If you can recall, less than two months ago, the Orioles and right-handed pitcher Yovani Gallardo agreed upon a restructured two-year, $22 million contract with a third year option. The deal was restructured from its original value of a three-year, $35 million contract with a fourth year option due to concern with Gallardo's shoulder in his physical examination.
Could the Orioles' concern in his shoulder be appearing in his first two regular season outings of 2016? His pitching line looked...
It's a week into the 2016 season, and Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon has looked good. But that most important of baseball engineering marvels, the bridge to the closer, is far from concrete. The issue is that they have several decent set-up man candidates, but no shoe-in.
This shouldn't be something to worry about, though. Instead, Dusty Baker and Mike Maddux could turn it into a real positive. With no set-up man, they have the freedom to shape the end of each game as they see fit.
Shawn...
Through the first four games of the Orioles' 2016 campaign, no starting pitcher had allowed more than two runs. Vance Worley looked to sustain that success when he took the hill on Sunday against the Rays, and at first, it seemed like he would. The first time through the order, Worley allowed only two baserunners -- both singles -- and racked up four strikeouts. Things began to fall apart during the second go-round, however, as the Tampa Bay hitters touched Worley up for a solo home run, a...
Before Monday's game, the trio of Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy had combined for a .540 on-base-percentage, which means the three of them on base 54% of the time. The Nationals have had runners in scoring position (RISP) aplenty in the first four games, but are only batting .229 in their 35 RISP situations. That should certainly improve in RISP efficiency, but in the meantime, the batters in the back of the order are getting many RBI opportunities.
The strategy for Dusty Baker...
As the baseball world focuses on great stories coming out of the first week, a few lesser known rookies have taken center stage. Trevor Story's historic start for the Colorado Rockies would be impossible to go unnoticed, while the Houston Astros' new first baseman Tyler White has caught fire in his first few games. On a lesser known scale nationally, but already beloved in Baltimore, is Joey Rickard.
Just months ago, Rickard was a prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays system looking for a path to...
With his lost season in the Washington Nationals' bullpen in 2015 behind him, Tanner Roark entered spring training on a mission. He wanted to return to the starting rotation. Roark told his new manager as much early in the process.
"It was short," Roark said of the conversation with Dusty Baker this spring.
"I told you guys once before that I wanted to start and I'm telling you guys again that I want to start, and I feel like I'm a competitor on the mound and I know that the fight inside...
I returned to Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday evening after a visit to my beloved hometown in Baltimore. It's never easy to leave. It was soothing to listen to the Orioles radio broadcast that night as I prepared dinner in my house away from home. I haven't lived in the Baltimore area for nearly a decade now, but no matter how far I go, the Orioles always bring me closer to home.
There are seemingly endless love songs expressing the sentiment that the object of one's affection feels like...
For this edition of "Hitting the Books," we turn our attention to one of Baltimore's most valuable institutions, The Enoch Pratt Free Library.
From the library's own records, we find that Enoch Pratt was a Baltimore businessman who lived from 1808-1896. He made his fortune as an iron merchant; a rail, canal and steamboat owner; and a bank president.
He was an American story, coming from Massachusetts and making his own way and always believing those who have must give and that the...
The Orioles are atop the American League East with an undefeated record. They're on pace to finish the 2016 season with an historic 162 wins. The Birds haven't lost a game in months. What a great time to cheer on the orange and black.
That's always a fun exercise when you're team starts the season 2-0. Feel free to use that first paragraph for your Facebook status today. In all seriousness, my biggest takeaway from the early part of the 2016 season is that the Orioles offense looks...
It is good to have baseball back. Of the conclusions that can be drawn from this young season, there are none aside from the fact that A.J. Pierzynski cannot catch baseballs. There was one little mentioned and almost unnoticed event. While everyone was distracted by Bryce Harper's hat, Jayson Werth batted in the bottom half of the Nationals lineup and didn't tear up the lineup card or complain to the media after the game. Dusty Baker has passed his most important test as manager. He has shown...
After being hired as the Orioles' executive vice president of baseball operations following the 2011 season, Dan Duquette has made little noise in the Winter Meetings each offseason. He hasn't been completely quiet however, as he always participates in the Rule 5 Draft.
