When we talk about outfielders that could help the Orioles this year, it seems that Henry Urrutia seldom gets much mention. But we should not forget that he hit .347 with a .913 OPS at Double-A and Triple-A in 2013, and .276 with the Orioles in 58 at-bats. He was named the O's minor league Player of the Year that season. But last year was a setback for him. Urrutia underwent sports hernia surgery. He was out from April 28 to July 5 and was limited to 51 games at Norfolk, where he hit .270 with...

Should Orioles fans start a collection to buy Jeffrey Maier's glove and burn it in a ceremony on opening day at Camden Yards? Just a thought. Maier's black leather Mizuno glove is up for auction, in case you missed the news. The current bidding is listed at $13,000. A small price to pay to watch it smolder. In case you've been living under a rock, Maier used the glove to deflect Derek Jeter's fly ball to right field in Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series at Yankee...

While today is a federal holiday, for those in the D.C. region, it's so much more than that. When Nationals fans hear the word "presidents," they naturally think of George, Tom, Abe, Teddy and Bill racing around the warning track of Nationals Park. Whether they're racing giant pierogies, being taken out by D-backs legends or getting chased by sharks, the racing presidents are just another reason why you should be counting down the days until the return of baseball season. Here are some...

I like to check in with the Nationals and get their thoughts on some of the names to look out for in the minor leagues this season. The last blog, I focused on pitchers. This time, I asked about some of the on-field personnel you should check out. The young prospects to watch as spring training begins include second baseman Christopher Bostick. The 21-year-old Bostick was acquired from the Texas Rangers, alongside right-handed reliever Abel de Los Santos, in the Ross Detwiler trade in...

Lofty expectations follow Denard Span, Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper into 2015, their third season playing together in the Nationals outfield. Span anchors the trio playing center field and batting leadoff for the Nats. He's entering his third year in D.C., after coming in a trade from Minnesota in 2012. His contract with the Nationals expires at the end of this year giving him added incentive to perform well as he approaches free agency. I'm sure Nats manager Matt Williams would be thrilled...

If the Orioles are going to add another player to their camp roster before pitchers and catchers report, it's got to happen within the next few days. A reliever and utility infielder remained on executive vice president Dan Duquette's shopping list as he addressed the crowd at FanFest on Jan. 31. He wanted more depth in both areas. Time also is running out for me to get rid of any items in my refrigerator that will spoil while I'm gone. I've come home to a few unintended science...

While Orioles fans freeze in the Baltimore area, the sun and warmth of Sarasota is calling. Spring training begins this week. Almost time to play ball. Orioles pitchers and catchers report to Ed Smith Stadium on Thursday with their first workout set for Friday. Position players join them for the first full-squad workout on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The first exhibition game is March 3 and the season opener is April 6 in St. Petersburg against the Tampa Bay Rays. So with the sound of the crack of the...

No question, Max Scherzer was the biggest offseason acquisition for the Nationals, but the second most important move came in January when general manager Mike Rizzo shipped reliever Tyler Clippard to Oakland for infielder Yunel Escobar. The Nationals have been searching for an answer at second base for a couple seasons. The plan last year for Anthony Rendon to play at second was scrapped early, once injury forced Ryan Zimmerman to the disabled list. Danny Espinosa stepped back in at second...

I was messing around with another projected Orioles lineup yesterday during "Wall to Wall Baseball" on MASN. We had two hours to kill. Manager Buck Showalter can go in many directions, depending on the opponent's starting pitcher. Here's one possibility: Alejandro De Aza LF Manny Machado 3B Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C Steve Pearce DH Travis Snider RF J.J. Hardy SS Jonathan Schoop 2B I'm fully aware of the free-agent losses this winter, but that's still a nice...

Under new commissioner Rob Manfred, it sure looks like Major League Baseball officials are going to take a long and thorough look at the sport with the decline in offense in recent years. The average big league team scored 4.07 runs per game last year, the lowest in a non-strike year since 1976, when it was 3.99. The Orioles averaged 4.35 runs per game last year, by the way. Average MLB runs per game through the years: 4.07 - 2014 4.81 - 2004 4.92 - 1994 4.26 - 1984 4.12 - 1974 Along with that,...