The day is here. Spring training has arrived, MASN will broadcast more of the games, and it’s been 70 years since the team moved from St. Louis.
Good morning, Birdland!
One of the best days of the year has arrived. It can be considered as the first unofficial day of the 2024 baseball season. It is time for pitchers and catchers to report to the Orioles’ spring training facility in Sarasota!
There is admittedly little action on this day. After all, there is no actual team workout planned. The players just need to show up, sign in, and likely go through some HR paperwork like any other job. The highlights from the day tend to include the players simply walking into the team facility with their beverage of choice, most often an iced coffee. Scintillating stuff nonetheless!
Of course, the stakes of the day have been risen a bit by the recent addition of Corbin Burnes. This is the day we get to see him step foot on to Orioles property. If he is as good as expected, that could make this a historical moment for the franchise. The only thing left to see will be an Adley hug for the team’s new ace.
The first full squad workout won’t take place until February 20, but it sounds like a decent amount of position players are already in Sarasota. So, we might get a glimpse at more than just the battery combinations over the next few days.
We’ve missed you, Sarasota pic.twitter.com/pfh162Ghqv
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) February 13, 2024
In related news, it was reported on Tuesday that MASN is planning to broadcast “more” Orioles spring games than in recent years. They only broadcasted four games last year, so the bar for “more” is nearly on the ground.
A slight increase from last year, paired with the broadcasts of opposing teams, plus a few radio-only games should do a decent job of bridging the gap and providing solid overall coverage of the team. Considering the excitement around the team coming into 2024, it would be neat to watch every game. What is the benefit of a team-owned sports network anyway if this sort of thing isn’t prioritized?
But let’s not get negative! This is a happy day that means real baseball is almost here.
Links
MASN to air more Orioles spring training games than recent years, but announcers will work from Baltimore | The Baltimore Sun
Sources in this piece are indicating that there will be seven Orioles games broadcast by MASN. That’s the same as what they did prior to 2020. But man, it still sucks.
What’s new as Orioles begin spring training | Baltimore Baseball
A nice little spring primer in case you went into hibernation since the World Series.
70 Years of Orioles Magic Moments…10 Years at a Time: 1954-1963 | Orioles.com
The Orioles have been in Baltimore for 70 years now. The O’s website is doing a decade-by-decade deep dive into the club’s history since then.
Taking Orioles rotation for another spin and playing the numbers game | Roch Kubatko
Roch mentions jersey numbers, including a question about what number Jackson Holliday will wear. That is always a spring element that tends to reflect seniority and odds of making the team. Holliday wore 87 in Sarasota last year. My guess is they give him something a bit more attractive this time around.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Ryan McKenna turns 27 today. He has been a solid up-and-down outfielder for the Orioles from 2021 through now. It will interesting to see how the team treats him now that he is out of options, and the big league outfield is now brimming with talent.
This day in O’s history
1959 – The Orioles purchase first baseman Whitey Lockman from the San Francisco Giants. He will play in just 38 games for the Os before he is dealt to the Reds in June.