Tuesday Bird Droppings: Where we’re playing the waiting game

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

We’re entering Day 6 of the MLB lockout and there’s been essentially no new information to emerge during that span. If the owners and players have made any incremental progress toward an agreement on a new CBA, we haven’t heard about it. In fact we haven’t heard about the two sides having any further negotiations at all since cutting off talks last Wednesday night. So don’t expect this thing to be resolved anytime soon, folks.

While we wait, what say we take a fond look back at some Orioles history? In case you missed it, the fine writing staff here at Camden Chat will spend the next two months reliving the Orioles’ first World Series championship season, 1966, with a series of retro recaps of that year’s most memorable games. Check in tomorrow for the season opener.

I’ll also be whipping up some Orioles-themed Sporcle quizzes to help pass the time. Today I’ll start you off with a relatively easy one. Can you name every Oriole who has won a Most Valuable Player, Cy Young, or Rookie of the Year award? Test your mettle at the link below.

Links

Former Orioles feel the effects of baseball’s youth movement - BaltimoreBaseball.com
Rich Dubroff points out that free agents can still sign minor league contracts during the lockout. Come on, Orioles, this is your chance to shine!

2022 ZiPS Projection: Baltimore Orioles | FanGraphs Baseball
Friend of the blog Dan Szymborski offers his 2022 Orioles projection, and as you might expect, it’s not particularly optimistic. Should I be concerned that FG’s No. 1 comp for Gunnar Henderson is Giomar Guevara? Or that Grayson Rodriguez’s is Chin-hui Tsao?

Adley Rutschman's arrival will be a 2022 highlight - Steve Melewski
At this point, having Major League Baseball at all in 2022 will be a highlight. But yes, I’m stoked to see Adley. Think he’ll draw a sellout crowd in Baltimore like Matt Wieters’ debut did?

Mancini's friendship with Trumbo leads them back to baseball - School of Roch
Mark Trumbo has “future hitting coach” written all over him. (Not literally. That would look weird.)

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Two former Orioles were born on this day: 1972-74 outfielder Rich Coggins (71) and the late 1955-56 catcher Hal Smith (b. 1930, d. 2020).

On this day in 1977, the Orioles pulled off a six-player trade with the Expos that landed them Orioles Hall of Famer Gary Roenicke, who spent the next eight years with the club and formed a potent left field platoon with John Lowenstein. In the swap the O’s also acquired All-Star closer Don Stanhouse, who racked up 45 saves with the Birds, though not without causing a lot of stress along the way (hence his nickname “Full Pack,” for the number of cigarettes Earl Weaver would need to get through a Stanhouse outing).