I've never complained about Mark Reynolds' crazy high strikeout totals, but it's definitely the popular thing to do in Birdland. All the cool kids are doing it. Power hitters go down swinging a lot; it happens. They swing hard and miss often, but when they put the barrel on the ball, it typically travels hundreds of feet.
After hitting two bombs in the Bronx on Sunday, Reynolds struck out three times in Rogers Centre on Monday. Last season, Reynolds led the American League in strikeouts...
Last week, against all common sense, I tuned my radio to a sports talk station. The host, supposedly a native of Rockville who claimed he knew the area, added his voice to the ad nauseum discussion of the pending end of Stephen Strasburg's brilliant 2012 season.
His point: Nationals fans have been supportive of general manager Mike Rizzo's decision on Strasburg because "D.C. just isn't a baseball town." He claimed "real" baseball fans - like those in New York, St. Louis and Boston...
The Washington Nationals today named third baseman Matthew Skole Minor League Player of the Year and right-hander Nathan Karns Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the 2012 season. Nationals Executive Vice 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 Scialabba made the joint announcement.
Skole hit .292 with...
Prior to writing for Birds Watcher, I covered the Orioles for another outlet in 2010-11. After what I still feel was the greatest closing act of all time last September against Boston, I wrote that I felt that game juxtaposed the fortunes of the two franchises together in some strange way for the future. (Shout out to my high school English teachers, as I was paying attention all those years - who else could work juxtaposition into a sports column?).
I suppose that, at the time, I did in fact...
The St. Louis Cardinals are not only the reigning world champions, but they are in a tight race with the Braves and Dodgers for the National League wild card. They probably still hold out hope that they can catch the Reds, which is why taking three of four from a team like St. Louis at this point in the season is as impressive as it is crucial.
And there is no better test of the Nationals' starting rotation - the best in baseball - than the Cards. They are the most potent offensive team in...
The Orioles today announced that they have signed free agent left-hander Randy Wolf and added him to the 25-man roster.
Wolf is 130-117 with a 4.19 ERA (2252.2IP, 1049ER) in 371 games (366 starts) over his 14 season career with Philadelphia (1999-2006), the Dodgers (07 and 09), San Diego (08), Houston (08) and Milwaukee (10-12). He went 3-10 with a 5.69 ERA (142.1IP, 90ER) in 25 games (24 starts) with the Brewers this season.
The 36-year old left-hander was originally selected by...
It's been one interesting week since my prediction that the Nationals would make the playoffs with the best record in baseball. It didn't seem so bold at the time, given their 6 1/2-game lead over Atlanta in the National League East and their two-game lead over Cincinnati for the major leagues' best mark.
It's amazing, though, how a losing streak can rock some people's faith. Five days later, it seemed I was talking some people down from the ledge. The terms "choking" and "cracking...
The Orioles announced after today's game that left-hander Zach Britton has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.
Britton is 4-1 with a 4.80 ERA (45.0IP, 24ER) in eight starts with the Orioles this season. He has won his last three starts, pitching to a 1.25 ERA (21.2IP, 3ER) with five walks and 21 strikeouts in that time, including a career-high 10 in today's game.
A corresponding move is expected before tomorrow's series begins in New York.
A lot has been made of the poor attendance over this current four-game series against the White Sox. Despite being in the heart of a playoff race and playing another first-place team, the Orioles managed to draw fewer than 15,000 fans on all three nights. Today's game, with the 12:35 p.m. start time, promises to be even more sparsely attended.
Why?
Bloggers and fans have said for years that if the Orioles were winning, the fans would return. The swaths of green seats seen on television...
On Sept. 1, 2011 the Boston Red Sox had the best record in the American League, a 1 1/2-game lead over the Yankees for the AL East and a nine-game lead over the Rays for the wild card. On that same date, the Atlanta Braves had a nine-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL wild card. Both teams ended 2011 by missing the playoffs.
