[ad_1]
Hello, Camden Chatters.
It was a pretty hectic day at Birdland yesterday, eh?
At the start of last night’s 2021 MLB Draft, the Orioles added a talented youngster to their team – assuming they sign him, which seems likely – by signing center fielder Colton Cowser from Sam Houston State with the fifth choice in total.
Although the O’s have passed on more prominent names – such as Vanderbilt right-hander Kumar Rocker (who fell to 10th) and prep shortstops Jordan Lawlar (sixth), Brady House (11th) and Kahlil Watson (16th) ) – Cowser looks like a solid pick, an outstanding college hitter who plays quality defense in a mid-defense position.
Mike Elias and the Orioles front office will of course hear criticism from fans who will describe Cowser as a sub-slot pick that wasn’t the best player available. But if Cowser was the best player in the Birds roster, at least those who hadn’t already been picked in the top four, then I trust Elias, who knows a lot more about this stuff than you or I do. . And if the O’s can catch a talented player and save some money to spend on scheming players in later rounds, then that’s a perfectly valid strategy. We’ll see how the next two days of the draft go.
Meanwhile, the Major League Orioles (although the term “major league” is questionable in their case) concluded the first half of their season in the most appropriate way: by being swept away. Trey Mancini’s dramatic home run of two runs, two runs and a tight blow late in the ninth provided a brief moment of euphoria for Orioles fans, only for the joy to be washed away moments later in a 7- 5, 10 innings loss. Harrison Jozwiak recapped the sad final of the first half.
As Stacey pointed out, only the Orioles could find a way to screw up what should have been an inspiring moment and changing momentum. It’s something straight out of a storybook – a cancer survivor and crew chief, who has made an incredible comeback this season, coming off the bench to hit a clutch homer the day before he competed in the Home Run Derby. It’s the kind of thing that would galvanize a more competent team. In the case of the Orioles, that only gave them a painful new way to lose. It’s like “Rudy”, if instead of sacking the quarterback in the last game, Rudy passed out and was hauled off the field.
The O’s are now heading into their four-day hiatus with a 28-60 record and no end in sight to the suffering. But hey, what about this Colton Cowser?
Connections
Orioles select college outfielder Colton Cowser in first round – School of Roch
Not sold on Cowser’s choice? Praise quotes from Mike Elias might change your mind. I mean, obviously Elias is going to speak positively about the guy he just picked fifth overall, but I get a tingle when I read things like “five tool player.”
What the Baltimore Orioles get in Sam Houston’s Colton Cowser, a natural hitter who keeps getting better – the athletic
Still not sold on Cowser’s choice, even after that last link? This detailed biography of Cowser’s prolific college career should help.
Adley Rutschman’s cleaning of bats from O in the game Futures (O’s loses) – Steve Melewski
Speaking of the Orioles rookies, their 2019 No.1 pick showed their potential yesterday in the promising Futures Game. Hopefully, this will be far from the last time Rutschman takes part in a week of the stars.
The condition of the Orioles after the first half – Orioles.com
Joe Trezza explains what we learned about the Birds midway through. Basically anyone whose last name doesn’t start with M has been a disappointment.
Birthdays and History of the Orioles
Is it your birthday today? Happy Birthday! Your only Orioles birthday friend is the late Jack Harshman (born 1927, died 2013), a right-hander who was a workaholic in the O’s rotation in 1958 and also a pretty decent hitter for a pitcher, hitting seven circuits in his two-year career with Birds.
That day in 1969, Mike Cuellar of the Orioles threw a three-hit shutout against the Red Sox in which all three hits were by one hitter (Tony Conigliaro). Strangely, it was Cuellar’s second consecutive start in which a batter had three hits against him while the rest of the lineup was without a hit. The same thing happened on July 8 against the Yankees, when Ron Woods hit all three hits.
On that day in 2005, O’s shortstop Miguel Tejada was named All-Star Game MVP in Detroit, hitting a second Hall of Famer John Smoltz home run en route to victory 7 -5 of the AL. The O’s were well represented in the game, with Tejada and second baseman Brian Roberts both starting, third baseman Melvin Mora coming off the bench and closest BJ Ryan getting two strikeouts in the ninth.
And on that date in 2016, the Orioles’ Zack Britton – who would make a perfect 47-for-47 in stoppage odds this season – also landed a stoppage in the All-Star Game. He overtook a starting single from Daniel Murphy by inducing two strikeouts, including a late-inning double play from Nolan Arenado, to nail the AL’s 4-2 victory over the National League.
[ad_2]
Source link