MASNblogs Archive
O's players have been supportive of manager Dave Trembley pretty much from the first day he got the job as O's skipper. That support continues today and several players on Friday provided their thoughts on the skipper's contract extension. ...
When the Orioles drafted catcher Matt Wieters with the 5th overall pick in the 2007 draft, they knew they were getting a special player. He was the top rated position player in the draft; he's a switch hitter with power; and he understands what it takes to be a ...
So I'm sitting here watching the game, and it's almost unbearable. I know I am beating the proverbial dead horse, but come on; our pitching is downright horrible. There is no way to sugarcoat this, our pitching staff has the worst ERA in the league. That's right; we just surpassed ...
A few years back, I was at a minor league baseball game with my nephew. The Portland Seadogs were losing and the middle-inning promotional entertainment had lulled by the fifth. My nephew asked me who 'the fat guy in the suit' was? I was about to answer Santa Claus, when ...
Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast today, and Oriole pitcher Lance Cormier had a reason to keep an eye on the news. Cormier is a Louisiana native, and his parents, grandparents and sister still live in LaFayette, LA. He excused himself from our discussion in the clubhouse to call ...
With due respect to all of those who are trying so hard to find a way to help, I applaud your efforts. I have been around here and other places for a long time, and I've seen all the changes that have occurred in this game. God only knows ...
There have been some really well articulated speeches made the last few days on the national stage at the Democratic National Convention. But the most entertaining public speaker I have seen has been Dave Trembley and his series of press conferences during the White Sox series. The emotional roller coaster ...
A lot is said about the Nats' role as a spoiler. With the Dodgers on their heels, the Nats look to figure prominently into the postseason races. With six games each against the Phillies, Marlins, and Mets, the Nats will serve to make the NL East race very interesting. If ...
Well I know what you all must be saying after this last homestand. Here they go again! But dont dispair, things aren't as bad as they seem. The win/loss record isn't going to change that much from last year, but as for the team, a lot of good things ...
Manny Acta Pitches in... Nats Skipper Manny Acta spent part of his morning on Wednesday packing and delivering meals along with Food and Friends, a partner of the Capitol Area Food Bank to some local folks in need of it. Manny said his community service commitment is the easiest ...
A lot of Nats fans are disappointed in the season so far, but I feel like there are at least 3 reasons to be excited for the next year. Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge have proven that they are big league ballplayers. Had it not been for injuries, they would ...
The Orioles could be in quite a jam for the Tampa series. Dave Trembley said he's going to piece together rotations series by series for the rest of the year. That's how dire the starting pitching situation has gotten. If Daniel Cabrera is not healthy, the situation gets even ...
On August 2nd, facing the Seattle Mariners, Adam "Bubble Gum" Jones fouled a ball off his foot, landing him on the 15-day disabled list with a broken left foot. It has been 3 and a half weeks since his injury and he has begun to work out and take BP ...
Judging by the performance of the Nationals' bullpen in game one of their three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the ballclub's future looks bright for next season. With Joe Torre's club trying to overtake the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West, Washington slowed down the LA express with ...
A few hours before game two of the O's-White Sox series at Camden Yards, Buck Martinez took a few minutes to sit down with MASN's Carolyn Wiedel to discuss the state of the O's. He talks about Andy MacPhail's goal of changing the baseball culture in Baltimore through rebuilding ...
On another Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards, Brian Roberts took his seat on the dugout to check in with his fans. This week, he touches on the state of the O's and his own personal goals as the season starts to wind down, as well as the excitement of ...
It's been two weeks since I've touched base with you, and a lot has changed for the Nats during that time. The ballclub has suffered through an 0-6 homestand and a 12-game losing streak; they've been to Philadelphia and Chicago and grabbed a couple of wins along the way. ...
At the beginning of August, Adam Jones went down with an injury when he fouled a ball off of his left foot. Who would have thought that this could end up being a good thing for the Orioles? Now, hear me out. Of course I don't think an injury to ...
Kevin Millar brought up an interesting point before last night's game against the White Sox. He and I were talking about the difference between being a last place team [as the Orioles are], and being an easy team to beat; which the Orioles are not. ...
