Friday Bird Droppings: Where the games are getting longer again

Shortstop J.J. Hardy to continue rehab in Sarasota while Orioles are on the road - Baltimore Sun
The team says everything is going well, but "Hardy’s foot is still in a boot and he’s still using crutches" sure is a sad sentence to read.

A look at two starting pitchers excelling for the Frederick Keys (plus O's notes) - Steve Melewski
Here's a spotlight on John Means and Matthew Grimes, two unheralded 2014 draft picks that are doing a nice job for the Keys.

Joseph waiting on first RBI - School of Roch
Caleb Joseph still has no runs batted in this year - I didn't know this until 5 minutes ago.

2016 Broadcaster Rankings (TV): #10 – #1 | FanGraphs Baseball
The MASN crew comes in at #5, even though the poll included Mike Bordick along with Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer. I liked Bordick as a player, but give me more Brian Roberts in the booth.

The Cause of Lengthening MLB Games | FanGraphs Baseball
After successfully trimming down the average game length last year, the league has gained nearly all of that back in 2016. It sure doesn't seem like the Pace of Game rules have had a lasting effect. Fangraphs dives into why.

If today is your birthday, you share it with former Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez and pitcher David Wells. You also share it with someone named Gordon Dillard, who started one game for the Orioles in 1988. He allowed two runs in 2.2 innings. Talk about a quick hook. Other May 20th birthdays include Hall of Famer Hal Newhouser, Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh, Busta Rhymes, NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, and Cher.

On this day in history:

• The Mecklenberg Declaration of Independence was signed in Charlotte. (1775)
• President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law. (1862)
• Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a patent for blue jeans with copper rivets. (1873)
• The first speeding ticket was written in the US. Unsurprisingly, it was issued to a cab driver in NYC. (1899)
• Charles Lindbergh takes off from Long Island on what would become the world's first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic (1927).
• The population of Quebec rejected a referendum to secede from Canada. (1980)