Wednesday Bird Droppings: Man, it would be cool to have a player like Mookie Betts

Good morning Birdland,

Game 1 of the World Series is in the books, and boy did the Dodgers look every bit as good as advertised. Mookie Betts did his best to put himself at the forefront of series MVP discussions after hitting a home run, working a walk, stealing two bases, and scoring twice. Cody Bellinger added a round-tripper. Plus, Clayton Kershaw was dominant, allowing just one run on two hits, a walk and eight strikeouts over six innings.

Of course, there is a long way to go, and the Rays are not fluke of a World Series participant. They were the best team in the American League all summer, and they won’t be put away easily.

Game 2 takes place tonight at 8:08 p.m. The pitching match-up favors the Rays, with 2018 Cy Young winner Blake Snell on the mound against rookie Tony Gonsolin. So, it’s not hard to see this thing all tied up by the end of the evening.

Links & Notes

‘I was in a zone’: Orioles great Brooks Robinson’s awe-inspiring World Series remembered 50 years later | The Baltimore Sun
There is never a bad time to read about Brooks Robinson. He played long before my time, but his reputation proceeds him. It seems like he was the favorite player of everyone that grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. And even now his impact on Baltimore is indelible.

How much did fans miss attending games? | Steve Melewski
I am the type of person that goes to a handful of games every year regardless of where the Orioles end up in the standings. O’s games remain, in my mind, one of the better bang-for-buck entertainment options out there. Camden Yards is beautiful. The stadium allows outside food. And you can get tickets and parking on a budget if you are inclined.

For Orioles’ Cedric Mullins, rebuilt swing and positive mindset key to holding spot in center field | The Baltimore Sun
Cedric Mullins is one of those guys that you just root for. He went on a professional roller coaster ride between 2018 and 2019, before bouncing back and looking better than ever in 2020. It will be interesting to see who prevails in the battle for centerfield this spring. Mullins would seem to have the inside track, but Austin Hays looked quite good after returning from injury late in the summer.

Rogers facing hitters in fall instructional camp | School of Roch
The more arms the better. Josh Rogers hasn’t had much big league success to this point, but he has also only appeared in eight total games. If he can have a healthy offseason, the southpaw should be in the conversation for a long-man role out of the bullpen.

Orioles birthday

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

The only former Oriole born on this day is Valmy Thomas (b. 1925, d. 2010), a catcher that played in eight games for the 1960 O’s. He went 1-for-16 with one walk.

Orioles history

Nothing of note in Orioles history has taken place on October 21st, according to Baseball Reference. So, here are some interesting things that happened outside of Birdland:

1879 - Thomas Edison applies for a patent on his design of the incandescent light bulb.

1921 - Warren Harding becomes the first sitting president to give a speech against lynching in the deep South of the United States.

1959 - The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opens to the public in New York City.

2003 - Images of Eris, a dwarf planet, are taken. However, it wouldn’t actually be discovered by researchers until January 5, 2005.