MASNblogs Archive
Tom Matte called in Monday morning to provide his analysis of the Ravens' 13-10 loss to the Titans. Matte discussed Joe Flacco's struggles against the Tennessee defense, the personal foul on Terrell Suggs that gave the Titans new life, and the injuries that the Ravens sustained. He also previews ...
There will be little not discussed at the Orioles organizational meetings in Sarasota, Florida. President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail will preside over the meetings, where the front office staff, manager Dave Trembley, Minor League personnel, and scouts will go over every player in the organization, from the 40-man ...
The Ravens are about a field goal underdog, but they match up well with the 4-0 Titans. Tennessee's calling card is similar to the Ravens: run the football, limit mistakes and win the game with defense. ...
With the chance to talk to Tom Matte this morning about the Ravens-Titans matchup this weekend, the two-time Pro Bowl running back broke down his keys to the Ravens picking up the win and moving to 3-1 on the season. Check out what Matte says the Ravens need out ...
These two have a history! The Ravens have met the Titans 17 times, that's more than any other team outside their division and only one game less than they've played the Browns who are in their division. The Ravens' first game against the Titans was in 1996 when the ...
STUDS OF WEEK 4 QBs: Brett Favre, Matt Schaub, Drew Brees RBs: Larry Johnson, Steven Jackson, LaDainian Tomlinson WRs: Laveranues Coles, Lance Moore, Greg Jennings TEs: Jason Witten, Zach Miller, Antonio Gates Ds: Jets, Buccaneers, Titans ...
I'm anxious to see the Steelers offensive game plan. Their chances of being able to run on the Ravens are slim to none, so why not spread the field and go after a secondary that will be missing starters Dawan Landry and Samari Rolle. Doesn't it makes sense to ...
After spending the morning packing and preparing for his offseason move to Arizona, Brian took a few minutes before the beginning of the final series of the final homestand to check in with his fans one last time before the end of the O's 2008 season. For his final ...
The season is coming to a close and while it has certainly been challenging, there are some nice moments to reflect on. Who can forget Ryan Zimmerman taking center stage on Opening Night? He is the face of the franchise and this reporter hopes the Nats are able to ...
Another Baseball season has flown by! This was not just another season though for the Washington Nationals. It was a season unlike any other, full of injuries and tough losses. But it was also a season of optimism for the future. I would wager almost every dollar that Ray ...
Visiting Clubhouse Manager Fred Tyler had about 100 bottles of champagne ready to go last night in case Tampa Bay clinched their first ever AL East division title. The Orioles knew they were there before the game. That had to be irritating. Those champagne bottles just sitting there on ...
The other night we had a little problem running the bases. Here is the deal. First and second, one out. Huff on second and Salazar on first. HIGH fly ball hit to center. Huff is about three quarters of the way to third and Salazar is about fifteen feet ...
A few hours before the O's-Rays series finale at Camden Yards, Buck Martinez took a few minutes to sit down with MASN's Carolyn Wiedel to discuss the 2008 playoff picture. Buck talked about what teams he sees making the postseason, who is playing the best baseball right now, and ...
Do you think we should sit John Harbaugh down and tell him about Joey Porter's cheap shot on Todd Heap, or the time James Trapp jumped high into the air with the intention of landing on Plaxico Burress's throat, or how 'bout the time after playing four quarters, Ray ...
Gary Thorne and Buck Martinez discussed the contract status of several current Orioles on the MASN game broadcast last night. It prompted me to look up the complete list. Here's where the core veterans stand in 2009: ...
All five starting pitchers from the beginning of the season for the O's are not in the rotation. The starting rotation next year for the Orioles is without question undecided. But, the O's need to fill these five starting slots with someone...who will they be? ...
There's an air of both excitement and sadness here in the Bronx as the Orioles play the Yankees in the final series ever at Yankee stadium. The excitement comes from all the wonderful memories baseball fans are reliving here this weekend. For the next three days, grown adults will ...
It feels like a month since the Ravens won their opener. With the Ike-adjusted schedule, the Ravens' first 3 games are now against their three AFC North opponents, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. The only other time they've opened with three straight division games was 2004; that year, they lost ...