Duquette has selected six players in the major league portion of the Rule 5 Draft in his time with the Orioles, with four of those players breaking camp with the major league club in their respective year. Here are those...
There are plenty of things that really help swing a season one way or the other. For the 2016 Nationals, the answer is painfully obvious. Let's look at a few possibilities:
The bullpen - it stunk last year, except maybe not as much as you remember. The Nats ranked 10th in the majors in bullpen ERA. Mismanaged and maybe too much in its own head (a.k.a. mismanaged), but not necessarily what made 2015 bad. I have more faith in their free agent acquisitions, young talent and a dnew pitching coach...
When we think of the Baltimore Orioles, we generally imagine a team that scores a lot of runs. Chris Davis, Manny Machado and Adam Jones have hit quite well in recent years, and unless they get hurt, their success should hold steady in 2016. Supporting cast members such as Matt Wieters, Caleb Joseph and Jonathan Schoop have served as reliable depth options. And most importantly, new arrivals Mark Trumbo and Pedro Alvarez should make things even better. Overall, it seems like the team should...
On January 8, Ben Revere's life took one of those turns that you cannot control. He got that phone call informing him he was traded to the Washington Nationals. Revere made one of his first phone calls to Denard Span, who only gave him positive comments about the Nats. Span and Revere were teammates with the Minnesota Twins, and Span was always a person Revere knew he could go to for advice.
The Nats would be Revere's third team within a year, as the Philadelphia Phillies traded him to the...
Many Nationals fans are still feeling the sting of disappointment from 2015, when preseason World Series predictions dissolved in a cloud of injuries, disappointing performances and clubhouse dissension. The Nats finished out of the postseason and watched as the National League East rival New York Mets stole their division, playoff and pennant dreams.
For all but the most optimistic fans, there are no such lofty dreams this season. With a new manager in Dusty Baker, a revamped bullpen and new...
The Orioles embark on the 2016 season following what is quite possibly one of the strangest offseasons in recent memory. There were more ups and downs over the last five months than on a roller coaster.
Entering the offseason, no one expected the O's to bring back their free agents. There was no chance they were paying Matt Wieters, Chris Davis and Darren O'Day. Yet, here we are and all three remain on the roster.
After an offseason where the franchise spent more money than ever, we're left...
Baseball is back in Baltimore, which means another year to win big with the Maryland Lottery!
Home Run Riches, the new scratch-off from the Maryland Lottery, is giving you a chance to win up to $50,000 instantly! And if you're not a lucky winner on the ticket, you still have a shot at a home run by becoming a Maryland Lottery Contestant of the Game.
For your chance to be a Maryland Lottery Contestant of the Game, simply enter your non-winning Home Run Riches scratch-offs through the Maryland...
Louis L'Amour is one of the most frequent writers of the American West, particularly the Southwest. "The Haunted Mesa" is one of those books that traces actual myths and legends of Native American tribes in the area and those who came before them.
L'Amour said of himself, "I think of myself in the oral tradition - as a troubadour, a village taleteller, the man in the shadows of the campfire. That's the way I'd like to be remembered - as a storyteller. A good storyteller."
His wish is...
Four days until opening day in Atlanta and one week until the home opener at Nationals Park! But who's counting?
Opening day in four days means we're right around the corner from seeing ace Max Scherzer take the mound for the first time. And, as we know, when Scherzer is on, he is absolutely dominant.
How could we go an entire offseason of #TBT posts without looking at the Nationals' two biggest standout moments from 2016? Check out Scherzer's two historic no-hitters below to get you pumped...
Four. More. Days.
We're just four days away from opening day in Birdland and we can't wait. For hot dogs in the stands. For the stands to be filled with a sea of orange. For the opportunity to meet fans at our booth on Eutaw Street. For home runs landing on Eutaw Street. And, of course, for walk-off wins.
Get a taste of what's to come with this huge homer from catcher Matt Wieters that had it all. Into the 11th inning, the Orioles and Braves were locked at 1-1. Wieters stepped to the plate...