Welcome to another edition of the Orioles Beat newsletter, which will continue to land in your inbox regularly throughout the winter. Follow along to stay up to date with all of the O’s latest offseason happenings. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The rain fell steadily on Nov. 15 in Sarasota, Fla., a place that frequently has sunny skies to go with its warm temperatures this time of year. Nonetheless, lines of cars filled the parking lots at Ed Smith Stadium, where the Orioles held their annual turkey distribution drive.

The weather couldn’t keep away the people who signed up to receive Thanksgiving meals, as more than 725 families received food at the event. The rain also didn’t keep away Brian Roberts, a former Baltimore second baseman who now serves as one of the club’s community ambassadors.

“It’s great to be able to give back to our community,” Roberts said. “I live here full-time. Obviously, the Orioles have a large presence during Spring Training and throughout the rest of the year here in Sarasota. So to be able to give back to the community that has supported the Orioles so well over the last 13 years or so, since we moved here for Spring Training, it’s a wonderful opportunity.”

Since 2014, the O’s have partnered with All Faiths Food Bank -- the only food bank for Sarasota and DeSoto Counties -- to help families in need. Last year, the non-profit organization donated 13,000 turkeys and side dishes at various locations, with a significant portion of those meals being handed out at the Orioles’ annual November event.

The club and All Faiths Food Bank work together to help the Sarasota community throughout the year. Earlier in 2023, they held a baseball clinic for Girls, Inc. and the Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota. They also hosted an annual health-and-fitness program at Sarasota County middle schools and honored community members through the Birdland Community Heroes program.

The partnership also features the turkey distribution drive, where many members of Baltimore’s organization come out to volunteer. Among this year’s participants was Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, who lives in Florida during the offseason and was named the 2023 American League Manager of the Year the night prior to the event.

This wasn’t Roberts’ first time volunteering at the event. He has helped hand out Thanksgiving meals at the turkey distribution drive for several years, and he has been an O’s community ambassador since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roberts, who played 13 of his 14 big league seasons for the Orioles, from 2001-13, frequently did volunteer work in both Baltimore and Sarasota during his playing career. He always knew he would continue upon his retirement, which came after his lone season with the Yankees in '14.

When the O’s created the role of community ambassador -- a position held by other former players such as Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, 1983 World Series MVP Rick Dempsey and Boog Powell -- Roberts knew it was a great chance to continue to give back.

“When the Orioles came to me with that opportunity to do it together, yeah, of course, it was just a natural fit,” the 46-year-old Roberts said. “I’m grateful for that opportunity to not only do it on my own, but certainly then to partner with the Orioles and be able to impact a lot of different organizations within the community here in Sarasota, as well as Baltimore.”

That includes working with All Faiths Food Bank for the annual turkey distribution drive, at which Roberts will likely continue to volunteer in future years.

“To use Ed Smith Stadium, use the team -- a lot of coaches and staff and community ambassadors and all sorts of people come out and really try to give back to our community,” Roberts said. “It’s such a great opportunity.”

Who led the 2023 Orioles in games pitched?

A) Mike Baumann

B) Yennier Cano

C) Danny Coulombe

D) Cionel Pérez

If you need to do holiday shopping for the Orioles fans in your life, head to Camden Yards on Friday, when the team store will be holding a one-day-only Black Friday sale from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Select items will be up to 50% off, and customers who spend $125 or more will receive a gift. All shoppers can spin a prize wheel that will make everyone a winner. There will also be meet-and-greets with Santa Bird (9-10 a.m.) and Santa Splash (noon-1 p.m.).

Free parking will be available in the north warehouse lot.

The Orioles are partnering with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield for a drive-thru winter clothing drive on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Camden Yards, in front of home-plate plaza on the Russell St. service drive near Gate D. The event will benefit The Food Project, a Baltimore-based organization.

The O’s will be collecting new or gently used adult- and youth-sized coats, scarves, winter hats, gloves and socks. Fans who donate will receive a complimentary voucher for two tickets to a 2024 Orioles home game.

One of the most dominant relief pitchers in Orioles history has ended his MLB playing career.

Zack Britton has retired from baseball, a decision the 35-year-old shared in an interview with The Athletic. Britton hadn’t pitched since 2022, when he made only three appearances for the Yankees before getting shut down due to fatigue in his left arm following Tommy John surgery the year before.

A two-time All-Star and 12-year big league veteran, Britton was selected by Baltimore in the third round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He spent eight seasons with the O’s, pitching as a starter for the first three.

Britton then excelled upon his move to the bullpen. From 2014-16, he collected 120 saves and posted a 1.38 ERA in 204 appearances. He finished fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting in '16, when he recorded a 0.54 ERA and led the AL in saves (47) and games pitched (63).

B) Yennier Cano

Cano made 72 appearances and was named an All-Star in his standout rookie season.

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