Tuesday Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles took one step forward and one step back

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

The Orioles just can’t do anything right this season. Even when they manage to finagle a rare win, as they did in game one of yesterday’s doubleheader, they dash away those good feelings and put a sour taste in everyone’s mouth again with a total dud in the nightcap. Check out my recap of the afternoon victory and Mark’s recap of the game two debacle.

Of course, we’re long past the point of wins and losses actually mattering for the Orioles this year. Right now, all eyes are on the Birds’ tradeable assets, headlined by Manny Machado. Manny, and potentially a handful of his current O’s teammates, could all find themselves in different uniforms in less than a month.

That’s assuming, of course, that the Orioles don’t screw this up. Are they going to screw this up?

Links

Danny Valencia hits go-ahead homer as O's take Game 1 (with quotes) - Steve Melewski
If you woke up today pining for quotes from Jimmy Yacabonis and Danny Valencia, you've come to the right place.

Manny Machado of Baltimore Orioles strives to stay focused amid 'distracting' trade rumors (ESPN)
Manny Machado says he’s trying to block out all the trade rumors until he actually, you know, gets traded.

Could Machado, Britton be a package deal? (MLB.com)
The Orioles are apparently considering tacking Zach Britton onto a potential Machado trade to “boost the prospect package.” With Britton owed about $6 million the rest of the season and looking less-than-sharp since he returned from the DL, how much would he really even sweeten the deal?

Orioles are somehow on pace for 118 losses - here's a look at the five teams in MLB history that dropped 115 or more - BaltimoreBaseball.com
After the Orioles’ doubleheader split yesterday, they're on pace for 117 losses. Here, a ruggedly handsome writer examines the five teams in MLB history to lose 115 or more games.

Baltimore Orioles lead Major League Baseball in boredom - Baltimore Post-ExaminerBaltimore Post-Examiner
This columnist complains that modern-day baseball, with its emphasis on home runs and strikeouts, is too boring. I get what he’s trying to say, but is a strikeout any more boring than, say, a popout?

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your birthday with one 2018 Oriole, David Hess, who was demoted to the minors just four days ago. Not a very generous 25th birthday present from the Orioles.

You also have four other Orioles birthday buddies, among them outfielder Marty Cordova (49), a former Rookie of the Year with the Twins who ended his career with two mediocre seasons with the Orioles in 2002-2003. Cordova is best known for burning himself after he fell asleep in a tanning bed. Happy birthdays as well to 1975-76 infielder Bob Bailor (67), crafty 2000-2004 lefty Buddy Groom (53), and brief 2017 O’s infielder Johnny Giavotella (31).

On this day in 1968, O’s manager Hank Bauer, who led the Orioles to their first World Series championship two years prior, was fired. He was replaced by a plucky coach named Earl Weaver, who turned out alright.

The All-Star Game was played on this date in 2001, and Cal Ripken — who’d announced he would retire at the end of the year — provided one last moment of glory with a home run on a possibly-grooved pitch from Chan Ho Park. Cal won All-Star MVP honors for the heroics.

2018 Orioles vs. 1988 Orioles

The ‘88 Orioles lost both their 90th and 91st games of the year on back-to-back nights to the Twins. In both games, Minnesota jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held off an O’s comeback attempt. The Twins’ Gary Gaetti homered in each game, and Kirby Puckett totaled four hits in eight at-bats. The Orioles’ record dropped to 29-62 after 91 games, still four games better than the present-day Birds.

The Royals suffered their 10th consecutive loss last night, blowing a late 1-0 lead to the Twins in an eventual defeat. Yikes, the Royals are preposterously bad. But, as of this moment, not quite as preposterously bad as the Orioles.