Good morning, Camden Chatters.
...Is it here? Is it time? Is this actually happening?
Great googly moogly, it is! Orioles pitchers and catchers are reporting to spring training today at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. That glorious, annual rite of spring, the first real sign of baseball on the horizon, is upon us at last.
I’m excited! I’m pumped! And I’m...feeling a little cautious, to be honest.
After everything that’s happened in the past year — and with everything that’s still happening in the world — I’m glad there’s the strong possibility of baseball in the near future. But we learned the hard way in 2020 that those plans could go haywire at a moment’s notice. After all, this is what poor, naive me wrote on pitchers and catchers reporting day last year:
From here, we can start ticking the important dates off the calendar for the next few weeks until the real games begin. Exhibition games begin on Saturday the 22nd, the first game in Sarasota is the following day, and then...well, then there’s a lot of Grapefruit League action until camp breaks on March 23. The O’s begin their regular season schedule in Baltimore on March 26, a full 44 days from now.
As we well know, things didn’t exactly turn out that way. The O’s hit the first couple of those dates, but got less than three weeks into their Grapefruit League schedule before the world shut down. Their regular season schedule ended up starting a whopping 164 days after pitchers and catchers first reported to Sarasota. So, yeah, it was a bit more than 44.
Don’t get me wrong — pitchers and catchers reporting is more thrilling to a baseball fan than pitchers and catchers not reporting. I sincerely hope everything goes smoothly over the next few weeks, that the full spring training schedule goes off without a hitch and the regular season begins on time. But this time I’ve learned better than to consider it a foregone conclusion.
...I’m still excited, though. Woo!
Links
Dean Kremer now looks to build on impressive major league debut - Steve Melewski
Dean Kremer, who has made a grand total of four MLB starts, could be the Orioles’ No. 2 starter entering the season. That says something about the O’s, yes, but also speaks to the promising arm of the talented righty.
Orioles’ 5 best homegrown Draft picks - Orioles.com
This list includes three Hall of Famers, so yeah, it’s safe to say the Orioles have struck gold on a few draft picks over the years. Next up: Adley Rutschman!
Picking Each MLB Team’s Current Mount Rushmore - Bleacher Report
Choosing the Orioles’ four best current players is a bit of a challenge for a team that’s light on talent, but I think Martin Fenn got it right with his picks. Next up: Adley Rutschman! (Yes, I’m repeating that joke.)
Learning about the new Orioles' minor league world - BaltimoreBaseball.com
The Orioles’ minor league affiliates (except poor Frederick) remained intact in MLB’s minor league restructuring, but now they’re stuck with some less-than-creative league names. Bowie, for instance, is part of the Northeast League’s Southeast Division. The Northeast Southeast, really?
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Four former Orioles were born on this day, including Terry Crowley (74), who spent 12 years as an O’s player, 16 as a hitting coach, and one memorable radio-show outtake as the subject of Earl Weaver’s disdain. Also born on this day were last year’s O’s Opening Day starter Tommy Milone (34), 2015 right-hander Jorge Rondon (33), and 2005 outfielder turned MLB Network personality Eric Byrnes (45).
On this day in 2003, tragedy struck at Orioles camp, as 23-year-old pitcher Steve Bechler collapsed from heat stroke during spring training drills, passing away the next day. His use of the weight-loss supplement ephedra was found to have contributed to his death, which led the U.S. government to ban the substance in all dietary products.
Thanks for reading Orioles pitchers and catchers report to spring training today - Camden Chat. Please share...!
0 Comment for "Orioles pitchers and catchers report to spring training today - Camden Chat"