Josh Land

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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Josh Land

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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Josh Land

Matthew Taylor: Bullish on the bullpen

Matthew Taylor: Bullish on the bullpen
The Orioles currently have one of the game's best relief corps. The bullpen's 1.96 ERA and 10 saves are tops in baseball. Take a moment to let that sink in. The team that for the past decade or more has been synonymous with late-inning meltdowns (think Mother's Day Massacre) and historic failings (think 30-3) has one of the game's finest late-inning outfits. Earlier in the week, fellow guest blogger Heath Bintliff of Dempsey's Army proclaimed, "For the first time in years, I am loving...
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Josh Land

Anthony Amobi: Wieters' emergence silences his critics

Anthony Amobi: Wieters' emergence silences his critics
Heading into the 2012 season, Matt Wieters has emerged as a leader for the Orioles. Many have argued whether or not he is a bust - despite only having played in the major leagues for less than three full seasons. That being said, he is far from that. So Wieters has not turned into the next Johnny Bench or a Joe Mauer with power. The promise of the night when he debuted is still there, but it has taken a while to come to the surface. Various television shows, Web sites, sports talk radio...
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Josh Land

Dave Nichols: A dose of reality in an unreal start

Dave Nichols: A dose of reality in an unreal start
The Nationals, now 14-4, own the best record in the National League, just a half-game behind the Texas Rangers for the best record in all of baseball. Heady stuff. Of course, a .778 winning percentage is impossible to keep up, but the Nats have taken strong advantage of a weak early schedule to race out to a good start. The pitching has, of course, been the big story. Dominant starters, shutdown relievers, two closers (for now). But the team - and the fans - got a shock this week with Ryan...
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Josh Land

Neal Shaffer: What draws you to Camden Yards?

Neal Shaffer: What draws you to Camden Yards?
One thing we know for certain: Fourteen years of poor performance has taken a toll on the fan base. It has thinned the ranks of casual fans, of course; that much is obvious. But I believe it has thinned the ranks of die-hards as well. Across the board, there just aren't as many Orioles fans as there used to be. The evidence is anecdotal but extant. That the O's are off to a decent start and the NFL draft still dominates sports talk radio says quite a bit. That online comment forums are often...
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Josh Land

Rachel Levitin: Die-hard Nats fans have been waiting for this

Rachel Levitin: Die-hard Nats fans have been waiting for this
As it stands, the Nationals are 13-4 and the division rival Phillies are 8-10. It's early yet, but that doesn't mean it's not fun for fans to fantasize about winning baseball in Washington. This tiny taste of what it feels like to sit atop the standings for more than a day or two is special for long-time Nats fans. It's been less than a decade, but the die-hard Nats fan contingent have held out for what they expected would eventually occur. These are the fans who braved the conditions at...
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Josh Land

Joe Drugan: It's time to give Lombardozzi a chance

Joe Drugan: It's time to give Lombardozzi a chance
The Nationals have come out guns blazing in the first 16 games of the 2012 season. The guns that are blazing thus far are radar guns from the pitching staff, though. The Nationals offense has struggled mightily in the first few weeks of the season, ranking 20th in batting average, 21st in runs, and 23rd in slugging. It's time to switch things up in NatsTown, and it starts in left field. With Michael Morse out of commission for at least another month, it's time for the Nats to look to options...
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Josh Land

Heath Bintliff: What a relief it is

Heath Bintliff: What a relief it is
For the first time in years, I am loving the Orioles bullpen. I loved them when they broke camp. I thought it was almost perfectly constructed, given the personnel on hand and they are performing admirably. Over the past 14 years of losing, the bullpen has ranked among the worst in baseball, year in and year out. Sure, there were a couple of exceptions, but Orioles bullpens of the aughts and beyond have generally provided the proverbial gasoline on the starting staff's fires. Not in 2012....
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Josh Land

Olivia Witherite: Fans, please stay seated past April

Olivia Witherite: Fans, please stay seated past April
When it comes to the Orioles, I usually have a great idea of what to say about the team, and generally, it's some kind of justified gripe. However, with the team off to a solid 9-7 start, I find myself slightly conflicted. I'd love to be one to take the optimistic route and say that the start is a sign. No, not even a sign for a pennant win or playoff security, but rather a sign to finish above .500 in what I believe is the toughest division in Major League Baseball. But I can't. Because...
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Josh Land

Ted Leavengood: A flood of riches

Ted Leavengood: A flood of riches
The rain is falling on the mound, It's falling on the plate, But when the Nats are 12 and 4, The next game's worth the wait. - Ted Leavengood There is nothing cloudy or damp about the superlatives being used to describe the Nationals' pitching staff. However, it is dedicated Nationals fans who are most aware of what it all means as they behold the endless parade of goose eggs, the never-ending lust for just one run, any run, no matter what it takes to make another great pitching...
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Josh Land

Marty Niland: How will the Nats handle coming down to Earth?

