The Orioles are opening their clubhouse to the media today at 12:30 p.m. A few players may wander inside to pack up their belongings before flying home. Most of them probably took care of it last night or made arrangements to have a clubhouse attendant ship boxes to them. Manager Buck Showalter and executive vice president Dan Duquette will conduct interviews in the dugout. Showalter will try to come up with some fresh responses. The wounds are probably fresh, as well. This is the saddest day...

Nelson Cruz said he'd like to remain an Oriole. But for that to happen, the club will likely need to sign him to a long-term deal of at least three years - and probably more. Cruz is about to hit the free agent market, and if he does, it seems likely some team will throw big dollars his way after a 40-homer, 108-RBI season. He set career highs in both categories, leading the majors in homers. The Orioles' best move may be to offer Cruz the qualifying offer of $15.3 million on a one-year...

What was he thinking? That's not the question. Sorry. Some fans were wondering if Chris Davis could play in exhibition games next spring while still serving his suspension. I checked with a team official who reminded me that left-hander Troy Patton pitched last spring before serving his 25-game suspension. It totally slipped my mind. I'm going to blame fatigue. Davis has one game left on his suspension after testing positive for Adderall, which he took without a therapeutic use exemption....

The Nationals' hopes to partner with the Houston Astros on a shared spring training complex in Palm Beach County have run into another obstacle: West Palm Beach, which owns the 160 acres the teams are targeting, is considering a $14 million offer for the property from a developer who wants to build there. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, city commissioners in West Palm Beach have decided to pursue a deal that would place town houses, retail businesses and a new park on the tract,...

Like the Nationals, the Orioles are now done for 2014, heading home after a tremendous season and a sweep at the hands of the Royals in the American League Championship Series. It means that both local teams, despite tremendous 96-win regular seasons and division titles, saw their postseason run end in heartbreak. And in reality, that's the way it goes for 29 of the 30 teams in the majors. Only one organization will be smiling when it's all said and done, and that's the one holding the...

How could I possibly be disappointed in the Orioles' season? Ninety-six regular season wins, an American League East title for the first time since 1997 and a trip to the American League Championship Series. Oh, and the Orioles accomplished all of those feats without Matt Wieters, Manny Machado and even Chris Davis at the end of the season. If you told me way back when pitchers and catchers reported on Feb. 13 that the O's year would run through mid-October, I would have been thrilled. I...

KANSAS CITY - The Orioles' first batter yesterday hit a groundball up the middle and Kansas City second baseman Omar Infante made a nice play, ranging to his right. The Royals' first batter hit one up the middle. It went for an infield single and Kansas City scored two runs without hitting the ball out of the infield. That is how the series went for the Orioles. I agree with the players that said it wasn't something the O's didn't do as much as what K.C. did. The Royals' defense and...

KANSAS CITY - This should be my last dateline for a while. Maybe until the Winter Meetings in San Diego. But there's plenty of time for me to whine and complain about that putrid assignment. I'm still plotting ways to avoid it despite the wonderful location. Faking my own death never works. The folks at MASN and MASNsports.com are too wise. So who are you rooting for in the World Series? Does it matter which team represents the National League? I had every intention of pulling for the Royals,...

KANSAS CITY - Here are more comments from the quiet Orioles clubhouse after today's 2-1 loss that sends the Royals to the World Series and ends the O's 2014 season. Nick Markakis on this year: "We had a great season. We just fell short of where we wanted to go. Doesn't take anything away of what we did all season. We did what we were supposed to do, just came up short a little bit. "They made great plays when they needed them. They kept us out of big innings. Pitching and defense, they...

KANSAS CITY - It's never easy to say goodbye. To teammates, coaches and especially a season. Players hugged each other in the Orioles clubhouse following a 2-1 loss in Game 4 that completed the Royals' sweep of the American League Championship Series. Pitching coach Dave Wallace made sure to approach everyone on his staff, shaking hands and embracing guys who needed it. Executive vice president Dan Duquette also worked the room, approaching every player at his locker. Manager Buck...