Thursday Bird Droppings: Where the American League playoffs are still making us sad

Hello, friends.

There are now 171 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2016.

Regrettably for all of us, some number of those days will feature the worst possible American League Championship Series matchup for Orioles fans, as the state of Texas failed this country by losing to Canadians and unelected monarchs in the same day. That means it's Blue Jays and Royals in the ALCS. Whatever happens, one of these loathed-in-Baltimore teams will be playing for a chance to win the World Series.

There is nothing good about this. Whoever wins, we lose. Even when we must inevitably root for a National League team to stop them, we must be rooting for either the massive payroll Dodgers, or the New York Mets, who are, well, New York. And also whenever the National League wins, fans of teams in that league act like they play real baseball over there. That's not good for anybody either.

Enough of inferior teams. Let's roll through some Orioles stuff.

Around the blogO'sphere

Try to compete again or rebuild? Orioles have tough decisions ahead - MLB (ESPN Insider)
Dan Szymborski, the guru of the ZiPS projection system, projects the future of Manny Machado and what that means for how and when the Orioles should be trying to compete. It will be a tough choice regardless.

Orioles' Adam Jones to host #StayHungry Purple Tailgate on Dec. 13 - Baltimore Sun
If you want to hang out at a tailgate of a Ravens game with Adam Jones while contributing some money to Boys and Girls Clubs, well, this is going to be the place for you.

School of Roch: Quick update on Orioles coaching staff (updated)
Not long ago, there was some brief period of hand-wringing about the coaching staff next year. The O's have now extended contract offers to next year to the entire coaching staff. Assuming everybody re-ups, then we'll get some continuity, for whatever that's worth.

Steve Melewski: Jomar Reyes suffers hamate bone injury, Tanner Scott to pitch in AFL
The headline pretty much sums it up. At least Reyes won't be missing any regular season time with the hamate bone injury. And as for Tanner Scott, well, they're claiming he hit 101 on the gun in Sarasota. A lefty who can hit 101? That is something.

Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Carl, grateful | MLB.com
Speaking of the Arizona Fall League, one of the O's prospects out there is Mike Yastrzemski, who it turns out is grateful for the fact that he struggled this year because it gave him new perspective on how to be the best professional he can be.

Camden Depot: Blueprint For The 2016 Orioles (Option 6): Trying To Make Chicken Salad
I posted another Camden Depot writer's blueprint on Tuesday, figuring it was about as depressing as one could possibly be. Then I read this one, which has key acquisitions of Mat Latos and J.A. Happ, and I realized that this whole offseason is going to be depressing.

Birthdays and anniversaries

On this day in 1970, the Orioles won the franchise's second World Series title by beating the Cincinnati Reds, 9-3, to take the series in five games. There were also three O's postseason losses on this day - but let's not talk about those, okay?

A number of former Orioles have a birthday today, including, first and foremost, Hall of Famer and never-gave-up-a-grand-slammer Jim Palmer, who turns the big 7-0 today. Getting to listen to Palmer is one of the best things about being an Orioles fan. Get to Twitter and wish him a happy birthday!

It's also the birthday of the far less memorable (sorry, gentlemen) Chad Mottola (six games in 2004) and Glenn Gulliver (73 games in 1982-83).

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Along with being birthday buddies with Palmer, you also have a host of others including Aeneid author Virgil (70 BC), mathematician and inventor of the barometer Evangelista Torricelli (1608 AD), philosopher and abyss-gazer Friedrich Nietzsche (1844), Newsday co-founder Alicia Patterson (1906), The Godfather author/screenwriter Mario Puzo (1920), Tito Jackson of The Jackson 5 (1953), celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse (1959), and The Wire actor Dominic West (1969).

On this day in history...

In 1582, the Gregorian calendar was implemented. This means that in Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain, yesterday in that year was was October 4, every intervening day was skipped, and suddenly it was October 15.

In 1793, Queen Marie-Antoinette of France was tried and convicted by the Revolutionary Tribunal. She was later sentenced to death.

In 1878, the Edison Electric Light Company came into existence.

In 1951, the first episode of I Love Lucy aired on CBS.

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And that's the way it is in Birdland on October 15 - or at least, unless something happens later. Have a safe Thursday.