Josh Land

Ted Leavengood: Too good to fail

Ted Leavengood: Too good to fail
It is certainly noteworthy that the two left-handed starters who fought for the last spot in the Washington rotation in March were the ones who stood up to the Braves four months later when the games really counted. Lohn Lannan lost out when the Nats came north in the spring, and he probably deserved better. But after this weekend, no one will ever again question whether he has enough heart to pitch in the majors. Assuming that the Lannan who pitched to a 4.89 ERA at Triple-A Syracuse was on...
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Josh Land

Domenic Vadala: Getting cozy with the new concept of contention

Domenic Vadala: Getting cozy with the new concept of contention
After 14 consecutive losing seasons, there's bound to be angst on the part of any fan base. Bearing that in mind, I think there's something that a lot of fans are struggling with right now: The Orioles are in contention. Back when the season started and things were going so well, my public stance on Birds Watcher was that it was early and we had to see how things played out. Privately, while I kept that advice in the back of my mind, I also felt that this time might be just a bit different....
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Josh Land

Marty Niland: Hail to "The Chief" and Cordero's return for first-pitch ceremony

Marty Niland: Hail to "The Chief" and Cordero's return for first-pitch ceremony
For fans who have followed the Nationals since they moved from Montreal, it's not hard to forget the last time they were in first place this late in the season - that wonderful summer when baseball returned to the nation's capital in 2005. A big part of that success will be at Nationals Park tonight to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the opening of this weekend's National League East showdown with Atlanta. "The Chief," Chad Cordero, has been in town to conduct a celebrity...
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Josh Land

Matthew Taylor: Deal with Tribe returned Murray to O's nest

Matthew Taylor: Deal with Tribe returned Murray to O's nest
It's off to Cleveland for the Orioles after a series split this week with the Twins. Whatever excitement this four-game series may bring, it will be tough to match what happened between the teams on July 21, 1996. Sixteen years ago, the O's reacquired legendary first baseman Eddie Murray in a deal that sent pitcher Kent Mercker to Cleveland. For a nostalgic fan like myself, who grew up delighting in the chants of "Ed-die" at Memorial Stadium, it didn't get much better than welcoming back...
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Josh Land

James Baker: On the Orioles and optimism

James Baker: On the Orioles and optimism
Optimism is the belief that generally good things happen. It is the tendency to see the good in all things, the belief that good will triumph over evil and that this is the best of all possible worlds. If this is all true, then I ask "Why the Baltimore Orioles?" Over the last month, the Orioles have fallen apart in a way I didn't think was possible. Not the fact that they have lost so many games, or that the starting pitching has collapsed, or the hitting went away - all of that was...
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Josh Land

David Huzzard: This time, Nats winning without smoke and mirrors

David Huzzard: This time, Nats winning without smoke and mirrors
On September 17, 2005, the Nationals stood at 77-71 and had a 5-0 lead entering the bottom of the ninth against the San Diego Padres. Since entering the All-Star break with a record of 52-36 and 2 1/2-game lead in the National League East, the Nationals had fallen back to fourth place and stood eight games back in the division. The wild card was vaguely in reach, but it would take a near miracle run to claim it. If they could take this series against the Padres, they could get back in the race....
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Josh Land

Rachel Levitin: Missing my second home

Rachel Levitin: Missing my second home
For the last two weeks, I've been stuck home sick from work. It sounds sort of nice, but I assure you that after a while, the novelty of that sentiment wears off and then the boredom hits. As a result, I had to miss one of my favorite baseball games of the year - the Fourth of July. As I sat home that day waiting for the results of that 9-4 victory against the then-first-place San Francisco Giants, I longed to be at the 100-plus degree ballpark sweltering in the hot, hot D.C. heat. That's...
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Josh Land

Neal Shaffer: Don't reset your expectations, resolve to abandon them entirely

Neal Shaffer: Don't reset your expectations, resolve to abandon them entirely
There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. -- From "Hagakure" If nothing else this season, the Orioles have succeeded at keeping us on the edge. They have been like the summer weather in which they play, at...
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Josh Land

Zach Wilt: Three realistic targets for the Orioles at the trade deadline

Zach Wilt: Three realistic targets for the Orioles at the trade deadline
It may be hard to believe if you watched them play last night, but the Orioles would still grab an extra wild card and play postseason baseball for the first time since 1997 (as of this morning, they're a half-game out). It's shocking for a team with a minus-55 run differential (second worst in Major League Baseball), but I guess that's what a 27-14 start will do. Of late, I've seen more tweets declaring the Orioles dead than I have about what Justin Bieber had for lunch - which is saying...
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Josh Land

Stephen Walker: Nationals may miss Wilson Ramos more than anyone thinks

Stephen Walker: Nationals may miss Wilson Ramos more than anyone thinks
As the Nationals continue to own the best record in the National League and maintain a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL East, injured catcher Wilson Ramos seems like a forgotten man. Unnoticed though he may be, Washington's baseball club misses Ramos more than most fans think. Jesus Flores, himself healthy for the first time in four years after overcoming a myriad of injuries, has filled in capably for the injured starter. Flores has excelled defensively and capably handled the Nationals excellent...
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Josh Land

