Only three more sleeps until Opening Day, Birdland. We made it.
I promise to get back into the swing (heh) of things here next week too, with your thrice-weekly O’s Links. For today, please accept this super-sized version as my apology.
Why Baseball Games are So Damned Long
Not really an O’s link, granted. Still, seamheads will like this one. SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee, one of my favorite baseball writers, did a little experiment to try to figure out what the REAL problem is when it comes to MLB games dragging on longer and longer. The results probably aren’t what you would expect. The issue sure as heck has nothing to do with intentional walks though…
MLB Scouts Provide Insight and Analysis on All 30 MLB Teams
We spend so much time nowadays reading statistical analysis of players, it’s refreshing to hear from the old school-type scouts every once in awhile. Sports Illustrated gathered thoughts from MLB scouts on all 30 squads. Scroll down to the O’s section for tidbits on Buck, Manny, Schoop, Gausman, and plenty more.
Zach Britton Still Needs Tuning Up as Spring Training Comes to a Close
Camden Chat’s Mark Brown says that Zach Britton’s uneven control so far in Sarasota can – hopefully – be chalked up to his only getting about half of his desired work so far in March, thanks to that oblique soreness.
Zach Britton Racing to Find Delivery Ahead of Opening Day
Britton told Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun that his command has been “erratic.”
O’s Upcoming Season of Roster Shuffling Could be Their Craziest Yet
Do you like “rosterbation?” Our friends over at Bird’s Eye View coined that term to describe the constant up-and-down of players with options that we’ve seen in the Buck-Duq era here in Birdland. Camden Depot’s Matt Kremnitzer says that those two might paint their Mona Lisa of roster moves in 2017.
Bird’s Eye View Episode 194: Baby’s In (Orange and) Black
Speaking of BEV, Jake and Scott had a double dose of guests this week, as they were joined by both Jeff Long of Baseball Prospectus and Matt Taylor of Roar from 34. The bad news is that the Pitch Talks event they speak about throughout the show was at best postponed and quite possibly canceled in the days since they recorded. Lame.
Short Relief – Manny Machado is Without Fault
I’m not really sure what this blurb that Zach Moser posted at Baseball Prospectus is supposed to be – a poem? Spoken word? Regardless, it says good things about Manny, and that’ll always earn a link here.
The last weekend without baseball until October is here!
