Saturday Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles need to leave California

Morning, Birdland! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Look, I’m a millennial. I grew up thinking of the Orioles as a bad baseball team, and I loved them anyway. They lost all the time. It was expected. I have no memory of the mid-90s Birds that had decent players. The Orioles of my childhood consisted of guys like Delino DeShields, Jeff Conine, Buddy Groom and Brook Fordyce. They were managed by Mike Hargrove. This 2018 rendition feels much, much worse than any of those early aughts teams that regularly lost 90-plus games.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled by these last few years of exciting baseball in Baltimore. Maybe I should have prepared myself better for the inevitable downfall. But man, this is a depressing team to watch night after night. No matter what the situation is, these guys can find a way to lose. It’s not because of bad luck. It’s not because they aren’t trying. It’s not because they don’t care. It’s because they just aren’t very good. Mark Brown recapped the Orioles’ latest loss, a 6-4 disappointment against the Athletics last night.

It’s fine. I’m not mad! Life is cyclical. They were bound to be a bad team again. But hearing Dan Duquette say they they need to wait another three weeks to learn what this team really has in them is ridiculous.

Links

Trade Machado now - ESPN
Just a week ago, it seemed to early to be talking about trading Manny Machado no matter how bad the Orioles were. Now, after a ton of losses, it feels like the O’s should have been fielding offers for a while now.

Prospects that were dealt away, looking at some rising arms - Baltimore Baseball
Josh Hader is basically one of the best relievers in baseball right now. The O’s sent him, along with L.J. Hoes, to the Brewers in exchange for Bud Norris. We have some of the shrewdest business people.

Who’s Batting Second? Jace Peterson Or Craig Gentry - Camden Depot
Around the league, it has been commonplace for managers to put their best hitters in the first two spots in the order to ensure they get as many at-bats as possible. Buck Showalter prefers to do something a little different.

After bullpen carries heavy workload, reinforcements are limited - Baltimore Sun
The Birds lack of depth is on display throughout the roster. I mean, Jace Peterson is the starting second baseman. But the pitching staff has been a problem for years and it is showing itself once again. They can absorb a poor start from Chris Tillman, but the short outing from Dylan Bundy has really made it difficult for the relievers.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is it your birthday? Happy Birthday! It’s kind of a lonely celebration for you. The only Oriole that shares your day is Chuck Locke, a pitcher that appeared in two games for the 1955 Birds. He tossed three innings, walked one and struck out one in his only big league experience. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2015, but he would have been 86 years old today.

1862 - Mexican troops defeat the French at the Battle of Puebla. Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration of this victory.

1866 - Memorial Day is first celebrated in the U.S.

1904 - Cy Young throws the first “perfect game” in baseball’s modern era.

1962 - The Orioles are no-hit by Bo Belinsky of the Los Angeles Angels.

1978 - Pete Rose records his 3,000 career hit.

1983 - Actor Henry Cavill is born. He’s best known for his role as Superman in the recent DC Universe films.