Friday Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles have a Gold Glove contender

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

With the World Series taking its first break yesterday, Rawlings used the opportunity to announce its finalists for the 2020 Gold Glove awards. And for the first time in three years, the Orioles actually have a representative. Anthony Santander was one of three AL finalists in right field, joining the Rangers’ Joey Gallo and the Yankees’ Clint Frazier.

Color me surprised. If you’d told me before the season that the O’s would have a Gold Glove finalist, I probably would’ve guessed Jose Iglesias or Austin Hays. Maybe Cedric Mullins, though he wasn’t a starter going into the season. It would’ve taken quite a few guesses before I landed on Santander.

That’s not meant as a slight to Anthony, the club’s 2020 Most Valuable Oriole; it’s just that he’s generally known more for his bat than his glove. But his offensive breakout this year overshadowed the fact that he’s made great strides with the leather. In just 37 games, he posted a career-best eight Defensive Runs Saved in right field, which ranked second among AL right fielders behind Gallo’s 12. His four outfield assists led the Birds.

Kudos to Santander for getting his name into the running, even if he’ll likely be bested by Gallo, who has superior numbers in nearly every defensive metric. The 25-year-old Santander can now add “Gold Glove finalist” to his already impressive list of skills — and the Orioles are lucky to have him on their club for years to come.

Links

Connolly’s Tap Room: Would you, as an Orioles fan, switch places with Rays fans? – The Athletic
What say you, Camden Chatters? It would be nice to have an exciting, consistently contending club. But man, I can’t stomach the idea of calling that cement debacle Tropicana Field my home ballpark. No deal.

One vote for continuing some of the new MLB rules - Steve Melewski
Melewski chimes in with his thoughts on which new rules from 2020 should stay or go. My thoughts: universal DH, of course. Ghost runners in extras: didn’t love it, but didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. Seven-inning doubleheaders: yes, but it’ll never fly in games with paying fans. Expanded playoffs: NO, NO, and a pox on your house for suggesting it.

International players getting noticed in fall instructional camp - School of Roch
International scouting director Koby Perez talks about a few of the youngsters turning heads at camp. Keep these names in your head for six years when one or two of them might finally arrive in the majors.

Orioles outfielder Zach Jarrett has the drive of his Hall of Fame father, Dale - BaltimoreBaseball.com
See if you can spot the pun in the headline!

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The only Oriole ever born Oct. 23 was third baseman Vern Stephens (b. 1920, d. 1968), who came over with the franchise from St. Louis and played for the Birds in their first two seasons, 1954 and 1955.

On this day in 1998, the Orioles signed Frank Wren to a three-year contract to become their new general manager. Spoiler alert: he wouldn’t even last a full year. The O’s fired Wren the following October after a series of bad moves, including a premature announcement of signing reliever Xavier Hernandez, forcing the Orioles to pay him even after the physical showed he was damaged goods. The final straw came in September when Wren ordered the team plane to leave instead of waiting for Cal Ripken Jr., who was running late.