While most people in D.C. find themselves in a verbal squabbling match with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on a daily basis - even if the conversation is more of a soliloquy-type scenario rather than a dialogue - I, too, have an issue with the system. It has nothing to do with its inability to run an efficient system but rather its inability to get the name of the Nationals' ballpark correct upon arrival.
Here's my pet peeve: None of the train conductors seem to...
I think it's a common sentiment amongst Orioles fans to consider the offense as very poor at turning baserunners into runs on the scoreboard. On multiple, unrelated occasions in recent weeks, I've heard people refer to leaving the bases loaded without scoring a run as "pulling an Orioles."
When I asked people on Twitter what they thought "pulling an Orioles" meant, every O's fan with an actual response said stranding runners. Does the reality match up with these perceptions though?...
Decades ago, Major League Baseball was all about the domination of pitchers. Eventually, the league changed the height of the mound and some other rules in order to make baseball more offense-friendly, because that's what fans like to see (I actually prefer pitching duels to offensive shootouts). Those days of pitching dominance are on us again with the likes of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum. Have you noticed that those pitchers' respective teams - the Philadelphia Phillies and San...
Nowadays, it seems unusual for a reliever to take the mound as a starter. You typically don't serve shutdown sauce as a first course. Nevertheless, that's exactly what the Orioles are doing as Alfredo Simon, the 2010 team leader in saves, has recorded consecutive quality starts with 13.2 innings pitched and four runs allowed against the Indians and Angels. Meanwhile, there continues to be talk of Jim Johnson following Simon into the rotation.
The reliever-turned-starter model speaks to...
If it seems like it's been forever since the Nationals have played a home game, well, it has.
The Nationals haven't been home since July 10, a span that will reach 25 days when the Marlins come to town Tuesday.
In between the homestands, however, there's been plenty of action. Tyler Clippard picked up the win at the All-Star Game before a nine-game road trip has seen the Nationals slip back under .500 at 49-51.
Needless to say, it's the perfect time to get back to our nation's capital...
The non-waiver trade deadline is July 31, a mere six days away. As with every year since their inaugural season in D.C., the Washington Nationals - despite the protestations of Jayson Werth - are destined to be on the outside looking in once the playoff seeds are settled, especially considering the recently concluded 3-6 road trip. But contrary to years past, the organization - and Nats fans - can see brighter days ahead. The Nats have a lot of pieces in place already, and with a few key moves,...
The Orioles today announced that they have returned outfielder Luke Scott to the 15-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain and recalled infielder Josh Bell from Triple-A Norfolk.
Bell, 24, is in his second stint with the Orioles this season. He singled and scored a run as a pinch hitter on July 18 against Boston after being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk earlier in the day. Bell returned to the Tides on July 19. He has batted .254 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs in 87 games for Norfolk...
The Orioles today announced that they have reinstated outfielder Luke Scott from the 15-day disabled list and optioned outfield Matt Angle to Triple-A Norfolk.
Scott, 33, is hitting .223 (46-206) with nine home runs and 22 RBIs in 63 games with the Orioles this season. He batted .500 (5-10) with a double and three home runs in three rehab games with Double-A Bowie .
Angle, 25, made his major league debut on Sunday against Cleveland after having his contract selected earlier in the day. He...
Jordan Zimmermann is awesome! I realize this isn't breaking news, but he's so awesome that he's earned the distinction of being a very favorite player of mine.
So you'll understand where I'm coming from, I should explain that most Nationals players are my favorite players. I cheer with enthusiasm for pretty much everyone on the roster, somewhat regardless of talent level, as long as they give at least 100 percent. Yes, I get frustrated with guys. I may even boo a bad play or groan when...
The Orioles have a problem and it is a mystery to most. On the Internet and the airwaves, the new clarion call is the Orioles' need to improve their scouting and player development systems. Well, that is great, but I am willing to be dollars to doughnuts that the callers and posters do not know the first thing they are talking about. That is to say, they feel something needs to change, but I doubt that many out there know what the job of a regional crosschecker is.
Of course, they are...
