Newcomers to Birdland might be surprised to learn that Camden Yards was once a mecca for all sorts of stars and personalities. Almost as soon as the downtown ballpark opened in April 1992, a steady stream of celebrities, entertainers, athletes and heads of state have made a beeline for Oriole Park to watch the Birds, chow down on Boog's and take in the Baltimore skyline.
Rocker Joan Jett was a familiar presence in the years immediately after Camden Yards opened. Before he was a "Celebrity...
Beginning tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays, fans at Camden Yards will be able to cast their in-stadium ballots to send players to the July 12 All-Star Game in Phoenix. Each Major League Baseball club will get 23 days of in-stadium voting before the June 24 deadline for punching out the chad next to the names of favorite players.
As always, the Orioles are well represented on the ballot. O's fans can vote for first baseman Derrek Lee, second baseman Brian Roberts, shortstop J.J. Hardy, third...
The Orioles today announced that they have activated right-hander Chris Jakubauskas from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. Jakubauskas was placed on the DL on April 18, retroactive to April 17, with a strained right groin. He appeared in three games for the Orioles, pitching to a 7.36 ERA (7.1IP, 6ER) and twice going at least 3.0 innings.
Where were you 23 years ago tonight?
On April 29, 1988, shortly after 11 p.m. on the East Coast, the long nightmare that had become a season-opening 21-game losing streak by the Orioles ended (though it remains a record). Future Oriole and native Marylander Harold Baines rolled over on an offering from reliever Dave Schmidt, weakly grounding a ball to second base, where Pete Stanicek gobbled it up and tossed to Eddie Murray at first base.
That completed a 9-0 Orioles victory over the White...
Whatever you called him - Mr. Mayor, Governor, Hizzoner, Willie Don, Don or Mr. Schaefer - William Donald Schaefer, who passed away at 89 last week, wasn't some egomaniacal politician who craved the spotlight at the expense of the people who voted him into office.
Truth be told, Schaefer was never really comfortable in the spotlight and eschewed being the center of attention, though he often drew it. That well-publicized dip in the seal pool at the National Aquarium? Look carefully and you...
The Nationals just finished up an exciting homestand that saw them go 4-2 against two teams that were picked by many to win their respective divisions. The club's only losses came to two pitchers who can easily claim the title as the best right- or left-handed starters in baseball, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, and by winning both games of the doubleheader Sunday, the Nationals are now 8-7 on the season.
With 15 games under their belt, they are just about 10 percent of the way through the year,...
Think Orioles center fielder Adam Jones doesn't take the responsibility of donning Jackie Robinson's legendary No. 42 once each season? Think again.
Tonight is Major League Baseball's annual celebration of the brave and talented player who broke the game's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Tonight, everyone in baseball will be wearing No. 42 (even Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who's allowed to continue wearing that jersey number because he was doing so before Commissioner...
Judging solely by the number of people clamoring to have their photo taken with Mr. Boh on opening day, I'd say the return of National Bohemian - Natty Boh for short - to Camden Yards for the first time since 1992 is a toast-worthy occasion. So hoist your frosty, cold mug o' brew (and, for a moment, conveniently ignore that the beer once brewed on the shores of the Chesapeake, well, isn't any longer) and enjoy this 1960s television ad for what was once the official frothy libation of the...
Hightopps Backstage Grille in Timonium will host another in MASNsports.com's series of Orioles baseball chats Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m. in conjunction with that evening's O's-Yankees game in the Bronx.
Join Steve Melewski and myself for an hour of dugout chatter before the game, then stick around for O's-Yankees action on the many televisions at Hightopps. Some special unannounced guests may join us, and there will be plenty of time for fans' questions and some trivia...
If you don't know Warning Track Power already, I suspect you soon will. Or at least you'll be humming their new, upbeat orange-and-black anthem.
The Baltimore-based band, which released an Orioles-inspired song, "How Bout Dem O's," in 2009 is back with an equally catchy tune to kick off the 2011 baseball season. Here's "Oh Oh Orioles."
