orioles buzz

McGowan steps down, O's begin search for new voice at Camden Yards

December 21, 2011, 3:46pm

Orioles

McGowan steps down, O's begin search for new voice at Camden Yards

Here's another change for the 20th anniversary season at Camden Yards: The Orioles are searching for a new voice to replace veteran public address announcer David McGowan, who has announced he will step down from his duties after 14 seasons. "It is with great sadness that I must step down as public address announcer due to a career change," McGowan said in a team-issued statement. "I feel so fortunate to have played even a small role in helping Orioles fans enjoy major league baseball in...

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FanFest autograph vouchers to go on sale Jan. 7

December 20, 2011, 7:07am

Orioles

FanFest autograph vouchers to go on sale Jan. 7

FanFest autograph vouchers will go on sale Saturday, Jan. 7 at 10 a.m. at www.orioles.com. A preview of the sessions will be available at the team Web site no later than 9 p.m. on Jan. 6 to allow fans to plan for the next morning's purchase. Details regarding the number of autograph vouchers available, the cost, and more will be announced shortly after Jan. 1 by the team. Just as last year, when the new autograph procedures debuted, all proceeds generated from the sale of autograph vouchers...

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Camden Yards enhancements will yield a different view of the game

December 19, 2011, 7:47am

Orioles

Camden Yards enhancements will yield a different view of the game

You already knew that the Orioles would honor their six members of the Baseball Hall of Fame with statues in a newly configured picnic area in center field at Camden Yards. We told you so last month, right here on Orioles Buzz. But today, the Orioles announced a slew of other improvements to Camden Yards, with an eye toward enhancing the fan experience at the ballpark that has been often imitated but never duplicated. You can read all about the changes that will be implemented for the 2012...

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As promised, Brooks Robinson has visited bronze likeness

December 05, 2011, 2:40pm

Orioles

As promised, Brooks Robinson has visited bronze likeness

DALLAS - Back in October, when he was overcome with emotion at the unveiling of a nine-foot bronze statue of himself on a plaza between Russell Street and Washington Boulevard that now bears his name, Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson told reporters that he planned to sneak back and take a look at his likeness when all the hubbub died down. Fat chance, right? Like Robinson could quietly walk around the slab of concrete outside Pickles Pub and not be noticed? He's a Baltimore deity,...

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To celebrate 20th anniversary of Camden Yards, 20 prizes in 20 days

December 02, 2011, 7:41am

Orioles

To celebrate 20th anniversary of Camden Yards, 20 prizes in 20 days

Who doesn't like to win something? Who doesn't love Camden Yards? Well, the 20th anniversary of the iconic ballpark and the opportunity to land some cool prizes will intersect in January. That's when the Orioles and Delaware North Sportservice will combine to award 20 prizes in 20 days to mark the 20th anniversary of the ballpark that forever changed baseball. Here are some of the prizes up for grabs: * Free season tickets for the 2012 season * The opportunity to throw out a ceremonial...

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O's slate FanFest for Jan. 21 at Convention Center

December 02, 2011, 5:55am

Orioles

O's slate FanFest for Jan. 21 at Convention Center

It's official, the date you've been waiting for to plan your late-January social calendar. Mark it down. Jan. 21 is FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center. It'll run from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (but if you're a season ticket plan holder, you can enter an hour earlier, at 10 a.m., because of your Orange Carpet perks). The Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau is the presenting sponsor of the event, a day-long celebration of baseball in Baltimore that will include everything an Oriole-centric...

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Dec. 1 live video chat to preview O's and Winter Meetings

November 27, 2011, 3:45pm

Orioles

Dec. 1 live video chat to preview O's and Winter Meetings

By this time next week, all of baseball's movers and shakers will be settling into their Dallas hotel suites. They'll be prepping for four days of wheeling and dealing, negotiations and signings, offers and counter-offers - all bent on making their clubs better for the 2012 campaign. The Orioles, with executive vice president Dan Duquette at the helm, will be no different. They are hoping that what's done at the Winter Meetings in Dallas - whether it's the resolution of plans hatched at...

