Monday Bird Droppings: Dreaming of the Orioles in a World Series

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Happy Halloween! For those like me who have a kid they’re planning to take trick-or-treating tonight, let’s hope the weather forecast improves. And after your Halloween festivities, you can kick back and watch Game 3 of the World Series, which shifts to Philadelphia for three straight nights. The Astros tied the series Saturday but are sure to face a hostile, raucous crowd at Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies have a perfect 5-0 record this postseason.

Those rabid Phils fans will witness their team host a World Series game for the first time in 13 years. Including the Phillies, exactly half of the teams in the majors (15 of 30) have participated in the Fall Classic since 2010. The Orioles, of course, aren’t one of those teams, and have been waiting since 1983 for a return engagement to the World Series. The Birds’ 39-year drought is the longest in the American League aside from the Mariners, who have never played in the World Series in their 46 years of existence. In all of MLB, only Seattle, Pittsburgh (43 years), and Milwaukee (40 years) have gone longer than the Orioles without a World Series appearance.

I can’t even imagine the hysteria that will engulf Camden Yards if and when the O’s ever return to the Fall Classic. It’s going to be unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my lifetime as an Orioles fan.

I look forward to finding out what it’s like. Hopefully in the near future.

Links

Orioles outright Ellis and Garcia - School of Roch
The hot stove is scalding, folks! The O’s removed one of their six catchers from the 40-man roster. But now who will be the backup to the backup to the backup to the backup to the backup to Adley Rutschman?

Trey Mancini thankful Buck Showalter gave him a chance as a rookie - New York Post
Trey has some kind words for his former O’s manager for letting him play for the postseason-bound 2016 club as a rookie. I just wish Buck had let him play in the Wild Card Game, when the Orioles were held scoreless in 10 of their 11 innings.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde's award-winning season came at a time in the team's turnaround when he would have been hard to replace - Maximizing Playoff Odds
Jon Meoli writes that it’s a good thing Brandon Hyde is a good manager, because having to disrupt the entire organizational structure to replace him would be a real pain in the butt. (I’m paraphrasing.)

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Seven former Orioles were born on Oct. 31, including O’s Hall of Famer and Camden Chat’s 15th greatest player in franchise history, Dave McNally (b. 1942, d. 2002). The three-time All-Star lefty spent 13 of his 14 MLB seasons with the Birds and racked up four consecutive 20+ win seasons from 1968-71, pitching atop the O’s rotation for the 1966 and 1970 World Series champions. His 181 victories are second-most in Orioles history behind Jim Palmer. After the Orioles traded him to the Expos, McNally helped pave the way for free agency in MLB by filing a grievance against the reserve clause.

Other Orioles with Halloween birthdays are Yamaico Navarro (35), David Dellucci (49), Tim Byrdak (49), Steve Trachsel (52), Matt Nokes (59), and Mike Smith (59). Or, to put them in Halloween terms: Yamaico Nightmare-o, David De-spooky, Tim Byrd-ACK!, Steve Trick-sel, Bat Nokes, and, uh...Mike Smith. (Sorry, I’ve got nothing for that one.)

On this day in 1979, the Orioles’ Mike Flanagan won the American League Cy Young award after a stupendous season in which he went 23-9 with a league-leading five shutouts for the AL East-winning Orioles. Flanagan received 26 of the 28 first-place votes to become the Birds’ fifth Cy Young winner (Mike Cuellar was co-winner in 1969, and Jim Palmer won in 1973, 1975, and 1976).