The Orioles today announced that Adam Esselman has been promoted to Manager, Baseball Communications. Esselman will manage the day-to-day operations of baseball communications, including gameday communications, game notes, and player and coach interviews, and will serve as the primary communications representative while the team is on the road.
The 2021 season will mark Esselman's fifth with the Orioles and seventh in professional baseball. Esselman was promoted from Senior Coordinator of...
The Orioles today officially set their 26-man roster for Opening Day. The roster includes 14 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and four outfielders. 11 of the 26 players were on the Orioles' 2020 Opening Day roster. Six players are donning an Orioles jersey for the first time.
The Orioles have placed OF DJ Stewart (left hamstring strain) on the 10-day Injured List and RHP Shawn Armstrong on the Paternity List. Additionally, RHP Travis Lakins Sr. has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.
Two...
The Washington Nationals will celebrate Opening Day and their first home game of the 2021 season on Thursday, April 1 when the team hosts the New York Mets. The game will be aired exclusively on ESPN, with first pitch scheduled for 7:09 p.m. ET. The game will also be broadcasted on 106.7 The Fan FM.
In accordance with CDC recommendations and MLB protocols, the Nationals will implement appropriate social distancing and safety measures that will allow Nationals Park to host 5,000 fans on Opening...
The Orioles today announced that former shortstop J.J. Hardy and former outfielder Mike Devereaux have been elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame. Additionally, long-time Orioles radio broadcaster Joe Angel will be inducted as this year's Herb Armstrong Award winner. That trio, along with the previously announced Wild Bill Hagy Award winner, Mossila "Mo" Gaba, will be honored during an on-field ceremony prior to the Orioles game on Saturday, August 7, against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Hardy played...
The Orioles today announced that individual tickets for April and May games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards will go on sale Wednesday, March 31, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Due to capacity restrictions, limited seating is available for the purchase of single-game tickets for any of the team's first 24 home games of the season, with the exception of Opening Day, which will be reserved for Birdland Members. Fans interested in receiving greater access to enjoy Orioles baseball this season may consider an...
For the 15th consecutive year, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network will serve as the exclusive television home for the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, airing every regular season game for both franchises.
Fans throughout the Mid-Atlantic will be able to watch the final week of Grapefruit League action on MASN, with four Spring Training contests - two Orioles games and two Nationals games - being televised later this month. The network will air the Orioles' games on March 23 vs. Tampa...
The Orioles today announced that 12 Spring Training games will be broadcast on the Orioles Radio Network and flagship station 105.7 The Fan. The complete schedule of Orioles Spring Training broadcasts is below.
DATE
OPPONENT
TIME
BROADCAST
Tuesday, March 2
vs. New York Yankees
1:05 p.m.
Orioles Radio Network
Thursday, March 4
vs. Boston Red Sox
1:05 p.m.
Orioles Radio Network
Saturday, March 6
vs. Detroit Tigers
6:05 p.m.
Orioles Radio...
The Washington Nationals announced the inaugural Phil Rizzo Scout of the Year Award on Thursday. The award will be given annually to the Washington Nationals scout who represents the integrity, character, and work ethic exemplified by Phil Rizzo. Steve Arnieri, Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, is the first winner. The award will be presented annually at the baseball Winter Meetings. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager...
This year, fans will be able to listen to a record number of Nationals Spring Training games. The flagship station of the Washington Nationals, 106.7 The Fan (WJFK-FM) in Washington D.C., and The Team 980 (WTEM-AM) will broadcast a total of eight Nationals Spring Training matchups. For the first time, the Nationals are also pleased to offer seven Spring Training games streamed through Nationals.com. Please see the full radio broadcast schedule below (all programming is subject to change).
In...
Late February always fills baseball fans with anticipation, and it is doing so again. But this year it's different.
This year we aren't taking spring games for granted.
As of this writing, the Orioles' exhibition and regular seasons are scheduled to take place on time, and fully. Assuming that doesn't change, this will be our last Throwback Thursday until October.
"Orioles Classics" closes out February 2021 with plenty of clutch hitting from the Birds in games from the past eight years....
