When President Barack Obama announced plans to normalize U.S. relations with Cuba in December, news broke less than two months later that the Orioles are among the teams interested in playing an exhibition game there this spring. This might all sound familiar for a reason. Sixteen years ago, after the United States lifted travel restrictions to Cuba, the Orioles played a home-and-home exhibition series with the Cuban national team, becoming the first major league team to play a game in the...

When the Orioles were seeking a writer to chronicle their first six decades in Baltimore, longtime journalist Jim Henneman was a logical choice, one found in their own backyard. The 79-year-old Henneman's lifetime practically mirrors the Orioles' tenure in Charm City. As a youth, he worked in the clubhouse at Oriole Park, home of the team during its Triple-A run from 1946-53. He attended the 1954 parade down Charles Street welcoming the former St. Louis Browns to their new roost, and was in...

It's impressive to win 10 games in a row in the major leagues. It's even more impressive to win on five walk-offs in a six-game span. When you consider the fact that the Nationals accomplished both during the same stretch in 2014, it's almost unbelievable. The Nats swept both the Mets and Pirates in three-game series before going on to sweep the Diamondbacks in a four-game series. Seven of the 10 games were one-run wins. Five of those seven, of course, were walk-offs. If that isn't...

Following a 53-home run season, there were a lot of eyes on Chris Davis in 2014. The slugger may not have had the numbers he had hoped for, but Crush Davis still crushed baseballs. This week, we're throwin' it back to Davis' three-homer game in Pittsburgh. Enjoy watching Crush do what Crush does in the video below. Your browser does not support iframes.

When the Orioles made the playoffs in both 2012 and 2014, the bullpen was very good both years, ranking third in the American League in bullpen ERA each time. That 'pen performance also helped the Orioles to lead the AL in one-run winning percentage both seasons. It was a big part of those playoff teams. The O's had a 3.00 bullpen ERA in 2012 and went an amazing 29-9 (.763) in one-run games. Last year, the 'pen ERA was 3.10 and the O's went 32-23 (.582) in one-run contests. Will the O's...

Spring training will provide its share of storylines, but I don't anticipate much drama when it comes to naming the opening day starter. Is it really a mystery? The past five seasons brought five different starters, but Chris Tillman will go back-to-back by taking the ball on April 6 at Tropicana Field. The only question is how long it takes for manager Buck Showalter to confirm it. "I don't let that enter my mind," Tillman said earlier this week on the "Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan....

Denard Span is coming off an outstanding season in 2014. His 184 hits tied Philadelphia's Ben Revere for most in the National League. For the year, Span batted .302 with 39 doubles and 31 stolen bases, and once again played stellar defense in center field. In early December, Span underwent surgery to repair a nagging sports hernia. On Tuesday, Span appeared on MLB Network's "Hot Stove" and provided an update on his recovery. "I'm working towards Day One being able to work through all the...

While Orioles fans in the Baltimore area are counting down the days to sunny skies, warm weather and the return of baseball at Camden Yards, a huge flock of O's fans in Sarasota, Fla., is just days away from the return of their favorite team. Since moving their full-time spring training operations to Sarasota in 2010, the Orioles have been able to make a huge impact on the Florida community within the confines of Ed Smith Stadium - "Birdland South" - and beyond. Orioles spring training games...

Nationals relief pitcher Jerry Blevins won his arbitration case against the Nationals today. The left-hander was scheduled to make $1.675 million in 2015 before arbitration and was arguing for a bump to a salary of $2.4 million. The Nationals countered with an offer of $2.2 million. The three-person panel in St. Petersburg, Fla., decided in favor of Blevins. The 31-year-old Blevins was 2-3 with a 4.87 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings last season, his first with the Nats after being...

Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez had a string of 48 1/3 innings last season without allowing an earned run while with low Single-A Hagerstown. It is expected that the 21-year-old Lopez will move up to high Single-A Potomac this season. Scouts have been pleasantly surprised with how the Dominican hurler can maintain his strength in the later innings. Nationals director of player development Mark Scialabba detailed why the club believes Lopez was able to make his fastball even more lethal last...