It was a tough weekend for the Nationals.
After a glorious opening series against Miami that included back-to-back shutouts, the Nats found the going much tougher on the season's first weekend in Cincinnati. They lost two of three to the Reds, including a 15-0 thumping on Friday night - the most lopsided loss since the team moved to Washington in 2005. Their first series loss in the magical 2012 season did not come until a sweep at the hands of the Dodgers in the final series of April.
If...
I think it's safe to say that we've all heard of Ernest Lawrence Thayer's poem, "Casey at the Bat." Published on June 3, 1888, the poem is considered a classic piece of American literature as much as it is a part of baseball lore. One might ask why I'm referencing a poem that, while propping up baseball as America's pastime, is also about a hero failing in his endeavor. Well, going into the 2013 season, the outlook wasn't brilliant for the Baltimore nine. Most national pundits expected...
The Orioles today announced that they have reinstated right-hander Chris Tillman from the 15-day disabled list and optioned infielder Yamaico Navarro to Triple-A Norfolk.
Tillman, 24, was placed on the DL on March 28, retroactive to March 22, with a left abdominal strain.
Navarro, 25, was recalled yesterday but did not play. He was acquired from Pittsburgh on November 30, 2012 in exchange for minor league right-hander...
The closest I ever came to a sense of community as a fan of the Montreal Expos was when I would travel from my home in Johnson, Vt., where I lived after attending college in town, across the border in Richford, Vt., through Canadian farmland and small farming communities to Autoroute des Cantons de L'Est across the Jacques-Cartier Bridge to Rue Notre Dame East, down the Boulevard Pie IX to the Stade Olympique on Rue Pierre de Coubertin. There with the 10,000-15,000 fans who still showed up for...
Happy opening day, Baltimore fans. I'm sorry to report that I won't be at Camden Yards for the opener. Nevertheless, I have taken the day off from work to watch the game at home. It's not an official holiday, but it should be.
Each new season brings the promise of the unknown, so we start the year with predictions and projections that typically focus on expected team and individual totals. Given my interest in Orioles history, I decided to look at where some current players might end up on...
The Orioles today announced that they have claimed right-hander Josh Stinson off waivers from Oakland and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada has been transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list, retroactive to March 31.
Stinson, 25, is 0-2 with a 4.43 ERA (22.1IP, 11ER) in 20 major league games with the New York Mets (2011) and Milwaukee Brewers (2012).
In seven minor league seasons in the Mets and Brewers...
The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Chris Young on a minor-league contract. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Young rejoins the Nationals organization, the club he signed a minor-league contract with on February 21, 2013.
On March 26, after going 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four Grapefruit League starts for Washington, the Nationals unconditionally released Young at his...
It has been quite a journey for Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts for the past several seasons.
Roberts is the longest-tenured member of the Orioles, having played his entire 12-year career with the team. However, he has spent more time as a bystander than on the field in recent years.
Now the question for Orioles fans is this: Can Roberts still be a productive player, or is he no longer viable for the organization?
So far, in a two-game sample, it looks like he can still play in the...
The 2012 National League Eastern Division Champion Washington Nationals and Bloomberg Sports, the world's leaders in sports analytic technology, today announced a new partnership to design a state of the art player evaluation system for the Nationals Baseball Operations Department. This new partnership is the latest step in analytic technology for Bloomberg Sports, which has been a leader in creating solutions for MLB teams, players and fans for the past four years. The Nationals new system...
Following a popular inaugural season, the Orioles will continue the Birdland Passport program in 2013. The program rewards fans who visit Oriole Park at Camden Yards and the Orioles' local minor league affiliates. All five minor league affiliates - the Norfolk Tides, Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys, Delmarva Shorebirds and Aberdeen IronBirds - will continue to participate in the program.
"Having all six ballparks located within such close proximity allows for this unique program to be...
