Friday Bird Droppings: The lockout has begun, and it probably won’t end anytime soon

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

I don’t know about you, folks, but...I miss baseball.

We’re only one day into the MLB lockout and already it feels like a general malaise is settling in. Like the world is a little bit less interesting. It was just yesterday morning that MLB owners officially voted to lock out the players after the expiration of the CBA, but it feels like an eternity. For those of us who spend a freakish amount of our lives watching or writing or thinking about baseball, what do we do now? I don’t have any other hobbies!

Unfortunately, we’re going to have to get used to that feeling, because this thing doesn’t figure to be over for a while. Players and owners are said to be far apart on a number of contentious issues that will be crucial to the future of the league. And as The Athletic’s Evan Drellich writes, each side thinks the other is being wholly unreasonable in their demands, and no date has yet been set for resuming negotiations. Clearly, this isn’t a gap that’s going to be bridged quickly. It could take weeks. It could take months. In the worst case scenario, the lockout could extend well into 2022, delaying or postponing games.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. For now, we’re only on Day 2. Maybe a holiday miracle will occur and the two sides will find common ground much sooner than expected, and this action-packed offseason can get back into gear. Until then, though, we baseball fans are kind of lost in the wilderness right now.

Links

Myriad O’s Thoughts: Rougned Odor’s signing; Jordan Lyles’ agreement; infield murkiness; tending to tenders – The Athletic
Dan Connolly weighs in on the Orioles’ two pre-lockout signings, and predicts the work stoppage will stretch “until late January, maybe early February,” calling that optimistic. Sigh. Get comfortable, gang.

The lockout is starting, and it’s anyone’s guess when it will end; Report: Orioles reach agreement with Lyles - BaltimoreBaseball.com
Rich Dubroff breaks down the key points of contention between the players and owners and feels the lockout won't be too damaging to baseball as long as it’s settled before spring training. That may be right, but it’ll sure make things boring for a while.

A few notes on the O’s agreement with Jordan Lyles - Steve Melewski
Melewski gives more background about the Birds’ new hurler. Seems like the kind of pitcher who could potentially eat up some innings but is often going to get hit hard while he’s doing it. Which basically makes him the Orioles’ #2 starter, sadly enough.

Mancini moved forward as stoppage neared (updated) - School of Roch
Trey Mancini is in a state of limbo, not knowing his future with the Orioles and not even knowing his 2022 salary until the lockout is resolved. Because the guy hasn’t faced enough challenges the last couple years.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! It’s the 30th birthday of righty Konner Wade, who made his MLB debut for the Orioles this season and posted an 11.68 ERA in seven games. He’s currently a free agent after the O’s outrighted him off the roster in late October. Former Orioles born on this day are catcher Clay Dalrymple (85) and the late outfielder Chico Salmon (b. 1940, d. 2000).

The Orioles have made several trades on this date in history, first in 1957 when they acquired Hall of Famer Larry Doby — who had broken the AL’s color barrier 10 years earlier — from the White Sox as part of a seven-player deal. Doby, though, never played a game for the Orioles, as they traded him to Cleveland, his original MLB team, before the 1958 season began.

On this day in 1974, the Orioles acquired veteran first baseman Lee May from the Astros. May spent six years in Baltimore, collecting 123 homers and 487 RBIs, and was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1998.

And on this day in 2014, popular O’s outfielder Nick Markakis officially left Baltimore, signing a four-year contract with his hometown Braves after nine years with the Birds. I understood the Orioles letting him go, as he’d had a couple of underwhelming seasons in a row, but the O’s never really found a competent replacement for him in right field.