One year earlier, the Braves entered September with a three-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East. That season, the Braves fell into the wild card,...
The Baltimore Orioles today announced that the club is accepting deposits on 2013 season ticket plans and that fans placing a deposit will receive access to 2012 Postseason tickets. Fans who place a non-refundable $250 per seat deposit on a 2013 Full or Partial Season Ticket Plan (including 13-game plans) will be guaranteed the opportunity to purchase 2012 Orioles Postseason tickets before the general public.
Fans can place a deposit by visiting www.orioles.com/postseason or calling...
The past week has been as good a time as ever to reflect on the 2012 baseball season. The kids are back in school, Labor Day's next week, the dog days of summer are behind us, and we've got just over one month of baseball left. That's where everything stands.
To break it down, the Nationals are four games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings and are still the best team in all of baseball record-wise despite their five consecutive losses. Might I also add that...
It's hard to watch the Orioles' success this year and not hearken back to the well-worn phrase that we, as fans, are fortunate to call our birthright: Orioles Magic.
True, it's tinged with nostalgia, coming as it does from a bygone era. And equally true, it's often been uttered with tongue planted firmly in cheek over the past 14 years of losing. But it's a great phrase both because it's ours and because it works. When baseball is as much fun as this, a word like magic doesn't sound...
The Orioles today announced that LHP Joe Saunders has been added to the 25-man roster.
Saunders was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for RHP Matt Lindstrom on Sunday. He will wear No. 48.
Few people in this world are as unique as my mother, now 74. Often, I marvel at her peerless insights into human nature. Other times, her devil-may-care unpredictability makes me want to scream.
Davey Johnson, the Nationals' excellent skipper, is a lot like my mother.
Here are seven ways they are alike:
Unpredictability: My mother's behavior and schedule are impossible to pin down. She could be anywhere at any time. For my sons' birthday parties, she might show up before, during or after...
I've convinced myself that I suffer from a very mild case of seasonal depression. For as long as I can remember, "back to school" has always been the worst phrase in the English language. I'm 24 and haven't been in a classroom since 2010, but there's something about the end of summer that brings me down just a bit.
From the first moment I hear the smooth tones of Joe Angel and Fred Manfra broadcasting from spring training in Sarasota, I can almost feel the Baltimore humidity back in my...
The Orioles announced after tonight's game that they have optioned right-hander Jake Arrieta to Triple-A Norfolk.
Arrieta did not make an appearance with the Orioles after being recalled on Sunday. He went 3-9 with a 6.13 ERA (101.1IP, 69ER) in 18 starts with the Orioles earlier this season. He went 3-4 with a 4.91 ERA (44.0IP, 24ER) in eight starts with the Tides.
With the Orioles on the road lsat week, I took the opportunity to visit one of my favorite places, and one of the jewels of our home region: the Delmarva shore. For the record, the seashore is one of the few places on earth that rivals a ballpark for my attention. There's nothing like braving the surf during the day, and then quite literally sittin' on the dock of the bay watching the tide roll away as you watch Orioles baseball outdoors at dockside restaurants.
During my time at the shore,...
The month of August - and July before it - have been the two best months in the history of the Nationals franchise. The Nationals have a winning record for every month of this season. But so far they are a combined 33-18 for these past two months, even after the weekend disaster in Philadelphia.
In 2005, there was the magical month of June when the team went 20-6. But what followed - a 9-18 July - was misery. It is important to remember the history of the franchise in order to gain some...
The Orioles today announced that they have acquired LHP Joe Saunders and cash considerations from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for RHP Matt Lindstrom and a player to be named later. RHP Jake Arrieta has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take Lindstrom's place on the 25-man roster for today's game.
Saunders, 31, is 6-10 with a 4.22 ERA (130.0IP, 61ER) in 21 starts for Arizona this season. The eight-year veteran is 75-62 with a 4.17 ERA (1116.2IP, 517ER) in 182 career starts...