Even though the 2013 regular season is still a little over a week away from its conclusion, it's not too early to start looking forward to the 2014 campaign and what lies ahead. There's always lots of speculation about the construction of a team's 25-man roster and the Orioles will be no different. The difference for the Birds going into next season is that most of their roster will likely be set. Starting position players are mostly under contract aside from second base and left field....
According to the modern baseball catalog of knowledge, Baseball Reference, the official major league history of Washington baseball began in 1884 with the Washington Nationals and the Washington Statesmen playing that season. The Nationals finished with a record of 47-65 and the Statesmen were 12-51. That would turn out to be a fitting beginning to Washington baseball history. There would be two more defunct franchises and neither of them would have a winning season, and then in 1901 Ban...
The Orioles beat the Red Sox last night and it's worth noting. The win raises the 2013 record against their hated rivals to 8-6, meaning they've got a good shot at winning the season series. Given that the Sox are running away with the division, that counts for something.
The win also leaves the O's just two games back of both Tampa Bay and Cleveland for a wild card berth. That, I suppose, also counts for something. Nothing's decided yet.
I remain, despite this, mostly (and...
As the Orioles "Buckle Back Up" and prepare for a final push for the postseason, the Birds will thank fans for their support during the club's annual Fan Appreciation Celebration which takes place over the final homestand of the regular season when they host the Toronto Blue Jays for three games and the Boston Red Sox for three games, Tuesday, September 24 through Sunday, September 29 at Oriole Park.
The six day celebration includes opportunities for fans to be selected at random to win...
The Orioles today announced that outfielder Steve Pearce has been reinstated from the 15-day disabled list. Pearce has batted .241/.328/.361 with three homers and nine RBIs in 38 games for the Orioles this season. He was placed on the DL on August 31, retroactive to August 28, with left wrist tendinitis.
A day ago, innocent lives were lost at the Navy Yard just up the street from Nationals Park.
Today, the Nationals honored those affected by the tragedy by wearing U.S. Navy hats during batting practice.
Before the Braves and Nats took the field for Game 1 of their doubleheader, Nationals Park held a moment of silence to honor those at the Naval Yard. The Nationals lined up along the dugout, paying their respects while holding their Navy hats against their chests.
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Could there possibly be a better slogan for the Orioles right now than "Buckle Back Up"? If there is, I can't think of one. The O's are in the driver's seat with 13 games remaining in the 2013 season. They're currently two games back of the second wild card spot and tonight they open up a seven game road trip with three in Fenway Park against the firs- place Red Sox and four in St. Petersburg, Fla., against the wild card hopeful Rays.
Yeah, "Buckle Back Up." Hopefully, you're strapped...
Events like those that transpired at the Navy Yard yesterday seem to plague our country with disturbing frequency. It is unfortunate that they happen at all, or that they happen in any neighborhood or any work place. But they came home yesterday to the Navy Yard, part of the neighborhood around Nationals Park. The most exciting thing happening Monday should have been the Braves series about to begin, but unspeakable tragedy intervened.
The Navy Yard begins just across 1st Street from Nationals...
All of us here in the Nationals organization were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic events that occurred this morning only a few blocks from Nationals Park. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
In light of the circumstances, we have decided to postpone tonight's game against the Braves. Additional information will be distributed in the coming hours.
The safety of our fans is our utmost priority. As we have throughout the day, the Nationals security...
It's come to this for the Nationals. They have 13 games to play in the regular season and trail the Reds by 4 1/2 games for the final wild card spot. They are close enough to taste it, yet still far enough out that they aren't much more than a mathematical possibility at this point. It's excruciating to think that if the Nats had managed to play the Braves evenly this season, this would be a completely different discussion.
The Nats are 4-12 against the Braves. If they'd gone 8-8, well,...
I live tweet every Orioles game for Birds Watcher, and I monitor Twitter for all things Orioles on a daily basis. (If you're not into Twitter, I highly recommend it.) One thing I gather from seeing the opinions of some Orioles fans is that this season is a complete and utter failure if the team doesn't qualify for the postseason.
In a way, I can understand those sentiments on the part of fans, as Baltimore got a reminder of what meaningful late-season and postseason games were like last...
For me, baseball is so much more than a job or a sport that I enjoy. Of the many memories I have from watching baseball, some of the best include ones bonding with my dad or the conversations I had with friends while watching a game.
About a month ago, Dan Kolko introduced us to a story of Richard and Kent Wilson, a father and son who bonded over Nationals games while Richard was battling cancer.
After Richard lost his battle, Kent touched the D.C. community by giving away their season...
The Orioles today announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Dan Johnson from Triple-A Norfolk. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, outfielder Henry Urrutia has been placed on the Restricted List.
Johnson, 34, batted a combined .250/.378/.439 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI in 138 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees system (133 games) and Norfolk (five games) this season. He is a lifetime .237/.338/.412 hitter in 413 major league games over seven...
Fans are encouraged to vote for their favorite gameday employees as part of the team's 2013 rewards and recognition program
The Washington Nationals today announced the launch of the TEAM Service All Stars campaign to recognize and reward gameday staff who provide world class customer service to guests at Nationals Park. From Friday, September 13 to Wednesday, September 18, fans of all ages are encouraged to go to nationals.com/teamservice to vote for the team member(s) they believe go above...
The Washington Nationals today named outfielder Billy Burns Minor League Player of the Year and right-handed pitcher Taylor Jordan Minor League Pitcher of the Year. The club also named second baseman Tony Renda the recipient of the inaugural Bob Boone Award. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development Bob Boone, Director of Player Development Doug Harris and Director of Minor League Operations Mark...
When Stan Kasten was the Washington Nationals' president, before the former Atlanta Braves president left the nation's capital and became president and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he shared an anecdote with reporters about a phone call from retired, legendary Braves manager Bobby Cox, who had called him after watching Ross Detwiler pitch. "This is unbelieveable, this is the exact way we did it." Cox told Kasten, referring to the rotation Atlanta assembled featuring Tom Glavine,...
The Orioles won't win the division this year, but on this day in 1969, they clinched the first American League East title.
After a loss to Washington by the defending World Series champion Detroit Tigers gave them the division, the O's went out and beat Cleveland 10-5 for good measure, their seventh win in what would become a season-best eight-game winning streak.
The win extended the O's division lead to 18 1/2 with 17 games remaining. Baseball had no divisions - only a 10-team AL and a...
The Nationals are now six games back in the wild card chase behind Cincinnati with 17 games left on the schedule. This is after Wednesday night's 3-0 victory against the New York Mets in which Washington notched its fifth consecutive victory. It's like MASN's Dan Kolko said yesterday: finally, it's all clicking.
But is it too late? That's the question facing the Nationals.
Offense has been an ongoing issue for Washington throughout the season. Batting coach Rick Eckstein was let go,...
You hear about it all the time. Baseball's list of unwritten rules is the most discussed thing in the game that doesn't even exist. Most know what rules are on the list. What most don't know is that there is a reason that these rules aren't real. It's because these rules are pointless.
Joe Girardi's little tirade on Monday night at Camden Yards brought this issue to the forefront. The Yankees manager accused Orioles third base coach Bobby Dickerson of stealing signs, which is one of...
The Orioles will join Major League Baseball tonight to commemorate the 12th anniversary of September 11 by wearing special caps with the American flag for tonight's game against the New York Yankees.
The game-worn, autographed and authenticated hats will be auctioned online at www.orioles.com/auction beginning at 7:00 p.m. tonight, with all proceeds to benefit the Frank J. Battaglia Signal 13 Foundation, which provides financial assistance to Baltimore Police Department personnel who suffer...