Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Closer Gregg Olson was key member of O's for six seasons, loved his time in Baltimore

Celebrating 60: Closer Gregg Olson was key member of O's for six seasons, loved his time in Baltimore
When the Orioles made pitcher Gregg Olson their first-round draft pick out of Auburn in 1988, he had mixed feelings. He was happy to be selected, but was hoping to land with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that picked one slot after the Orioles. These days, Baltimore means something different. "When I think of Baltimore, I think of family," Olson says. "You felt like you knew everybody's family and friends. I never found that again (in my baseball career). It worked perfectly. I love...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary frontstory_orioles4 gregg olson mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

NL roundup: Charting who's most likely to make and miss the playoffs

NL roundup: Charting who's most likely to make and miss the playoffs
With a month left in the season, here's a look at what's going on with National League contenders. Atlanta: The Braves aren't out of the division race yet, but their best chance to make the playoffs is the Wild Card route. They know how to beat the Nationals, but they are not consistent enough against the rest of the league to win the NL East. Seven- and eight-game losing streaks have hurt them. The biggest problem is struggling to average four runs a game. Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward,...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
frontstory_nationals4 mel antonen nationals
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

AL roundup: A team-by-team look at clubs fighting for postseason contention

AL roundup: A team-by-team look at clubs fighting for postseason contention
Here's a look at the American League's contending teams as the season arrives at September. Baltimore: The Orioles beat the pitching-rich Rays three of four and with the way things are going, they look much like last season's World Series champion Red Sox. Everything is going right for the Orioles. Well, almost everything. Ubaldo Jimenez has been bad, but lefty Andrew Miller was a brilliant move for the bullpen. And when was the last time there were concerns about the rotation not going...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Frank Robinson reflects on winning two World Series with O's, playing at Memorial Stadium

Celebrating 60: Frank Robinson reflects on winning two World Series with O's, playing at Memorial Stadium
Outfielder Frank Robinson started his career in 1956 and played his final game in 1976. In between, he put up Hall of Fame numbers. Robinson finished with 586 home runs, 2,948 hits and 1,812 RBIs. As an Oriole in 1966, he hit .316 with 42 homers and 122 RBIs to win the American League Triple Crown. He won National League Rookie of the Year and an MVP award in each league. He helped the Orioles to two World Series titles in 1966 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and in 1970 against Cincinnati....
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary frank robinson frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: O's veterans provided calming influence for young Dennis Martinez

Celebrating 60: O's veterans provided calming influence for young Dennis Martinez
When pitcher Dennis Martinez saw former teammate Brooks Robinson at the Orioles' 60-year anniversary celebration, he greeted him with a line that goes back nearly four decades. "It was great to see Brooks, and when I saw him, I said, 'Hey Brooksie, we can't go any higher, but if there were a higher league, you would be there. He was always fun, always joking,'' Martinez says. It's a standard greeting between the two Orioles Hall of Famers, and goes back to 1976, the year Martinez was...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary dennis martinez frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Buford's request to play outfield turned him into a staple of O's success

Celebrating 60: Buford's request to play outfield turned him into a staple of O's success
When Don Buford came to Baltimore in a trade from the Chicago White Sox before the 1968 season, he wasn't sure where he was going to play. So he asked coach Earl Weaver to lobby manager Hank Bauer to let him play in the outfield. "The Orioles had Davey Johnson at second and Mark Belanger at shortstop and the outfield had Paul Blair, Curt Blefary and Frank Robinson, so I didn't know where I was going to play," Buford says. "I asked Earl if he'd tell Hank Bauer that I could play the...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary don buford frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

A breakdown of the non-waiver trade deadline

A breakdown of the non-waiver trade deadline
Teams across baseball loaded up on pitching and the final day before the non-waiver deadline didn't disappoint with big-name players going everywhere. Here's a breakdown: * Oakland: The Athletics added lefty John Lester to a rotation that already has Jeff Samardzija, Jason Hammel, Scott Kazmir and Sonny Gray and this should help them correct a trend: Since 2000, they've been to the postseason seven times, but have advanced past the first round just once. A platoon of Jonny Gomes and Sam...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
frontstory_nationals4 frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen mlb
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Singleton's arrival in Baltimore gave O's, Weaver unconventional leadoff hitter

