Matt Kremnitzer: Can the Orioles rotation hold up?

Matt Kremnitzer: Can the Orioles rotation hold up?
The offseason addition of Ubaldo Jimenez was supposed to bolster a decent group of Orioles starting pitchers that included Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen, Bud Norris and Miguel Gonzalez (along with Kevin Gausman waiting in the wings). Instead, Jimenez was terrible and was eventually demoted to the bullpen, Gausman joined the rotation full-time and every non-Jimenez starter finished the season with an ERA of 3.65 or lower. As a group, the O's rotation finished the season a respectable fifth in the...
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Orioles set to host nearly 1,400 at-risk children for first two games of ALDS

Orioles set to host nearly 1,400 at-risk children for first two games of ALDS
With postseason baseball on the horizon, diehard Orioles fans are gearing up to watch the Birds host the first two games of the American League Division Series. Oriole Park at Camden Yards will be flooded with orange and black, and among the many fans will be nearly 1,400 at-risk children watching the games from Sections 96 and 98! The Orioles are inviting the children to experience the magic of postseason baseball through a program called the OriolesREACH Knothole Gang. Groups participating...
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Musicians Margaret Valentine and Eric Hutchinson celebrate Orioles with exciting New York City performance

Musicians Margaret Valentine and Eric Hutchinson celebrate Orioles with exciting New York City performance
Listen to songs like "Catfish" by Bob Dylan or the "The Greatest" by Kenny Rogers and one thing is obvious: Baseball and music are better together. While in different fields, baseball players are often compared to musicians and called "rock stars." Although they have completely different jobs, both know how to thrill a crowd, unite a city and get people cheering. Oh yeah, and they both know how to celebrate! On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the Orioles celebrated clinching the American League East...
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Daniel Clark: Selecting the 25 to continue the journey

Daniel Clark: Selecting the 25 to continue the journey
As the 2014 regular season nears its completion, the focus for the Orioles now shifts to the playoffs and with that, decisions need to be made on what the American League Division Series roster will look like. Despite the injuries and suspensions sustained throughout the season, the Orioles have managed to find adequate replacements throughout the journey, helping to ensure the winning ways have been maintained. However, there are still some uncertainties remaining ahead of the playoffs, in...
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Jon Shepherd: Voices in the stands

Jon Shepherd: Voices in the stands
In 2007, I was where you are. I voraciously read about the Orioles and participated on message boards. My thoughts and discussions about baseball were largely limited to reacting to written pieces or the dizzying pace at the old Baltimore Sun Orioles forum. Perhaps different from you, I was becoming more and more a message board hero armed with a set of sabermetric concepts, but without much understanding of the underlying data science. As I became aware of my path to be an internet...
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Hungry puppy almost makes a meal out of O's playoff tickets

Hungry puppy almost makes a meal out of O's playoff tickets
Like many Orioles fans, Karl Breslaw had today's date circled on his calendar. He was awaiting the delivery of his postseason tickets, coveted ducats that would allow him to view his beloved Birds in the American League Division Series, maybe the American League Championship Series and, hopefully, their first World Series since 1983. There's only one problem: Breslaw briefly ignored the sound of the package being tossed onto his porch by a FedEx driver. And there were almost disastrous...
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Andrew Stetka: Sizing up the O's potential playoff foes

Andrew Stetka: Sizing up the O's potential playoff foes
In just over a week, the Orioles will dive into the postseason for the second time in three years. In 2012 there was a happy-to-be-here mindset, maybe not with the team, but definitely with the fan base. Things are different this time. There is an expectation. There won't be a one-game wild card playoff for the O's. They are guaranteed a five-game series in the American League Division Series and are going to have home field advantage. The only thing that remains unclear entering the final...
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Matthew Taylor: Seeing players as human beings

Matthew Taylor: Seeing players as human beings
The appeal of sports is built on emotion, and the past week has delivered plenty of it for Orioles fans. The highs and the lows have served to humanize the players for whom we cheer and have reminded me of how limited my perspective on them actually is. If there's a common thread for me between the elation provided by the O's clinching their first division title since 1997 and the disappointment produced by Chris Davis' suspension for Adderall use, it's this: Both moments afforded me a...
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Looking back at the O's celebration Tuesday

Looking back at the O's celebration Tuesday
The Orioles had a celebration for the books Tuesday. By taking down the Blue Jays in front of a roaring crowd of 35,257 fans, the O's clinched the American League East for the first time since 1997. The party began in the first inning on Steve Pearce's huge three-run homer, and then there was no turning back. Tommy Hunter got Ryan Goins to ground out to Pearce in the top of the ninth to end the game. The 8-2 win was in the books, and the celebration started. The team flooded the field and...
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O's music video pledge: "We Won't Stop"

O's music video pledge: "We Won't Stop"
Ever since its debut on the Diamond Vision scoreboard at Camden Yards on Friday, we've gotten a lot of requests for the "We Won't Stop" music video, the Orioles' thank you to their faithful fans that also serves as the team's anthem heading into the postseason. You've asked repeatedly for it. On Twitter. In the comments sections of our blogs. During our Facebook chats. During the wild celebration after Tuesday night's clincher, more than a few fans asked me when we'd be posting the...
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Zach Wilt: Enjoying the DMV baseball renaissance