I recently had a chance to sit down with Nationals team president Stan Kasten to talk about his favorite subject, the Nationals and its Fans. We also touched on the search for future hitters, the stadium naming rights and the Nats youth movement guiding them into 2009. ...
More Baseball for Manny How much does Manny Acta like baseball? So much that after yesterday's win over the Cubs, he headed across town to see the White Sox host the Rays. He sat in the family section and got a good feel for how the fans watch the ...
Introducing The Cheap Seats Blog on MASNsports.com: Read more about the newest cast of characters blogging for you from The Cheap Seats [link to Intro]Also check out the entire archive of Cheap Seats blog posts [link to archive] The Orioles' pitching staff has had its share of problems this year. ...
It's an anniversary today. I hope they get Dave Trembley something better than they got him last year. The trade deadline came and went. There was no fire sale. And since then, the Orioles' offense has been one of the best in baseball. Yet the O's have taken the keys ...
Andy MacPhail has made it the Orioles' number one organizational priority: develop pitching. This season 23 different pitchers have appeared in games for the Orioles, several with little or no Major League experience. The opportunity is there. And pitching coach Rick Kranitz hopes the pitchers take advantage of it ...
We'll know by the end of tonight's game who will be the Orioles starter for the series opener against the Yankees this Friday. Dave Trembley said he'll make an announcement in his post game press conference. Popular belief [which is known to be dead wrong] is that Radhames Liz ...
One day after O's closer George Sherrill was placed on the disabled list, Rick Dempsey took a few minutes to discuss how Sherrill's injury will affect the rest of the O's pitching staff. With Jim Johnson filling in as the O's closer in Sherrill's absence, Dempsey gives his take ...
Red Hot Ronnie Ronnie Belliard has done an outstanding job filling in for the injured Cristian Guzman. In the month of August he's hitting .440. Last night he collected four hits against the Phillies, including his 300th career double. Yesterday Guzman took batting practice and he told me he's ...
Before the O's "big day"--team picture day that is, as Brian joked, he took some time to sit down with his fans once again. This week he previews the O's upcoming series against Boston and New York and talks about the team's hot hitting, as well as the team ...
Melvin Mora has been named American League Co-Player of the Week along with Javier Vasquez. Mora has had a career week batting .563 with three homers and 13 RBI. Here's how hot Mora has been: Yesterday, as the team and staff boarded the Orioles bus from Tigers Stadium to ...
As we were getting ready to leave Comerica Field after the Orioles' bats exploded for 16 runs and 22 hits, Fred Manfra commented about Melvin Mora being so hot at the plate. "Have you ever seen anybody as hot as Melvin"? I kind of said, "Sure I have seen ...
I say good riddance to the Colorado Rockies! After taking 3 out of 4 from the Rocks in the mile high city, what, less than two weeks ago, MIlwaukee, the NY Mets and our friends from Colorado have played their best against Washington, while the Nationals have really fallen ...
Before heading to the studio to prepare for O's Xtra, Rick Dempsey stopped in the MASNsports.com web studio to talk about some issues he sees with the O's. Check out Rick's video blog where he highlights several Orioles with hot bats this season. And don't forget to submit your ...
Do you score baseball games when you attend in person? I always do. I have gone through softball scorebooks, game programs, even $1.00 scorecards over the years. I would even pay for a real pencil to be able to score the games. It was always important for me to ...
Orioles 2007 closer Chris Ray pitched a scoreless inning in Tuesday's rehab assignment with the Gulf Coast Orioles. Dave Trembley is pretty adamant that Ray won't pitch in the big leagues this season. He said he prefers to be conservative with Ray's recovery. The question that still remains is ...
There's nothing more entertaining than a well pitched Major League game, unless your team gets the big hit to upset the opponent's outing. And the Orioles have been getting more than their share of big hits. Did you know the O's have a team batting average .300 since the ...
