The Orioles today announced the coaching staffs for their eight minor league affiliates for the 2014 season. Ron Johnson returns for his third season as the manager at Triple-A Norfolk after guiding the Tides to a 77-67 mark in 2013. The 2014 season will be Johnson's 21st as a minor league manager and he is sixth among active minor league managers with 1,412 career victories (1,412-1,399 overall). Mike Griffin will serve as pitching coach for the seventh consecutive season in the...

The Orioles have announced their minor league managers and coaching staff assignments for the 2014 season. All four full-season managers return to the organization, although Luis Pujols moves from Single-A Delmarva to Single-A Frederick and Ryan Minor moves from Frederick to Delmarva. Ron Johnson returns for his third season as manager at Triple-A Norfolk and Gary Kendall will manage for the fourth season at Double-A Bowie. Former Oriole Alan Mills, the pitching coach last season at...

The Nationals have added more depth to their infield, signing Jamey Carroll to a minor league deal, a source confirms. The contract is not finalized yet, but it will include an invitation to big league spring training, per the source. Carroll, who will turn 40 next month, has played in 12 big league seasons and has experience playing second base, third base and shortstop. He played with the Nationals during their inaugural season in D.C. in 2005, and suited up for both the Twins and Royals...

The Orioles announced today that they've created a 60th anniversary website to celebrate the franchise's move from St. Louis in 1954. Featured on www.orioles.com/60 is a new video contest, "My Orioles Magic Moment," that invites fans to recreate some of the amazing moments that the club has experienced in the last 60 seasons. This month's choice may be my favorite. It's Doug DeCinces' home run on June 22, 1979 at Memorial Stadium that's widely credited with starting "Orioles Magic."...

In celebration of their 60 years in Baltimore, the Orioles today announced the launch of a 60th anniversary website, www.orioles.com/60. Featured on the website is a new video contest, "My Orioles Magic Moment," inviting fans to recreate some of the amazing moments Birdland has experienced in the last 60 seasons. Fans are invited to film a recreation of each month's featured event in team history, then upload the video at www.orioles.com/60. Fans are also encouraged to share their My...

From keeping quiet about a no-hitter to sticking to a strict routine, baseball players can get wrapped up in superstitions. With the Orioles down 2-0 against the Tigers, Adam Jones took one superstition to a whole other level. After the Orioles mascot accidentally dropped his hat into the home dugout, Jones picked up the oversized cap, put it on and cheered on his teammates. That inning, the Birds scored three runs and would go on to win the game 4-2. Was it Jones' rally cap that gave...

A former Nationals hurler has joined the Braves organization, giving Atlanta added depth in the lefty relief department. Atahualpa Severino, who played his first seven professional seasons in the Nationals organization and made six appearances with the Nats at the big league level in 2011, has signed a minor league deal with the Braves, according to Baseball America's Matt Eddy. Severino posted a 3.86 ERA in those six major league appearances with the Nats three years ago, but he has yet to...

Normally we use our Throwback Thursday segment to relive a great play from 2013, but this week, we're throwin' it back to a moment that was memorable for a different reason. On a summer evening against the Phillies, Ian Desmond went to the plate in the first inning and grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. When he came up for his next at bat, Bob Carpenter and F.P. Santangelo noticed something different about the Nationals shortstop. Between the first and third innings, Desmond had gone to...

Last season, Nate McLouth and Brian Roberts combined to bat first in 125 of the Orioles' games, or 77 percent of the time. There will be a new man atop the O's order in 2014. Who is the best choice? Looking back at 2013, O's leadoff hitters batted a collective .266 with a .331 OBP and .715 OPS. That was just ahead of the American League average in two of those three categories. The AL average was .263/.324/.716. Boston was first in the AL with a .348 OBP from the leadoff spot and the...

Before closing the door on yesterday's Hall of Fame announcement and the annual controversy that attaches itself like a barnacle, I decided to check how 2014 inductees Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas fared against the Orioles. In short, quite well. Maddux went 4-2 with a 3.48 ERA in six starts, with 42 hits allowed, five walks and 20 strikeouts in 44 innings. The real eye-opener comes when examining his 2-0 record and 1.69 ERA in two starts at Camden Yards. He allowed three runs...