Exciting News: Orioles reportedly set for …………..

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

We’re now just 13 days from Opening Day, and yesterday brought a ton of spring training action for the Orioles. In their Grapefruit League contest, they won again, taking a 5-2 decision over the Pirates to improve their record to 16-4 (plus one tie). Once again it was Kyle Stowers who put on a show, crushing a three-run homer to give the O’s the lead in the seventh. Stowers has hit four home runs this spring, all of them off left-handers. He’s done everything he possibly can to make a case for the Opening Day roster, but I just don’t see how there’s room for him, barring an injury to one of the starting outfielders. He certainly deserves a major league opportunity, and hopefully he’ll get that chance somewhere else if it doesn’t happen in Baltimore.

The other big event yesterday was the Orioles’ first-ever Spring Breakout game, which pitted their top prospects against those of the Pirates. The O’s, who boast baseball’s best farm system and are particularly strong in position player prospects, ran out a lineup that included MLB’s top prospect Jackson Holliday (Orioles’ #1 on MLB Pipeline), Samuel Basallo (#2), Coby Mayo (#4), Enrique Bradfield Jr. (#6), Connor Norby (#7), and Dylan Beavers (#8). That’s each of the Orioles’ top eight prospects who don’t already have MLB experience.

On this occasion, that crew didn’t exactly put on the kind of show that O’s fans were hoping to see. The Orioles’ prospects combined for just one hit in the seven-inning game, though that one hit was an impressive bunt single by Bradfield that showcased his eye-popping speed. In a matchup of Holliday vs. right-hander Paul Skenes, the two most recent #1 overall picks, the Pirates fireballer got the best of Jackson with a strikeout, consistently hitting triple digits on his fastball. Oh well. There’s no shame in letting that guy beat you. Something tells me Holliday will be just fine, and I’m glad Skenes will mostly be only the National League’s problem in the years to come.

It was a fun event, despite the loss, and a great opportunity for Orioles fans to see some of the prospects they haven’t gotten a good look at before (particularly Basallo, who had a walk and a strikeout after a stress fracture delayed his spring training debut). And it won’t be too long until many of these guys are sharing the field again, this time at Camden Yards.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 65th birthday to Hall of Famer and native Marylander Harold Baines, whose 22-year career in the majors included three stints and parts of seven seasons with the Orioles. The Easton-born Baines is one of nine MLB Hall of Famers from Maryland, and the only besides Cal Ripken Jr. to have played for the modern-day Orioles. Other former Orioles born on March 15 are infielders Freddie Bynum (44) and Mike Pagliarulo (64).

On this date in 1960, the O’s traded two players to the Dodgers for first base prospect Jim Gentile in what turned out to be an outstanding deal. Gentile, given a chance at everyday playing time, emerged as a standout slugger for the Orioles, finishing as Rookie of the Year runner-up in 1961 and following it up with a 46-homer, 141-RBI breakout in 1962. That stood as the highest single-season RBI total for an Oriole for more than 30 years until Rafael Palmeiro broke it with 142 in 1996 (and Miguel Tejada topped it again with 150 in 2004). Gentile, who finished with 124 homers and 398 RBIs in four years in Baltimore, was inducted to the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1989.