Zach Wilt: O's playoff fortunes are in their own hands

Zach Wilt: O's playoff fortunes are in their own hands
Could there possibly be a better slogan for the Orioles right now than "Buckle Back Up"? If there is, I can't think of one. The O's are in the driver's seat with 13 games remaining in the 2013 season. They're currently two games back of the second wild card spot and tonight they open up a seven game road trip with three in Fenway Park against the firs- place Red Sox and four in St. Petersburg, Fla., against the wild card hopeful Rays. Yeah, "Buckle Back Up." Hopefully, you're strapped...
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Domenic Vadala: Defining success and failure

Domenic Vadala: Defining success and failure
I live tweet every Orioles game for Birds Watcher, and I monitor Twitter for all things Orioles on a daily basis. (If you're not into Twitter, I highly recommend it.) One thing I gather from seeing the opinions of some Orioles fans is that this season is a complete and utter failure if the team doesn't qualify for the postseason. In a way, I can understand those sentiments on the part of fans, as Baltimore got a reminder of what meaningful late-season and postseason games were like last...
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Matthew Taylor: After excruciating loss, remembering better times

Matthew Taylor: After excruciating loss, remembering better times
The Orioles won't win the division this year, but on this day in 1969, they clinched the first American League East title. After a loss to Washington by the defending World Series champion Detroit Tigers gave them the division, the O's went out and beat Cleveland 10-5 for good measure, their seventh win in what would become a season-best eight-game winning streak. The win extended the O's division lead to 18 1/2 with 17 games remaining. Baseball had no divisions - only a 10-team AL and a...
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Andrew Stetka: It's time to burn baseball's unwritten rule book

Andrew Stetka: It's time to burn baseball's unwritten rule book
You hear about it all the time. Baseball's list of unwritten rules is the most discussed thing in the game that doesn't even exist. Most know what rules are on the list. What most don't know is that there is a reason that these rules aren't real. It's because these rules are pointless. Joe Girardi's little tirade on Monday night at Camden Yards brought this issue to the forefront. The Yankees manager accused Orioles third base coach Bobby Dickerson of stealing signs, which is one of...
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Neal Shaffer: Thinking about Cal Ripken Jr. as O's return to prominence

Neal Shaffer: Thinking about Cal Ripken Jr. as O's return to prominence
The other day I got to thinking about Cal Ripken. I've got this old baseball. In great shape, still in the Rawlings box. Model RO-A. "Official American League Baseball" from back when the American and National Leagues were separate entities. "Cushioned Cork Center," it says. Emblazoned with the script signature mark of then-AL president Bobby Brown. I'm not actually sure when or how I got the ball. It must have arrived shortly after my family moved to Maryland in '88, right around the...
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Zach Wilt: Matt Wieters and the stats that matter

Zach Wilt: Matt Wieters and the stats that matter
OK, I'll admit it - I'm a bit of a stat nerd. As much as I'd like to, I don't have a scout's eye for the baseball. The numbers help to tell me who's performing well and who isn't and my love of statistics is a big part of the reason I'm obsessed with this game. For instance, Adam Jones' 31-homer, 102-RBI season tells me he's one of the game's best center fielders. No one at his position has more home runs or RBIs by a longshot. Somehow, Jones' offensive outburst in 2013 has been...
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Things get heated in the race for the playoffs

Things get heated in the race for the playoffs
At the start of Monday night's game, the Orioles were two games back in the wild card race with the Yankees on their tail, 2 1/2 games back. With the playoff race coming down to the wire, emotions were bound to spark. We saw that happen as Buck Showalter had to be retrained by the umpire while arguing with Joe Girardi before the second inning began. It is still unclear as to what exactly the altercation was about. Because we needed another reason to keep our eyes peeled to this series...
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Domenic Vadala: Do the Orioles embrace winning?

Domenic Vadala: Do the Orioles embrace winning?
I read an article in USA Today last week about the Pittsburgh Pirates and how they clinched their first non-losing season in 20 years. For beginners, hats off to them. That's a feeling with which Orioles fans can certainly identify after last year, although the Orioles' streak was halted before it reached 20 - or 15 for that matter. For the most part, I feel that the players and coaches have taken this somewhat in stride. However there was one quote in the article that stood out to...
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Matthew Taylor: A history lesson of hope and uncertainty

Matthew Taylor: A history lesson of hope and uncertainty
Call it a baseball revival. Long-suffering franchises are seeing the light after extended periods of darkness. But after the emotion of the moment passes, will fans keep the faith? The Orioles entered the winning tent last year after 14 consecutive losing seasons. The Pittsburgh Pirates followed suit this week, ending their worst-in-any-sport streak of 20 consecutive losing seasons when they won their 81st game. Baseball is fun again in both cities. Or at least I think it is. The Orioles'...
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Carefirst Adam Jones Fan Challenge

Carefirst Adam Jones Fan Challenge
Each year, MASN gives fans the opportunity to challenge Adam Jones to a competition of their choice. After receiving all of the submissions, Jones hand picks three challenges for fans to vote on. This year, fans voted for 7-year old Parker Duke, as he challenged the O's outfielder to a donut-eating contest. The stage was set. With a dozen donuts in hand, Adam greeted Parker in the Orioles dugout. When it was all said and done, it was less about the competition and more about the experience...
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"Hakuna Machado" - what a wonderful phrase!

