Good morning Birdland!
It’s only Saturday, but this holiday weekend has already got off to a solid start. The Orioles have returned to baseball. Hamilton is on Disney +. And there will be plenty of potato salads and hamburgers to snack on for days. But you’re probably not here for those last two things, so we’ll focus on baseball.
The Orioles’ summer training roster is now 45 and pitcher Evan Phillips joined on Friday after not being featured on the starting roster last week. Also notable is the health of DJ Stewart, who was recovering from right ankle surgery. He is said to be 100 percent and ready to compete with Anthony Santander and Dwight Smith Jr. for innings in the Orioles’ outfield.
On the coronavirus front, it was revealed that no Orioles player or coach has chosen to exit the season yet. That came with the news that MLB had so far conducted 3,185 tests with only 38 (1.2 percent) testing positive. Recent data from Johns Hopkins University revealed that the rate of positive results in the United States is around 7.5 percent, so MLB is doing quite well in that regard.
Links
O’s hugs change in ‘pretty strange’ times – Orioles.com
It’s been nice to see the Orioles publicly adopt all the safety precautions they’re taking for the 2020 season. Even last week, they posted photos of the masked and socially distant signature of several of their draft picks. These are “pretty weird” times, but we will probably only get through it by being careful and protecting each other.
Typical O’s first workout on the field, physically distanced anywhere else: Baltimore Sun
Okay, I admit that I was irrationally excited to see new photos of the Orioles working in an empty stadium. Why? Well, it gives the writing staff here at Camden Chat some new options for the images at the top of each article. I no longer have to see Rob Manfred standing on the podium on draft night while doing another base blog! Instead, I see guys in shorts. I’ll take it!
Ryan Mountcastle had a great 2019, but is his time coming now? – Steve Melewski
The fact that Ryan Mountcastle was not on the initial summer training roster seems like a good indication that he won’t start this season with the big league O’s. But eventually they will add it, and it could make its debut in late summer. Personally, I don’t think it’s a big deal by any means, but I’m quite interested in seeing Mountcastle’s bat at the highest level. I am not so interested in your glove or arm.
More from the first day of summer training camp – School of Roch
Quotes, baby! All the dating you can handle, and even more dating than that!
Orioles Birthday
Is it your birthday this weekend? Happy Birthday!
- The late Babe Birrer (died 2013) was born on July 4, 1929. The pitcher appeared in four games for the 1956 Orioles.
- Current Orioles midfielder Austin Hays turns 25 this weekend. The former third-round pick was the first member of the 2016 draft to reach the major leagues. In just 41 MLB games so far, Hays has reached .266 / .312 / .453 but is set for a much bigger role in 2020.
- Jay Spurgeon, a short-lived short-league player, turns 44. The right-hander pitched 24 innings in seven appearances for the 2000 O’s.
- It is the 45th birthday of the left-handed Alberto Castillo. He played a part in three seasons from 2008 to 2010, when he compiled a 4.81 ERA in 48.2 total innings.
- Official pitcher Tim Worrell is 53 years old. He spent 14 seasons in the majors in nine organizations, but played only five games for the Orioles, all of which came during the 2000 season.
- It is a posthumous celebration for Curt Blefary (b. 1943, d. 2001). The former outfielder, first baseman and catcher was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1965 and spent four total seasons with the Orioles from ’65 to ’68.
- Finally, it is the birthday of the late Arnie Portocarrero (b. 1931, d. 1986). The pitcher was an Oriole from 1958 to 1960, when he appeared in 72 games in total and posted a 4.35 ERA.
This day in history
1930 – The Baltimore Black Sox and New York Lincoln Giants split a double header, marking the first time that two Black League clubs played at Yankee Stadium.
1932 – Orioles slugger Buzz Arlett hits four home runs in a game for the second time in five weeks. He would continue to lead the International League with 49 home runs for the year.
1944 – Oriole Park V, also known as Terrapin Park, burns. This causes the minor league Orioles to move to Venable Stadium on 33rd Street in Baltimore. About a decade later, when the St. Louis Browns franchise moved to town, Venable was renamed Memorial Stadium.