STUDS OF WEEK 2 QBs: Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers, Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers RBs: Brian Westbrook, Marion Barber, Darren McFadden WRs: Anquan Boldin, Santana Moss, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall TEs: Tony Scheffler, Jason Witten Ds: Packers, Giants, Titans ...
I took at look at the recently released 2009 schedule outside the Orioles clubhouse in Toronto last night. It didn't take long for some of the players to start peaking over my shoulder. They wanted to know how it looks. Here are the highlights and lowlights I pointed out ...
The 3rd annual Brian's Baseball Bash at ESPN Zone was an overwhelming success. And Brian Roberts again came through as a gracious and accommodating host. Three years ago, Roberts decided to do something big for the University Of Maryland Hospital for Children. Roberts is a frequent visitor of the ...
Jim Palmer sits down with MASN's Carolyn Wiedel to talk about the state of the Orioles. Jim discusses where the O's stand after a tough 2008 season, which players will play key roles as the team develops, and what the Birds need to do to make positive strides in ...
Another year of sold out games at the ballpark they call Fenway. The Red Sox fans broke the record for most consecutive sellout crowds last Thursday with a 456th consecutive sellout. Red Sox nation is real and perhaps at a high point. I only bring this to the attention of ...
Hurricane Ike means Monday Night Football for the Ravens and Texans in Houston. The postponement got me thinking about some other schedule altering events in Ravens history. The Ravens next scheduled game after winning Super Bowl XXXV was never played. The pre-season opener in Philadelphia was cancelled when the ...
Jim Palmer sits down with MASN's Carolyn Wiedel to discuss his involvement with the 2008 Orioles. Jim talks about his interactions with current O's players, and discusses the questions that people around baseball have about the Birds. He also gives some insight into what life is like as a ...
Heading into week 2, Anita gives you the studs and duds of week 1, more injury reports, and more help for your fantasy leagues this week. Think you're the biggest fantasy freak out there? Tell Anita what you think, share how you did, or make judgements and predictions of ...
Aubrey Huff is having a career year in 2008. He has a .315 average, 31 home runs, and 102 RBI's on the season and is leading the team in all 3 categories. With the team looking toward the future, is it worth it for the Orioles to keep him around, ...
With the Ravens preparing for their matchup with the Houston Texans, Amber Theoharis checks in from team headquarters in Owings Mills. Amber discusses the possibility of Hurricane Ike affecting Sunday's game, the Ravens facing defensive end Mario Williams, and Willis McGahee working his way back from injury. ...
Orioles fans are quick to call for the promotion of Matt Wieters to the big club, and he may have played well enough to deserve that promotion. He was just named the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year, a great accomplishment and well deserved. He should be ...
This just in, and its pretty cool, Elijah Dukes is getting it done. One of the most refreshing parts of the Nationals latest surge has been the play of outfielder Elijah Dukes. Elijah has the potential to put up box score numbers like he did recently, all next year, ...
Brian took a few minutes to sit in the dugout on a rainy Tuesday afternoon to talk about what's coming up for the O's, Dave Trembley's contract renewal and his upcoming Baseball Bash. He noted that he'd love to see Trembley be the guy to take the O's back ...
A caller to our Monday Morning Quarterback show on MASN told Tom Matte, Bruce Laird and me that he thought the Ravens were about a 3-win team this year, but after watching them beat the Bengals, he's upped it to 9 or 10 wins and a playoff spot. He ...
Ramon Hernandez took ground balls at first base today along with Aubrey Huff. Dave Trembley said we could see Ramon play first again before the season is over. Hernandez made one appearance at first back on September 2nd in Boston as a late inning replacement for Kevin Millar. Clearly, ...
Jim Palmer sits down with MASN's Carolyn Wiedel to discuss the topic he knows best: pitching. Jim gives his take on being a young pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie as a good role model for the young starters, the variables a pitcher can control and those he can't, and the physical ...
After a very successful homestand that saw the Nats sweep the Dodgers and Braves, before taking two of three from the Phillies, it was off to Atlanta for a long four-game series with the Braves. Life on the road has been tough on our ballclub this year, as wins ...
