Monday Bird Droppings: Where the new look Orioles get the day off

Hello, friends.

Another day has dawned with the Orioles in last place in the American League East. The O’s are now 44.5 games behind the division-leading Red Sox and 17.5 games behind even the fourth place Blue Jays.

In their 112th game in 1988, the Orioles were beaten by the Royals, 4-3. Bo Jackson drove in the winning run against the O’s, which was unearned due to an earlier error committed by Billy Ripken. This dropped the ‘88 squad to 37-75, now three games better than the 2018 team is doing. The current O’s are on pace to win 49 games, five games fewer than the 1988 team managed to win.

The Orioles managed to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Thank goodness! It’s no fun if the Orioles are getting swept in a four-game series. Check out Tyler Young’s recap for some lovely totals, and don’t forget to vote in the Most Birdland Player poll.

If you’re out there wanting the Orioles to get the #1 pick in next year’s draft, you might be able to accept the repeated Orioles losses a bit better. The Orioles remain ensconced in that position, but they’re only a half game “ahead” of the Royals, who are 34-77 after losing their last four games.

The Orioles are idle today, but the Royals are in action against the Cubs, so with a Royals loss, the two teams would be tied for the worst record in MLB through 112 games. With the Royals run differential at 42 runs worse than the O’s, it is yet possible there is a worse team out there than the Birds.

Probably nothing will be happening with the O’s on this off day today, unless there’s some kind of waiver trade surprise, or for an even better surprise, news pops up that the Orioles will be calling up Cedric Mullins. Whatever decisionmaker is responsible for this not having happened yet needs to get it together and make this happen.

Around the blogO’sphere

More on international intentions (School of Roch)
The Orioles are going to announce several signings soon, and supposedly they’re going to increase their overall international scouting presence. No word about Victor Victor Mesa, still not approved to sign yet.

Chris Davis ‘banged up, gets another day off (Baltimore Sun)
If you weren’t paying attention over the weekend, Chris Davis didn’t play on Saturday or Sunday. With an off day today, that’s another three-day break for the first baseman.

Jones’s donation helps LL team reach tourney (Orioles.com)
In case you forgot, Adam Jones is the best.

Wrapping up the series-ending 9-6 win at Texas (Steve Melewski)
Anyone out there who wants to hear about Mark Trumbo taking on a leadership role for this team, this one is for you.

Ex-Orioles are still trying to get up to speed on their new teams (Baltimore Sun)
The Orioles traded a bunch of guys away and things could be going better so far for most of them.

Birthdays and anniversaries

A few former Orioles have birthdays today. They are: 2007 five-gamer Victor Zambrano, 1974 reserve Mike Reinbach, 1967-71 pitcher Jim Hardin, and 1966 four-gamer Cam Carreon.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809), actress Lucille Ball (1911), movie man M. Night Shyamalan (1970), and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell (1972).

On this day in history...

In 1804, the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II abdicated and dissolved the empire, bringing an end to a state that dated to 962. Francis himself did alright here, as he had proclaimed himself also Emperor of Austria in 1804, a crown he held until his death in 1835.

In 1914, two days following the United Kingdom’s declaration of war against Germany in what we now know as World War I, ten German U-boats sailed towards the North Sea to attack the Royal Navy. Submarine warfare continued until the war’s end.

In 1945, the B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. About 70,000 people were killed instantly, with tens of thousands more dying from burns or radiation in the days, months, and years to come.

In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law.

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on August 6 - or at least, unless something happens later, which with the Orioles off, it probably won’t, but hey, you never know. Have a safe Monday.