Saturday Bird Droppings

It’s a mere 65 days until Opening Day. It’s also the uniform number worn by alleged alt-culture reviewer Chaz Roe and by Mike Belfiore, who had no individual characteristics interesting enough to make fun of. On to the news, shall we?

Mark Trumbo 'thrilled to be back' with Orioles after uneven foray into free agency - The Sun

Well, what else is he gonna say, right?

Trumbo on returning to the Orioles: ‘I found the right home for me’ - BaltimoreBaseball

Well, I’m sure it beats being homeless by a far stretch.

Rickard hopes to repeat as part of 25-man roster - MASN

I bet he does.

Five outside-the-box ideas to complete the 2017 Orioles - The Sun

Four seem reasonable or have even been discussed here. But #5 is a bit of a head-scratcher to me.

Baltimore Orioles: Zach Britton gives credit for historic 2016 season - FoxSports

“It was pretty special, but a lot of things happened in order for me to put together that season,” he said last week. “I mean, you have a good team, a good defense behind you, a good catcher calling a good game.”

Kevin Gausman Wants To Aim For Lower ERA In 2017 - CBS Baltimore

Somebody enroll this kid in an advanced metrics class, stat!

Wesley Wright Agrees To Minor League Deal With Texas Rangers - CBS DFW

He was on the Orioles in 2015, his last MLB action.

A quick primer on today’s Orioles FanFest; come visit our booth - BaltimoreBaseball

BB has an app now. And their tech guy will help you install it. Because it’s 2017 and people don’t know how to do that, maybe?

Bucket seats, video board: Shorebirds unveil upgrades - DelmarvaNow/The Daily Times

Now I have even fewer excuses not to go to Shorebirds games.

Oriole bowlers sweep Thunderbirds on Senior Night - Butler County Times-Gazette

It is the editorial policy of this blog to celebrate the success of all teams named Orioles, and today’s it’s the Augusta (KS) Orioles on their triumph in bolwing.

Birthdays and History

Not only did Wesley Wright find a new employer, it’s his birthday as well! He shares this birthday with famous people including South American revolutionary Jose Marti 1853; painter Jackson Pollock 1912; writer Susan Sontag 1933; actor Alan Alda 1936; acress Barbi Benton 1950; rapper Rakim 1968; singer Sarah McLachlan; rapper DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill) 1968; 'N Sync member Joey Fatone; Backstreet Boy Nick Carter 1980; and actor Elijah Wood 1981.

On this day in Baltimore baseball history...

1901 - The American League formally organizes as a major league, having been a top minor league in 1900: the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Americans are admitted to join the Washington Nationals, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago White Sox. Three of the original clubs - Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Buffalo - are dropped. League power aggregates in Ban Johnson as trustee for all ballpark leases and majority stockholdings, and with authority to buy out refractory franchises. Player limit is 14 per team, and the schedule will be 140 games. American League contracts give the Players Protective Association what it asked for, with five-year limits on the rights to player services.

1982 - The California Angels trade outfielder Dan Ford to the Baltimore Orioles for third baseman Doug DeCinces and pitcher Jeff Schneider.

2000 - The Baltimore Orioles sign free agent pitcher Pat Rapp to a contract.

On this day in world history....

1521 - The Diet of Worms began, at which Protestant reformer Luther was declared an outlaw by the Roman Catholic church.

1871 - France surrendered in the Franco-Prussian War. This would become a pattern.

1878 - "The Yale News" was published for the first time. It was the first, daily, collegiate newspaper in the U.S.

1915 - The Coast Guard was created by an act of the U.S. Congress to fight contraband trade and aid distressed vessels at sea.

1916 - Louis D. Brandeis was appointed by President Wilson to the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming its first Jewish member.

1922 - The National Football League (NFL) franchise in Decatur, IL, transferred to Chicago. The team took the name Chicago Bears.

1935 - Iceland became the first country to introduce legalized abortion.

1980 - Six Americans who had fled the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, left Iran using false Canadian diplomatic passports. The Americans had been hidden at the Canadian embassy in Tehran.

1986 - The U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff. All seven of its crew members were killed.

Consider this your discussion space for the women’s final of the Australian Open: Serena Williams vs Venus Williams.