Neal Shaffer: The top five players of the losing era

Neal Shaffer: The top five players of the losing era
If there's one thing the Internet loves, it's a list. So, what the hell, I'm game. I got to thinking, after the recent unveiling of the Frank Robinson statue at Camden Yards, about great Orioles of the past and how cool it is to be able to look back on their legacies and claim them for our city. That, naturally enough, led to thinking about the modern Orioles. History looks more kindly on success than on failure, which tends to obscure the achievements of players who toil on losing teams....
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Rachel Levitin: A few words on fan etiquette

Rachel Levitin: A few words on fan etiquette
Phillies fans aside, the atmosphere at Nationals Park over last weekend was vibrant and full of life. The fact is that Nationals Park feels different when the seats are filled. If it takes a division rivalry to pack the place, then so be it. But it's a whole other thing to sink to the level of the proposed enemy of the evening. Nationals fans tend to be well-behaved while a certain contingent of the rival fan base tends to get a bit more riled up than their counterparts. After sitting...
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Orioles recall LHP Zach Phillips; Option RHP Jason Berken to Triple-A Norfolk

Orioles recall LHP Zach Phillips; Option RHP Jason Berken to Triple-A Norfolk
The Orioles today announced that they have recalled LHP Zach Phillips and optioned RHP Jason Berken to Triple-A Norfolk. Phillips, 25, has recorded three saves and pitched to a 4.15 ERA (13.0IP, 6ER) in nine games for the Tides this season. He pitched to a 1.13 ERA (8.0IP, ER) for the Orioles in 10 games last season after being acquired from Texas on July 19. Berken, 28, allowed seven runs (two earned) in one inning of work last night in his first appearance of the season for the Orioles
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Nationals select Neary as Honorary Bat Girl

Nationals select Neary as Honorary Bat Girl
How's this for a Mother's Day present? The Nationals and Major League Baseball have announced that Laurie Jo Neary, a mother of three who was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in 2008, is the winner of the team's Honorary Bat Girl program. The program recognizes baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and have demonstrated a commitment to "Going to Bat" in the fight against the deadly disease. Neary was diagnosed with the breast cancer four years ago and has since undergone...
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Will Yoder: Lombardozzi quietly making his mark

Will Yoder: Lombardozzi quietly making his mark
Even though he has played just eight games this season, Bryce Harper already ranks among the top rookies in baseball in Wins Above Replacement. As crazy as that sounds, that makes him a viable Rookie of the Year candidate. We shouldn't be surprised, though. Harper is the type of player who was born to win the Rookie of the Year award. He has been ranked the No. 1 prospect in baseball the last two seasons, his pro debut was national news and he even appeared on the cover of Sports...
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Heath Bintliff: For Mark Reynolds, it could be worse

Heath Bintliff: For Mark Reynolds, it could be worse
A week ago, before the awakening of his bat this weekend in Boston, I was despairing about Mark Reynolds, his lack of hitting and his woeful glove. I wondered how bad he really was and hypothesized that he must be the worst player in baseball based on his simultaneous poor performances in the field and at the plate. I went to Fangraphs.com and sorted all batters in terms of WAR (Wins Above Replacement) which puts value on players while incorporating thier offense and defense. I was pleasantly...
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Ted Leavengood: Stealing home

Ted Leavengood: Stealing home
Last night's "Sunday Night Baseball" game was not good to the Nationals, despite the overall success of the "Our Park" campaign. When Bryce Harper stole home in the first inning, he stole Nationals Park back from the Philly faithful, but the loss of Jayson Werth to a broken wrist undermines any sense of triumph. It is a blow that will hurt Washington for the remainder of the season and a tragedy for Werth, who was playing so well and assuming such a large role in mentoring Harper....
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Olivia Witherite: In case you missed it ...

Olivia Witherite: In case you missed it ...
In case missed the game from 1:35 p.m. to 7:42 p.m. Sunday, let me tell you that you missed history. If you did watch, thank you for viewing one of the most exciting Orioles games that I have ever witnessed. Keeping my attention most of Sunday, the game featured a five-run catch-up by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth and fifth innings and terrible outings by the Orioles starter and designated hitter, who looked a like National League pitcher trying to hit. Certainly one of the most bizarre...
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Nationals fire on all cylinders in 7-1 victory

Nationals fire on all cylinders in 7-1 victory
I hate to be the cynic, but every game I expect the Nationals' starting pitcher to falter, not due to a lack of talent or anything sinister, it just simply has to happen some time. Fortunately, Nats fans, today was not that day. As he has done all season, Gio Gonzalez was dominant, stifling a Phillies lineup that mustered just four hits and one run in seven innings against Washington's left-hander. Gonzalez's seven strikeouts and one walk, combined with three home runs by the offense,...
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Marty Niland: Our park? We'll see

Marty Niland: Our park? We'll see
It's showtime for the Nationals and their fans. While the atmosphere in the stands at Nationals Park has been more tepid than the team's play on the field for the most part, all of that will change this weekend when the Philadelphia Phillies arrive for the first big division showdown of the year. The action on the field is likely to be intense, but both cities - and a national TV audience Sunday night - will also be paying close attention to the crowd. That's because the Nationals...
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Matthew Taylor: A closer look at some historical tidbits

