Josh Land

Another homestand means more offers for fans

August 15, 2011, 8:49am

It's hard to believe it's already mid-August, but here we are, with the Nationals set to begin another lengthy homestand. This 10-game stand will welcome the Reds, Phillies and Diamondbacks to our nation's capital and, as usual, there are plenty of offers and events for fans to enjoy at the ballpark. On Tuesday, as the Nationals open a three-game series with Cincinnati, the Nats will honor local military veterans as part of the "Give a Veteran a Piece of the High Life" program. The...

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Dave Nichols: Signing day brings intrigue to Nationals Park

August 15, 2011, 4:53am

Nationals

The deadline to sign draft picks from June's First-Year Player Draft is midnight tonight. As of this post, the Washington Nationals still have not signed their top five picks from this year's draft. It's not an unusual scenario, due to Major League Baseball's antiquated rules governing the draft and the slotting system the league recommends for draft pick bonuses. Even though it's a yearly ritual by now, it still brings hand-wringing and hair-pulling until the clock strikes midnight and...

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Matthew Taylor: The people behind the stories bring fun to the game

August 15, 2011, 4:34am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: The people behind the stories bring fun to the game

The Orioles are 382-544 since I started Roar from 34 in 2006, which begs the question of what reward there is in blogging about a losing team. I'm my own boss, and I work from home, but I don't get paid and the hours stink. In truth, my reasons for researching and writing about the Orioles for nearly six years are many and varied. I suppose the easiest answer is that I love a good story, and blogging allows me to tell stories. Even better, it allows me to learn other people's stories - and...

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Orioles announce Nickelodeon Day at Oriole Park

August 12, 2011, 2:13pm

Orioles

The Orioles have teamed up with Nickelodeon to bring SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer to Camden Yards for "Nickelodeon Day at Oriole Park." On Sunday, Aug. 14 when the Orioles take on the Detroit Tigers, the two characters will be on site for a variety of activities including Bird Baseball with the Oriole Bird, greeting fans and posing for photographs. SpongeBob and Dora will also be on-field following the game for the exclusive Dugout Club Members-only Kids Run the Bases. As part...

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Orioles select contract of RHP Willie Eyre from Triple-A Norfolk

August 12, 2011, 11:38am

Orioles

The Orioles announced today that they have selected the contract of right-handed Willie Eyre from Triple-A Norfolk. Eyre, 33, is 5-5 with a 3.31 ERA (65.1 IP, 24 ER) in 42 games with the Tides and the Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A's, this season. Eyre, who signed with the Orioles as a minor league free agent on Aug. 3, is 5-6 with a 5.14 ERA (145.1IP, 83 ER) in 92 career major league games with the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers. He last pitched in the major...

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Brian's Bash canceled

August 12, 2011, 7:11am

Orioles

Some disappointing news to report, fans. Brian's Bash, the annual fundraiser hosted by Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts, has been canceled. According to a release issued a few minutes ago, the event has been canceled due to Roberts' injuries. Known as a staple each season, Brian's Bash is a yearly fundraiser benefiting the University of Maryland Children's Hospital and hosted by Roberts. The sixth annual Bash was scheduled for Aug. 28 at Dave and Buster's at Arundel Mills Mall. For...

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Jenn Jenson: How's your team doing?

August 12, 2011, 4:57am

Nationals

Earlier this week it occurred to me that I didn't know the Nationals' record. It felt like we were a bit under .500, but before looking it up, I couldn't tell you if we were two games under .500, five games under, or worse. I also didn't know if the team was again in last place in the National League East, or instead in next-to-last or maybe even within sight of third place behind the Phillies and the Braves. It's not a good sign when I don't know where my Nationals stand because it...

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James Baker: Losing got ya down?

August 12, 2011, 3:37am

Orioles

I know that is true for me, so today I offer a soothing balm to remedy the sting of another loss. Lets all take a break from the gloom and doom, hop in the TARDIS and travel back to this day in that wild and wonderful year 1997. Good morning everyone on the information super highway! I fired up my brand new 300mHz Pentium II today to bring you all digitized good news. Beginning tonight the Orioles will host Oakland in a quick two-game series after taking three of four from the A's in Oakland...

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Ted Youngling: Trying times bring out the true fan in all of us

August 11, 2011, 6:59am

Nationals

Ted Youngling: Trying times bring out the true fan in all of us

The dog days of summer are upon us. Pennant races are heating up. Contenders are separating themselves from the pretenders, and unfortunately that means another finish in the bottom half of the division for the Washington Nationals. The Nationals are 56-60 and 20.5 games out of first place; anyone who thinks this team has a miracle run to the playoffs in them is downright crazy. This reality raises a simple question that may be hard for some to answer - why do you continue to watch the...

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Heath Bintliff: Losing is Birdland

August 10, 2011, 3:28pm

Orioles

The Orioles are all but assured of a losing record for the 14th straight season. But it's even worse than that. The Orioles are likely not to reach the 70 win plateau for the fifth straight season. That's really bad and it's pretty hard to do. How hard? Here is the short list of teams who have won less than 70 games for five or more straight seasons since the advent of the 162-game schedule in 1961. New York Mets 6 1962-1967* San Diego Padres 6 1969-1974* Tampa Bay Devil Rays...

