SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles' latest minicamp provided an opportunity for manager Buck Showalter and some of his coaches to check on the Ed Smith Stadium complex after it incurred damage from Hurricane Irma and with new sod being laid on the Camden Yards replica field. A scoreboard is going up later this winter and the batter's eye must be replaced. Netting beyond the outfield fence will save baseballs from being lost in the pond or oncoming traffic. Trees have been cleared out - some by...

As we continue our Throwback Thursday posts, we'll defer to Bob Carpenter and his handy-dandy scorebook for this week's memorable moment from last season. We rarely get to see two of the best players in baseball go head to head, with Bryce Harper playing in the National League East and Mike Trout in the American League West. But the stars aligned - so to speak - in 2017 as the former MVPs met in, where else, the City of Angels for a two-game set. And, boy, did they put on a show from the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles concluded their three-day minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex this morning with Richard Bleier throwing his second bullpen session. Bleier was the only pitcher on a mound today and the only one cleared for multiple sessions this week. This is the fifth year in a row that the Orioles have held their minicamp in Sarasota. Dariel Álvarez did some long-tossing again while rehabbing from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. As I wrote in my last...

Fans encouraged to purchase online at Orioles.com Individual tickets for all 16 of the Orioles' Spring Training games at Ed Smith Stadium will go on sale this Saturday, January 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET. It is recommended that fans purchase tickets online. Fans interested in season tickets, five-game flex-plans, or group tickets, or those wishing to receive additional Spring Training ticket information, may call the Orioles Spring Training office at 941-893-6312. Spring Training tickets for Orioles...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Dariel Álvarez no longer is resistant to making the switch from outfielder to pitcher. He's embracing the idea with a surgically repaired elbow and a new attitude. Álvarez is playing catch at minicamp, which wraps up later today, and said via translator Ramon Martinez that he's scheduled to throw off a flat mound by the end of the month. "I've been doing the rehabilitation and I feel pretty good so far," said Álvarez, who had the procedure in April, was released...

Fifteen games and 28 plate appearances is hardly enough sample size to make legitimate evaluations of a young ballplayer. And yet even in his brief, end-of-season stint with the Nationals, Victor Robles turned a whole lot of heads. It was impossible not to notice the 20-year-old outfielder, who dazzled in his performance, in his athleticism and in his composure following his September promotion from Double-A Harrisburg. Heck, the Nationals were so impressed themselves that they included him on...

SARASOTA, Fla. - We've come upon the third and final day of the Orioles minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota. It feels like we just arrived and got reacquainted with the facility. Like we just checked the nameplates above the lockers to make certain that no one signed during the flight. Pitching coach Roger McDowell will meet briefly with the three beat writers before everyone heads home. This is, after all, a gathering of pitchers with no position players. It will be good to...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter added further confirmation Tuesday to what looked to be a pretty safe bet when last season ended. That is that right-hander Miguel Castro will get a look for a rotation spot in spring training. And why not? He's a young guy with a good arm and the Orioles surely need starting pitchers right now. The Orioles' trade last April 7 for Castro from Colorado was an under-the-radar move that could pay off for years to come. That is if Castro continues to show the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - As Zach Britton sits at home with a boot covering his foot following Achilles surgery, the backend of the Orioles bullpen now fractured, manager Buck Showalter won't anoint one reliever as his closer moving forward. Britton could miss the first half of the season depending on his recovery, with no firm timeline in place. He's hoping to be back in May or June. "We have some people that are capable of doing it," Showalter said. "Obviously, nobody of the track record of the...

You love them. You recognize them around town. You have your favorite (George for this particular blogger). And you cheer for them during every fourth inning of a Nationals home game. And now, you can be one of them. That's right, the Nationals are hosting auditions for the 2018 Racing Presidents, meaning you can be the next George, Tom, Abe or Teddy! Those who wish to fill the running shoes of the Racing Presidents during this upcoming season will have a chance to "run for office" during...