Saturday Bird Droppings: Where Buck Showalter is moving up the win lists

Hello, friends.

There are now 151 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2018. Tonight will still keep us busy with baseball, at least, assuming you’re interested in Game 4 of the World Series.

It’s been a heck of a World Series so far, and for the sake of not having to deal with a baseball-less winter, I hope it continues being exciting for another four games worth of baseball. That would take us through November 1. On the other hand, if the Astros take the next two games, that will be that, and baseball won’t even go beyond this weekend.

The end of baseball season also brings us closer to the agonizing part of hot stove season where good players are getting signed while the Orioles twiddle their thumbs and do nothing. I dread this happening again this offseason, with the desperate need for starting pitching once again turning into a collection of scrap heap projects.

But hey, no need to worry about that quite yet, because the season isn’t over until the World Series ends.

Around the blogO’sphere

Managerial changes in AL East leave Orioles, Buck Showalter in awkward spot going forward (Baltimore Sun)
The thesis of this article appears to be that new, unfamiliar managers for the Yankees and Red Sox will cause Buck to have a harder time fostering an “us against the world” mentality for the Orioles, which... really seems like it sells Buck and the Orioles players short, honestly.

Showalter moves up active list, Miller moves on to next career (School of Roch)
If you’ve been wondering what former Orioles pitcher Jim Miller has been up to lately, Roch has got you covered.

Talking Joe Girardi’s ouster, game times, and more (Steve Melewski)
Here’s Steve Melewski noting that this season had the longest average time of game ever this season. That does sound like a little bit of a problem.

Myriad Orioles Thoughts: Machado’s Gold Glove chances; Davis snubbed; Buck moving on up (Baltimore Baseball)
Writing for SB Nation, I’m allowed to, and encouraged to, openly fly my flag as an Orioles fan and homer, a contrast to members of the mainstream Orioles media. But you won’t catch me stumping for Chris Davis to get any Gold Glove consideration this season.

The five best single game pitching performances in World Series history (Beyond the Box Score)
The most recent Orioles World Series appearance pops up on this list from our friends over at Beyond the Box Score.

When ballplayers show up for spring training, so does this financial adviser (MarketWatch)
A Marylander and Orioles fan is financial adviser to (some of) the stars.

Birthdays and anniversaries

There are a few former Orioles with birthdays today. They are: 2012-13 outfielder Nate McLouth, 1998-99 starter Juan Guzman, 1989-91 catcher Bob Melvin, 1978-85 reliever Sammy Stewart. It’s also the birthday of current Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich, who I just now learned was an MLBer for a few years in the early 80s.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: philosopher Erasmus (1466), anti-slavery Revolutionary War soldier John Laurens (1754), author Evelyn Waugh (1903), painter Francis Bacon (1909), polio vaccine Jonas Salk (1914), Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (1955), actress Julia Roberts (1967), singer-songwriter Brad Paisley (1972), and the 11th Doctor, Matt Smith (1982).

On this day in history...

In 1636, the first college in the future United States of America was founded. This college is known today as Harvard University.

In 1726, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels was first published.

In 1886, President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty. Following the dedication, the first-ever ticker tape parade took place as office workers spontaneously threw ticker tape onto the streets to celebrate.

In 1956, Elvis Presley received a polio vaccination on live television, which is credited with raising the immunization rate in the US from 0.6% to over 80% within six months.

In 1962, the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ordered the removal of missiles from Cuba, marking an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on October 28 - or at least, unless something happens later, which, considering it’s a Saturday and it’s during the World Series, it probably won’t. Have a safe Saturday.