There's a lot to like about this song, from the backyard-and-basement locales (complete with Bawlmer-style rowhomes) and the historically accurate...
This morning, plenty of parents faced a dilemma as they sent their kids off to school: How to word the letter to administrators requesting an early dismissal.
Officially, there are a plethora of reasons why a kid in or around Baltimore would need to leave school a little early today. Doctor's appointments usually don't arouse much suspicion. Ditto for a dental exam. Maybe a funeral. Whatever the reason, sometime around noon or a little after, little Johnny or Jane will be packing up books...
Adam Jones has a lot on his mind today down in St. Petersburg, Fla., where the Orioles are getting ready to open their 2011 season against the Tampa Bay Rays. But the Orioles center fielder has enough of a sense of Baltimore baseball history to have tweeted get well wishes to hospitalized Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, who is recovering from a high fever and infection at Greater Baltimore Medical Center.
"Stay strong my man. ... the O's family is with you and your family," Jones wrote on...
After a long, cold offseason, the 2011 regular season is finally under way.
Nationals Park was buzzing early this afternoon as CBS Sports' James Brown stepped to the microphone to introduce the 2011 Nats and kick off the season.
For anyone who didn't catch it, here are the player introductions, as well as footage of general manager Mike Rizzo presenting third baseman Ryan Zimmerman with his 2010 Silver Slugger award.
James Brown introduces the Nationals' 2011 opening day starting...
If you're lucky enough to be coming to the Orioles' home opener on Monday, you'll be interested in a variety of special plans the team announced today.
First, when you come through the gates, you'll receive a 2011 schedule/car magnet, courtesy of Brothers Services. To allow for maximum fan enjoyment, the games for the 3:05 p.m. game will open at noon, and roving musical groups will entertain on Eutaw Street and the main concourse.
Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 2:30 p.m. for...
Want to go to the Orioles' home opener April 4? Don't have tickets, you say? Well, MASNsports.com will give you the opportunity to win a pair of opening day tickets Friday night at Hightopps Backstage Grille in Timonium.
Steve Melewski and yours truly will be hosting another in our series of baseball chats that evening, from 6-7 p.m. At 7 p.m., we'll tune Hightopps' many televisions to the O's game in St. Petersburg, Fla., against the Rays on MASN. What better way to celebrate the start...
The Washington Nationals today acquired right-handed pitcher Erik Davis and cash considerations from the San Diego Padres in exchange for infielder Alberto Gonzalez. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Davis is 32-9 with a 3.49 ERA in 73 games/51 starts spanning three seasons in the Padres system, posting an impressive .780 winning percentage with 8.5 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (278 K/293.2 IP).
The 24-year-old has...
The Washington Nationals today optioned left-handed pitcher Ross Detwiler, right-handed pitcher Collin Balester and outfielder Roger Bernadina to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and re-assigned infielder Brian Bixler to minor-league camp.
Additionally, the Nationals placed right-handed pitcher Henry Rodriguez on the 15-Day Disabled List and right-handed pitchers Chien-Ming Wang and Elvin Ramirez on the 60-Day Disabled List.
Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball...
MASN, the television home of the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles, will premiere a new baseball-centric program, "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" on Thursday, March 31 at 5 p.m. The 90-minute show, which will air Monday through Friday, will feature a panel of four renowned baseball experts who will discuss news from the Nationals, Orioles and Major League Baseball.
Panelists will include Tom Davis, Dave Johnson, Phil Wood and Mel Antonen. Davis enters his 40th year as a...
Opening day at Camden Yards is a week away, and preparations at the ballpark continue to get it ready for the Tigers-Orioles game that will be cause for civic celebration, innovative excuses for missing school and work, and early afternoon beers at Pickles Pub. Whatever your opening day traditions are - and feel free to share them in the comments section below, where you can be part of the trial of our new commenting system - I'm sure your time-tested plans are well under way.
The MASN...