Saturday Bird Droppings: MASN might broadcast Orioles spring training games this year

Good morning, Birdland!

Nothing is officially, so it is completely possible that this does not end up happening, but The Athletic’s Dan Connolly is reporting that MASN is making plans to broadcast up to four (gasp!) Orioles spring training games in the second half of March.

Nothing like waiting until the last second to make a decision on something as essential to a sports network as deciding whether or not to actually broadcast sports.

Of course, we shouldn’t believe anything until we see a schedule tweeted out from the Orioles. Everything is speculation up to that point. Also, it’s worth just taking a gander at a calendar to realize that March is already well underway, so the O’s are going to need to get things in motion if they actually are going to show us those four games.

We are all aware of the challenges that this past year has given businesses of all shapes and sizes. But there are plenty of other clubs that are broadcasting a huge chunk of their spring games. The Orioles should be no different, and it is frustrating that spring training is nearing its midpoint and there remains no clarity on the situation.

Links

Harvey eyes next step after shaky O’s debut | Orioles.com
The Orioles are going to need all of the arms that they can find, but there are limits. Matt Harvey is in direct competition with Wade LeBlanc and Felix Hernandez among others for a spot in the team’s rotation, and he might be sitting third in that pecking order at this exact moment.

Getting the Bowie band back together in Sarasota | Steve Melewski
That Bowie pitching staff from a couple seasons back was pretty exciting. Dean Kremer has already found himself a spot in the rotation, and he is likely to be join by at least one of Zac Lowther, Alex Wells, Michael Baumann, or Bruce Zimmermann this year.

How the Orioles’ rookie starters are taking different approaches to winning big league jobs | The Baltimore Sun
There is a lot to learn about the Orioles roster this season. That’s scary, and it could be even more frightening if we end up learning things that don’t bode well for the club’s future.

Harvey, Fry, Rule 5 pitchers struggle; Mountcastle homers; Hernández makes 1st Orioles start | BaltimoreBaseball.com
It would be neat if Felix Hernandez recaptures some of his former glory this summer. But before he does that he needs to make the club. That journey starts at 6 p.m. tonight, and can you believe that it will be on the radio for our auditory enjoyment.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

Jake Arrieta turns 35 today. The right-handed pitcher started his career with three-and-a-half rocky seasons in Baltimore. Over 69 (nice!) total appearances with the O’s, Arrieta had a 5.46 ERA and 277 strikeouts over 358 innings.

Happy 55th birthday to Anthony Telford. The Orioles selected him in the 3rd round of the 1988 draft, and he then appeared in 20 games for the club from 1990-91 and then again in ‘93.

This day in history

This is a slow day in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. So, here are some non-Birdland things that have occurred on this date:

2005 - Suzyn Walman becomes the first woman to serve as full-time color commentator in MLB history. The former WFAN host joins John Sterling to call Yankees games on WCB-AM 880.

2006 - Hall of Fame outfielder and Twins legend Kirby Puckett dies after suffering a massive stroke the previous day. He was 45 years old.

2017 - The World Baseball Classic begins with Israel beating South Korea 2-1 in 10 innings.

2020 - Christian Yelich signs a nine-year contraction extension worth $187.25 million with the Milwaukee Brewers.