Hello, friends.
There are now 78 days remaining until the next scheduled Orioles game. Pitchers and catchers are set to report to Sarasota to begin spring training in a month and two days. Earlier this week, the commissioner reportedly sent a memo to teams to plan for an on-time beginning to spring training and the regular season.
I bring tidings today of at least one apparent believer in the future of the Orioles. In an MLB column posted yesterday with predictions of World Series matchups for the next ten years, the Orioles are mentioned as predicted champions in 2027, triumphing over another orange and black team, the Giants.
This is not a prediction that has very much meaning attached to it. The author’s reason boils down to feeling like this is a point where two rebuilding teams will be peaking. There is nothing more to support it beyond that. So it’s fun to be mentioned, but also, don’t worry about buying those playoff tickets yet. A year ago, the same column predicted an Indians-Brewers World Series in 2027. As things stand now, there won’t even be an MLB team called the Indians in 2027.
As an Orioles fan, I would happily take a guaranteed 2027 championship. I am now 37 years old and the Orioles have never won a title since I was born. Yet if it takes until 2027 to feel like the team is peaking, that would be a disappointing outcome. I hope that we start to see some real progress as soon as next season, with 2027 being more like the tail end of a window that starts to open within the next couple of years as a core starts to form around players who arrive from the farm.
One good thing about making a prediction about 2027 is that it’s six years until anyone will show up to say you’re wrong. The Will Leitch column may have to answer a bit sooner for predicting the Dodgers to repeat as World Series champions in 2021, then threepeat in 2022.
Around the blogO’sphere
Curious about Kjerstad in 2021 (School of Roch)
Roch wonders where 2020 #2 overall pick Heston Kjerstad will be assigned to start 2021, since Kjerstad never joined either the Bowie alternate site or the fall instructional league. Wherever he starts, the season is likely to be delayed: It seems that only Triple-A seasons will begin as planned, so that teams have fewer players in camp with the players competing for big league rosters.
Possible O’s moves at arbitration deadline (Orioles.com)
Joe Trezza reminds us that tomorrow is the deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to reach contract agreements without having to swap official arbitration salary figures, in addition to the start of the international amateur signing period. I’m more excited about that second one.
Free agent starters who make the most sense for the Orioles (Baltimore Baseball)
After listing every one of the 40+ unsigned free agent starting pitchers, Rich Dubroff settles on a handful he thinks make sense for the 2021 Orioles, including Brett Anderson and Ivan Nova.
Frederick native Branden Kline announces retirement: ‘It’s been a fun ride’ (Baltimore Sun)
Best of luck to one of Maryland’s own big leaguers as his life moves on into a post-playing career. It’s cool that he got to have a playing career with the Orioles.
Taking a look at fastball spin rate data (Steve Melewski)
Among pitchers with at least 250 pitches thrown in MLB last season, Tanner Scott ranked sixth in spin rate with 2656 revolutions per minute. Zippy! John Means and Cole Sulser also were in the top 100 out of the 418 pitchers who met this pitch threshold, with Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer above average.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 1963, the Orioles traded future Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm to the White Sox and received back future Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio in a seven player trade.
In 1993, Maryland-born future Hall of Famer Harold Baines was traded from the Athletics to the Orioles.
There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 1990 four-game pitcher Danny Boone, and 1984-85 infielder Wayne Gross.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: late-era Roman Republic figure Marc Antony (83 BC), notorious early American traitor Benedict Arnold (1741 AD), last reigning Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI (1861), broadcaster Andy Rooney (1919), rapper LL Cool J (1968), and musician Dave Grohl (1969).
On this day in history...
In 1639, Connecticut adopted the Fundamental Orders, recognized as being the first written constitution to form a government.
In 1784, Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain. This took place in Annapolis. The British ratified in April and ratified copies were exchanged in May.
In 1943, during World War II, Japan began an operation to evacuate its forces from Guadalcanal, bringing an end to the battle within a month in an Allied victory.
In 1973, Elvis Presley broadcast a concert live, called Aloha from Hawaii. The performance set a record as the most-watched broadcast by an individual entertainer.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on January 14. Have a safe Thursday.