New Orioles minor league hitting coordinator Jeff Manto said he is excited to start his new position with the team. He returns to the organization where he had his best big league season and to work for one of his former minor league managers and a mentor. The 49-year-old Manto batted just 713 times over parts of nine big league seasons, but 254 of those at-bats came during his 1995 year with the Orioles when he hit .256 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs over 89 games. He tied a major league record...

Louisville Slugger tonight announced that first baseman Chris Davis, shortstop J.J. Hardy and center fielder Adam Jones have been awarded the Silver Slugger Award for their 2013 seasons. The three Silver Slugger Awards won by the Orioles are the most of any team in the major leagues in 2013 and are the most by the club since the award began in 1980. Davis was awarded his first Silver Slugger Award after leading the major leagues with 53 home runs, 138 runs batted in and 96 extra-base hits (42...

The Washington Nationals today released their 31-game 2014 Spring Training schedule, which features 14 home games at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, FL, including their Grapefruit League home opener on Saturday, March 1 vs. Atlanta. The Nationals begin their Grapefruit League campaign on February 28 in nearby Port St. Lucie against the Mets, and conclude their exhibition slate by hosting the defending AL Central Champion Detroit Tigers on Saturday, March 29 at Nationals Park. Just two days...

Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond tonight was named the recipient of the 2013 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger for National League shortstops. The Silver Slugger citation is the second of Desmond's career. He earned his initial Silver Slugger last season. Desmond hit .280 with a career-high 38 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 80 RBI and 21 stolen bases to garner the annual award that recognizes the top offensive producer at every position in each league. "I play the game...

For the second straight season, Ian Desmond has been selected as the top offensive shortstop in the National League by managers and coaches. Desmond won the 2013 Silver Slugger Award among NL shortstops after hitting .280 with a .331 on-base percentage, a .453 slugging percentage, 20 home runs and 80 RBIs this season. Desmond beat out the Rockies' Troy Tulowkitzki, the Dodgers' Hanley Ramirez and the Brewers' Jean Segura for the award. Desmond led all National League shortstops in total...

The Nationals announced their 31-game 2014 spring training schedule this evening, a slate that features 14 home games at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla., beginning with their Grapefruit League home opener Saturday, March 1 versus the Braves. The Nats will kick off their spring training schedule a day before that home opener when they face the Mets in Port St. Lucie on Feb. 28. Matt Williams' bunch will conclude their exhibition schedule at Nationals Park against the Tigers on March 29,...

The Orioles have their first Silver Slugger Award winner in five years. Chris Davis was chosen among American League first basemen, the announcement coming tonight on MLB Network. Davis led the majors with 53 home runs and 138 RBIs. He ranked fourth among first basemen in the AL with a .286 average, tied for first with a .370 on-base percentage, and ranked first with a .634 slugging percentage and 1.004 OPS. He also tied for third with 42 doubles and third with 167 hits. No Oriole had won a...

We already know that Chris Davis is a slam-dunk to win his first Silver Slugger Award, with the results announced tonight at 6 p.m. on MLB Network. Could the Orioles have multiple winners in the same season for only the fifth time since the award was created in 1980? First baseman Eddie Murray and shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. won it in 1983 and 1984. Ripken and catcher Mickey Tettleton won it in 1989, and shortstop Miguel Tejada and third baseman Melvin Mora won it in 2004. No Oriole has won a...

Right-hander Robert Benincasa had a very successful season in the Nationals organization. He has done so well, his season continues now in the Arizona Fall League. Benincasa was promoted from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac. Along the way, he totaled an impressive 27 saves and a 3.00 ERA. He walked only 14 batters and punched out 64 over 51 innings in 45 games. In Arizona with the Mesa Solar Sox, the 23-year-old Benincasa has gone 0-0 in eight games with a 4.50 ERA. But...

Tickets On Sale This Saturday for "Ice on the Diamond - A Holiday Celebration" In a first for Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium, the Orioles will present "Ice on the Diamond - A Holiday Celebration," a dazzling, holiday-themed show featuring world-class ice skaters on a specially engineered ice stage at the ballpark on Friday, December 20 at 7:00 p.m. The stadium will be decorated for the holidays, creating a festive backdrop to this family-friendly event that features a cast of skaters and...