Monday Bird Droppings: Where Brian Roberts is turning 40

Hello, friends.

There are now 170 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2018. For today, at least, there will be some baseball entertainment to be had. Due to both the Yankees and the Red Sox lamentably avoiding sweeps on Sunday, today will be the last day of the year with four baseball games being played.

Monday will be another day with a potential twelve hours of consecutive baseball happening. That starts at 1:08 with Game 4 of Astros-Red Sox and runs through whenever the 10:08 game between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers ends. A wrinkle in the continuous baseball could end up being the remnants of Hurricane Nate, if they find their way over New York by game time, which is 7:08.

In case you needed any more reminders that it’s not 2016 any more, the Yankees survived on Sunday night thanks to former Oriole Andrew Miller giving up a solo home run, leading to a 1-0 Indians loss. Miller was a difference-maker for the Indians last year, but you can’t be perfect forever. So it goes.

Either the Red Sox or the Yankees could still be eliminated today with losses. Make it happen, Houston, Cleveland, and Mother Nature.

Around the blogO’sphere

Taking the rotation for another spin (School of Roch)
Stacey clipped this yesterday too, but I’m just clipping it again today as a reminder that the Orioles rotation is probably going to suck again next year too.

Orioles will reload, not rebuild (Steve Melewski)
This appears to be the buzz phrase of the offseason. Call it whatever you want, the Orioles need to do more than one thing to be a lot better next season.

2018 MLB Draft Watch: 5 prep pitchers to keep an eye on (Minor League Ball)
The Orioles are picking at #11 next year, so they could possibly end up with one of these guys, if they want to do that.

Bulldogs, Orioles repeat as sectional champs (The Flyer Group)
As you may know, it is the editorial position of this blog to celebrate the successes of all Orioles teams everywhere. Here, the boys cross country team of Avon High School in Indiana - the Orioles - has won a little title. Congratulations to them!

Birthdays and anniversaries

In 1966, the Orioles completed their sweep of the Dodgers to win the World Series. Frank Robinson hit a solo home run to give the O’s a 1-0 victory in the decisive game. The O’s staff set a World Series record with 33 consecutive scoreless innings.

In 2014, the Orioles announced a three-year contract extension for J.J. Hardy.

There are a few former Orioles with birthdays today. They are: 2015-16 reliever Chaz Roe, 2013 short-timer Jason Pridie, and switch-hitting second base sensation Brian Roberts.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: composer Camille Saint-Saens (1835), Walgreens founder Charles Rudolph Walgreens (1873), baseball Hall of Famer Rube Marquard (1886), The Beatles’ John Lennon (1940), television’s Sharon Osbourne (1952), Wings actor Tony Shalhoub (1953), film director Guillermo del Toro (1964), golfer Annika Sorenstam (1970), and University of Maryland basketball star Juan Dixon (1978).

On this day in history...

In 1635, Rhode Island founder Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for, among other things, arguing for a separation of church and state and suggesting that the King did not have the power to grant charters that took away Native Americans land.

In 1812, during the War of 1812, American forces won a naval battle on Lake Erie and captured two British ships, HMS Detroit and HMS Caledonia.

In 1919, the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series, defeating the Chicago White Sox, or as history also knows that year’s team, the Black Sox.

In 1940, during the Battle of Britain, a night-time Luftwaffe raid resulted a bomb hitting St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, which destroyed the cathedral’s high altar.

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on October 9 - or at least, unless something happens later. It probably won’t, or at least not to the Orioles, since it’s everyone else who’s playing in the postseason, not them. Have a safe Monday.