Zach Wilt: Enjoying the DMV baseball renaissance
I've spent most of the last 24 hours wondering if Tuesday night actually happened and have been quietly humming "We Won't Stop" to myself over and over. It's a catchy tune. After watching highlights on MLB.com and listening to the interviews here on MASNsports.com, I can confirm that it really wasn't a dream, Baltimore. The Orioles are American League East champions. Yes, that crazy night actually occurred. While my attention was focused solely on the festivities at Camden Yards on...
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Daniel Clark: AL East champion Orioles overcome doubters and adversity

Daniel Clark: AL East champion Orioles overcome doubters and adversity
The Orioles are the 2014 American League East champions - it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? As I sit here writing - some 10,201 miles away from the wild scenes of celebration last night at Camden Yards - I can't help but think how appropriate the following quote is with respect to the Orioles' 2014 season, a season that has seen the team win just its ninth division title in 60 years and its first since 1997. "Everyone is handed adversity in life. No one's journey is easy. It's how...
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Jon Shepherd: Responsibly addressing baseball's drug problem

Jon Shepherd: Responsibly addressing baseball's drug problem
Last week, an emotionally charged issue came back full-speed as the Orioles were calmly tying up the American League East. Chris Davis was suspended for 25 games for using an amphetamine without a doctor's note. The amphetamine in question, Adderall, is a fairly common one used to treat individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A little over 10 percent of major league players use the drug fairly because they have applied to use it. That number may seem high, but it resides...
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Andrew Stetka: Orioles on the verge of something magic

Andrew Stetka: Orioles on the verge of something magic
As long as you haven't been living under a rock over the past week or so, you'd know that it was a pretty awful week in sports. Stories of off-the-field issues and injuries polluted the news landscape and made us all feel pretty down. Most of this horrible news was confined to the NFL, but some leaked its way into baseball, including Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton getting hit in the face with a pitch and being hospitalized and Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon making a rude gesture at his own...
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Matthew Taylor: Showalter has changed his own script in Baltimore

Matthew Taylor: Showalter has changed his own script in Baltimore
The Orioles haven't been doing much according to script since Buck Showalter arrived in town. Now, amid the euphoria of three consecutive winning seasons and what's turning into a runaway division title, the team's first since 1997, it's worth noting that Showalter himself is off script. He was supposed to have worn out his welcome by now; instead, his team is having its best year under his discerning watch. Showalter built three winners prior to his arrival in Baltimore, two of them...
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Horse named after Markakis triumphs at Laurel Park

Horse named after Markakis triumphs at Laurel Park
We all know Nick Markakis has some kind of glove. What about yesterday's diving grab at Fenway Park that kept Wei-Yin Chen's perfect game intact, or the game-saving grab at the wall at U.S. Cellular Field last month? Yep, Markakis can flash the leather. But Markakis also has some pretty impressive closing speed. What's that? You say Markakis has only stolen four bases this season, six in the last three seasons and has only reached double digits in swipes twice in his nine-year career? Or...
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Zach Wilt: Dominance of Red Sox erases memories of flops in Fenway

Zach Wilt: Dominance of Red Sox erases memories of flops in Fenway
I don't have the greatest of memories, but I vividly remember exactly what I did on June 30, 2009. It was another difficult season for my beloved Orioles, who were already seven games under .500 and losing 9-1 to the Boston Red Sox when a rain delay paused the game in the top of the fifth inning. My girlfriend, now wife, convinced me to stop watching and go out to dinner with her as the summer storm rolled through the city. We opted to pick crabs in Towson on that Tuesday evening, and out of...
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Daniel Clark: Untimely errors may cost Orioles AL's top seed

Daniel Clark: Untimely errors may cost Orioles AL's top seed
Holding onto a 10-game division lead with a postseason berth looking more likely each day, the focus for many Orioles fans is now shifting toward whether or not their team can claim the American League's No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs. Currently, the Angels hold possession of this, four games ahead of the 85-59 Orioles. While there are many variables within each game that ultimately decide the result, the number of errors committed in the field and the impact they have is a variable,...
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Jon Shepherd: Does Chris Tillman qualify as an ace?

Jon Shepherd: Does Chris Tillman qualify as an ace?
Should we now be referring to Chris Tillman as an ace? Well, it depends on what you mean. In the past, I have found that the most contentious part of the discussion is trying to define what it means to be an ace. Some like to think an ace is the best pitcher on a team, but that definition has some trouble. For example, think about the Diamondbacks with Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. They certainly were both aces. Others like to think of an ace as being one of the best 30 pitchers in...
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Andrew Stetka: Will homers help O's sink or swim?

Andrew Stetka: Will homers help O's sink or swim?
We've all heard the saying "chicks dig the longball," and if that's the case, the Orioles must have a ton of female fans. Frankly, I think guys dig the longball just as much. It's exciting, and we men enjoy excitement, too. The Orioles have finished in baseball's top five in home runs every year since 2011. They led MLB last season with 212 bombs and are out in front this year with 188. There's another saying that says you live and die by the home run. When things are going well and...
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