“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — A.A. Milne, "Winnie The Pooh"

In December 2010, I walked through the doors of the MASN web studio on the fifth floor of the Camden Yards warehouse and into the best job I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a few jobs, from cleaning the bathrooms at a Dunkin’ Donuts to years in newspapers as a reporter and editor to a gig as a public relations executive and a soul-crushing stint in a publishing house, from which I was laid off as the economic downturn of 2008 was just beginning.

That exit from the publishing world, where I edited everything from travel guides to a compendium of lawyers and law firms in Philadelphia, was especially painful. It came out of the blue; I had misjudged the landscape, thinking that our three-person editorial staff that handled about 80 projects a year was safe. But with profits cratering and no one advertising, something had to go – and that something was me.

To make ends meet for most of the next three years, I retreated into baseball, my part-time vocation since 1993, working for anyone who would offer a job and a few bucks – The Associated Press, MLB.com, out-of-town daily newspapers. I worked all of spring training on my own dime and 13 of every 14 days during the regular season, praying that the paychecks arrived in time to cover the mortgage, car payment and health insurance bills. Most times they did, but I had to be creative.

Creativity has never been a challenge for me. Nor has following the national pastime, which was always my intended path, even if I took a roundabout route to get there. But the 14-year-old kid who went to junior high school an hour early to pore over the box scores in the morning paper, the youngster who played APBA Baseball and then in Rotisserie leagues, the guy who made his major league press box debut at 33 and marveled at the opportunity to step onto the field of a big league ballpark and talk to managers and players wasn’t deterred.

The Orioles are returning home to Baltimore for a 10-game homestand, kicking it off with a matchup against their American League East rivals, the Boston Red Sox. As you tune in for all the action, you might hear our announcers call out a “Contestant of the Game.” That’s right - the wildly popular Maryland Lottery promotion has returned for the 2022 season and the Lottery will be selecting a contestant for each of the 162 Orioles games this season to win cash prizes.

Enter winning and non-winning FAST PLAY Home Run Riches Bases Loaded tickets, purchased between March 7 and Aug. 29, into your My Lottery Rewards account to be automatically entered into the promotion. Not yet a member of My Lottery Rewards? Click here -- it’s free and easy to join!

Each winner will receive $500 for being selected, plus an additional $500 for every Orioles home run hit during that game. Last year, these contestants really cleaned-up, as the O’s hit 195 home runs during the 2021 campaign – good for a total of $178,500 in prize money.

If you have already entered the promotion and want to find out if you were a winner in yesterday’s drawing, click here. The remaining drawings are May 24, June 28, July 26, and Aug. 30. Entries are cumulative, so once you enter a ticket, it remains in the mix unless selected as a winner.

Will last year’s Silver Slugger performance of Cedric Mullins and Trey Mancini’s 2021 Home Run Derby heroics ignite the Oriole bats for the “Contestants of the Game” this year? Be sure to watch the Orioles all season long on MASN and MASN2 as the home run tally adds up!  

The Washington Nationals recalled outfielder Donovan Casey from Triple-A Rochester and placed outfielder Dee Strange-Gordon on the Injured List on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Casey, 26, hit .250 with two doubles, two triples, one homer, six RBI, a walk and four runs scored in six games for Triple-A Rochester prior to being recalled. He hit safely in four of the six games, and five of his six hits this season have gone for extra bases. 

Washington’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, Casey was acquired by the Nationals from the Los Angeles Dodgers along with right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray, right-handed pitcher Gerardo Carrillo and catcher Keibert Ruiz in exchange for right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner on July 30th, 2021. Casey is considered the No. 17 prospect and the “Best Athlete” in Washington’s Minor League system, per Baseball America. He was originally selected in the 20^th round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Boston College.

Strange-Gordon, 33, appeared in four games for the Nationals, prior to being placed on the Injured List.