Ted Leavengood: They'll have to rip the ball out of Strasburg's hands

Ted Leavengood: They'll have to rip the ball out of Strasburg's hands
Any concern that the Nationals' pitching staff would waver in the second half was dispelled by the first three games in Miami. "Quality start" hardly describes what Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg served up over the weekend. They limited the Fish to three runs in three games which should have been enough for more than two wins. But the All-Star break turned a simmering debate about the Nationals' pitching into an open debate. During a slow sports week, the topic...
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Josh Land

Domenic Vadala: Have faith and stay with what you know

Domenic Vadala: Have faith and stay with what you know
Greetings, MASNsports.com readers! My name is Domenic Vadala, and I'll be blogging on behalf of Birds Watcher for the remainder of the 2012 season. As we're all aware, the Orioles have exceeded expectations thus far this year, although the first half was ultimately marred by three of the original five starting pitchers being optioned to Triple-A. How is it that the likes of Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz and Tommy Hunter could have looked so promising, only to fizzle out after so little time?...
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Josh Land

Matthew Taylor: As hitters, O's pitchers weren't too shabby

Matthew Taylor: As hitters, O's pitchers weren't too shabby
Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, Dave McNally and Jim Palmer. They, of course, are the Orioles starters who each won 20 games in 1971, matching the 1920 Chicago White Sox as the only teams with four 20-game winners. But how good were those pitchers when it came to hitting home runs? That's the question that occurred to me this week as I researched a Roar from 34 post about Palmer's All-Star outings. The designated hitter wasn't created until 1973, so each of the Orioles' 20-game winners in 1971...
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Josh Land

Neal Shaffer: Best guesses for the Orioles' second half

Neal Shaffer: Best guesses for the Orioles' second half
Here, at the All-Star break, let's take a moment. I think we need it. The Orioles have not been playing well for something like a month. Yet, as I wrote earlier this week over at The Loss Column, it's important to keep in mind that they're still not only above .500 but in playoff contention, as well. That this is the case despite the aforementioned substandard play is somewhat amazing. Possibly even cause for celebration. Let's not forget that we're in bonus territory here. Now, back...
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Josh Land

Ted Leavengood: A midterm examination

Ted Leavengood: A midterm examination
The first half is in the books, and perhaps the better word to describe it is midterm exclamation. Even after losing the series to Colorado, there have still been 83 games played through injury and devastating heat to a result that few Nationals fans would have believed possible at the start. Suffice it to say that the Nationals have aced the first half of the season. They have the best record in the National League and are on pace to win 97 games. It is not difficult to think back to March...
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Josh Land

Olivia Witherite: Ready for Markakis' return to right

Olivia Witherite: Ready for Markakis' return to right
OK, so I'll admit, the first few times Chris Davis ran out to right field, I was super excited. Granted, he's not the fastest, nor does he position himself well. It's not that I'm confident in his skills, but it was definitely entertaining to see him make some diving plays in a position that most were unaware he could play. Maybe it's the summer heat getting to me, but when I was trying to describe how I feel about Davis, the best thing I could think of was the classic summer example:...
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Josh Land

Marty Niland: Washington looking for new All-Star memories

Marty Niland: Washington looking for new All-Star memories
With the Nationals playing better than ever at the midpoint of the 2012 season, they'll be well represented at next week's All-Star Game, where Washington could find some new memories to cherish. Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Ian Desmond give the Nats their largest and most accomplished contingent since baseball returned to the nation's capital in 2005. This group has the potential to leave the biggest mark the city has ever made on the Midsummer Classic. Plenty of All-Stars have worn...
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Josh Land

Dave Nichols: Does Zimmerman's return come at a cost?

Dave Nichols: Does Zimmerman's return come at a cost?
Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg have been generating a lot of hype these days, and rightfully so. Both are exciting young players who should lead the Nationals' attempts at glory for the next 10 years or so. But there's no questioning that the face of the franchise remains third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman struggled mightily for most of the first three months of the season and the rest of the Nats' offense followed. He got out of the gate cold. He suffered an injury to the A/C...
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Josh Land

Will Yoder: Hard to choose the Nats' first-half MVP

Will Yoder: Hard to choose the Nats' first-half MVP
The Nationals are about to wrap up their best first half in franchise history. At 45-32, Washington has the best record in the National League, is 3.5 games ahead of the second place team in the NL East, and is on pace to win 95 games this season. What has been perhaps most impressive about the team's run so far this year is that when former cellar-dwellers come out of nowhere in this fashion, they usually do so on the shoulders of one identifiable superstar. Whether it be a franchise player...
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Josh Land

Heath Bintliff: Back to the future with Chris Tillman

Heath Bintliff: Back to the future with Chris Tillman
After a 328 day absence, it appears that Chris Tillman is returning to the Orioles rotation Thursday. While Tillman's 2010 and 2011 seasons have been difficult and trying, in 2012 he has turned back the clock to 2009. In 2009, the 21-year old phenom dominated the International League for nearly four months (only Braves 22-year old hurler Tommy Hanson was better). That was the last bit of real success Tillman has had until this season. I was present at a few of those Norfolk Tides games...
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