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O's to honor six Hall of Famers with bronze statues inside Camden Yards

November 16, 2011, 10:00am

Orioles

O's to honor six Hall of Famers with bronze statues inside Camden Yards

Remember those rumblings about the Orioles doing something more concrete at Camden Yards to honor their six Hall of Famers? Turns out those plans are finally out in the open - and the finished products will be in bronze. A club source has confirmed the Orioles will erect bronze statues of their players enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. - Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Earl Weaver, Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr. - in an area beyond the bullpen...

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Celebrities get some new-look O's swag

November 16, 2011, 10:30am

Orioles

This week's announcement of changes in the Orioles' uniforms for 2012 - most notably the return of orange jerseys and caps bearing the smiling visage of the cartoon bird - has been overwhelmingly well received. And those new-look lids are going to pop up on some A-list celebrities in short order. The club timed its announcement with a Tuesday morning delivery of the retro-style caps to about a dozen or so celebrities with ties to Baltimore and/or the Orioles. Actor Josh Charles, who spoke so...

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Video blog: Diplomatic mission nearing end, Ripken reflects on trek to Japan

November 15, 2011, 7:39am

Orioles

Video blog: Diplomatic mission nearing end, Ripken reflects on trek to Japan

Cal Ripken Jr.'s diplomatic mission is Japan is almost over. But before he jets back to the United States, the Iron Man will host a live chat via Livestream on Facebook at 7 p.m. tonight. Fans are encouraged to submit questions in advance, and those without access to Facebook can access the chat here. Here is Ripken's last blog post from Japan, and his final video blog entry appears below.

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Video blog: Ripken, Japanese Iron Man work with youth players in Kyoto

November 14, 2011, 2:52pm

Orioles

Video blog: Ripken, Japanese Iron Man work with youth players in Kyoto

What's better than one Iron Man? How about a pair? Cal Ripken Jr., baseball's all-time leader in consecutive games played, hosted his final youth clinic in Japan on Monday. He was joined by Sachio Kinugasa, who holds the record for durability in the Japanese league and has become a friend of Ripken. Kinugasa has accompanied Ripken and his entourage through their diplomatic mission in Japan, and Monday's clinic came in his hometown of Kyoto. Kinugasa led today's clinic and handed out...

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Video blog: Sight of ravaged Japanese region hits home with Ripken (updated)

November 12, 2011, 6:43am

Orioles

Video blog: Sight of ravaged Japanese region hits home with Ripken (updated)

Seven hours north of Tokyo, lies Ofunato, the area most heavily damaged by March's Japanese earthquake and tsunami. That's where Cal Ripken Jr., on a diplomatic mission sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, and his former Orioles teammate Brady Anderson traveled yesterday to survey the devastation and connect with children from this ravaged region. "I can't fathom what took place here," Ripken said, adding that he was looking forward to conducting a clinic for youths in the area. The...

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Ripken visits site of Japanese earthquake, tusnami

November 11, 2011, 9:39am

Orioles

Ripken visits site of Japanese earthquake, tusnami

Cal Ripken Jr. continued his diplomatic tour of Japan today, visiting Ofunato, the area hardest hit by the March earthquake and tsunami. You can read Ripken's reflections here, and MASNsports.com will post a YouTube video tomorrow of his trip to the region. Ripken wrote in his blog that nothing prepared him for the devastation he saw - photos in the slideshow bear out the incredible level of destruction in the area - and that he hoped the clinics planned for Japanese children would help the...

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Video blog: Ripken goes back to his teaching roots for appreciative charges in Japan

November 09, 2011, 12:21pm

Orioles

Video blog: Ripken goes back to his teaching roots for appreciative charges in Japan

Cal Ripken Jr.'s diplomatic mission to Japan continued today with what the Iron Man most enjoys: the opportunity to teach the game he loves. Ripken and former Orioles teammate Brady Anderson were joined by Sachio Kinugasa, Japan's version of Ripken as far as consecutive games played, and MLB Asia's Jim Small on a couple of clinics for girls and boys in Tokyo. You can read Ripken's written blog here. In this YouTube video, Ripken works with the kids and then critiques their...