Glad to be here on MASNsports.com talking Ravens and NFL football with you during the 2008 season. Not since 2002 have Ravens fans had such low expectations for their team. I can't ever remember a Ravens team coming into a season with so much baggage. There's the transition to ...
There's the curse of the Bambino, but is there the curse of the Tremblino? Every time Dave Trembley gets a promotion or an extension, the most miserable of Orioles games ensues. We all remember the the 30-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on August 22, 2007, the same day ...
Joel Hanrahan has only been with the Washington Nationals for two seasons. But in those two years, Joel has firmly entrenched himself into the community with his constant work with those less fortunate. ...
When the Orioles drafted catcher Matt Wieters with the 5th overall pick in the 2007 draft, they knew they were getting a special player. He was the top rated position player in the draft; he's a switch hitter with power; and he understands what it takes to be a ...
So I'm sitting here watching the game, and it's almost unbearable. I know I am beating the proverbial dead horse, but come on; our pitching is downright horrible. There is no way to sugarcoat this, our pitching staff has the worst ERA in the league. That's right; we just surpassed ...
A few years back, I was at a minor league baseball game with my nephew. The Portland Seadogs were losing and the middle-inning promotional entertainment had lulled by the fifth. My nephew asked me who 'the fat guy in the suit' was? I was about to answer Santa Claus, when ...
Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast today, and Oriole pitcher Lance Cormier had a reason to keep an eye on the news. Cormier is a Louisiana native, and his parents, grandparents and sister still live in LaFayette, LA. He excused himself from our discussion in the clubhouse to call ...
With due respect to all of those who are trying so hard to find a way to help, I applaud your efforts. I have been around here and other places for a long time, and I've seen all the changes that have occurred in this game. God only knows ...
There have been some really well articulated speeches made the last few days on the national stage at the Democratic National Convention. But the most entertaining public speaker I have seen has been Dave Trembley and his series of press conferences during the White Sox series. The emotional roller coaster ...
A lot is said about the Nats' role as a spoiler. With the Dodgers on their heels, the Nats look to figure prominently into the postseason races. With six games each against the Phillies, Marlins, and Mets, the Nats will serve to make the NL East race very interesting. If ...
Well I know what you all must be saying after this last homestand. Here they go again! But dont dispair, things aren't as bad as they seem. The win/loss record isn't going to change that much from last year, but as for the team, a lot of good things ...
Manny Acta Pitches in... Nats Skipper Manny Acta spent part of his morning on Wednesday packing and delivering meals along with Food and Friends, a partner of the Capitol Area Food Bank to some local folks in need of it. Manny said his community service commitment is the easiest ...
A lot of Nats fans are disappointed in the season so far, but I feel like there are at least 3 reasons to be excited for the next year. Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge have proven that they are big league ballplayers. Had it not been for injuries, they would ...
The Orioles could be in quite a jam for the Tampa series. Dave Trembley said he's going to piece together rotations series by series for the rest of the year. That's how dire the starting pitching situation has gotten. If Daniel Cabrera is not healthy, the situation gets even ...
On August 2nd, facing the Seattle Mariners, Adam "Bubble Gum" Jones fouled a ball off his foot, landing him on the 15-day disabled list with a broken left foot. It has been 3 and a half weeks since his injury and he has begun to work out and take BP ...
Judging by the performance of the Nationals' bullpen in game one of their three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the ballclub's future looks bright for next season. With Joe Torre's club trying to overtake the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West, Washington slowed down the LA express with ...
A few hours before game two of the O's-White Sox series at Camden Yards, Buck Martinez took a few minutes to sit down with MASN's Carolyn Wiedel to discuss the state of the O's. He talks about Andy MacPhail's goal of changing the baseball culture in Baltimore through rebuilding ...
On another Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards, Brian Roberts took his seat on the dugout to check in with his fans. This week, he touches on the state of the O's and his own personal goals as the season starts to wind down, as well as the excitement of ...
