Well, Thanksgiving is in the rear-view mirror, which means the currently chilly hot stove will soon be heating up. And what better way to get in the mood than a smattering of clutch performances that resulted in Nationals victories? Here at MASN, "Nationals Classics" are designed to make you feel warm and fuzzy all over. Guys that make their money by coming through in the clutch tend to do that, don't they? Is there anything better than cheering a dominant team or individual performance, or...

December's here, and as the holiday season ramps up, many folks feel the tug of nostalgia. Perhaps your senses are already summoning fond memories as your stereo plays festive tunes and your kitchen is warmed and made fragrant by an oven cranking out cookies. But winter's arrival doesn't have the market cornered on nostalgia. Memories of springs, summers and autumns past can trigger sentimental feelings, too, and that's what "Orioles Classics" is all about. This batch, still toasty from...

Hope everyone had a nice, safe Thanksgiving weekend. As you'd expect, there was no significant news about the Nationals, who like most teams have been awfully quiet so far this offseason. Perhaps that begins to change this week, as November turns to December and pressure builds to address the roster. In the meantime, let's take some time this morning to answer your questions about the team, the offseason to date and the offseason still to come. There's a whole lot that needs to be...

One way to track the potential of a young star becoming a power hitter in the major leagues is to monitor doubles hit through their minor league career. Let's start with a couple of elite players - Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon - and their minor league statistics. Turner spent 69 games in the minors in 2014 and hit 16 doubles, which is one double every 4.3 games. That number stayed about the same in 2015, when Turner hit 24 doubles in 116 games, which was one double every 4.8 games. Turner...

Today we throw a few questions your way. We didn't make it to 10, but that was because we're looking at a few recent blog entries and topics here and revisiting them. Then we'll ponder a few questions. * We recently wondered if an O's streak that started in 2006 will end soon. The Orioles have made at least one Rule 5 pick in every such draft dating to 2005. The was the last year the Orioles did not select in that draft. As noted in this entry, that was the year that the movie "Fever...

Utility competitions in spring training usually elicit as much excitement as a Perry Como concert. There's a better chance of finding an olive pit than a mosh pit. (We interrupt this blog entry to bring you a link to one of the funniest skits of all time from the '80s. Eugene Levy at his finest. You'll thank me later.) The importance of having versatile players shouldn't be minimized. Guys who can handle assignments at multiple positions in the infield and outfield are increasing in value,...

Terrin Vavra is an infielder. His father was an infielder. His brother was an infielder. His other brother was an infielder. But when the Orioles approached him about adding center field to a resume that had previously listed only second base and shortstop, Vavra jumped at the opportunity. "It's a new experience for me but something that I think I can attack and succeed with," he said in a recent Zoom interview with "MASN All Access." The applicant certainly has skills that fit the job...

It is not a pressing question, but rather an intriguing one for the Orioles: Will catcher Adley Rutschman make his major league debut in 2021? That might seem quite unlikely for a player with just 130 professional at-bats and 12 games of full-season ball - and that at low Single-A - on his resume. But of all the prospects that were fortunate enough to play at alternate camps this year with no minor league season, he may have gained among the most. It's pretty clear that Rutschman got in...

Thanksgiving weekend, of course, marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, though obviously this year is a little bit different from the norm. Black Friday did take place, but it wasn't nearly the spectacle it usually is, and for good reason. Baseball's shopping season also is different this year. We've already seen how slow the market has been to develop, and it's probably going to remain that way for a while, at least until clubs know what exactly the 2021 season is going...

When he spoke to reporters early this month, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said the club would pursue signing starting pitching this winter and heading into the 2021 season. They could add major or minor league free agents. The Orioles rotation ended last season in a pretty good spot after Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer made their major league debuts. Jorge López had some nice moments as well, while John Means and Alex Cobb were both pitching well at the end of...