Matthew Taylor: A closer look at some historical tidbits
I love the historical tidbits that regularly work their way into baseball game stories. Two such tidbits came out of the Orioles' series win this week against the Yankees in the Bronx, and both had to do with strong pitching performances. First, on Wednesday, Jake Arrieta became the most recent Orioles pitcher to toss eight or more shutout innings against the Yankees since September 2004, when Sidney Ponson recorded a complete-game shutout. Specifically, Ponson shut out the Yankees on Sept....
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Dave Nichols: Espinosa's struggle to make contact is alarming

Dave Nichols: Espinosa's struggle to make contact is alarming
During the offseason and into spring training, if you asked 100 Nationals fans which middle infielder they would be concerned with having to replace at some point in the 2012 season, I'd venture to guess 98 of them would have replied, "Ian Desmond." Their answer is not without basis. Desmond has had challenges both offensively and defensively as he continues to try to establish himself as a starting shortstop in the major leagues. This season, Desmond, 26, isn't really burning things...
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Anthony Amobi: It's been a fun - and surprising - run so far for O's

Anthony Amobi: It's been a fun - and surprising - run so far for O's
Well, for fans of the Orioles, the calendar has flipped from April to May and it has been a surprising season so far. As of this morning, the Orioles are flying high with a 16-9 record, and sit one game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East standings. There are some very compelling and unexpected storylines in the game today, and the Orioles definitely qualify as of one them. Seriously, I do not think many fans, media or so-called experts thought that this team...
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Rachel Levitin: A different vibe for Harper's home debut

Rachel Levitin: A different vibe for Harper's home debut
The District's baseball skepticism is warranted. A double dose of 100-loss seasons after 30-plus years of no baseball in town will do that to a person. Those miserable 2008 and 2009 seasons are also what brought the Nationals to this point in time. Baseball in Washington is at crossroads of sorts now that Bryce Harper has made his home debut. With the media hoopla surrounding the young stud of a hitter, it wasn't far-fetched to think that the atmosphere at the ballpark might rival that of...
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Joe Drugan: Comparing Nationals' starters to some elite competition

Joe Drugan: Comparing Nationals' starters to some elite competition
Blogs across NatsTown have spent the better part of a week bemoaning the lethargic offense that the Nationals have shown throughout the season, and they probably deserve it. The team has scored just 74 runs, or just 3.36 runs per game, which is sixth worst in all of baseball. Yet the Nationals are still 14-8 heading into May, and they hold a half-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East. Everyone's heard how awesome this team's pitching rotation has...
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Heath Bintliff: The Orioles' power surge

Heath Bintliff: The Orioles' power surge
Power makes the offense go 'round and the Orioles received it in large doses from a quartet of sluggers over a terrific April that left them five games over .500. I thought I would take a closer look at their performances so far in terms of their Isolate Power (ISO), a stat that measures power independent of batting average. Matt Wieters - We'll start with Wieters, who just 14 months after being labeled one of the 50 biggest busts in baseball history, is building on his breakout 2011 season...
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Homestand kicks off with All-Star balloting

Homestand kicks off with All-Star balloting
The Nationals return home after a six-game road trip out west. Things started out well, as the Nats took two of three in San Diego, but a sweep by the Dodgers has Washington looking to rebound upon its return to Nationals Park. One thing a homestand also ensures is another set of perks and incentives for fans to get out to the ballpark and root root root for the home team and it kicks off with the annual All-Star voting beginning Tuesday when the Nationals open a series with the...
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Ted Leavengood: A Hollywood script with much left to write

Ted Leavengood: A Hollywood script with much left to write
No team in the National League East had a better April than the Nationals, and Saturday night the Hollywood script writers worked over time on a fairy tale ending. Bryce Harper's first game in the major leagues was the setting. It drew so much press attention to Dodger Stadium that the Queen of England could have slipped into town unnoticed. Harper may have been the headline for the Nationals' weekend at Dodger Stadium, but Stephen Strasburg's brilliant performance Saturday night made real...
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Olivia Witherite: Was it OK to say goodbye to Guthrie?

Olivia Witherite: Was it OK to say goodbye to Guthrie?
It has been almost three months since the trade heard around Baltimore occurred when starter Jeremy Guthrie was dealt to the Rockies for Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom. While there were strong reactions, many of which were extremely negative, Hammel and Lindstrom have now settled in nicely into their respective roles. But are they comparable to the Orioles' old ace? Hammel began the season in the No. 3 starter's role, a few short days after Guthrie settled in as the new ace in Colorado....
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Nationals recall first baseman/outfielder Tyler Moore, place infielder Mark DeRosa on DL

Nationals recall first baseman/outfielder Tyler Moore, place infielder Mark DeRosa on DL
The Washington Nationals today recalled first baseman/outfielder Tyler Moore from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and placed infielder Mark DeRosa on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to April 28, with a left oblique strain. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Moore batted .286 (22-for-77) with three doubles, seven home runs, 20 RBIs and 10 walks in 22 games this season with Syracuse. His home run and...
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