When Jeremy Guthrie takes the mound Wednesday night against Cleveland it will be his first start against his former team. The Indians drafted Jeremy in the first round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft with the 22nd pick. The Indians had taken one of the best pitchers in the ...
Prior to the Orioles' game against the Indians, Brian Roberts called in to discuss the O's road trip and their starting rotation and, of course, to answer some of your questions. Listen to Brian talk about his plans for Brian's Baseball Bash, what baseball is like after eight years ...
I talked to Juan Castro before last night's game, and he told me he should be back in the lineup today. The shortstop was scratched from the lineup last night in Cleveland because he is still feeling pain in his strained left groin. He had the day off Sunday, ...
Willie Harris plays all out all the time. I really enoyed watching Willie play this weekend and noticed a lot about his work ethic through 4 games in Milwaukee. Harris works with video coordinator Tom Yost studying video of each of his at bats during the series and looking ...
Baseball fans always ask me, "What do you guys do on the road to keep busy?" That's a good question, because anyone who travels for a living knows that you can get stale really quickly if you don't stay active while working away from home. ...
Don't ever tell Manny Acta his ball club can play the role of spoilers for the remainder of the season! Don't even think of going there. Forgetting June and July is the best avenue to take and focusing on the great start the Nationals have had to begin August. ...
The Orioles are talking openly about the opportunities that will be afforded their young players over the next two months. The Chad Bradford assignment to Tampa Bay made it clear; the rebuilding plan is still in effect, and a number of prospects could get a look in the final ...
You could draw a picture of the human body and nearly all its parts would be represented by Nats injures. Starting with the leg, Elijah Dukes is out with a calf strain, and he suffered a knee injury earlier in the season, as well as a hamstring inury. ...
The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday the Clippers will not renew the Nationals' two year agreement and will let the deal expire September 1st. Ray Stein, sports editor for the Columbus Dispatch, told me this was pretty much a foregone conclusion. He said the Nationals were a "stop gap" between ...
After an exciting 3-0 win over the Angels, Brian Roberts took some time to call in to discuss the trade deadline coming and going with an O's team still intact, the allure of the old-time ballparks, and Chris Waters' memorable Major League debut, and of course, to answer a ...
Coming to you from Colorado, where the Nats looked great in game one Monday but not great in game two Tuesday. The flight from DC to Denver was a pleasant one Sunday night, as the Nationals had just swept a 3-game series at home for the first time this ...
The Orioles began this road trip with hopes of turning things around after a 4-7 homestand coming out of the All-Star break. And they have. The hitters have been effective with great at bats day in and day out. The approach has been to work the count, stay in ...
The best approach a Minor League prospect can take is to work on his game, continue to improve, and put up numbers. Prospects get noticed by success and consistency. Brad Bergesen of the Bowie Baysox is doing exactly that, and he is pitching his way toward the Major Leagues. ...
Ray Lewis takes on the NFL Who else is healthy and actually ready to play this season? Ravens camp started with a few roadblocks...an absent Suggs, no insurance that Ray Lewis will retire a Raven, and a questionable QB spot. Just a few days in, add injured tackles Adam ...
With a four-run first inning yesterday, the Nats posted multi-run first innings in four of the six games during the homestand for a total of 11 runs in the first. The Nats took batting practice again Sunday even though it was a day game after a night game. "It's ...
After winning on the road at the NY Mets way back in May, Jason is anxious to get a curly "W" in his home park. Bergmann was fairly pleased with his last outing against the Dodgers, a game similar to the last time he faced the Reds. Jason also ...
The Nats added talented SS Alberto Gonzalez at the trade deadline from the New York Yankees in exchange for pitcher Jhonny Nunez. The team also traded for 2B Emilio Bonifacio recently. Mike Rizzo, the Assistant General Manager for the Nats, knows Gonzalez and Bonifacio from his days in Arizona. ...
Outfielder Lastings Milledge returns to the lineup for the Nats after being out 20 games due to a right groin injury. I had a chance to chat with Milledge recently about his batting, defense, base stealing and the state of the team. ...
