You can't wait for Saturday's Orioles FanFest because it helps ward off the winter chill and make baseball season seem just a little closer. (OK, for a few minutes we'll ignore the fact that it's supposed to be in the mid-50s on Saturday, so work with me ...) Well, if you're wondering when you'll actually get to see Orioles baseball on MASN, wonder no more. MASN today announced a seven-game spring training broadcast schedule, starting with their Grapefruit League opener on Friday, Feb. 23...

Seven of the Nationals' Grapefruit League games this spring will be broadcast on MASN, the network announced today. The slate begins Feb. 25 when the Nationals host the Braves at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, which will be the site of all of the televised games this year. Three of the Nationals' games against the Astros, their fellow ballpark residents - and the defending World Series champs - will be televised: March 6, March 21 and March 23. Two games against the Cardinals (March 11,...

The Baseball Writers' Association of America did a pretty good job with their latest Hall of Fame ballot. They elected Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman and Chipper Jones, and held off Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. They could have done better by electing Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Omar Vizquel - and even long shot Fred McGriff - but maybe those guys will make it on another ballot. Mussina is on the ballot another five years. Before we get too far into the Hall of Fame analysis,...

The utility job in Baltimore remains open to a cluster of in-house competitors and the anticipated outsider, the latter's identity remaining a mystery. The Orioles seem to have targeted a specific player. The challenge is getting him under contract. Is it more important than finding three starting pitchers? Not even close. But it's still important. Every team has that guy on its roster. More of them are stressing the expansion of skills to include outfield play, especially if willing to go...

The hot stove league paused yesterday - though I suppose you could argue it has been stuck on pause all winter - so the Hall of Fame election announcement could take center stage. And that was a good thing, because there was a whole lot to discuss with this year's vote. It's not simply the four players who were voted in (Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, Trevor Hoffman) but also those who just missed (Edgar Martinez), those who gained significant ground (Mike Mussina) and those who...

With last night's announcement of the latest class headed to Cooperstown for the Hall of Fame in July, several aspects of the voting process once again came into question and up for debate. Here are a few of my thoughts that are just opinions, and I want to hear yours: * The 10-man ballot is fine. There is some talk that voters should be allowed to vote for more than 10. I think that is a good number. If someone can't make your list of 10, they may not be a Hall of Famer. At the worst, they...

For just the fourth time - and second time in four years - a class of four has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., by the Baseball Writers' Association of America The class, announced tonight on a live broadcast on MLB Network, is headed up by third baseman Chipper Jones and first baseman/DH Jim Thome, both elected on their first ballots. They are joined by outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, who makes it in his second year of eligibility, and reliever Trevor...

The Orioles have become the latest team in Major League Baseball to take additional steps toward providing for the safety of its fans. The club announced today that it will expand the protective netting behind home plate at Camden Yards and Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota to reduce the risk of foul balls and spiraling bats reaching the crowd and causing serious injury. Though the netting's dimensions at Camden Yards won't be known until the Orioles complete their work with the design and...

The Orioles released the following statement this afternoon: "The Orioles informed Major League Baseball in the fall of last year that consistent with the club's emphasis on the safety and security of fans, the existing netting at Oriole Park at Camden Yards would be extended to cover an increased area prior to the 2018 season. While we are still working with our design and engineering team on the specific dimensions of the new system, the additional netting coverage is expected to extend...

You can call the system flawed, you can argue whether steroids users should be in or out, you can debate whether it's more important to have been a consistent performer for 15 years or an elite performer for eight years, you can complain about who gets a vote and who doesn't get a vote. Here's what you can't argue, though: The Baseball Hall of Fame matters. It matters to so many people, from the players themselves to those who work in the game to those who are entrusted to submit ballots to...