For the first 25 years of my life, Major League Baseball's opening day was a romanticized fantasy played out in my head. It was an all-elusive game that one day I'd attend, though I didn't know when, where, why, or how. Growing up mere minutes from Wrigley Field was always such a tease, but I knew dad would never take us kids out of school for the game no matter how hard I begged. I'll also venture to guess that tickets to a Wrigley Field opening day game weren't exactly cheap even back in...
The starting staff that general manager Mike Rizzo assembled for the 2013 Nationals is nothing short of remarkable. Up and down the rotation, there are pitchers who are, have been, or could be aces. The talent of Stephen Strasburg is obvious. If he hadn't been stopped because of an innings limit last season, Gio Gonzalez wouldn't have been the only Nat getting Cy Young votes. Strasburg's 11.13 strikeouts per nine innings would have been the 17th-highest in major league history - and this is...
Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg made a compelling case on opening day to be considered the two best talents ever to play Major League Baseball in Washington, D.C. Facing a depleted Miami Marlins roster, Strasburg seemed to hardly work up a sweat as he breezed through seven innings on 80 pitches without allowing a run. On a day when Ricky Nolasco had his good stuff, Harper hit two laser shots that bored through a slight incoming breeze to easily reach the right field stands.
The final score...
Opening day is one of my favorite holidays of the year. Second only to Christmas, if we're being honest. Yes, I know that opening day technically isn't a holiday, but for me it's the day that not only indicates that warm weather is around the corner (whether you believe it or not), but also a time of hope for 30 different fan bases across North America. I celebrate its meaning this time every year.
Each team takes the field tied for first place on opening day, full of optimism about the the...
Following a record-setting spring training campaign, Orioles players and coaches have headed north to St. Petersburg to open the regular season tomorrow against the Tampa Bay Rays. Although the major league Orioles won't play games in Sarasota again until 2014, the club will continue to maintain a year-round presence in the Suncoast community, including year-round athletic training through Extended Minor League Spring Training, Summer Gulf Coast League, Fall Instructional League, and other...
The Orioles today announced that Einar Diaz has been promoted to Major League Staff Assistant Coach.
Beginning this season, Major League Baseball rules permit a seventh coach to be in the dugout or bullpen during games. Diaz will serve primarily as an assistant to Hitting Coach Jim Presley.
Diaz, 40, is in his sixth year as a coach in the Orioles organization after coaching assignments with Gulf Coast (Rookie), Aberdeen (Short-season A), Delmarva (A) and Bowie (AA). He also served as...
By any measure, the Nationals' 2012 season was an historic time in the nation's capital. It was the city's first winning season since 1969, its most wins and first postseason appearance in almost 80 years, and first postseason victory since the 1933 World Series.
The 2013 season could be even more historic. Few people alive today can remember a season with such high expectations for a Washington baseball team. The pundits at Sports Illustrated and other national media outlets are picking...
Greetings, MASNsports.com readers. On behalf of the Fansided Network and our great staff of writers at Birds Watcher, it's an honor to be back with you for the 2013 season. With the season beginning in earnest tomorrow afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla., the big lingering question regarding the Orioles is whether or not they can repeat their successes from 2012.
Before getting into that question, it's worth mentioning as a disclaimer that we have no clue what wild cards (is the use of that...
The Orioles today announced that they have reassigned right-hander Jair Jurrjens, left-hander Mark Hendrickson and infielder/outfielder Conor Jackson to minor league camp.
With these moves, the Orioles now have 28 active players, plus injured right-hander Chris Tillman, at major league spring training, including one non-roster invitee (infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce).
With today's crowd of 7,642 for their Grapefruit League finale against the New York Mets at Ed Smith Stadium, the Orioles set a franchise record by drawing 120,455 fans for their 17 home games. The figure also represents a new spring training season attendance record for Sarasota, a community which has held spring training since 1924.
The previous record for both the Orioles and Sarasota, set in 2011, was 115,506 in 16 home dates.
On March 14, the Orioles drew an Ed Smith Stadium record...