It was unanimous in the Yankee Stadium press box: Edwar Ramirez's "wild pitch" thrown at Kevin Millar's head Wednesday was intentional. The media knew it, Ramirez knew it, and the home plate umpire Mark Wegner knew it. That's why he did not hesitate to throw Ramirez out of the ...
In 2006, Nationals pitcher Tim Redding spent the entire season in the Minor Leagues in Charlotte. He went 9-5 with a 5.32 ERA. He wondered if he would ever get another chance to pitch in the Majors. ...
A pretty cool part of my gig at MASN is traveling to different cities with the Orioles. During the day, a lot of the players and staff take advantage of having days off and will walk around the city before heading to the park. In New York we stay ...
Apology Accepted. It was really great to see Chad Cordero visiting with Bob Carpenter and Ray Knight Saturday night in his hometown Los Angeles. Like me, weren't you waiting to see how Chad looked, how he talked? ...
Life on the road can be a grind in Major League baseball. The Nationals had another nail-biting loss on the road Friday night, 3-2 at Dodger Stadium. John Lannan pitched very well again but got little run support thanks to great pitching by the Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley. ...
Remember this time last year how frustrating it was to watch the Orioles play? Ground balls weren't run out. If they were trailing after the 6th inning, they almost always lost. Late inning rallies were something that happened on other ballclubs---not the Orioles. Even though the Orioles have lost ...
Bonifacio is a young player who is projected as a leadoff man and can be an every day second baseman. Arizona also considered him for outfield work, which shows his versatility. ...
I came across some interesting comments this week from Jim Bowden about the future of Chad Cordero. On an ESPN 980 radio interview this week, Bowden said that closer Chad Cordero would not be tendered a new contract. ...
The 1983 World Series Championship celebration last night was nicely done. I sat in a pre-game press conference with several members of the team including players I haven't seen or thought of since the 80's, such as Dan Ford and Jim Dwyer. Seeing those guys really brought back memories ...
Earlier this month Willie Harris visited the St. Coletta School for kids with severe mental disabilities and autism. He told me all players should have to make such visits and that taking time out of his schedule to interact with these youngsters made his day. ...
A funny story from Saturday's extra-inning win over the Tigers. As we all saw, Luke Scott hit the walk-off homer. As he approached home plate, he bowled his helmet toward his awaiting teammates. ...
Adam Jones is playing banged up. His ankle is sore after rolling it while running the bases on Friday, and his tailbone is sore from slamming into the centerfield wall yesterday; but he's still playing at the same level he did when he wasn't hurt. Jones is pretty tough. ...
Relaxing on defense I have to say, I'm a little perplexed by our defense as of late. I would love to see the Nats fire the ball to the plate from the outfield when there is any remote chance of a play at the plate, instead of running the ...
Hey Nats Fans, hope all is well and you are staying cool during these boiling (or broiling!) summer days! Jason Bergmann was solid Thursday against the Diamondbacks--you have to really feel like he is making progress in going after hitters. He gave up 4 solo homers last time against ...
Needless to say, the Orioles were eager to get out of Toronto last night, and it wasn't because the players were sick of doing the math it takes to convert American dollars to Canadian dollars. The buses leaving the Rogers Centre's loading docks filled up pretty shortly after the ...
Nationals All-Star shortstop Cristian Guzman said he was looking forward to heading to the Bronx for the 2008 All-Star Game. "It's the only game that day, so everyone is watching," he beamed after being asked about his second All-Star appearance. ...
Bonds Strikes Out in DC While speculation swirled around Nationals Park on Wednesday about the possibility of Barry Bonds joining the D-Backs, I had a chance to ask Jim Bowden if he'd consider bringing the all-time home run champ to the District. His response? An emphatic, "No!" Bowden added, ...
Over the weekend the struggling Roger Bernandina got some batting tips from the unlikeliest of sources: Nats closer Jon Rauch. "He noticed opposing pitchers are pounding the strike zone against me," Bernadina said. "He said I should get off the plate." ...
Twenty-three-year-old rookie pitcher Collin Balester said he's been getting some great one-on-one advice from a number of different Nationals personnel. He said Nats special assistant to the GM Jose Rijo has been helpful and so has pitching coach Randy St. Claire. ...
