Thursday’s Bird Droppings: Where at least we have Cedric Mullins

Morning, Birdland!

I just got back from a week-long trip to California on Wednesday morning. While I was gone, I certainly thought about the Orioles, but I didn’t watch any of their games, not even a single pitch. I still got the alerts on my phone and rolled my eyes as they got beat up by the Mets, Indians and Blue Jays, but compared to how I normally follow the team I was detached.

It felt amazing!

For seven days, I had no reason to say “Are you kidding me?” out loud. At no point did I ponder Dylan Bundy’s future or question why Mark Trumbo was still on the team. There were things to distract me from the fact that a guy named John Andreoli was starting a game for the Orioles for some reason. I didn’t even care that the team is incapable of winning a game outside of the United States.

I need to go on vacation more often.

Links

Cedric Mullins is the best player of all time - The Warehouse Podcast
Look, there isn’t a whole lot to look forward to in Birdland right now. But Cedric Mullins is a lot of fun. Let us have this one thing. I beg you!

A Look At The Distribution Of Prospect Values - Camden Depot
With the Orioles currently limited the way that they are at the major league level, many fans will look to the minors for some hope. All of the numbers and abbreviations that get thrown around regarding prospects can be enough to make your head spin.

New tests on Orioles Hunter Harvey’s elbow show no structural damage - Baltimore Sun
At this point, it feels like anything the O’s are able to get from Hunter Harvey should be a bonus. All of the pros seem to agree that the talent and the attitude are there to succeed, but the dude’s body just will not agree. Hopefully this is just a minor set back.

September call-ups could be few when rosters expand - Baltimore Sun
That headline may be disappointing to many fans, but the fact is that this organization doesn’t have a ton of talent pounding on the major league door. There are good players in the minors, but many are a level or two away.

Orioles 2019 Schedule - Orioles.com
The guys open up in New York against the Yankees, so they should have at least those three wins under their belt by the time they come home against those same Bombers on April 4. Other highlights: road trips to Colorado and San Diego as well as a late-season visit from the Dodgers.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is it your birthday? Happy Birthday!

Also celebrating is Alejandro Freire (b. 1974), an outfielder and first baseman for the 2005 Orioles, ‘01 six-gamer Casey Blake (b. 1973), ‘02 two-gamer Raul Casanova (b. 1972), infielder Jeff Manto (b. 1964), who played in 89 games and hit .256/.325/.492 for the 1995 team, ‘65 and ‘66 pitcher Ed Barnowski (b. 1943, d. 2017), southpaw member of the ‘68 bullpen John Morris (b. 1941) and Hall of Famer George Kell (b. 1922, d. 2009), whoe wrapped up his career with two season in Baltimore.

A special birthday shout out to Mike Boddicker. The right-handed pitcher turns 61 today. He spent nine seasons with the Orioles from 1980 through 1988 before being traded to the Red Sox for Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling. During his time with the O’s, Boddicker was a steady, sometimes outstanding, member of the rotation. His career-best season came as a 26-year-old in 1984, when he led the league with 20 wins and a 2.79 ERA while also tossing a career-high 261.1 innings. He made the all-star team that summer and received votes for both the Cy Young and MVP.

2002 - The Orioles storm back from a six-run deficit to beat the Blue Jays 11-7. The win gave the Birds a 63-63 record for the season. They would then proceed to win only four of their remaining games to finish the year with a 67-95 record.