-year offers, probably in the $12-13-million range, with the A's, Royals and Orioles among interested teams."

KC Royals Interested In Orioles Starter Wei-Yin Chen - Kings of Kauffman
"The KC Royals rumor mill continues to connect them to starting pitching. The latest iteration comes from CBS Sports insider Jon Heyman who has connected the Kansas City Royals to former Orioles lefty Wei-Yin Chen."

School of Roch: More on Orioles' interest in Gallardo and Kazmir
"Hyun-soo Kim's two-year deal with the Orioles may become official later today, though it could take until Monday morning. The press conference that follows will offer the media a chance to learn more about the Korean outfielder and gauge whether his interpreter will be useful in the clubhouse. We've been exposed to a wide range. I'd just prefer that a two-minute response from the player isn't followed by a 15-second interpretation." So I'm guessing Roch isn't exactly going to miss Wei-Yin Chen's interpreter.

School of Roch: Blue Jays claim Junior Lake off waivers
"At least for now, outfielder Junior Lake will stay in the American League East. The Blue Jays have claimed Lake off waivers from the Orioles, who designated him for assignment on Dec. 10. An Orioles official confirmed the transaction, which was reported by 670thescore.com."

Happy Birthday to former Orioles Doug Johns, Chito Martinez, and Mike Fetters. They share it with famous folks like 1036 - Su Tung-p'o, China, poet/essayist/painter/calligrapher; 1683 - Philip V, King of Spain (pay attention kids, it's on your Chapter 7 test for Modern World History); 1714 - John Winthrop, American astronomer; 1753 - John Taylor, Virginia, philosopher, and not bass player for Duran Duran; 1875 - Carter G Woodson, American historian; 1894 - Ford C Frick, baseball commissioner; 1906 - Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of USSR, and in the nightmares of American children throughout the 1970s; 1920 - Little Jimmy Dickens, American country singer; 1934 - Al Kaline, Hall of Fame outfielder, born in Baltimore, Maryland; 1944 - Tim Reid, American actor and comedian; 1946 - Marianne Faithfull, singer (The Memory Remains); 1946 - Robert Urich, actor; 1963 - Jennifer Beals, actress; 1967 - Criss Angel, magician, I guess; 1972 - Alyssa Milano, actress; 1980 - Jake Gyllenhaal, actor and heart throb of teachers everywhere; and 1988 - Paulina Gretzky, American-born Canadian actress and model.

On this day in Orioles history...

1976 - A single-engine plane crashes into the upper deck of Baltimore's Memorial Stadium injuring the pilot and three others. Minutes prior to the mishap the plane had buzzed the stadium during the final moments of the Steelers' play-off victory over the Colts.
1991 - The Orioles sign P Rick Sutcliffe as a free agent. The former 1984 Cy Young Award winner was 6-5 with a 4.10 era with the Cubs last season. He will throw the first pitch at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in the 1992 season.

In world history on this date...

1776 - Thomas Paine published his 1st "American Crisis" essay, in which he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls"
1922 - Theresa Vaughn, 24, confessed in court in Sheffield, England, to being married 61 times over 5 years in 50 cities in three countries
1932 - British Broadcasting Corp begins transmitting overseas
1950 - Tibet's Dalai Lama flees Chinese invasion

Don't forget to cheer on Shepherd University at 4 pm on ESPN2 as our own Russellgood2573 helps coach them in the the school's first NCAA Division II championship game against Northwest Missouri St.