Your heart has to go out to Orioles southpaw Adam Loewen. The 24-year-old could be facing a career-ending injury. Tests done on his surgically repaired elbow are not good. He has reinjured the stress fracture in his throwing elbow that caused him to miss most of last season and ...
Nats reliever Joe Hanrahan is teaming up with the American Red Cross to raise money for the flood victims in the Midwest. He recently participated in an online auction to help those affected by the treacherous floods. ...
The Orioles say goodbye to one of their most successful Junes in the past 15 years on a down note. For the 2nd day in a row the ever so dominant closer George Sherrill paid for making a bad pitch, and the Orioles lost a heartbreaker 6-5 to the ...
It's easy to look at the Orioles' record and see just how different this year's team is from last year's, but it wasn't until last night that I realized how much the overall mentality of the entire club has changed. ...
Miguel Tejada returned to Camden Yards as an Astro last night and went 0-for. The Baltimore crowd didn't receive the former Oriole All-Star very well. From his first at-bat until his last, Tejada was booed by the crowd. It's understandable. Tejada made it clear he didn't want to be ...
So much for Friday the 13th. Last night Orioles magic took over on the unluckiest day of the year. I guess the Birds didn't get the memo that bad things were supposed to happen. The win over the Pirates was kind of ironic, considering last night was throwback night ...
Fenway Park is a tough place to play; that's what makes last night's 10-6 win over the Red Sox all the sweeter for the Orioles. The win ensures this 3-city road swing is a success. The worst the Birds can finish is 5-4. Yesterday was so hot in Boston, ...
I had a long chat with O's centerfielder Adam Jones in the Metrodome's visiting clubhouse yesterday. For the record, it is a 'clubhouse' in baseball---not a 'locker room'. I cringe when I see people in the media fail to make the distinction. It's sports journalism 101. Sorry---just a pet ...
Jeremy Guthrie must have broken a mirror or walked under a ladder or something. This kid just can't get a break. Last night he made his 10th quality start of the season (six or more innings pitched while giving up 3 earned runs or less) and still went home ...
What a perfect day for a ball game! Sunny, 80 degrees, hot peanuts, cold beer, and... Ravens running back, Willis McGahee? Dressed in orange? This Sunday I had the honor of attending Willis McGahee's ceremonial first pitch at Camden Yards. Willis was on hand to toss out the first ...
The Orioles have to be a little worn out. In talking to several veteran baseball writers, it's unanimous: never have they covered a team that has played in more close games so early in the season than the '08 O's. Fans definitely got their money's worth in the Yankees ...
I have to admit, I was skeptical that Garrett Olson would bounce back yesterday after a tough outing in New York last week. Maybe it derived from the fact that Olson looked like a deer in headlights last season as hitters smacked him around the park in limited appearances. ...
It's one thing to lose a game, but it's another thing to have the game taken from you by bad umpiring. That's what some could argue happened yesterday as the Orioles lost 2-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays. ...
The Orioles were never in the game last night as they lost 8-0 to the NY Yankees. It was a tough night for Garret Olson who struggled through 2.2 IP and gave up 6 runs. It was a hole the Orioles just couldn't climb out of. Bad nights in ...
There's nothing better than beating the Yankees 12-2 at Yankee Stadium. For so long The House that Ruth Built was a very intimidating place to play for the Orioles. It seemed every time the O's entered the Bronx the lack of talent on the O's rosters as compared to ...
The Orioles are now 2-0 in interleague play and that record is all the players care about. Coming into interleague play on Friday the media overanalyzed the fact that the O's were 79-114 in interleague play up until that point. Never has a statistic been more irrelevant than that ...
Daniel Cabrera is becoming a dominant force to be reckoned with. His intimidating presence on the mound coupled with his newfound control is a nasty combination. He pitched a complete game last night and with every start it seems his reputation around the league grows. He's the one player ...