It's been two weeks since I've touched base with you, and a lot has changed for the Nats during that time. The ballclub has suffered through an 0-6 homestand and a 12-game losing streak; they've been to Philadelphia and Chicago and grabbed a couple of wins along the way. ...
At the beginning of August, Adam Jones went down with an injury when he fouled a ball off of his left foot. Who would have thought that this could end up being a good thing for the Orioles? Now, hear me out. Of course I don't think an injury to ...
Kevin Millar brought up an interesting point before last night's game against the White Sox. He and I were talking about the difference between being a last place team [as the Orioles are], and being an easy team to beat; which the Orioles are not. ...
I recently had a chance to sit down with Nationals team president Stan Kasten to talk about his favorite subject, the Nationals and its Fans. We also touched on the search for future hitters, the stadium naming rights and the Nats youth movement guiding them into 2009. ...
More Baseball for Manny How much does Manny Acta like baseball? So much that after yesterday's win over the Cubs, he headed across town to see the White Sox host the Rays. He sat in the family section and got a good feel for how the fans watch the ...
Introducing The Cheap Seats Blog on MASNsports.com: Read more about the newest cast of characters blogging for you from The Cheap Seats [link to Intro]Also check out the entire archive of Cheap Seats blog posts [link to archive] The Orioles' pitching staff has had its share of problems this year. ...
It's an anniversary today. I hope they get Dave Trembley something better than they got him last year. The trade deadline came and went. There was no fire sale. And since then, the Orioles' offense has been one of the best in baseball. Yet the O's have taken the keys ...
Andy MacPhail has made it the Orioles' number one organizational priority: develop pitching. This season 23 different pitchers have appeared in games for the Orioles, several with little or no Major League experience. The opportunity is there. And pitching coach Rick Kranitz hopes the pitchers take advantage of it ...
We'll know by the end of tonight's game who will be the Orioles starter for the series opener against the Yankees this Friday. Dave Trembley said he'll make an announcement in his post game press conference. Popular belief [which is known to be dead wrong] is that Radhames Liz ...
One day after O's closer George Sherrill was placed on the disabled list, Rick Dempsey took a few minutes to discuss how Sherrill's injury will affect the rest of the O's pitching staff. With Jim Johnson filling in as the O's closer in Sherrill's absence, Dempsey gives his take ...
Red Hot Ronnie Ronnie Belliard has done an outstanding job filling in for the injured Cristian Guzman. In the month of August he's hitting .440. Last night he collected four hits against the Phillies, including his 300th career double. Yesterday Guzman took batting practice and he told me he's ...
Before the O's "big day"--team picture day that is, as Brian joked, he took some time to sit down with his fans once again. This week he previews the O's upcoming series against Boston and New York and talks about the team's hot hitting, as well as the team ...
Melvin Mora has been named American League Co-Player of the Week along with Javier Vasquez. Mora has had a career week batting .563 with three homers and 13 RBI. Here's how hot Mora has been: Yesterday, as the team and staff boarded the Orioles bus from Tigers Stadium to ...
As we were getting ready to leave Comerica Field after the Orioles' bats exploded for 16 runs and 22 hits, Fred Manfra commented about Melvin Mora being so hot at the plate. "Have you ever seen anybody as hot as Melvin"? I kind of said, "Sure I have seen ...
I say good riddance to the Colorado Rockies! After taking 3 out of 4 from the Rocks in the mile high city, what, less than two weeks ago, MIlwaukee, the NY Mets and our friends from Colorado have played their best against Washington, while the Nationals have really fallen ...
Before heading to the studio to prepare for O's Xtra, Rick Dempsey stopped in the MASNsports.com web studio to talk about some issues he sees with the O's. Check out Rick's video blog where he highlights several Orioles with hot bats this season. And don't forget to submit your ...
Do you score baseball games when you attend in person? I always do. I have gone through softball scorebooks, game programs, even $1.00 scorecards over the years. I would even pay for a real pencil to be able to score the games. It was always important for me to ...
