Saturday Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles still have no rotation

Hello, friends.

There are now 47 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. This number was used most recently in 2014 by Evan Meek, whose pitching was the retirement gift that Buck Showalter offered to Derek Jeter in the latter’s final home game. At other times it was used by Pedro Strop and Jesse Orosco. Be a better relief pitcher today.

Only three days remain until pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota to mark the beginning of spring training. In a strange and frankly unwelcome parallel, this is the same number of openings that the Orioles currently have in their starting rotation.

Perhaps this weekend will be when they start to do something to address that - although, as you know, I won’t be holding my breath.

Around the blogO’sphere

Britton still targeting May return; looking back on big O’s trades (School of Roch)
The idea that Zach Britton is going to pitch in May sounds like a complete fantasy to me, but I’m not a doctor, just a pessimist.

Predicting Orioles 2018 MLB roster (Orioles.com)
In case you needed a reminder that the current state of the Orioles rotation is bad.

Orioles face plenty of questions, uncertainty as spring training begins (Baltimore Sun)
No, but seriously, who are they going to sign to pitch for this team?

Major League Baseball is really, really difficult - the Ryan Flaherty story (Baltimore Baseball)
One thing that I think about from time to time is that Ryan Flaherty is better at baseball than any of us will ever be at anything.

Scouting the AL East: Baltimore Orioles ZiPS projections (Pinstripe Alley)
This isn’t the first time this year I’ve seen a Yankees fan looking forward to facing the Orioles, and it probably won’t be the last.

Birthdays and anniversaries

There are a few former Orioles with birthdays today. They are: 2009-11 infielder Cesar “Maximum” Izturis, 2007 reserve catcher Alberto Castillo, 1997-99 catcher Lenny Webster, and Billy O’Dell of the 1954-59 Orioles pitching staffs. It is O’Dell’s 85th birthday today, so an extra happy birthday to him.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: Doctor Zhivago author Boris Pasternak (1890), children’s literature writer E.L. Konigsburg (1930), nine-time gold medal swimmer Mark Spitz (1950), golfer Greg Norman (1955), Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan (1967), and actress Elizabeth Banks (1975).

On this day in history...

In 1258, the city of Baghdad fell to the Mongols of Hulagu Khan, bringing an end to the Abbasid Caliphate, which had held sway over the region since 750.

In 1763, the Treaty of Paris brought an end to the French and Indian War, in which Quebec was ceded to Great Britain.

In 1906, the HMS Dreadnought, which was influential in battleship development in the early 20th century, was christened and launched by British King Edward VII. By coincidence, this same day 66 years previously was when Edward’s parents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, got married.

In 1962, an exchange of spies between the US and Soviet Union took place as captured U2 pilot Gary Powers was exchanged for Russian spy Rudolf Abel.

In 1967, the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution, which involves succession to the presidency, among other things, was adopted upon ratification by the state of Nevada. Maryland was the 28th state to ratify, nearly a year previously.

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on February 10 - or at least, unless something happens later, which, knowing this offseason, it probably won’t. Have a safe Saturday. Go Team USA!