Sunday Bird Droppings: Where the offseason is feeling very long

Happy Sunday, Camden Chatters! There is still very little going on in Birdland. The full coaching staff has yet to be announced even though it seems like everyone knows who it will be (see the Roch Kubatko link below). Mike Elias and company don’t seem too interested in changing the major league roster much yet, which isn’t too surprising.

Still, one would hope the team would do something notable before FanFest next weekend. I suppose there are a lot of people who go to FanFest every year but I don’t count myself among them. There was a stretch of time when I did go, even before the team got better in 2012. But I haven’t been in awhile and I don’t really miss it. What about you? Will you be there?

Remember last year when Jonathan Schoop didn’t attend FanFest and there was all that hand wringing about it? That feels like it happened a million years ago. Man, if only that were the worst thing that happened to the Orioles in 2018. I can’t think of a single player this year who would draw heat from not attending. Who is even on the Orioles any more? (This is a joke. Sadly, I know who is on the team)

Links

Checking on the coaches - School of Roch
Lots of names being thrown around in this one. It appears that assistant hitting coach Howie Clark will be the only coach from the Showalter-era Orioles to survive.

Five ways the Baltimore Orioles can win back the fanbase - Call to the Pen
"Get better at baseball" is somehow missing on this list.

Baltimore Orioles Sign Omar Bencomo To Minor League Deal - Birds Watcher
Bencomo is a 29-year-old pitcher who spend 2018 in the Twins organization.

Connaughton continues Notre Dame success in the NBA - ABC57.com
Remember Pat Connaughton? Good news, he's not closing the door on returning to baseball.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have, like, a billion Orioles birthday buddies. They are:

• Luis Exposito, a catcher who turns 32 years old today. Exposito’s only major league experience came in nine games with the 2012 Orioles.
• David Lough, who turns 33 years old today. Lough always looked like he should be a better baseball player than he was. Do you think instead of birthday cake he just has a big plate of kale?
• Matt Albers, who turns 36 years old today. Albers was part of the trade that sent Miguel Tejada to the Astros in 2007. He had three terrible bullpen seasons with the Orioles but has found some recent success with a few different teams.
• Ozzie Guillen, who turns 55 years old today. Guillen is best known for being a player and manager (not at the same time) for the Chicago White Sox. But he also appeared in 12 games for the 1998 Orioles.
• Bill Scherrer, who turns 61 years old today. The lefty pitcher had a seven-year career that included four games with the 1988 Orioles.
• Dave Boswell, who was a local boy who spent most of his eight-year career with the Twins but finished with 15 games in relief for the 1971 Orioles. He would have turned 74 today but passed away in 2012.
• Gene Stephens, who turns 86 years old today! Stephens had a 12-year career in the majors and played in 116 games for the Orioles from 1960-61.

On this day in 1977, the Orioles traded Paul Blair to the Yankees after a 13-year career in Baltimore.