Hello, friends.
There are 137 days left until the Orioles’ Opening Day. If you prefer a shorter countdown, today is exactly three months until pitchers and catchers involved in the World Baseball Classic report to Sarasota for spring training.
This weekend brought some minor updates regarding the Orioles, primarily consisting of title changes within the front office. This was initially reported by MASN’s Roch Kubatko. One notable change is Brendan Fournie’s promotion to assistant general manager from his previous role as the senior director of baseball strategy and operations. His new responsibilities will encompass baseball economics, advanced scouting, and salary arbitration.
In the realm of scouting, Will Robertson has moved from director of pro personnel to vice president of domestic scouting. While you might not recognize his name, this change was positively noted by The Athletic’s Keith Law. I’m hopeful that these changes will lead to a more consistently successful era for the Orioles compared to what we’ve seen from Mike Elias’s front office so far. Last offseason was quite disappointing, and there’s room for improvement this year.
Typically, not much action occurs in November, as players and agents tend to wait and see how the market develops. Most players aren’t likely to secure the best deal if they rush into signing with a team too early. Thus, patience will be essential. It becomes a concern only if the top players sign elsewhere and the Orioles appear to have missed their chance for crucial upgrades.
Orioles Updates You Might Have Missed
Reviewing an eventful week for the Orioles (Baltimore Baseball)
Rich Dubroff highlights a week of roster adjustments and coaching staff changes.
Rubric for grading the Orioles offseason (The Dishwasher)
This hypothetical rubric suggests an A+ scenario involving high-profile signings, but The Dishwasher isn’t expecting it, and neither am I.
New Orioles manager’s biggest support? A rival skipper (Orioles.com)
Let’s hope Craig Albernaz gained valuable insights during his two years working with friend Stephen Vogt.
Birthdays and Orioles Anniversaries
Today marks the birthdays of former Orioles, including 1969 reliever Al Severinsen and 1961-62 outfielder Whitey Herzog (the Hall of Fame manager who passed away last year at 92).
If today is your birthday, happy birthday! You share it with notable figures such as Baltimore-born surveyor Benjamin Banneker (1731), actress/inventor Hedy Lamarr (1914), and baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson (1935).
On This Day in History…
In 1799, the French revolutionary government was overthrown in the Coup of 18 Brumaire, leading to Napoleon Bonaparte’s establishment as First Consul. This event is often seen as marking the end of the French Revolution.
In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt made history by becoming the first sitting president to visit another country when he inspected the Panama Canal’s construction.
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell as East German authorities allowed citizens to cross into West Germany without restrictions, leading to swift civilian demolition of the wall.
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And that’s the news from Birdland on November 9. Have a safe Sunday.
