Hello, friends.
Team Steve is back! Have you heard the news? Whether or not it was a good trade, and what it says about the offseason the Orioles had, is something we will surely be arguing in the days, weeks, and, depending on the development of Jonah Heim, years to come.
Since the Orioles were off yesterday and the trade deadline happened, that means there's not really any new Orioles game action to talk about, but there are plenty of takes. Oh yes... there must always be takes. The baseball writers of the world, mainstream and otherwise, will never let you down for takes. Some of them will even be good. As for the bad, well, you can always comfort yourself with the smug superiority that you know more than that guy does.
Anyway, it's over now. No more help is walking through that door. The team is the team. Unless they make some post-waiver move to get a lefty reliever or something, but no one else major is coming along to make things better. The Orioles will have to get by with what they've got. They've managed alright so far. It isn't an accident they're in first place. But I'm still nervous about how they'll stay there.
Then again, I'm always nervous about the Orioles, so that's probably not news to you.
The Blue Jays lost yesterday, falling back to a full game behind the O's. The Red Sox won, pulling themselves back to within a game of the O's. Yes - there are three teams within one game of the AL East lead. The Orioles upcoming series with the Rangers will be key. Every series from here on out will be key unless they lose so many of them that it doesn't matter any more.
Around the blogO'sphere
Thoughts and observations on the Orioles' acquisition of Wade Miley and their big win in Toronto - Baltimore Sun
I have questions about how we leap from "the Orioles rotation had a 5.15 ERA in the first half of the season" to "Wade Miley and his 4.98 ERA is an upgrade." Eduardo Encina likes that it's not an expensive addition.
Wade Miley addition shows Orioles willing to pay big bucks | CSN Mid-Atlantic
Rich Dubroff, on the other hand, argues that the Miley trade shows the Orioles are willing to spend money. So you probably agree with one of these guys.
He's back: A quick take on Steve Pearce's return to the Orioles - Steve Melewski
I told you there were takes! Melewski notes that Heim was "considered one of if not the best defensive catcher on the O's farm." If Heim blossoms with the Rays, I'm gonna get annoyed at the Orioles.
Analysis: Given the obstacles, landing Miley and Pearce is a satisfactory deadline haul - BaltimoreBaseball.com
And here's Dan Connolly with the opinion that, given the prices some of the players who aren't all that good were fetching on the trade market, the Orioles did pretty well for themselves to get the guy they've got.
Baseball Prospectus | Transaction Analysis: Life of Miley
In which Wade Miley, whom Fangraphs described as a "generic innings sponge," is likened to a Honda Civic.
Camden Depot: If Miley Is Going To Be Successful, He'll Need To Throw More Balls
How often do you hear about a pitcher that he needs to throw FEWER strikes?
Camden Depot: Orioles Count On A Collection Of Swingmen Because They Have To
The Orioles have made some use of long relievers this year, and Camden Depot shows why that's because they don't have any other choice. Hey, when life gives you lemons...
The Dylan Bundy Hype Train Is Finally Boarding | FanGraphs Baseball
Orioles fans already have all of the good seats, but that doesn't mean there's not room for more people to climb aboard, including Fangraphs' August Fagerstrom.
Birthdays and anniversaries
There is only a single former Oriole with a birthday today. That is Matt Riley, with the organization from the 1997 draft through 2004. He was the disappointing cavalry before there was ever such a thing.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include the following: District of Columbia planner - sorta - Pierre Charles L'Enfant (1754), Lawrence of Arabia actor Peter O'Toole (1932), horror film dude Wes Craven (1939), The House of the Spirits author Isabel Allende (1942), actress Mary-Louise Parker (1964), and Kevin "Silent Bob" Smith (1970).
On this day in history...
In 216 BC, an army from Carthage led by Hannibal defeated a numerically superior Roman force at the Battle of Cannae, pulling off what's still considered the most infamous double envelopment maneuver in military history.
In 1776 AD, the actual signing of the Declaration of Independence took place.
In 1943, an American torpedo boat, PT-109, was rammed by a Japanese destroyer and sank near the Solomon Islands. Its commander, Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, was able to save ten of his twelve crew.
In 1964, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, in which North Vietnamese gunboats were said to have fired on the destroyer USS Maddox, occurred. Unlike a later incident two days later which sparked an escalating response from the Americans, some kind of encounter may have actually occurred on this date.
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And that's the way it is in BIrdland on August 2 - or at least, until something happens later. Have a safe Tuesday. Go Orioles!