There's no baseball to watch right now, at least no live baseball. And there's not going to be any for a while. So how do we get our fix during this most unusual time in our lives? We watch old baseball games. There's a whole treasure trove of classic games available out there. And at some point, we might just get to them all. But for now, where better to begin than with the most recent games the Nationals played? Yes, it's time to re-watch - and re-live - the 2019 postseason. The plan is...

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 have had the second pick. The Detroit Tigers, who went 47-114 in 2019, have the No. 1 pick for the second time in three years. They selected Auburn right-hander Casey Mize 1/1 overall in 2018. The Orioles, who went 54-108, will select after Detroit. But with opening day on hold and the season canceled...

The Orioles would have been making the short drive to Bradenton today for a game against the Pirates if spring training had proceeded without interruption. The trip back always takes twice as long because of the traffic, but it's still the easiest one. Many of the competitions are unsettled while baseball takes a long break, but shortstop is set. José Iglesias has the position locked down after signing a one-year deal with an option for 2021. He still holds the key. Iglesias came across as...

Regular readers of this space are familiar with our recaps of "Nationals Classics" on MASN. Usually, all winter long, we stoke the hot stove and feed your need for baseball with rebroadcasts of memorable games from past seasons. Well, in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic that has short-circuited the national pastime, we're back with more "Nationals Classics" to keep you satiated. Whether you're working at home, sheltering in place or planning your next strategic grocery store run for...

The Nationals' new pitching coordinator is veteran coach and former major league pitcher Brad Holman, who takes over for Paul Menhart, now the Nats pitching coach. Holman was the pitching coach for the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies last season, and was the bullpen coach for the Texas Rangers from 2015-2017. Holman has had time to get a good look at and work with the pitching prospects in the Nats system, with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs in 2018, Fresno in 2019, in the instructional league and now...

Among those who immediately realized they would be affected by last week's suspension of spring training and delayed start to the baseball season were the workers at ballparks across America, those who rely on game days for steady income and now face weeks or even months without that assurance. On Tuesday, Major League Baseball and its clubs took the first step toward ensuring those people will be taken care of. Each of the 30 franchises has agreed to donate $1 million to cover the incomes of...

Keeping an ongoing dialogue with fans and readers during the shutdown of baseball is important to me. Along those lines, today I have a few questions for you. We shall start with a pretty simple one but I look forward to getting the responses. Which player is your favorite all-time Oriole and why? Mine is Brooks Robinson. He was a star player for the Orioles in their great run from 1966 through 1971, when they played in four World Series over a six-year period. He was a star longer than that,...

The Orioles would have been traveling to Fort Myers today for a game against the Twins if spring training had proceeded without interruption. They tried it last Thursday and didn't get a mile from the complex before the buses pulled back into it. Four left turns and they were exactly where they started. A pretty good hint that Major League Baseball was shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic. It won't attempt to start the regular season before the middle of May. No one would be floored...

This was supposed to be the start of the final countdown to opening day. The last week of spring training, with decisions looming on the starting third baseman, the No. 5 starter, a spot or two in the bullpen and maybe a spot on the bench. The Nationals were going to head north after this Sunday's Grapefruit League finale, make a brief stop in D.C. for an exhibition game against top prospects one week from today, then continue to New York for opening day against the Mets. One week after that,...

He was a key player the Orioles acquired in mid-2018 in the trade of Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now Orioles minor league right-hander Zach Pop is going through the process of getting back to pitching after Tommy John surgery of last May. He is progressing well, but finding out some of the challenges of a process that can take a pitcher 12 to 18 months to get back to the mound in a game. "Definitely the mental battle is tough," he said recently during an interview at Twin Lakes...