Marty Niland: How will the Nats handle coming down to Earth?
There's not much a baseball team can do about games like the Nationals' 11-4 loss Thursday night to the Houston Astros. The pitching, overpowering so far in 2012, was shelled for 17 hits, including three triples off starter Edwin Jackson in the first inning. The bullpen offered little relief, with Tom Gorzelanny surrendering six runs and eight hits of his own. Aside from Ryan Zimmerman's first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the third inning, the offense was unproductive with...
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Josh Land

Matthew Taylor: A few words on fairness

Matthew Taylor: A few words on fairness
The Orioles are currently in first place. But by the end of a 162-game season they won't be, and it's largely due to the fact that baseball is a fair sport. First, let's define fairness in this context. Fairness doesn't relate to payroll. The balance of baseball bucks decidedly favors roughly a quarter of major league teams. Instead, I use fairness in relation to the concept of "May the best team win." Stated simply, a 162-game regular season doesn't allow for flukes. Love it or hate...
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Josh Land

Dave Nichols: Nats getting on base, but sluggers are struggling

Dave Nichols: Nats getting on base, but sluggers are struggling
The Nationals are far and away off to their best start since arriving in D.C. in 2005. It's fun going to the ballpark with a reasonable expectation that the Nats' starting pitcher is going to keep the team in the game, if not downright dominate the competition. In fact, with the five starters all on a roll right now, you get the feeling that each game in an internal competition between the five of them to see who can outdo the previous performance. Obviously, that's a good thing...
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Josh Land

Anthony Amobi: Role finally solidified, Reimold on a roll

Anthony Amobi: Role finally solidified, Reimold on a roll
As most fans know, it has been an extremely tough road for Nolan Reimold during the past few seasons. Life is always full of ups and downs, but the true test of someone's character depends on how they persevere. So far, Reimold is passing that test - at least professionally. During the early weeks of the season, he has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, batting .341 with four homers - all in key spots - with eight RBIs. As it is, you can say that Reimold has had a critical role in...
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Josh Land

Rachel Levitin: Arms race redefines game's growth from traditional to modern

Rachel Levitin: Arms race redefines game's growth from traditional to modern
There was a time, back in the first year of the National League, when the same pitcher threw nearly every game of the season. That was 1876. Jim Devlin started and completed 68 of 69 games played by Louisville. Back then, the ball was thrown underhand and pitching careers were shorter. It wasn't until 1884 that pitchers were allowed to toss overhand - closer to the formation of the game we now watch daily from April to October - allowing more speed, but more stress, to envelop the arm. That...
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Josh Land

Neal Shaffer: A dream of 2005 all over again

Neal Shaffer: A dream of 2005 all over again
The Orioles' hot start here in 2012 should not give rise to indulgent thoughts of a winning season. That much has to be said up front. It's true that there's plenty to enjoy so far, but let's take it game by game. Odds are, this team will still eventually lose more than they win. Let's say for the sake of argument, however, that they keep this up. Let's say that April turns into May and the win total is still in the black. Would then it be wise to dream of 82 wins, or more? Alas, no....
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Josh Land

Joe Drugan: Be wary of April standings

Joe Drugan: Be wary of April standings
The Nationals are off to the best start since their arrival in D.C., and there is a lot to be excited about, including one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and a team full of young talent. If you look at the standings this morning, it's easy to get even more elated to see the Nats in first place. Before you do get too amped about it, there are just a few things you should consider. * Today is April 17. The Nationals have just finished their 11th game of the season, which means they...
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Josh Land

Heath Bintliff: Nolan Reimold and other delights

Heath Bintliff: Nolan Reimold and other delights
At this time last season, I was keeping vigil for Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold. Reimold had been exiled to Triple-A Norfolk after a very good spring in Sarasota (.315/.448/.537) and, after a wretched 2010 campaign, finally looked healthy, fully recovered from offseason Achilles tendon surgery that cut his 2009 season short and ready to build upon the .831 OPS he put up during his rookie season. That was not to be. During the 2011 offseason, O's executive Andy MacPhail decided to shore up...
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Josh Land

Ted Leavengood: Always springtime in D.C.

Ted Leavengood: Always springtime in D.C.
The flowers remain in full bloom, the weather as gorgeous as a quad full of coeds and the Nationals took three of four from a good Cincinnati team over the weekend to move their record to 7-3. There was a billboard near the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta for many years that read, "It's Always Springtime at Bulldog Bonding." Always springtime? I think I could learn to like that. Ross Detwiler pitched well Sunday. His fastball was sitting at 94 mph and there was plenty of life to all his...
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