:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62754829/1041033040.jpg.0.jpg)
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
It’s New Year’s Eve Eve, which means we’re less than 48 hours from saying goodbye forever to 2018. For Orioles fans, that’s a long-awaited, welcome relief.
Good riddance to a year that brought us the worst team in Orioles history. A team that was shockingly horrific in every aspect of the game. A team that reached new levels of embarrassment seemingly every night. A team that had to be dismantled in the middle of the season so at least some players could enjoy the taste of winning baseball somewhere else. For the rest of their lives, Orioles fans will give an involuntary shudder whenever someone mentions the year 2018 in any context.
I, for one, won’t miss it. Onward to a new year and (hopefully) better things.
Links
Grover on being a Rule 5 selection by the Orioles - School of Roch
Roch Kubatko has the full story on the Orioles' 102-mph throwing minor league Rule 5 pick, Taylor Grover, along with a lot of quotes from his very passionate agent, Josh Kusnick.
Should the O’s add free agent starting pitchers? - Steve Melewski
Sure, why not? It couldn’t hurt to have some warm bodies around in case a few pitching prospects need more seasoning in the minors.
Baltimore Orioles: Six prospects worth watching in 2019 - BirdsWatcher
Chuck Boemmel lists six lesser-known O’s minor leaguers who could be intriguing, including second baseman Kirvin Moesquit. If his nickname isn’t “The Mosquito,” that’s a real missed opportunity.
Ten things we’ll remember from the 2018 MLB season – The Athletic
The Orioles made it onto this list for all the wrong reasons.
Orioles birthdays
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your Orioles birthday buddies include 1996 righty Archie Corbin (51); 1981-82 first baseman Jose Morales (74); and 2006-07 righty Jim Hoey (36), whom the O’s dealt to the Twins for J.J. Hardy in one of the best trades in team history.
It’s also the 41st birthday for righty Grant Balfour, the would-be closer the Orioles reached agreement with in 2014, only to scuttle the deal after seeing something concerning in the physical. Balfour and the national media ripped the O’s for backing out, but they turned out to be right; he had a 5.00 ERA for the rest of his career.