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Video blog: Ripken arrives in Japan, attends welcome reception

November 08, 2011, 1:20pm

Orioles

Video blog: Ripken arrives in Japan, attends welcome reception

Cal Ripken Jr. has arrived in Japan, where he's participating in a diplomatic mission from through Nov. 16. Ripken, who serves as a U.S. Public Diplomacy Envoy, was feted at a reception at the U.S. Embassy, where he learned more about Tomodachi, a joint initiative between the United States and Japan to help the victims of March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan. In Japanese, Tomodachi means "friend." You can read Ripken's written blog here. Here's a video segment detailing Ripken's...

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Dan Duquette brings extensive resume to Baltimore

November 08, 2011, 7:21am

Orioles

Dan Duquette brings extensive resume to Baltimore

This morning, the Orioles introduced their new executive vice president of baseball operations, former Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox GM Dan Duquette. It's fair to say the public's reaction, at least so far, has been mixed. In fact, after nearly a decade spent away from Major League Baseball, the question most people are asking is ... who is this guy? A more detailed timeline is below, but in its most basic terms, here's Duquette's history in the game of baseball: 1981-87: Scout,...

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Baseball ambassador Cal Ripken Jr. heads to Japan on diplomatic mission

November 07, 2011, 6:26am

Orioles

Baseball ambassador Cal Ripken Jr. heads to Japan on diplomatic mission

In Baltimore, we know Cal Ripken Jr. as The Iron Man. This week, he takes on a different moniker: baseball ambassador. From Nov. 8-16, Ripken will take participate in a diplomatic mission through Japan, where he will conduct baseball and softball clinics in Tokyo, Takarazuka and Kyoto. Officially, Ripken will be functioning as a U.S. Public Diplomacy Envoy, a State Department position that allows him to assume role of sports diplomat. This is the third trip Ripken has taken in this capacity....

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O's Hunter pitches in as HBO's "Veep" shoots at Camden Yards

November 04, 2011, 6:01pm

Orioles

O's Hunter pitches in as HBO's "Veep" shoots at Camden Yards

Mix politics and baseball, says Orioles pitcher Tommy Hunter, and you've got the potential for some awkwardness. At least that's what Hunter gleaned from a day at Camden Yards earlier this week, portraying himself in an episode of the forthcoming HBO comedy "Veep." Hunter, teammate Jake Arrieta and other O's staffers spent almost six hours on the ballpark field shooting an episode that will air next March, when the O's are at spring training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarastota, Fla. The TV...

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In "The Home Team," Bready labored to preserve Baltimore baseball history

November 01, 2011, 8:58am

Orioles

In "The Home Team," Bready labored to preserve Baltimore baseball history

Because of a death in the family, I reconnected with an old friend this morning. Seeing news that longtime Baltimore newspaperman and author James H. Bready had died at 92 on Saturday made me long for the pre-Internet days when baseball hungry minds had to crack open a book if they wanted to learn a batting average, ERA or the principals in a trade. Bready wrote one of the best tomes to Orioles baseball, "The Home Team," an oversized paperback - thin by today's standards - that holds a...

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What if Gary Thorne called a walk-off World Series homer ...

October 28, 2011, 1:03pm

Orioles

What if Gary Thorne called a walk-off World Series homer ...

Well, he did - just not for the Orioles. The venerable MASN play-by-play man, whose home run calls pack so much unbridled joy and enthusiasm into mere seconds, is working for ESPN during the Fall Classic, calling games for ESPN International, which distributes the World Series games to a worldwide audience. Fans get the games in three languages - English, Spanish and Portugese - throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East and via ESPN America throughout Europe. Thorne...