Wednesday’s Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles finally started a left-handed pitcher

Morning, Birdland!

In a lost season, we must cling to any good news we come across. Josh Rogers’s debut on Tuesday night is just that. In case you missed it, I advise checking out Ben Hansford’s recap of the 12-5 O’s win.

Rogers made his first appearance in an Orioles uniform since joining the organization as one-third of the Zach Britton trade back in July. He was viewed as a “throw in” of sorts by those evaluating the deal. Since the trade went through, he has dominated at Triple-A Norfolk and basically forced the Orioles hand. He deserved a chance in Baltimore.

Rogers was not amazing last night: 85 pitches, five innings, three runs, seven hits, one walk, two strikeouts. But he battled, went through a major league lineup a few times and survived long enough to get a win. That’s worth something.

Will Rogers be a fixture in the Orioles rotation? Who knows. On this team, he has a better chance than just about anywhere else in the league. At the very least, he has demonstrated an ability to pitch in Norfolk and then come up and fill in for the big league club. For a “throw in”, that feels like good value.

Links

Evaluating the Orioles Player’s Weekend Nicknames - The Warehouse Podcast/Camden Depot
I’m back on my own podcast this week after a brief reprieve. We talk about Players Weekend, ponder what the heck is wrong with Dylan Bundy and think about if anyone will catch Manny Machado in the “Orioles Triple Crown” this season.

What’s the deal with Dylan Bundy? - Locked On Orioles

Orioles land pair of international players - MLB.com
This is not really news. Photos of the two teenagers signing with the O’s surfaced a few weeks ago. Apparently, there were still some legal hoops to jump through, so the team did not announce the signings until Tuesday. There is no word on how much either player signed for, and I certainly don’t know enough about international free agents to understand if these two are any good. However, it’s nice to see an effort.

Josh Rogers’ bad day turned into his first major league win - Baltimore Baseball
This post has some really interesting quotes from Rogers on both his MLB debut and the day he found out he was being traded to the Orioles. Apparently he was sitting right next to Cody Carroll when the deal was being finalized and had texted Dillon Tate earlier because they are close friends.

Oriole attendance could hit a 30-year low - Baltimore Baseball
The 2018 Orioles are historic, folks. Unfortunately, it’s not the good kind of historic.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is it your birthday? Happy Birthday!

-Eddie Rogers (b. 1978) was an infielder for the Orioles between 2002 and 2006, appearing in 30 games and going 6-for-29.
-Doug DeCinces (b. 1950) is an Orioles Hall of Fame infielder who played for Baltimore from 1973 through 1981 and hit .253/.323/.428 before taking his career to another level with the California Angels.
-Catcher Frank Zupo (b. 1939, d. 2005) played in 16 games for the Birds between 1957 and 1961, going 3-for-18 in limited chances.
-Dave Nicholson (b. 1939) was an outfielder with the O’s in 1960 and 1962. He hit just .178/.296/.357 in those two seasons.
-Utility infielder Billy Cox (b. 1919, d. 1978) was a one-season Oriole back in 1955, wrapping up his MLB career as a .211/.275/.314 hitter over 53 games.

1996 - Orioles acquire third baseman Todd Zeile and outfielder Pete Incaviglia from the Phillies in exchange for players to be named later. Those players wound up being pitchers Calvin Maduro and Garrett Stephenson. Zeile and Incaviglia left the O’s as free agents after the season. Maduro pitched in 19 games for Philadelphia before returning to the Orioles organization in 1999. Stephenson pitched in 120 career MLB games to the tune of a 4.47 ERA with the Phillies and Cardinals after the trade.

1999 - Albert Belle ties an MLB record with four doubles in a single game, leading the O’s to an 11-4 win in their final game at Tiger Stadium.