Orioles 2007 closer Chris Ray pitched a scoreless inning in Tuesday's rehab assignment with the Gulf Coast Orioles. Dave Trembley is pretty adamant that Ray won't pitch in the big leagues this season. He said he prefers to be conservative with Ray's recovery. The question that still remains is ...
There's nothing more entertaining than a well pitched Major League game, unless your team gets the big hit to upset the opponent's outing. And the Orioles have been getting more than their share of big hits. Did you know the O's have a team batting average .300 since the ...
When Jeremy Guthrie takes the mound Wednesday night against Cleveland it will be his first start against his former team. The Indians drafted Jeremy in the first round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft with the 22nd pick. The Indians had taken one of the best pitchers in the ...
Prior to the Orioles' game against the Indians, Brian Roberts called in to discuss the O's road trip and their starting rotation and, of course, to answer some of your questions. Listen to Brian talk about his plans for Brian's Baseball Bash, what baseball is like after eight years ...
I talked to Juan Castro before last night's game, and he told me he should be back in the lineup today. The shortstop was scratched from the lineup last night in Cleveland because he is still feeling pain in his strained left groin. He had the day off Sunday, ...
Willie Harris plays all out all the time. I really enoyed watching Willie play this weekend and noticed a lot about his work ethic through 4 games in Milwaukee. Harris works with video coordinator Tom Yost studying video of each of his at bats during the series and looking ...
Baseball fans always ask me, "What do you guys do on the road to keep busy?" That's a good question, because anyone who travels for a living knows that you can get stale really quickly if you don't stay active while working away from home. ...
Don't ever tell Manny Acta his ball club can play the role of spoilers for the remainder of the season! Don't even think of going there. Forgetting June and July is the best avenue to take and focusing on the great start the Nationals have had to begin August. ...
The Orioles are talking openly about the opportunities that will be afforded their young players over the next two months. The Chad Bradford assignment to Tampa Bay made it clear; the rebuilding plan is still in effect, and a number of prospects could get a look in the final ...
You could draw a picture of the human body and nearly all its parts would be represented by Nats injures. Starting with the leg, Elijah Dukes is out with a calf strain, and he suffered a knee injury earlier in the season, as well as a hamstring inury. ...
The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday the Clippers will not renew the Nationals' two year agreement and will let the deal expire September 1st. Ray Stein, sports editor for the Columbus Dispatch, told me this was pretty much a foregone conclusion. He said the Nationals were a "stop gap" between ...
After an exciting 3-0 win over the Angels, Brian Roberts took some time to call in to discuss the trade deadline coming and going with an O's team still intact, the allure of the old-time ballparks, and Chris Waters' memorable Major League debut, and of course, to answer a ...
Coming to you from Colorado, where the Nats looked great in game one Monday but not great in game two Tuesday. The flight from DC to Denver was a pleasant one Sunday night, as the Nationals had just swept a 3-game series at home for the first time this ...
The Orioles began this road trip with hopes of turning things around after a 4-7 homestand coming out of the All-Star break. And they have. The hitters have been effective with great at bats day in and day out. The approach has been to work the count, stay in ...
The best approach a Minor League prospect can take is to work on his game, continue to improve, and put up numbers. Prospects get noticed by success and consistency. Brad Bergesen of the Bowie Baysox is doing exactly that, and he is pitching his way toward the Major Leagues. ...
Ray Lewis takes on the NFL Who else is healthy and actually ready to play this season? Ravens camp started with a few roadblocks...an absent Suggs, no insurance that Ray Lewis will retire a Raven, and a questionable QB spot. Just a few days in, add injured tackles Adam ...
With a four-run first inning yesterday, the Nats posted multi-run first innings in four of the six games during the homestand for a total of 11 runs in the first. The Nats took batting practice again Sunday even though it was a day game after a night game. "It's ...
After winning on the road at the NY Mets way back in May, Jason is anxious to get a curly "W" in his home park. Bergmann was fairly pleased with his last outing against the Dodgers, a game similar to the last time he faced the Reds. Jason also ...
The Nats added talented SS Alberto Gonzalez at the trade deadline from the New York Yankees in exchange for pitcher Jhonny Nunez. The team also traded for 2B Emilio Bonifacio recently. Mike Rizzo, the Assistant General Manager for the Nats, knows Gonzalez and Bonifacio from his days in Arizona. ...
