Bold take: Alonso is quietly becoming the heartbeat of the Orioles’ clubhouse, and his leadership isn’t just symbolism—it’s shaping how the team responds to growing pains. Good morning, Birdland.
The Orioles did play Tuesday’s game, an exhibition against the Netherlands WBC squad, but there are no highlights to share. It wasn’t televised, and even that familiar spring-training lone camera angle behind home plate was nowhere to be found. All we have are first-hand reports and the box score, and the day didn’t look encouraging for Baltimore.
Trevor Rogers got the start and lasted 2.1 innings, yielding six runs on six hits, a walk, four strikeouts, and two home runs. Despite the rough line, Rogers said postgame that he felt he got some valuable work in. It’s part of a longer process, he emphasized.
Defensively, the Orioles stumbled. They committed four errors—Jeremiah Jackson, Bryan Ramos, Samuel Basallo, and Cobb Hightower each contributed—and Alonso stepped in to steady the mood. The veteran slugger called for an infield huddle in the second inning, urging teammates to “clean up” and play with more energy. Rogers and manager Craig Albernaz both praised the moment as a needed reset.
Alonso had a strong day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a two-run homer. It’s another bright note in what has been a notably productive spring for the newcomer. Other notable performances included Jackson’s solo homer, José Barrero driving in two runs, Dean Kremer tossing four scoreless innings, and Grant Wolfram striking out two in a single frame.
On the national stage, Team USA opened World Baseball Classic warmups with a lopsided win over the Giants in Scottsdale, 15-1. They piled up 19 hits, drew eight walks, and struck out ten times, with Alex Bregman and Roman Anthony both homering.
Gunnar Henderson also appeared, though he didn’t start. He still managed four plate appearances, finishing 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, two runs scored, and two RBIs.
Looking ahead, the Orioles face the Astros in Grapefruit League action today at 1:00 p.m. ET. Team USA meets the Rockies at 3:10 p.m. ET.
Links
- At Orioles camp during a game that didn’t matter, accountability took center stage | The Baltimore Banner
- Rogers allows 6 runs in Orioles’ 8-5 loss to Team Netherlands; Albernaz: ‘Sloppy game’ | Baltimore Baseball
- Spring training leftovers for breakfast | Roch Kubatko (quotes and lineup notes)
- For the homeland: These O’s are ready to rep their country in the Classic | MLB.com
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Richard Rodríguez, 36. Pitched in five games for the 2017 Orioles.
- Nerio Rodríguez, 55. Appeared 20 times from 1996–1998, mostly in relief.
- Jack Fisher, 87. Right-hander who played for Baltimore from 1959–1962, with a 3.92 ERA over 634.1 innings and 1.8 bWAR.
- The late Bob Johnson (b. 1936, d. 2019) would be turning 90. He spent five Orioles seasons (1963–1967), covering all infield positions and posting 3.1 bWAR with an 87 OPS+.
This day in O’s history
Baseball Reference notes little major Orioles history on this date, so here are broader world events from March 4: 1913—U.S. Department of Labor formed; 1917—Jeannette Rankin becomes first female U.S. House member; 1918—first influenza case linked to the global Spanish flu pandemic; 1933—Frances Perkins sworn in as first female U.S. Cabinet member (Labor); 1955—endangered Saimaa ringed seal protections legalized; 1957—S&P 500 index introduced; 1966—John Lennon said The Beatles are “more popular than Jesus now”; 2020—Nik Wallenda walks over Masaya Volcano.
Controversy note: Alonso’s leadership is winning praise for accountability, but some fans wonder if this push for higher energy could create pressure to perform immediately at the big-league level. Is this the kind of culture that helps long-term success, or does it risk overemphasizing short-term intensity? Share your thoughts in the comments: should players lead by example with quiet consistency, or by vocal, in-the-trenches accountability like Alonso demonstrated here?
