Saturday Bird Droppings

Baseball: Davis officially back with the Orioles - Fredericksburg.com: Sports
"Chris Davis slipped on the No. 19 Orioles jersey, smiled broadly and said, "Feels familiar."

Bob Haynie: Orioles Should Crush HR’s On Offense " CBS Baltimore
"As a team, the Orioles have hit 854 home runs over the last four years. They have been to the playoffs twice and they have had four-straight non-losing seasons. Obviously, hitting the home run has benefited them."

With Chris Davis locked up, Orioles still cognizant of pitching staff needs - Baltimore Sun
"With the player the Orioles called their priority, slugging first baseman Chris Davis, now officially locked up, executive vice president Dan Duquette said the team is still in the market to bolster a pitching staff that regressed in 2015."

Winter Report Card: Orioles still have holes to fill but few options left | SI.com
"Judged simply by the players on the outbound and inbound routes above, the Orioles' winter doesn't look like much, but the real news is that the team retained three of its key free agents in Chris Davis, Darren O'Day and Matt Wieters, a prospect that appeared unlikely at the outset of off-season. At least in the short term, their return to the fold should help Baltimore remain competitive in a division still very much up for grabs."

Documentary on Pittsfield legend Mark Belanger in the works - Berkshire Eagle Online
"A Pittsfield native is looking to immortalize one of the city's best-ever athletes in a documentary. Dominic Dastoli, a features producer in the news department of the Golf Channel in Orlando, Fla., has begun work on a documentary about Mark Belanger."

Steve Pearce solidifies Rays' offseason moves | Tampa Bay Times
"Last week's deal with Steve Pearce may not have been front page news, but the addition is a big move for the Rays." And thus #TeamSteve dies. I'm kind of sad. I may need a moment...

Ten most intriguing players in AL East: Betting on Mookie - SweetSpot- ESPN
"Here are my most intriguing players to watch in the AL East for 2016. I couldn't even fit Chris Davis into the top 10." And yet Mookie Betts is #1. Alrighty then.

Report: Yoenis Cespedes agrees to three-year deal with Mets | SI.com
"Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has agreed to terms with the New York Mets on a deal for three years with a one-year opt-out clause, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports estimates the deal is in the $75 million range and includes a no-trade clause. If Cespedes opts out of his contract, he will get $27.5 million for the one year, according to Heyman. "

Two MLB Teams Locked in Escalating War With Each Other Over TV Money - Hollywood Reporter
"On Friday, the Washington Nationals were back in court, telling a judge that the Baltimore Orioles refusal to submit to arbitration was harming its ability to invest in free agents and improve its team."

Happy Birthday to former Orioles Cord Phelps, Charlie Greene, Sherman Obando, Marty Brown, and Chico Carrasquel. And if you remember any of those fine gentlemen ever taking the field (With the exception of Phelps, who saw time from 2011-2014), you're a better O's fan than I am. They share their birthday with famous people like 1737 - John Hancock, first to sign Declaration of Independence; 1832 - Edouard Manet, impressionist painter; 1910 - Django Reinhardt, jazz guitarist; 1947 - Thomas R Carper, House of Rep. for Delaware; 1950 - Richard Dean Anderson, actor; 1955 - Robin Zander, vocalist/guitarist for Cheap Trick; 1963 - Hakeem Olajuwon, NBA Hall of Fame member; 1964 - Mariska Hargitay, actress; 1974 - Tiffani-Amber Theissen, actress; 1975 - Tito Ortiz, MMA fighter and hypochondriac.

On this day in Baltimore baseball history...
2010 - The Orioles reach a one-year deal worth $6 million with former star shortstop Miguel Tejada. Tejada, who put up great numbers while playing for the Orioles from 2004 to 2007 before being traded to the Houston Astros, will move to third base.

2014 - The Rays sign closer Grant Balfour for two years at $12 million. He had signed as a free agent with the Orioles earlier this off-season, but the Birds backed out of the deal after a physical exam.

In world history on this date...

971 - In China, the war elephant corps of the Southern Han are soundly defeated at Shao by crossbow fire from Song Dynasty troops. The Southern Han state is forced to submit to the Song Dynasty, ending Southern Han rule, also first regular war elephant corps employed in Chinese army
1368 - In a coronation ceremony, Zhu Yuanzhang ascends to the throne of China as the Hongwu Emperor, initiating Ming Dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries.
1556 - Shaanxi Earthquake - deadliest ever recorded kills 830,000 in Shensi Province, China
1950 - Israeli Knesset resolves Jerusalem is capital of Israel
1973 - US President Nixon announces an accord has been reached to end Vietnam War
1978 - Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, believed to be damaging to earth's ozone layer.

Consider this your discussion space for all things snow, wind and freezing rain, and for NCAA Mens' Basketball: Maryland at Michigan State.