Wednesday Bird Droppings: Where it’s the first day of spring

Good morning, Birdland!

There is Orioles baseball on TV tonight! It’s almost like the actual regular season. The O’s will host the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. Dylan Bundy pitches for the good guys, Rick Porcello for the other guys.

It’s also the first day of spring! Although the forecast says that temperatures will just barely reach the 50’s in the Baltimore area today. That’s far from the ideal environment for you to enjoy some free Rita’s, as is our natural born right.

We’ll just have to take what we can for now. Before you know it, it will be 90 degrees and the air will feel like one big blanket as the Orioles lose 100+ games. By then, we will be dreaming of the 50-something degree days of late March.

Links & Notes

Camden Chat is looking for new writers
Hey, do you have a passion for the Orioles? Do you think it would be fun to write about them a few times per week? Well, have we got an opportunity for you!

2019 Positional Power Rankings: Third Base - FanGraphs
FanGraphs is making their annual trip around the big leagues and ranking every team by position. So far, they have published their first base, second base and third base rankings. The Orioles have been ranked 30th, 30th and 29th, respectively. Oh yeah, it’s gonna be a good season.

Inbox: How does Escobar fit into Orioles’ plans? - MLB.com
He fits almost perfectly! He’s a cheap veteran that won’t help the Orioles win many games, but also won’t embarrass himself on the field. He’s not going to be the most exciting member of the roster, but that’s not why the team invited him to Sarasota in the first place.

Cancellation delays outfield plans for Jackson - School of Roch
I have to say that Drew Jackson is one of the players left in major league camp that I’m looking forward to seeing in person this season. His defensive flexibility and athleticism are, of course, cool traits. Plus he has put up good offensive numbers (.333/.370/.429) this spring, albeit against mediocre competition.

Orioles Prospect Primer: Diaz in tow - MiLB.com
There’s no new information here, especially if you follow the O’s minor league system fairly closely. One semi-surprising little note at the bottom is that the writer believes Keegan Akin is the club’s current non-top 100 prospect with the best chance to be in the top 100 by the end of 2019. I would have thought Grayson Rodriguez was set to do that with a strong showing at Delmarva, but the older Akin could leapfrog him in the minds of scouts.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

Infielder Manny Alexander turns 48 years old. Alexander spent parts of four seasons with the O’s between 1992 and 1996. Fan favorite catcher Chris Hoiles celebrates his 54th. Hoiles hit .262/.366/.467 and hit 151 home runs as the team’s backstop from 1989 through 1998. Outfielder Mike Young is 59. He earned some Rookie of the Year buzz during the 1984 season when he hit .252/.355/.431 with 17 home runs. Finally, Paul Mirabella is turning 65. The southpaw spent just three games in Baltimore; all cam during the 1983 season

1995 - The Orioles cancel the rest of their spring training games as the players work stoppage continues and the team refuses to use replacement players