Hello, friends.
There are now 32 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. Tomorrow, it will be a month away. Hey, that's a good number. The number 32 is currently worn by Matt Wieters, and it enjoyed several multi-year stints in the past for O's like Luis Matos, Mark Williamson, Steve Stone, and Milt Pappas. Some of those names are bit more distinguished than others.
The Orioles have now played two spring training games. They kissed their sisters once and got their butts whipped once. So that's fun, I guess. Today, they hit the road to the Rays camp, a game which will once again not be televised anywhere - and will be on the radio only on MLB.com. You know, in case you want to listen to a game in which somebody like Ryan Flaherty is the leadoff batter.
With the regular season being a month away, it's not really worth getting excited or panicking about any of these very early results. A lot can get sorted out in spring training. Boring as it is for fans, that's what spring training is for. Or so we can tell ourselves every time that we need to do so.
Around the blogO'sphere
Orioles notes on the lineup and Chris Tillman before today's spring training home opener - Baltimore Sun
Chris Tillman was working out again the day after receiving a cortisone injection into his hip. I don't know about you, but if things get into the cortisone territory it sounds pretty serious.
School of Roch: Ubaldo Jimenez: "It wasn't pretty, but I felt good being on the mound" (O's lose 11-4)
Every now and again, the headline really says it all.
Steve Melewski: A look at the Orioles' minor league spring training roster and schedule
The major league O's aren't the only ones who will be crossing central Florida to play a bunch of games in the month of March.
David Ortiz thinks Mookie Betts will be a $250 million player - Over the Monster
Well, if David Ortiz says it, then it must be true.
Birthdays and anniversaries
There are four former Orioles with birthdays today. You probably remember Jorge Julio (2001-05), but probably don't remember 1998 short-timer Bobby Munoz, 1991 short-timer Francisco de la Rosa, or the late Jesse Jefferson (1973-74).
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Along with those former Orioles, you share this birthday with Pullman sleeping car designer George Pullman (1831), telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell (1847), con artist Charles Ponzi (1882), Star Trek actor James Doohan (1920), Perry Ellis founder Perry Ellis (1940), three-time Olympic gold medal winner Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1962), and Modern Family actress and Baltimore-born Julie Bowen (1970).
On this day in history...
In 1776, the first recorded amphibious landing of the United States Marine Corps took place in the Battle of Nassau, which they won. In those days, being as there was not yet a United States, they went by the Continental Marines.
In 1820, the US Congress passed the Missouri Compromise, which temporarily halted the spread of slavery, at least until 1854 when the Kansas-Nebraska Act came along.
In 1873, Congress passed the Comstock Law, which made it illegal to send "obscene, lewd, or lascivious" books through the mail. This stayed on the books until 1957.
In 1931, the Star-Spangled Banner was adopted as the national anthem of the United States of America. O!
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And that's the way it is in Birdland on March 3 - or at least, until something happens later. Have a safe Thursday.