Saturday Bird Droppings: Where Manny Machado is on fire

Hello, friends.

There are now 26 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. That is Buck Showalter days to go until there is real baseball that counts and everything... and there are still a bunch of unsigned free agents, although there’s nothing new about those free agents vis-a-vis the Orioles today.

The spring training schedule rolls on this Saturday with a game in the Phillies camp. This isn’t going to be on any Baltimore TV or radio, though if you are a subscriber to the right MLB products, you can watch or listen to a Phillies broadcast of the game. Kevin Gausman will be pitching for the first time since his collision with a Tigers player.

The story of the day for the Orioles is that Manny Machado is on fire to start spring training. Getting excited about that also means ignoring that Dylan Bundy has had some poor results for the first couple of times he’s pitched. Hopefully the good bits of spring performance stay the same at the end of the month while the bad performances improve.

Around the blogO’sphere

Oh Manny! Machado off to blistering spring start (Orioles.com)
Whether the move to shortstop is directly related to this or not is not something that I know, but you have to like him punishing pitchers early on.

Dylan Bundy has another bumpy ride in Orioles 10-8 win (Baltimore Sun)
There are several more starts to go before this struggling matters. Don’t sweat it for another couple of weeks, at least!

More thoughts on the rotation and some of its candidates (School of Roch)
Roch handicaps where the fifth starter competition appears to stand right now, although a lot can change between now and when the fifth starter will be needed.

Back on mound for first spring action, Miguel Castro begins audition for rotation (Baltimore Sun)
Castro got his work in during the “B” game on Friday. Spring training is weird because there are games that don’t count even in the fake stats and standings.

Myriad Orioles Thoughts: 12 best pitchers, Valencia signing, Davis at leadoff (Baltimore Baseball)
Buck Showalter says the Orioles will take the twelve best pitchers north. Let’s hope that’s true - and that those twelve pitchers are good enough! Also, Danny Valencia is back on a minor league deal.

Birthdays and anniversaries

There are a few former Orioles with birthdays today. They are: 2001-05 reliever Jorge Julio, 1998 short-timer Bobby Munoz, 1991 two-gamer Francisco de la Rosa, and 1973-75 swingman Jesse Jefferson.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: philosopher William Godwin (1756), railway baron George Pullman (1831), telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell (1847), World War II/Korea general Matthew Ridgway (1895), fashion designer Perry Ellis (1940), historian Ron Chernow (1949), rapper Tone Loc (1966), and Baltimore-born actress Julie Bowen (1970).

On this day in history...

In 1284, the Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England.

In 1776, the United States Marine Corps made its first amphibious landing, storming the British port in Nassau in the Bahamas. The Americans won the battle and occupied Nassau for two weeks before stealing all of the guns and powder and leaving.

In 1820, Congress passed the Missouri Compromise, one of the many measures that staved off conflict over slavery for a while. The compromise, which prohibited slavery north of 36’30” in latitude, was later declared unconstitutional in the 1857 Dred Scott case.

In 1931, The Star-Spangled Banner was adopted as the national anthem of the United States of America.

In 1951, a record called “Rocket 88” was recorded in Memphis by Jackie Brenston, and Ike Turner and his band. This record is cited as the first rock and roll record.

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on March 3 - or at least, until something happens later when the Orioles play a game that doesn’t count against the Phillies. Have a safe Saturday.