Celebrating 60: Singleton's arrival in Baltimore gave O's, Weaver unconventional leadoff hitter
A few days after Ken Singleton arrived for his first Orioles spring training in 1975, manager Earl Weaver called him into his office and told him that was going to lead off. In 1973 for the Expos, Singleton had 23 home runs and 103 RBIs, but Weaver also knew that Singleton led the National League with a .425 on-base percentage, which put Weaver ahead of his time for appreciating that statistic. "On-base percentage was not thought of like it is today,'' Singleton says. "I led the league on...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary earl weaver frontstory_orioles4 ken singleton mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Cal Ripken Jr. reflects on his Hall of Fame career with the Birds

Celebrating 60: Cal Ripken Jr. reflects on his Hall of Fame career with the Birds
Cal Ripken, baseball's Ironman who played in a record 2,632 consecutive games, played in 3,001 games in 21 seasons for his hometown Orioles. He had 3,184 hits, 431 home runs and 1,695 RBIs. He was a 19-time All-Star as well as an American League Rookie of the Year with two AL MVPs and two All-Star Game MVPs. He won a World Series in 1983 and averaged .336 in six postseason series for the Orioles. He was elected to Cooperstown in 2007. Q: How closely do you follow the Orioles? A: "I do...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary cal ripken jr. frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Bill Ripken recalls dad's advice, playing alongside brother, making magic and history with O's

Celebrating 60: Bill Ripken recalls dad's advice, playing alongside brother, making magic and history with O's
Bill Ripken will never forget the advice his dad, Cal Ripken Sr., gave him the day he signed with the Orioles. The year was 1982 and Bill had just graduated from high school. They were sitting at a table at home in Aberdeen, Md., when Orioles scout Jim Gilbert gave Bill a contract worth $20,000. As usual, dad's advice was direct. "I said, 'Do I have to read the contract?' '' Bill says. "Dad said, 'No, but what it says is that if they ask you to do something, you better do it.' That...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary bill ripken cal ripken jr. cal ripken sr. mel antonen orioles frontstory_orioles4
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Taking a look at the battles in the AL East, NL East

Taking a look at the battles in the AL East, NL East
Now that the American League has won the All-Star Game 5-3 and claimed home-field advantage in the World Series, is it too much to speculate that the Orioles will be hosting the Nationals in Game 1 at Camden Yards come October? It is a possibility, given both teams are in an excellent position to win division titles. The AL East has been falling apart daily, and that leaves the Orioles as the best team in the division. They have the deepest pitching, the potential for the biggest improvement...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
frontstory_nationals4 frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen nationals orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Some interesting All-Star notes looking at how Senators, Orioles and Nats have fared in Midsummer Classic

Some interesting All-Star notes looking at how Senators, Orioles and Nats have fared in Midsummer Classic
As the All-Star Game approaches, here's everything you wanted to know, in chronological order, about the game's history in Minnesota, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore: * The 1937 All-Star Game was in Washington's Griffith Stadium, now the site of Howard University Hospital. Franklin Roosevelt threw out the first pitch, becoming the first president to do so at an All-Star Game. The American League won 8-3 as Lou Gehrig hit a home run with Joe DiMaggio on base. Another Yankee, Lefty Gomez,...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
all-star game frontstory_nationals4 frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen nationals orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Gentile made good on guarantee, but picked wrong season for breakout power year in '61

Celebrating 60: Gentile made good on guarantee, but picked wrong season for breakout power year in '61
When Jim Gentile was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Orioles before the 1960 season, he came with a money-back guarantee. Yes, that's correct - a money-back guarantee. The Orioles gave the Dodgers two players and $50,000 for Gentile, and if the Orioles weren't happy with the deal, they could return him after 30 days and get $25,000 back. Apparently, no questions asked. Gentile, who had impressive power numbers as a minor league first baseman, didn't hit in his first Orioles...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary frontstory_orioles4 jim gentile mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Doug DeCinces handled replacing Brooks Robinson well, has fond memories of Baltimore

