Tuesday Bird Droppings: Where you can revisit the last two years, if you want

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Tell me. Just how desperate are you to watch Orioles baseball? Are you desperate enough to watch entire games from the 2018 and 2019 seasons, in which the Birds were a combined 101-223?

Well, now you can! MLB is making every game from the past two seasons available for viewing, with no blackout restrictions or any other chicanery. (Why it’s limited to just two seasons, I don’t know. Make every year available, guys.)

So if you really need your Orioles fix as we enter what would’ve been Day 27 of the 2020 regular season, here’s a way to satisfy your craving. You’d have to be an extremely devoted fan, though, if you’re considering voluntarily rewatching the two worst seasons in Orioles history.

As part of MLB’s announcement, beat writers for all 30 teams picked the 10 best games in the last two years for their teams. For most, it was probably hard to narrow it down. For the Orioles, meanwhile, it’s hard to even think of so many.

Nevertheless, Orioles.com’s Joe Trezza gamely found 10 O’s contests from 2018 and 2019 that he thinks are worth a rewatch. His list is pretty good; it includes some recent classics like last year’s 16-inning marathon against the Angels in which Stevie Wilkerson recorded the save, as well as Adam Jones’ (and Buck Showalter’s) swan song as an Oriole in the 2018 finale.

What do you think, Camden Chatters? Do any of these strike your fancy? Are there any other 2018 or 2019 O’s games you’re eager to rewatch?

Meanwhile, in a parallel universe...

In a universe where COVID-19 doesn’t exist, the Orioles began their first West Coast trip with a visit to the Angels last night. In honor of the aforementioned Wilkerson save in Anaheim last July, the O’s called up Wilkerson to serve as last night’s starting pitcher. He tossed six scoreless innings, striking out five, as Angels hitters had no answer for his 50-mph fastball with no movement.

Buoyed by Wilkerson’s success, manager Brandon Hyde used three more position players on the mound for the final three innings, with Austin Wynns, Hanser Alberto, and Chris Davis each working a scoreless frame to complete the 6-0 shutout. The Birds improved to 17-5.

Simulation brought to you by the PWAG (Paul’s Wild-Ass Guesses) system.

Links

Orioles’ Top 5 shortstops: Trezza's take - Orioles.com
Trezza continues his positional journey through O’s history with a look at the five best shortstops, which beyond the No. 1 spot leads to some pretty tough choices. You know the position is stacked when J.J. Hardy only ranks fifth.

Farm instruction during shutdown spans countries, languages - Steve Melewski
Melewski looks at the type of instruction that O’s coaches are able to give players from afar, even while in a different country. Google Translate is prominently involved.

Retired Slugger Mark Reynolds On Why Orioles' 2012 Season Was So Special - PressBoxOnline.com
If you missed the news, Mark Reynolds announced his retirement last week. He was more than happy to reminisce about playing for the delightful 2012 Orioles, and I’m more than happy to reminisce about watching them.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four O’s birthday buddies, most notably “The Bee,” Al Bumbry, who turns 73. Bumbry was the 1973 Rookie of the Year and enjoyed a productive 13-year career in Baltimore, ranking third in O’s history in both stolen bases and triples. Also celebrating a birthday is the all-time MLB games pitched leader, Jesse Orosco, who turns 63 even though he already looked 63 when he was pitching for the Orioles in the late ‘90s. Other Orioles with birthdays today are catcher Ronny Paulino (39) and Ryan Adams (33).

On this day in 1986, third baseman Floyd Rayford — in his season debut — committed four errors in one game, an O’s record. Ouch. Only one of the four miscues led to a run, but the Birds lost, 7-0.

In a much more impressive bit of history, Brady Anderson hit a leadoff home run for the fourth consecutive game — a major league record — on this day in 1996. It was the eighth home run of the 50 he would eventually hit that year.