The Orioles decisions over the last week have offered something to be thankful for - their performance earlier in 2018 certainly didn’t."Hello http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , friends.There are now 126 days remaining until the next Orioles game.Not a whole lot to say about baseball on Thanksgiving Day. The Orioles themselves, with their 47-115 performance, didn’t give much reason to be thankful about the team as the year went along. Yet somehow there still manages to be something of a hopeful feeling right now, with the fresh hire of Mike Elias as the general manager. So mostly what I’m thankful for with this franchise right now is that they found a way to give us a little something positive after all of the crap that happened to the team on the field. It could have ended up a lot worse than this. Perhaps a few Thanksgivings from now, we’ll again be thankful for seeing the latest O’s playoff team.What are you most looking forward to with the future of the Orioles right now? Are you believing that things are going to get better thanks to Elias and new hires like yesterday’s assistant GM addition, Sig Mejdal?Around the blogO’sphereFormer NASA engineer Sig Mejdal joins Orioles front office (ESPN)Anybody sounds more impressive when they’re referred to as a former NASA engineer - though it’s Mejdal’s baseball resume that really makes him an exciting hire.A look at some Rule 5-eligible Orioles (Steve Melewski)I just don’t think that Elias is going to lose any sleep over the next three weeks wondering if one of these guys will be drafted away from the organization.Peterson returns to Orioles on minor league deal (School of Roch)This is here just in case Jace Peterson’s mom is reading.Myriad Orioles Thoughts: Mejdal’s hiring signifies more change, Cervenka’s stock, more (The Athletic)The question of why Martin Cervenka didn’t get added to the 40-man roster needs no more complicated answer than, “He’s 26 and has never played above Double-A.”Machado clarifies ‘Johnny Hustle’ comment (MLB.com)Dropping this on the day before a four-day holiday weekend is rather brazen Andre Dawson Jersey , but I suppose they’ve gotten away with it.Birthdays and anniversariesIn 1965, Orioles outfielder Curt Blefary was awarded the American League Rookie of the Year award.There are a few former Orioles with birthdays today. They are: 2016-17 Norfolk shuttle rider Jayson Aquino, 2007-08 outfielder Jay Payton, and outfielder Joe Gaines of the 1963-64 Orioles. Today is Gaines’s 82nd birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: Wars of the Roses side-switcher Richard Neville (1428), America’s inaugural Second Lady Abigail Adams (1744), novelist Mary Anne Evans (George Eliot) (1819), WWII and post-war French leader Charles de Gaulle (1890), funny man and respect lacker Rodney Dangerfield (1921) Ron Santo Jersey , The Wire’s Omar, Michael K. Williams (1966), and actress Scarlett Johansson (1984).On this day in history...In 1718, the British pirate Edward “Blackbeard” Teach was killed in battle off the coast of North Carolina.In 1928, Ravel’s Bol茅ro premiered in Paris.In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald (unless you believe the conspiracy theories) in Dallas. Elsewhere on the very same day, writers Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis passed away.In 1975, Juan Carlos became the king of Spain following the death the previous day of dictator Francisco Franco. King Juan Carlos I is credited with leading the Spanish transition to democracy.In 1995, the Pixar/Disney production Toy Story was released in theaters http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , becoming the first feature film that was entirely created using computer-generated images.**And that’s the way it is in Birdland on this Thanksgiving Day. Be safe! TORONTO (AP) — The San Diego Padres will pay Toronto $1.5 million on Aug. 15 as part of last weekend’s trade that sent left-hander Clayton Richard to the Blue Jays for Canadian outfielder Connor Panas.That cash will cover half of Richard’s $3 million base salary in the final season of a $6 million, two-year contract.The 35-year-old Richard was 7-11 with a 5.33 ERA in 27 starts for San Diego last season. He is 68-79 with a 4.46 ERA in 10 seasons in the majors with the Padres and Chicago White Sox and Cubs, with a National League-best 60.3 ground-ball percentage over the last four years.Panas, 25, hit .232 with nine home runs, and 39 RBIs in 105 games last season for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Class AA Eastern League The left-handed hitter from Toronto was selected by the Blue Jays in the ninth round of the 2015 draft.The trade was announced Sunday.