Tuesday Bird Droppings: Where the baseball season could end tonight

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Can you believe it was a mere eight months and 18 days ago that pitchers and catchers reported to spring training to begin the 2019 baseball season in earnest? Time flies, my friends.

Tonight or tomorrow, the book will close on the 2019 MLB campaign. The World Series returns to Houston for Game 6 tonight, something that didn’t seem likely six days ago when the Nationals headed to their home field with a two games to none lead. Yet now it’s the Astros with the upper hand after sweeping all three games in D.C. They’re one win away from securing their second World Series championship in three years, which would leave a sour taste in my mouth after the whole Brandon Taubman debacle. Of course, it’s not like I’m rooting for the Nationals, either. So whatever the result of the Series, it’ll be an anticlimactic end to 2019.

Then it’ll be time for the hot stove to heat up, though not necessarily for the Orioles, who will probably be fairly quiet this offseason. The club needs to hire a couple of coaches and bolster their front office staff, but don’t expect Mike Elias to be active on the free agency front or swing any major trades.

The early days of a rebuild are not particularly exciting. But they can certainly pay off in the end. Just ask the Astros.

Links

Inbox: Where will Rutschman play next year? - Orioles.com
Where will Rutschman play next year? At catcher! Har har. Seriously, though, Joe Trezza tackles that question and others in his latest mailbag.

Who’s storming through the door to enter Orioles rotation? - School of Roch
Put it this way: Jim Palmer is not storming through that door. Mike Mussina is not storming through that door. Even Storm Davis is not storming through that door.

Baltimore Orioles: Where Will We See The Most Improvement In 2020? - Birds Watcher
Hopefully the answer is “everywhere.” But Nick Stevens specifically points to the outfield as a place for possible improvement, which seems feasible, if Austin Hays is for real.

Another look at Dylan Bundy’s 2019 season - Steve Melewski
It’s funny to think that the pitcher who appeared in only 17 games total from 2013-2015 would one day become the workhorse of the Orioles’ staff, but here we are. Steve Melewski breaks down the numbers behind Dylan Bundy’s season.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your most notable O’s birthday buddy is right-hander Pete Richert, a five-year Oriole who posted a 1.98 ERA as a reliever for the 1970 championship club. He turns 80 years old today, so an extra happy birthday to him. Other ex-Orioles born on this day are infielder Frank Baker (73), outfielder Karim Garcia (44), and lefty Dana Eveland (36).

On this day in 2013, the Orioles snagged three Gold Glove awards, with center fielder Adam Jones winning the third of his career, shortstop J.J. Hardy his second, and third baseman Manny Machado his first. It was the second straight year the Birds had three Gold Glove winners, and they did it again the following year, too. Ah, how I miss that era of excellent O’s defense.