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Rachel Levitin: Musical traditions at Nats Park still being crafted

August 10, 2011, 5:42am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Musical traditions at Nats Park still being crafted

There was a time, long before Nationals Park was constructed, when I could hear AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" and not think of baseball. Those days are gone. That first song off AC/DC's 1990 album "The Razors Edge" still pumps me up in the gym or gets my head banging at a bar on the weekend but now, whenever I hear the song, I think of the Nationals. Lead guitarist Angus Young's guitar riff is etched into the minds of Nationals game-goers as the tune and anthem that Washington's boys of...

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Daniel Moroz: O's need to keep working on growing the arms

August 10, 2011, 5:32am

Orioles

Daniel Moroz: O's need to keep working on growing the arms

It seems fair to say that things have not worked out as well as many hoped on the pitching side for the Orioles this year. The plan was supposed to be to "grow the arms", but that hasn't exactly paid dividends yet. In fact, it hasn't really done so at all in quite a long time. The best pitcher the O's have developed since 1991 - a span of 20 years (a generation, if you will) - is clearly

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Lauren Tilley: Time to blame Buck

August 09, 2011, 8:51am

Orioles

I remember hearing the news last season that the Orioles had signed Buck Showalter as the new manager and I, along with everyone else, got really excited. After reading up on his history as a manager, winning American League Manager of the Year twice, and for being known for turning struggling teams into playoff contenders, I thought, 'Wow, this could really be the final piece to this franchise puzzle.' After all, we had the core, young players, the young, prospective pitching staff and the...

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Mark Hornbaker: Can Morse stay in "Beast Mode" long enough to win batting title?

August 08, 2011, 4:43pm

Nationals

Mark Hornbaker: Can Morse stay in "Beast Mode" long enough to win batting title?

The Washington Nationals' first baseman Michael Morse, is putting up some offensive numbers Washington baseball fans haven't seen in nearly a half century. The 29-year-old Morse has a legitimate shot at winning the 2011 National League batting title. Currently Morse is third in the NL with a batting average of .324 and trails only Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers who has an average of .326 and league leading Jose Reyes of the New York Mets who is batting .336 in 98 games. If Morse does...

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Orioles place Cesar Izturis on 15-day DL, recall Jason Berken from Triple-A Norfolk

August 08, 2011, 2:37pm

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have placed infielder Cesar Izturis on the 15-day disabled list with a left groin strain. The club has also recalled right-handed pitcher Jason Berken from Triple-A Norfolk. Berken is 1-2 with a 6.27 ERA (37.1 IP, 26 ER) in 31 appearances for the Orioles in two stints this season (March 31-May 20 and June 15-July 31). He has gone 0-1 with a 3.50 ERA (18.0IP, 7 ER) in five games (four starts) for the Tides. Izturis was on the DL, May 13-Aug. 5, with a...

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Matthew Taylor: Trying to keep things in perspective

August 08, 2011, 6:09am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Trying to keep things in perspective

Keep things in perspective. It's a motto that works for sports and for life. Some of us need to be reminded about perspective more often than others. Given my favorite team's misfortunes, I may as well have those words marked on every page of my Orioles desk calendar. Rather than focus on the day-to-day frustrations of the Birds' 14th consecutive losing season, I'm attempting to consider the big picture and keep things in perspective. After all, how bad could it be? Well ... * The...

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Dave Nichols: The second coming of Stephen Strasburg

August 07, 2011, 6:25pm

Nationals

Dave Nichols: The second coming of Stephen Strasburg

Washington Nationals right-handed starter Stephen Strasburg, dubbed "Baseball Jesus" by a teammate last season during spring training, made his much-anticipated return to a baseball field facing batters paid to beat him Sunday, as he took the mound for the low Single-A Hagerstown Suns against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (no joke) in his first minor league rehab appearance, as he continues his recovery from ligament replacement surgery. The appearance comes two weeks less than one calendar...

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Orioles place Jake Arrieta on disabled list, recall Chris Tillman

August 06, 2011, 4:19pm

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have placed right-handed pitcher Jake Arrieta on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 1, with a bone spur in his right elbow. The club has also recalled right-handed pitcher Chris Tillman from Triple-A Norfolk. Tillman will start tonight's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Tillman is 2-4 with a 5.16 ERA (52.1IP, 30 ER) in 11 starts for the Orioles this season and 3-3 with a 4.17 ERA (49.2IP, 23 ER) in 10 starts for the Tides. Arrieta is 10-8...

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Orioles activate Cesar Izturis from 60-day disabled list, place Zach Britton on 15-day DL; Brandon Erbe designated for assignment

August 05, 2011, 3:01pm

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have activated infielder Cesar Izturis from the the 60-day disabled list. Izturis had been on the DL since May 13 with a right elbow ulnar nerve injury. The club has also placed left-handed pitcher Zach Britton on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain. To make room on the 40-man roster for Izturis, the Orioles designated right-handed pitcher Brandon Erbe for assignment. Izturis batted .192 (5-26) with four runs scored in 16 games for...

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Jenn Jenson: Trade deadline highlights Nats fans' passion for their team

August 05, 2011, 8:57am

Nationals

Jenn Jenson: Trade deadline highlights Nats fans' passion for their team

The non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone and I think it's fair to say the most drama centered around whether Nationals' closer Drew Storen would stay with the team or be traded with who knows who else to the Minnesota Twins for center fielder Denard Span. Oversimplifying a bit, the debate in NatsTown about this potential transaction boiled down to: "Of course you should trade Storen for the right return"; versus "Oh no! Don't trade Drew. He's a talented, homegrown closer and a...