"Hakuna Machado" - what a wonderful phrase!
It's the latest craze! Since Manny Machado has reached the majors, we've seen "Hakuna Machado" signs and shirts in the stands at Camden Yards. Now, thanks to the MLB Fan Cave, Manny's nickname was made official with its own music video. With appearances from J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones, Tommy Hunter, Boog Powell, Jim Hunter, Mike Bordick, Orioles fans and even Machado himself, MLB Fan Cave's video proves that "Hakuna Machado" is a wonderful phrase. Your browser does not support iframes.
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Andrew Stetka: Baltimore's inferiority complex is showing again

Andrew Stetka: Baltimore's inferiority complex is showing again
It's no secret that Baltimore sports fans have a bit of a chip on their shoulders. Whether you root for the Orioles, or both the O's and the Super Bowl champion Ravens, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The national media doesn't seem to respect the Orioles in the same way as it does some other teams. Part of it could be understood after a long string of consecutive losing seasons. Then again, I've seen the Pittsburgh Pirates glorified in the media over the past few days as they end...
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Neal Shaffer: A resolution to embrace city's sports success

Neal Shaffer: A resolution to embrace city's sports success
It's September again. And Baltimore, let's agree, is a great autumn city. It's harsh in the depths of summer and winter, but fall is our reward for enduring both. This is a place for when things get just cold enough for a sweater at night. That's when we're at our best. In terms of sports, "at our best" in fall also meant, for many years, "the Ravens are back." But we're in year two now of the September experiment, when the Orioles remain relevant even as the NFL settles in to...
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Zach Wilt: Focusing on September, and September only

Zach Wilt: Focusing on September, and September only
"September's an eternity." - Buck Showalter In a lot of ways, September feels like it lasts forever. As August concludes, so too does my favorite time of year as those seemingly long summer days grow shorter and shorter. Kids are back in school, the Baltimore humidity begins to subside (it will soon, I promise) and I start to brace myself for the cold winter that will greet us in what seems like a matter of days. I don't think Buck Showalter was talking about my animosity towards the...
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September brings new prizes from MASN's "Touch 'Em All" Orioles Rewards

September brings new prizes from MASN's "Touch 'Em All" Orioles Rewards
Launched in July, MASN has been rewarding its top fans on social media with exclusive Orioles prizes. By sharing Facebook posts, retweeting our writers, tagging Instagram pictures with #masnOrioles and more, fans have earned points, which at the end of the month, accumulated and earned them signed gear from their favorite Orioles. Well, this month is no different. Signed Adam Jones baseballs and a bat autographed by the center fielder are on deck for September. Be sure to sign up for "Touch...
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Domenic Vadala: O's not standing pat in pursuit of postseason

Domenic Vadala: O's not standing pat in pursuit of postseason
I appeared on a New York podcast late last week to talk Orioles-Yankees going into the weekend. Out of the 45 minutes of questions they asked, two stood out: Will the Orioles make a move before the waiver trade deadline, and which player(s) are you watching the closest as the pennant race heats up and the season winds down. My answer to question one was that indeed I did believe the Birds would make a deal. My response to the second question was that whoever the Orioles did pick up in a trade...
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Matthew Taylor: Comparing 2012 and 2013 in terms of bullpens and bats

Matthew Taylor: Comparing 2012 and 2013 in terms of bullpens and bats
How are the 2013 Orioles different from the 2012 Orioles? If you answered that the bullpen isn't as good this year, you're right. If you said this year's team doesn't hit as well with runners in scoring position, you're wrong. And if you concluded that this year's team is a heavier hitting bunch, you're both right and wrong. Let's address each one in order. First, the bullpen. The 2012 Orioles bullpen was lights-out while the 2013 version is more of a dimmer switch. O's...
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Andrew Stetka: The future of Brian Roberts

Andrew Stetka: The future of Brian Roberts
The Orioles are going to have a couple of interesting decisions to make going into the offseason. I'm not for a second proclaiming the Birds out of the running for a postseason berth, but whether there is October baseball in Baltimore or not, the offseason will come about. The lineup seems pretty set for this team going into 2014. Aside from finding an everyday designated hitter (if that's something the team wants to do), only two positions are really up in the air - left field and second...
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Neal Shaffer: A tale of coming close

Neal Shaffer: A tale of coming close
If given the choice, how would you want to fail? Failing miserably - which is to say not even being in the mix for whatever you're after - sucks. On balance, though, it's better than coming up just short. Failure itself is absolute. The final marker is always either "you did" or "you didn't." Within that construct, however, there exists a hierarchy. One that has little bearing on the end results but plays a major role in how we feel about them. Coming close hurts because it teases...
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Zach Wilt: Make or break stretch ahead for O's

Zach Wilt: Make or break stretch ahead for O's
On Friday, I opened up my mailbox to see an envelope from the Orioles with my season ticket holder postseason order form. This was both exciting and nerve-racking as a guy who has experienced the many highs and lows of the 2013 season to date. I want my money to go toward more games this season, not a down payment for 2014. It's funny how quickly spoiled the Orioles have made me after having such low expectations for the majority of my life. This time last year, I was counting down the games...
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