Outfielder Lastings Milledge returns to the lineup for the Nats after being out 20 games due to a right groin injury. I had a chance to chat with Milledge recently about his batting, defense, base stealing and the state of the team. ...
It was unanimous in the Yankee Stadium press box: Edwar Ramirez's "wild pitch" thrown at Kevin Millar's head Wednesday was intentional. The media knew it, Ramirez knew it, and the home plate umpire Mark Wegner knew it. That's why he did not hesitate to throw Ramirez out of the ...
In 2006, Nationals pitcher Tim Redding spent the entire season in the Minor Leagues in Charlotte. He went 9-5 with a 5.32 ERA. He wondered if he would ever get another chance to pitch in the Majors. ...
A pretty cool part of my gig at MASN is traveling to different cities with the Orioles. During the day, a lot of the players and staff take advantage of having days off and will walk around the city before heading to the park. In New York we stay ...
Apology Accepted. It was really great to see Chad Cordero visiting with Bob Carpenter and Ray Knight Saturday night in his hometown Los Angeles. Like me, weren't you waiting to see how Chad looked, how he talked? ...
Life on the road can be a grind in Major League baseball. The Nationals had another nail-biting loss on the road Friday night, 3-2 at Dodger Stadium. John Lannan pitched very well again but got little run support thanks to great pitching by the Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley. ...
Remember this time last year how frustrating it was to watch the Orioles play? Ground balls weren't run out. If they were trailing after the 6th inning, they almost always lost. Late inning rallies were something that happened on other ballclubs---not the Orioles. Even though the Orioles have lost ...
Bonifacio is a young player who is projected as a leadoff man and can be an every day second baseman. Arizona also considered him for outfield work, which shows his versatility. ...
I came across some interesting comments this week from Jim Bowden about the future of Chad Cordero. On an ESPN 980 radio interview this week, Bowden said that closer Chad Cordero would not be tendered a new contract. ...
The 1983 World Series Championship celebration last night was nicely done. I sat in a pre-game press conference with several members of the team including players I haven't seen or thought of since the 80's, such as Dan Ford and Jim Dwyer. Seeing those guys really brought back memories ...
Earlier this month Willie Harris visited the St. Coletta School for kids with severe mental disabilities and autism. He told me all players should have to make such visits and that taking time out of his schedule to interact with these youngsters made his day. ...
A funny story from Saturday's extra-inning win over the Tigers. As we all saw, Luke Scott hit the walk-off homer. As he approached home plate, he bowled his helmet toward his awaiting teammates. ...
Adam Jones is playing banged up. His ankle is sore after rolling it while running the bases on Friday, and his tailbone is sore from slamming into the centerfield wall yesterday; but he's still playing at the same level he did when he wasn't hurt. Jones is pretty tough. ...
Relaxing on defense I have to say, I'm a little perplexed by our defense as of late. I would love to see the Nats fire the ball to the plate from the outfield when there is any remote chance of a play at the plate, instead of running the ...
Hey Nats Fans, hope all is well and you are staying cool during these boiling (or broiling!) summer days! Jason Bergmann was solid Thursday against the Diamondbacks--you have to really feel like he is making progress in going after hitters. He gave up 4 solo homers last time against ...
Needless to say, the Orioles were eager to get out of Toronto last night, and it wasn't because the players were sick of doing the math it takes to convert American dollars to Canadian dollars. The buses leaving the Rogers Centre's loading docks filled up pretty shortly after the ...
Nationals All-Star shortstop Cristian Guzman said he was looking forward to heading to the Bronx for the 2008 All-Star Game. "It's the only game that day, so everyone is watching," he beamed after being asked about his second All-Star appearance. ...
Bonds Strikes Out in DC While speculation swirled around Nationals Park on Wednesday about the possibility of Barry Bonds joining the D-Backs, I had a chance to ask Jim Bowden if he'd consider bringing the all-time home run champ to the District. His response? An emphatic, "No!" Bowden added, ...