Celebrating 60: Doug DeCinces handled replacing Brooks Robinson well, has fond memories of Baltimore
As a high school senior growing up in California, Doug DeCinces had dreams of playing Major League Baseball. Then he had a chat with an Orioles scout. "The scout (Al Kubski) told me that I can't run and that I throw like a girl," DeCinces says. "I was shocked, said, 'OK.' I was disappointed. He was a gruff old scout. But I think he wanted to see if I had what it takes to improve. There was no coddling back then." In 1970, when the Orioles drafted and signed DeCinces, he joked with...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary doug decinces frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Stone has vivid memories of "enchanting" 1980 O's season that ended with Cy Young

Celebrating 60: Stone has vivid memories of "enchanting" 1980 O's season that ended with Cy Young
As a free agent after the 1978 season, pitcher Steve Stone chose the Orioles over other teams because he liked their chances to make the World Series. He was right. In his only Fall Classic, Stone pitched two innings in the Orioles' 1979 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. His 1980 season, though, was one for the ages in Orioles history: Stone won 25 games and the American League Cy Young Award. He is the last Orioles pitcher to win the award, joining Mike Cuellar, Jim Palmer (three times) and...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
60th anniversary frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen orioles steve stone
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Looking back at the great career of late Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn

Looking back at the great career of late Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn
Back on Aug. 5, 1999, after the Cardinals' Mark McGwire hit his 500th career home run, reporters gathered around Tony Gwynn's locker in the San Diego Padres clubhouse in Busch Stadium. They wondered how Gwynn was feeling after coming up a hit short of 3,000 for his career. That night, as 45,106 fans watched, Gwynn and McGwire had a chance to become the first players in baseball history to reach a major milestone in the same game. "It would have been fun, but tonight was Mark McGwire's...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
frontstory_nationals4 frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen tony gwynn
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Powell was big part of Orioles' dominance in 1960s, 1970s

Celebrating 60: Powell was big part of Orioles' dominance in 1960s, 1970s
Memorial Stadium, the horseshoe-shaped ballpark on 33rd Street, is gone, but a plaque at the site marking home plate keeps memories alive. One day, Boog Powell stood at the plaque and went back in time. "Jim Palmer and I went over there and stood at home plate,'' Powell says. "We were standing in the middle of nowhere and put myself right back to the old ballpark. I could envision the left field wall, right field, everything. I could hear the fans. I felt the intensity and the atmosphere....
Continue reading
0
Tags:
boog powell frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Tarasco says line drives will be Zimmerman's biggest adjustment in left

Tarasco says line drives will be Zimmerman's biggest adjustment in left
As third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's move to left field becomes the big story at Nationals Park, the team's outfield coach, Tony Tarasco, says the toughest outfield to play in the National League are in San Francisco and Chicago's Wrigley Field. "Both cities are windy, and that's what makes their the ballpark outfields so tough to play,'' Tarasco says. After the Phillies' series in D.C., Zimmerman, who hasn't played since April 12 because of a thumb injury, will get his chance to play...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
frontstory_nationals4 mel antonen nationals ryan zimmerman tony tarasco
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Answering the most-asked questions

Answering the most-asked questions
Two months into the season, here are answers to your most-often asked questions for your Memorial Day weekend reading: Q: Are the Blue Jays for real in the American League East? A: Yes, especially in a division where every team has flaws for the first time in who knows how many years? There is no question the Blue Jays have enough hitting. They lead the AL in home runs and are in the top five in run production. The question is the pitching: R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle are fine, but can a...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
frontstory_nationals4 frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen nationals orioles
LinkedIn Pinterest
Mel Antonen

Celebrating 60: Hall of Famer Herzog recalls steamed crabs, birth of son in Baltimore

Celebrating 60: Hall of Famer Herzog recalls steamed crabs, birth of son in Baltimore
Whitey Herzog is a Hall of Famer because of his managing career with the St. Louis Cardinals, but the former major leaguer known as "The White Rat" had a Baltimore connection to his career. Herzog, who managed the Cardinals to two National League pennants and the 1982 World Series title, was a left-handed-hitting outfielder who couldn't hit a curveball. Herzog played eight big league seasons, including 212 games for the Orioles in 1961 and 1962. Herzog hit .280 with 12 home runs during his...
Continue reading
0
Tags:
frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen orioles whitey herzog
LinkedIn Pinterest



LATEST ORIOLES NEWS

LATEST NATIONALS NEWS

       
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25