LaRoche: "I'd love to stick around"
LaRoche: "I'd love to stick around"
Byron Kerr
Nationals
Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche spent a good 15 minutes this morning with "The Junkies" on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., and talked about the unfortunate abrupt ending to a great season. To listen to the entire interview, click here. One major topic is LaRoche's future with the team and whether the veteran will be with the Nationals next season or will the organization decide to put Ryan Zimmerman at first base. LaRoche's lefty bat, high baseball IQ and leadership in the...
Orioles welcome back "Knothole Gang" children's groups for American League Championship Series Games 1 and 2
Orioles welcome back "Knothole Gang" children's groups for American League Championship Series Games 1 and 2
Josh Land
Orioles
Following the successful debut of the Knothole Gang during the American League Division Series, which saw nearly 1,400 children enjoy two Orioles Postseason victories and featured one participating child catch a Nelson Cruz home run in Game 1, the Orioles are again making the Postseason available to kids. 600 more children will be experiencing the excitement of Postseason baseball from Section 98 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, courtesy of the Orioles, who are also providing game tickets,...
Orioles reach agreement with Hardy on extension (updated with terms)
Orioles reach agreement with Hardy on extension (updated with terms)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Today's workout at Camden Yards will include an announcement that the Orioles have reached agreement with shortstop J.J. Hardy on a contract extension, according to an industry source. Hardy, 32, was a pending free agent. Expected negotiations weren't held during spring training and the sides agreed to hold off discussions during the regular season. Hardy's extension covers the next three seasons. FOX Sports is reporting that the value is north of $40 million. Former executive Andy...
Evaluating the last three years isn't so easy
Evaluating the last three years isn't so easy
Dan Kolko
Nationals
Over the last three years, the Nationals have won 280 regular season games, most in the major leagues during that time. In 2012, they picked up 98 wins, the most in the game, and earned their first National League East title since baseball returned to D.C. in 2005. In 2013, even in a year that was considered a bust in Davey Johnson's "World Series or bust" campaign, the Nats still earned 86 wins, sixth-best in the NL and far from anything worth being ashamed of in the grand scheme of...
Zach Wilt: Backs ends of bullpens present interesting ALCS matchup
Zach Wilt: Backs ends of bullpens present interesting ALCS matchup
Josh Land
Orioles
For years, I preached about the importance of starting pitching in the postseason. In my mind, I firmly believed that the teams with the best rotations had the greatest chance of making a deep run into October. It was all about those four starters and no matter what a team did to hide its lack of starting pitching in the regular season, they would surely be exposed in the playoffs. Suddenly, I'm not so sure that's true anymore. At least not this year. The Tigers added a third Cy Young award...
Checking in with a Kansas City reporter for a scouting report and a bullpen comparison
Checking in with a Kansas City reporter for a scouting report and a bullpen comparison
Steve Melewski
Orioles
From 1969 to 1980, the Orioles and Kansas City Royals were well represented in the American League Championship Series. One of those two teams played in the ALCS in 10 of those 12 years, with the Orioles playing six times and the Royals four. But they never played each other, as they will starting tomorrow night in Baltimore. I had a chance to get a Royals scouting report from Josh Vernier, the Royals insider for flagship radio station KCSP-AM/610 Sports Radio, who also reports for FOX Sports...
One more workout before Game 1 of the ALCS
One more workout before Game 1 of the ALCS
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
It's getting more serious. The Orioles and Royals will work out today at Camden Yards, with the intensity ramped up prior to Friday night's opener of the American League Championship Series. The Orioles take the field at 5 p.m., 30 minutes after manager Buck Showalter meets with reporters and other media types. Brady Anderson, Cal Ripken Jr. and Mike Bordick will be made available for interviews earlier in the day. They know a thing or two about the ALCS. It's been a combined 60 years since...
ALCS start times announced
ALCS start times announced
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Major League Baseball has announced the rest of the starting times for the American League Championship Series. Grab a pencil and a sheet of paper. You already know that Game 1 of the ALCS between the Orioles and Royals is Friday at 8:07 p.m. at Camden Yards, followed by Game 2 on Saturday at 4:07 p.m. We won't factor in the rainy forecast. Let's wait on it. Sunday is a workout day. Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Tuesday are slated for 8:07 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium. Game 5 on Oct. 15,...
Harper proved to be a leader and star for Nationals in postseason setback
Harper proved to be a leader and star for Nationals in postseason setback
Byron Kerr
Nationals
One major bright spot from the National League Division series was the play of Bryce Harper. On a national stage, in the most difficult of moments, he delivered. Offensively, besides an early surge in the series by Anthony Rendon, he was the best hitter for the Nationals. Every one of his hits changed momentum or added to it for D.C. In Game 1, with the offense spinning its wheels and the team down 3-0 late, Harper crushed a home run off of Hunter Strickland into the third deck at Nationals...
Pondering the Orioles' possible ALCS rotation
Pondering the Orioles' possible ALCS rotation
Steve Melewski
Orioles
So what will the Orioles' rotation look like for the American League Championship Series? Good luck trying to guess with manager Buck Showalter on that. The Orioles went Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen and Bud Norris in the Detroit series. Miguel Gonzalez, it appeared was going to pitch Game 3, and then the O's switched to Norris. Does Norris' outstanding Sunday outing bump him up to second behind Tillman for this series? Does Gonzalez go second because he didn't pitch in the Tigers series...