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,...
DALLAS - Nationals skipper Davey Johnson spoke to media members at the Winter Meetings on Monday afternoon, tackling a number of topics, from whether he thinks the team will find the center fielder it's seeking to whether he could go into the 2012 season with his present starting rotation.
* Johnson said he would be fine with Jayson Werth, who played right field last year in his first season on D.C., starting in center field should the Nationals come up empty in their search for someone to...
DALLAS - Like general manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals skipper Davey Johnson wants to give Bryce Harper a chance to compete for a spot on the team's 25-man roster out of spring training. But there are obstacles stacked against the organization's future centerpiece, not the least of which are the facts that he's only 19 and has never played above Double-A.
So in speaking to reporters at the Winter Meetings on Monday afternoon, Johnson had this message for his GM: Please keep an open...
DALLAS - Prince Fielder at first base with a curly W on his cap? Don't expect the Nationals to make a move on the biggest - literally and in terms of potential impact - free agent on the market.
In an exclusive interview with MASNsports.com at the Winter Meetings, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Fielder isn't on the team's radar right now and that he's content to go into spring training with Adam LaRoche as the club's starting first baseman.
"Right now, we feel very set at...
DALLAS - Mike Rizzo's shopping list hasn't changed, and he's spent most of his day in his suite on the fifth floor of the Hilton Anatole laying the groundwork for moves that may or may not come to fruition during the remainder of baseball's Winter Meetings.
He's met with two agents representing free agents, though he declined to say whether the Nationals have extended a formal offer to either. Rizzo and the Nationals' brain trust have also spoken to a pair of teams about trade...
DALLAS - The Nationals' search for a center fielder who can hit leadoff may lead to Boston, where the Red Sox could be willing to part with an outfielder in exchange for a pitcher.
New Boston general manager Ben Cherington is dangling Ryan Kalish and Josh Reddick in hopes that he can pry an arm from the Nationals, according to a major league source.
Kalish is a 23-year-old left-handed hitter who reached the majors in 2010 and hit .252 with hour homers and 24 RBIs and stole 10 bases in 53...
DALLAS - Is the balance of power in the National League East shifting?
The Nationals came to the Winter Meetings with money to spend and holes to fill, guaranteeing that general manager Mike Rizzo will be among the more popular executives at the Hilton Anatole.
Last night, the newly christened Miami Marlins landed their second huge free agent of the offseason, agreeing to a six-year, $106 million deal for shortstop Jose Reyes, who joins ex-Padres closer Heath Bell (three years, $27 million)...
DALLAS - Looks like the Nationals, like most of baseball, are balking at the notion of paying left-hander C.J. Wilson north of $100 million to solidify their rotation. A source at the Winter Meetings told me tonight that the Nats are moving their focus to the other two top free agent pitchers, lefty Mark Buehrle and right-hander Roy Oswalt.
This is typical of baseball's biggest offseason gathering: A free agent shoots for the moon, teams bristle at his asking price and the clubs move on to...
DALLAS - Just like last year, the Winter Meetings aren't waiting until their official Monday start for player news, and one of the first tidbits from the Hilton Anatole came in the form of reports that the Nationals have lost a guy off the bench they had hoped to re-sign.
According to multiple media outlets, the Phillies have agreed to a two-year major league deal with outfielder Laynce Nix, ending the powerful left-handed hitter's tenure in D.C. after just one season. Nix, 31, posted career...
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...
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...
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...
The Orioles today announced that they have added right-hander Oliver Drake to the 40-man roster.
Drake, 24, spent the 2011 season with Class-A Fredrick (14 games), Double-A Bowie (12 games) and Triple-A Norfolk (one game), going a combined 11-8 with a 3.32 ERA (162.2IP, 60ER), striking out 129 and walking 43 in 25 starts.
Selected by the Orioles in the 43rd round of the 2008 First Year Player Draft out of the Naval Academy, Drake is 26-23 with a 3.80 ERA (443.1IP, 187ER) and 357 strikeouts...
The Washington Nationals today announced that hitting coach Rick Eckstein, pitching coach Steve McCatty, third base coach Bo Porter, first base coach Trent Jewett and bullpen coach Jim Lett will return as members of manager Davey Johnson's coaching staff for the 2012 season. The Nationals also announced that Randy Knorr will join the staff as bench coach. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Eckstein and McCatty return...
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...
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...
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.
The Orioles today unveiled their uniform changes for 2012, highlighted by the return of the cartoon bird as the logo on the club's home and road caps and the introduction of an alternate orange jersey for Saturday home games.
The 2012 cartoon bird head is a new design, utilizing elements from both the 1970 and 1983 versions. It will replace the ornithologically-correct bird on both the home and road caps. The club's new home cap will feature the cartoon bird on a white front panel with a...
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...
Orioles fans are encouraged to visit www.orioles.com, tomorrow, Tuesday, November 15, at 9:30 a.m. ET for a special announcement. As part of the club's continued efforts to enhance the Orioles brand, the changes to the 2012 uniforms will be unveiled at this time, exclusively on the team's website.
