Beginning a new year with a list of resolutions

The year 2025 is upon us. Break out the resolutions and other promises that will be broken like a hockey player’s front teeth.

I usually avoid them but figured I’d come up with a list and invite everyone here to share their own. They can be personal and professional. They can be Orioles related. They can come back to bite you now that they’re documented.

Don’t be ashamed if the elliptical that you kept talking about before Christmas is used to dry your cotton laundry. Or if a vow to avoid having your favorite team dictate your mood is shattered 10 minutes after pitchers and catchers report. These things happen. You’re in a safe space here.

Here we go. I typed softly in case you’re hungover.

No more whining about travel.

The security lines will be longer as more people sign up for TSA PreCheck. The belt and shoes stay on and the laptop remains in the bag, but it’s gonna take a bit longer to reach my gate. Just allow for the extra time.

Flights will be delayed. I’ll consider myself lucky if I avoid any cancellations, and the odds improve if I avoid Air Canada, which is famous for those 3 a.m. notifications and useless re-bookings.

“We found you another flight that leaves at approximately the same time. It’s two days later. Anything else we can do for you?”

I’ll just suck it up and remind myself that it could be a lot worse.

Don’t ask manager Brandon Hyde lineup questions in spring training.

Media is warned not to read too much into a lineup. Media often ignores it.

A guy batting leadoff could be lowered in a real order or pack his bags for the minor league complex before the Orioles break camp.

A guy batting cleanup could be raised or lowered in a real order or … you get my drift.

Some players are moved up so they can receive extra at-bats. Others are excused from games because they aren’t making back-to-back starts, which leads to Hyde plugging in subs or minor leaguers.

It makes sense to examine lineups closer to Opening Day, but not too early.

Don’t make a big deal over which starter is named for the first exhibition game.

See above.

Corbin Burnes was a big-time exception last spring. He was given the assignment unexpectedly. We knew he’d be the Opening Day starter for the regular season, but the first Grapefruit League game often goes to a pitcher who isn’t projected to make the club or make any sort of real impact.

“It's lining up to the beginning of the year and we're just kind of trying to put guys in places,” Hyde said while explaining the decision. “He’s on turn, bottom line. You're mapping out what their days are for the season.”

Burnes followed Drew Rom in 2023, Spenser Watkins in 2022, Thomas Eshelman in 2021, Chandler Shepherd in 2020 and Yefry Ramírez in 2019 as starters for the first exhibition game during the Hyde era.

See what I mean?

Stop expecting a dugout session with Mike Elias to finish in under 20 minutes.

Never happens. Ever.  

Some of it is due to the length of his responses. Much of it is due to the sheer volume of questions. Elias might have made himself available to address a specific topic or two, but he’s gonna be inundated with other questions simply because he’s there.

Injury updates? OK, that’s nice. Now, what about updates on every prospect in the system? Possible contract extensions for young players, even though he’s stated multiple times that he won’t speak publicly about any negotiations. The payroll. Whether a hot dog is a sandwich.

The uncanny part is how these interviews routinely last exactly 20 minutes. Not 19 or 21. And not by design.

Prewrite Tyler O’Neill’s home run note for Opening Day.

I’m counting it as a resolution.

O’Neill has homered on five consecutive openers to set a major league record. He’s going to be in the March 27 lineup in Toronto.

The previous homers came with the Cardinals. The streak was stretched last year with the Red Sox, when O’Neill hit a solo shot in the top of the eighth inning at T-Mobile Park.

O’Neill entered the day tied with Todd Hundley (1994-97) and Hall of Famers in Gary Carter (1977-80) and Yogi Berra (1955-58).

“I don’t know, it has to be something to do with the pregame ceremony or something,” O’Neill quipped. “It’s fun. You always want to kick the season off with a bang.

“Just having a lot of fun out there.”

Memorize the spelling of Tomoyuki Sugano’s name.

I have my good days and bad.

One time I wrote “Saguno” and caught myself before filing the story. His first name also causes me to pause.

Time to stop relying on Google searches. It’s been long enough.

I will not spend an entire season referencing Golden Tee Golf.

Get it out of my system in camp. Jackson Holliday will walk to his locker, be greeted by the usual cluster of media and be asked again about his favorite arcade game.

He’s too young for it to be his favorite bar game.

Holliday grew up playing it at home. The company sent one to Camden Yards. He set the course record in the Guardians’ visiting clubhouse.

A nice little story that doesn’t need to be rerun throughout the summer.

Stay alive.

Open-heart valve replacement surgery is no joke.

I’ve turned a few corners but also experienced a few setbacks. I’m still leading the league in medications, especially in the morning. My wife actually ordered a pill cutter. We’ve become pros.

As Adley Rutschman says, trust the process.

Reduce the number of tarp updates on social media.

Photos and video aren’t necessary. Just alert fans when the field is covered and uncovered.

The worst is when the grounds crew peels back the tarp to perform a water dump. I overreact to it, as if the delay is nearing an end. Fans have their hopes crushed.

I always feel guilty about it.

Do not come up with a “clever” name for the left field wall.

This one is easy. I refused to use “Walltimore” when it moved back and it shall remain nameless after it moves in.

Sometimes, a wall is just a wall, and that also applies to fences.

I’ll make an exception if the team invents a moniker. But only a few times.

Stop being crabby.

I didn’t make it through the day.