Wily Mo Pena told me he and Miguel Tejada have talked hitting for years. The two often chatted when playing in the American League (Red Sox and Orioles respectively). They even played together on a team back in their homeland of the Dominican Republic. ...
About six months ago, while broadcasting the Willis McGahee show from Michael's Pub in Columbia, a fortuneteller of sorts shot me a text during a break. We had been discussing the ins and outs of the upcoming 2008 NFL draft and who we thought Ozzie would choose in the ...
Good news; the Orioles could have lefty starter Adam Loewen back on the mound as early as next month. The southpaw met with world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews Sunday to determine the source of pain in his elbow and forearm. ...
After seeing the L.A. Angels up close this past weekend, I'll tell you---they're good. Their starting pitching is dominating, and their offense is powerful. Heading to Angels Stadium on Sunday, I ran into a baseball executive who said he believes they're the best all-around ballclub this year in the ...
Jeremy Guthrie said he wasn't even watching when George Sherrill came in to close in the 9th inning last night for the Orioles. Guthrie (the starter) was in the clubhouse, with the TVs off because he couldn't bear to watch. He told his teammates, "just let me know when ...
The Orioles left town last night on a 2-game losing streak, and that's never the way ball club wants to leave for a road trip. The truth is, the Tampa Bay Rays are a very good team with offensive power top to bottom, a dominant bullpen and speed---from defensive ...
The Orioles are home sweet home; for 2-and-a-half days at least. The 7-day road trip felt more like a 10-day road trip, and you can bet; the players are sleeping-in this morning. Lost planes, 7am arrivals, rain outs, split doubleheaders, 5-hours wasted waiting on rain delays, and an 11-inning ...
2 Red Bulls into the day and keeping my eyes open through Saturday's double header was still impossible. After arriving with the team in Chicago at 7am Friday morning, sitting through 3-hours of a rain delay on Friday night only to have the game postponed, and battling through a ...
Of all the numbers that Daniel Cabrera throws at you - and the most astonishing up to this point in his career have involved his height, the miles-per-hour on his fastball and his loss total from last season - here's one that jumps out at me like the living ...
Ahhhh---so that's the Daniel Cabrera Alex Rodriguez was talking about when 2-years ago the 3-time MVP told me Cabrera is unhittable. Last night's 3-2 win over the Mariners was thanks in part to two things: an 8th inning home run by Nick Markakis, and a beautiful pitching performance by ...
Jeremy Guthrie did everything pitching coach Rick Kranitz asked of him last night. In search of his first win on the year, Guthrie use his fastball effective and pitched into the 8th inning. He entered the inning responsible for just 1ER. No Orioles starter to date had made it ...
The Glass is Half Full...Before Sunday's game in Miami I had a chat with Nats hitting coach Lenny Harris. He said he's been working diligently with the hitters watching video and taking extra hitting in the cages. He's convinced his players will snap out of this rut they're in ...
It was nice to hear Oriole fans louder than Yankee fans for once at the Yard. That's what winning does to this town. I hope it continues. All I could think of last night as the Orioles took Game 1 of the series with the Yankees was the 1976 ...
Good Vibes in the Clubhouse! Pope Benedict XVI blessed the Nats clubhouse on Thursday before leaving Nationals Park after saying mass in front of a sold out crowd. The Pope used Manny Acta's office as a dressing room and the Bishops used both the home and visiting clubhouses to ...
How long has it been since the Orioles had a legitimate outfield? Probably hasn't been since the mid-90s. Last night we learned the O's have one now. The defense was phenomenal as Nick Markakis gunned down Whitesox slugger Jim Thome at 3rd base in the 3rd inning from right ...
More than a billion eyes will be viewing Nationals Park on Thursday when Pope Benedict XVI says mass. Several members of the Nationals recorded greetings on Sunday that will be played on the scoreboard. Bench Coach Pat Corrales said, "Welcome to Nationals Park...Bless this park, we need all the ...
It' too bad the Orioles had one of their worst outings of the year on Jackie Robinson Day. Obviously not every team is able to win on April 15th, but the Birds lopsided loss to the Blue Jays last night was not only tough to watch, but tough to ...