The Washington Nationals announced their 32 non-roster invites for 2021 Spring Training on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
RHP
LHP
C
INF
OF
Aaron Barrett
Luis Avilán
Welington Castillo
Jackson Cluff (L)
Gerardo Parra (L)
Bryan Bonnell
Tim Cate
Israel Pineda
Drew Mendoza (L)
Carlos Tocci
Cade Cavalli
Matt Cronin
Jakson Reetz
Jordy Mercer
Yasmany...
Here in the real world, it's still winter. Short days, cold nights, walking with eyes peeled for any stray patches of ice.
But in the Sunshine State, baseball is back and hope springs eternal. Pitchers and catchers have made their way to West Palm Beach, and the Nationals will soon be playing exhibition games and getting ready for both the parent club and its minor league affiliates to begin their seasons.
We're not quite there yet, so for a few more Thursdays we'll continue in this space to...
As the Orioles prepare to begin the 2021 Spring Training season, the club today announced plans to welcome a limited number of fans to attend games at Ed Smith Stadium this spring.
The club will implement "pod" seating throughout the ballpark to ensure proper social distancing of at least six feet between each group of ticket holders. With this policy in place, the Orioles will make 1,833 tickets available for each game, operating at approximately 25 percent capacity.
"The magic of Orioles...
The Super Bowl is now behind us. The NCAA's March Madness - we hope - lies just ahead. But as far as MASN world is concerned, the really big event is scheduled to begin next week.
In five days - cross your fingers, knock on wood or perform any other superstitious ritual you like to ward off evil spirits and the always looming potential coronavirus-related postponement - pitchers and catchers will report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla.
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over,...
As miserable as it can be in most of the country, weather-wise, February is normally a joyous time for baseball fans, as it means the start of spring training in the sunny climes of Florida and Arizona.
But as Bill Murray experienced on film one February, baseball could be having, in the words often attributed to an oft-quoted Yankees catcher, deja vu all over again. Just as it did last year, COVID-19 has made the schedules for spring training and the regular season anything but a sure...
We're rapidly running out of January. Assuming we're still on the Gregorian calendar - I, for one, take nothing for granted - that means we'll soon be in February, which means spring training! That, of course, assumes that pandemic-induced protocols don't postpone it.
Like I said, take nothing for granted.
So while we wait out these last few weeks (or more) before things start hopping at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla., what's a shivering O's fan to do? Watch "Orioles...
The National Football League playoffs have come down to four teams, and the scheduled start of spring training is less than a month away. Whether the ongoing pandemic will permit it to begin on schedule this year is another matter.
But for baseball fans, February is all about hopefulness, right?
Meantime, a maintenance dose of "Nationals Classics" can keep your baseball jones in check. This week's batch includes some notable performances by a couple of guys whose names surely came last when...
Greater Baltimore still stings a little since Sunday, when the Ravens took one on the chin in Buffalo, but now our region's sports fans can turn their full attention to the approach of spring training, whenever it actually is to start. Assessing the status of the Orioles rebuilding project should prove interesting.
Meanwhile, we can take a look at the not-too-distant past to remind ourselves what a contending O's squad looks like. The Birds enjoyed a resurgance in the mid-2010s, making the...
The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with 10 international free agents on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Vice President and Assistant General Manager of International Operations Johnny DiPuglia made the joint announcement.
* RHP Jefrem Leon, R/R, 9/9/2002, Aruba* OF Cristian Batista, L/L, 5/2/2004, Dominican Republic* SS Armando Cruz, R/R, 1/16/2004, Dominican Republic* INF Winder Diaz, S/R, 9/5/2002, Dominican Republic* RHP Doimil...
As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate small ball, the art of the opposite-field single, the sacrifice bunt, hitting behind the runner, the cat-and-mouse between a speedster taking a lead and the pitcher trying to make sure he stays put.
But one cannot deny the thrill of seeing a muscular dude launching a fastball that gets too much of the plate. Though you'll also see some of the former in this week's "Orioles Classics," the latter takes center stage.
In the principal roles of big...