I'm going to keep this entry brief and get right to the point. Yes, Cal Ripken Jr. is interested in getting back into baseball. He's also intrigued by the idea of managing. If he's contacted about an opening, he's going to listen. In other words, nothing has changed in the last 24, 48 or 72 hours. Nothing has changed for months. Ripken has stated previously that he'd consider a return to the majors once daughter Rachel and son Ryan were in college. They're out of the house and he's...

After a 2013 season where he made 19 starts in Triple-A and just seven for the Orioles, 25-year-old lefty Zach Britton knows he may be running out of chances. Next spring, he will head to Sarasota, Fla., as a pitcher out of options and maybe running out of time to impress the O's brass. Over the last three years, Britton is 18-17 with a 4.77 ERA over 46 big league starts. Since he pitched so well early during the 2011 season for the Orioles, he has dealt with some shoulder issues and...

The Mesa Solar Sox flexed their offensive muscle early, racing to a 7-0 lead after two innings in their home opener against the Glendale Desert Dogs in Arizona Fall League play Wednesday. Mesa went on to win 13-3. Left-hander Sammy Solis (1-0) went 3 2/3 innings for the victory, allowing three hits, no runs, one walk and striking out two. Solis tossed 56 pitches, 39 for strikes. Solis told me he felt great on the mound and it was excited to be able to pitch back in his home state of...

On more than one occasion, Manny Machado has proven that he doesn't need a glove to make a spectacular play. In this instance, the Orioles were trying to protect a one-run lead against Tampa Bay. With the ball bouncing toward him, the O's third baseman used his fingertips to get the crucial out in the ninth. Watch Machado's amazing play below and make sure to check back every Thursday to relive more memorable moments from 2013. Your browser does not support iframes.

Denard Span made play after play in center field last season, finishing 2013 without committing an error to give him a chance to win his first Gold Glove. I'm sure we'll see Span featured on Throwback Thursday again this offseason, but for now, watch the center fielder make a diving grab look routine. Your browser does not support iframes.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts is celebrating his 36th birthday today, which probably includes changing diapers and grabbing naps while his baby boy sleeps. Veteran move. Roberts is a pending free agent, his four-year, $40 million contract running out in 2013. The Orioles will give serious consideration to re-signing him. Both sides are open to it. Roberts is really hoping for it. Roberts has been in the organization since the 1999 First-Year Player draft, when the Orioles chose him...

One of the main rules in the Arizona Fall League is the 11-inning rule. To avoid games that could go on and on all day or all night, the rule was set up to end games after 11 innings if they are tied. The statistics count, but the game is suspended. The first game of the season for the Mesa Solar Sox, who are partially stocked by the Nationals, ended in an 8-8 deadlock with Glendale Desert Dogs. Glendale scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. The most dramatic inning,...

Over the final couple of months of the season, we heard manager Davey Johnson say over and over (and over and over) again that one of the main reasons for the Nationals' struggles for much of the year was that the guys on the bench didn't perform to their ability level. Chad Tracy hit .202 with a .568 OPS and Roger Bernadina hit .178 with a .517 OPS this season, a pretty steep decline from their numbers in 2012. But they weren't alone. Tyler Moore also saw his production level take a pretty...

The Red Sox continue to win games by exhibiting tremendous patience at the plate and running the bases better than anyone in baseball. They steal bases. They take the extra base. They beat out ground balls. Jacoby Ellsbury went from first to third on a wild pitch in the seventh inning last night and scored the go-ahead run on Shane Victorino's infield hit. I understand that it's hard for Orioles fans to view the Red Sox in a positive light, but plenty of teams could learn from them. Just...

During the O's final homestand of 2013, we held our last MASNSports.com live video chats of this season with Adam Jones and Darren O'Day. Both players were generous with their time and answered questions from me and the fans on a large variety of topics. At one point, I got into a lengthy discussion with Jones about the fact that several Orioles players were among the league leaders in games played this year. Did that lead to the team and the offense wearing down in September? "Do you pay...