Tuesday Bird Droppings: Where it's finally World Series time

Hello, friends.

There are now 155 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2018. World Series games will carry us through at least four but no more than seven of those days, and whatever happens there, no later than November 2, we will wake up with no real baseball to sustain us until late March. So enjoy it while it lasts!

Now that it comes down to it, who do you prefer between the Astros and the Dodgers? Other than general tribalism in favor of the American League, it's hard to muster up much of an opinion here.

Obviously, it's no fun when the NL wins and NL fans act all superior as if they play real baseball over there. This is demonstrably untrue and yet regularly asserted by those people who are stuck in a time where pitchers batting was a good idea - if there ever was such a time where it was a good idea at all.

As far as the Dodgers or Astros themselves, though, what is there? I have no grudge against either of these teams due to past slights done to the Orioles. Indeed, the Orioles beat the Dodgers the time they faced them in the World Series. The Astros are an organization that has made its rise in part due to some accumulated chicanery over a number of years. You can read a bit more on this subject from Bill Baer at Hardball Talk.

Other than that, there's just really nothing to inspire love or hate in this series. If Clayton Kershaw dominates on the way to the Dodgers winning the World Series, that would be a great story. If Justin Verlander continues his amazing run following his trade to Houston, that would be a great story too. There are a number of possible great stories here. I hope it goes seven games.

Around the blogO'sphere

Orioles can learn from Astros, who exposed Yankees' aggressiveness with offspeed approach (Baltimore Sun)
The secret, apparently, is for pitchers to throw more and better off-speed, and for hitters to swing less at off-speed pitches out of the zone. The Orioles saw a greater proportion of off-speed pitches than any MLB team this year! Huh, I wonder why? That was sarcasm just there.

Former Orioles player, current MASN analyst Ray Knight charged with assault (Baltimore Sun)
I really never know what headlines I might come across when I search for links.

Hamstring injuries didn't hurt Mullins' standing in organization (School of Roch)
Cedric Mullins has his fans in the Orioles organization even with a couple of hamstring-related problems this season. I know I’m rooting for the guy.

Does Bowie flamethrower have future in the Baltimore rotation? (Steve Melewski)
The answer to this question is probably no, but I guess it doesn’t hurt for people to keep pretending it might be yes for a little while longer.

Thirty-two is a magic number for MLB (Fangraphs)
Realignment talk has been the rage since a Baseball America hypothetical was presented earlier in the month. I like Travis Sawchik’s take here for Fangraphs that would create four eight-team divisions while mostly preserving existing rivalries.

Birthdays and anniversaries

There are a few former Orioles with birthdays today. They are: 2012 infielder Omar Quintanilla, 1991-99 pitcher Arthur Rhodes, and current O's radio analyst, Baltimore's own Dave Johnson.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: microbiology pioneer Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632), "Mary Had A Little Lamb" writer Sarah Josepha Hale (1788), early rock and roller The Big Bopper (1930), former Baltimore Colts player and current Ravens radio broadcaster Stan White (1949), actor B.D. Wong (1960), rapper Drake (1986), and the most popular YouTube personality, PewDiePie (1990).

On this day in history...

In 1360, England and France ratified the Treaty of Bretigny, which ended the Edwardian War with England holding significant possessions in France. Nine years later, the war, which would ultimately go by the Hundred Years' War, resumed.

In 1648, the European powers concluded the Thirty Years' War with the Peace of Westphalia, which introduced the concept of sovereign states to world politics. Thus, Europeans never fought one another again. Oh, wait...

In 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She accomplished this feat on her 63rd birthday, which is incredibly badass, although she did later remark of it, "I would sooner walk up to the mouth of a cannon, knowing it was going to blow me to pieces, than make another trip over the Fall."

In 1926, Harry Houdini performed for the final time. This performance took place at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit.

In 1945, the United Nations was founded. Peace in Europe seems to have actually stuck after this one.

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And that's the way it is in Birdland on October 24 - or at least, unless something happens later. Have a safe Tuesday.