The vibe inside Nationals Park early on during Game 4 of last fall's National League Division Series did not suggest the assembled masses were optimistic there would be a Game 5. An odd 6:40 p.m. first pitch on a Monday night with rain in the forecast and the home team facing elimination led to the first non-sellout in the ballpark's postseason history. Game 3 the previous night was witnessed by a crowd of 43,423. Game 4 was played before a gathering of only 36,847, with large swaths of empty...

The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is scheduled for June 10-12. The Orioles will hold the No. 2 overall pick for the first time. They've now picked No. 1 overall twice, but never had the second pick. While there has been talk that the draft could be delayed, that is only speculation right now. At some point they will almost certainly hold a draft and it may just be beginning June 10 as scheduled. When I interviewed Baseball America national writer Carlos Collazo, who specializes...

While checking eBay to see whether anyone is selling liquid hand soap ... I accepted the challenge on Twitter yesterday of naming five jobs that I held before becoming a sportswriter, and discovered that I couldn't complete the list. I've literally only had five jobs: * "Unskilled labor" for a construction company the summer before college, which I'm certain was suggested by my parents to ensure that I'd go to college. * A clerk at Glen Burnie Bingo on Richie Highway, where I'd often...

I'll admit I didn't remember much about Game 3 of the National League Division Series. I remembered it was a blowout. I remembered Aníbal Sánchez started and then Patrick Corbin had a disastrous night in relief. I remembered it was the last time the Nationals wore anything other than their navy blue alternate jerseys. (They wore white.) But that's about all I remembered before re-watching the game yesterday. So imagine my surprise when I realized this actually was a compelling...

With no baseball to be played or watched on a Sunday, what better substitute than a pop quiz on the Orioles? Oh, please, no need to thank me. This is the coronavirus edition. Extra credit awarded for expanding on "none of the above" by making a prediction. The Orioles' fifth starter will be: A. Tommy Milone B. Kohl Stewart C. A player who wasn't in camp D. None of the above The backup catcher will be: A. Chance Sisco B. Austin Wynns C. Bryan Holaday D. None of the above The right fielder on...

Why not 10? No reason. Or maybe a shortened spring training, so a shortened amount of questions. No, not really. Just no reason. Major League Baseball will not start as planned on March 26. The Orioles were scheduled to open at home with a three-game series with the Yankees followed by a three-game series with Boston. I won't be covering the team during a scheduled first road series in St. Louis. I have never been to St. Louis and was looking forward to it. Maybe I still get to go there later...

Confession time: My favorite game of the 2019 postseason wasn't the wild card game. It wasn't Game 5 of the National League Division Series. It wasn't the pennant clincher over the Cardinals. And it wasn't Game 6 or 7 of the World Series in Houston. It was Game 2 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium. Seriously. This was an absolutely fantastic ballgame, overstuffed with star power, clutch performances, bold managerial decisions, a surprise relief appearance from a three-time Cy Young Award winner...

The Orioles were supposed to be playing split-squad games tonight against the Twins and Red Sox. The latter would have provided the final division opponent before opening day and the last road trip in the Grapefruit League. I never made it to Fort Myers this spring and that's got to be a first for me. And I've been covering spring training since 1997 in Fort Lauderdale. I missed the Feb. 25 trip to the Red Sox complex because the Orioles also had a home game against the Rays. I was walking to...

If and when we get back to a point where baseball players can take the field, how long will it take before regular season games can be played? That's a good question that can only be answered when we know the start date. But a shortened second spring training of at least two weeks seems likely. Would two weeks be enough? Probably not, but the clock will be ticking fast once the game returns and I would not expect Major League Baseball officials to tell us they need four weeks to get ready. The...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he keeps waking up with the mindset that he has "47 things to do" as part of his day. Then reality sets in, a new normal that he can't escape. There is no baseball for a man who's never home on this date. He's supposed to be deciding on the final roster cuts before opening day. Setting his rotation, bullpen and bench. But the coronavirus pandemic is changing lives. Hyde's days are spent in Sarasota, but with his wife and children and away from the...