I grew up in a mid-sized town in southwest Connecticut where it was only natural to pledge your allegiance to the New York Yankees, New York Mets or Boston Red Sox. My earliest memories of the game were the dominant Yankees teams of the late 1990s and attending their ticker tape parade in 1998, but it was my first game at Shea Stadium earlier that season which changed my life forever.
Sitting out in the Pepsi Picnic area for my first professional baseball game was an exhilarating experience....
Yesterday's shutout included, the Orioles have scored more runs over the past seven games than they have over any seven-game stretch this season.
(OK, that's not completely true. During interleague play, the O's also scored 39 runs over the seven games from June 21-26. But four of those games came in National League parks with Vladimir Guerrero relegated to the bench.)
Sure, seven games seems like an arbitrary number and, yes, it is clearly can be described with the phrase "small sample...
One of the Washington Nationals' greatest strengths is their community outreach. While chasing the Wild Card would be a nice feat for 2011, it's essential that players remember that who you are off the field is just as important as who you are on the field. Why? Because the second a player signs with a club and puts on the uniform, they become a face of an organization.
Due to a large slew of weekend homestands this season, the Nationals haven't been able to participate in as many local...
The Washington Nationals today announced that right-handed pitcher Chad Gaudin has been recalled from rehab, reinstated from the 15-day disabled list and designated for assignment. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Gaudin missed the last 75 games after being placed on the DL on April 27, retroactive to April 26, with right shoulder inflammation. He is 1-1 with two holds and a 6.48 ERA in 10 relief appearances this...
I started writing about the Orioles way back before the 2008 season (at the suggestion of my friend, who isn't a fan and so was probably tired of listening to me talk about baseball), and it's been a fun and rewarding experience. No way did I ever expect to be invited to participate in something like this, but I'm grateful to MASNsports.com for the opportunity.
Since my analysis tends to come more from a statistical perspective, I thought by way of an introduction, I'd discuss that a bit....
When I was growing up as a Pittsburgh Pirates fan in Wheeling, W.Va., in the 1970s, it pains me to say that I had no idea who the Washington Senators were. Or rather, I should say, had been - since after 1971 there was, of course, no baseball in Washington.
That state of affairs continued into the mid-1980s when I moved to the Washington area after college. For a decade, I lived in Frederick, Md., and while it was kind of fun to root for the Orioles as a local team, it turned out to be more...
Hey, everyone! My name is Lauren Tilley and I'll be doing some guest blogging for the remainder of the season here at MASNsports.com. I wanted to introduce myself and allow you to get to know me a little bit this week before I start blogging about our woeful Orioles.
I was born in Maryland and lived here for a few years before I moved to Pennsylvania with my mom. The rest of my family lives in Maryland, however, so I would come down every other weekend to visit my dad and family. Around 4...
The Orioles today announced that they have placed RHP Alfredo Simon on the Restricted List, recalled third baseman Josh Bell from Triple-A Norfolk and selected the contract of RHP Mark Worrell from the Tides.
Bell, 24, batted .254 with 52 runs, 11 doubles and a team-high 16 home runs and 47 RBI in 86 games for Norfolk this season. He has batted .214 in 53 career major league games, all with the Orioles last season.
A 2011 International League All-Star, Worrell, 28, pitched to a 2.95 ERA...
The Orioles announced today that they have signed shortstop J.J. Hardy to a three-year contract extension through the 2014 season.
Hardy, 28, was acquired by the Orioles from the Minnesota Twins on December 9, 2010 with minor league in fielder Brendan Harris in exchange for minor league RHPs Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson.
Through 65 games this season, Hardy is batting .278 (71-255) with 13 home runs, 34 RBI and 22 multi-hit games. He is batting .315 (17-54) with runners in scoring position...
The big news from the weekend, aside from the Orioles turning a nine-game losing streak into a two-game winning streak, was the team's agreement on a three-year extension with shortstop J.J. Hardy.
You wouldn't expect to hear a player say anything negative about the organization that just gave him more than 20 million reasons not to. You don't anticipate much more than clichés following this type of contract announcement. This is baseball after all, the sport where players...