Over the course of the 2013 season, Adam LaRoche lost around 15 pounds and was left playing at a weight he hadn't been measured at since high school. The medicine that LaRoche took to combat his attention deficit disorder (ADD) sapped his appetite and left him down in the low-190 lb. range, as compared to the 205-210 lbs. at which he typically plays. A couple of months into the season, Nationals teammates started noticing the difference in LaRoche's frame, and it's around that time that...

When Chris Davis met with reporters Sunday to discuss his 2013 Most Valuable Oriole award, he was asked if one of the 53 homers he hit this year was his most memorable. His answer was interesting. It wasn't No. 1 or No. 50, which tied Brady Anderson's single-season club record. It was not even No. 51, which broke that record. It was a homer he hit Friday Sept. 6 against the Chicago White Sox and lefty John Danks. "When I was getting close to 50, I hit one off Danks," Davis remembered....

This offseason holds a lot of questions for the Nationals. Who will be the Nats' new skipper? What will the starting rotation look like? Will their lineup stay the same? But before we look ahead, let's take time to relive some of the best moments of this past season. Every Thursday, we'll be throwin' it back to an amazing play from the Nats' 2013 season. Let's take it back to the beginning, shall we? Bryce Harper started the season with a bang. In fact, he started it with two. In...

You may already be counting down the days until opening day, but before we look forward, let's take a look back at some of the Orioles' greatest moments of the 2013 season. Every Thursday, we'll be throwin' it back to an amazing play from the O's second straight winning season. And what better place to start than the beginning. The Birds hosted the Twins for their 2013 home opener. In front of a sellout crowd, Chris Davis stepped to plate with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of a...

While sitting in stunned silence over Freddy Garcia's inclusion in the Braves' rotation for the Division Series ... The Orioles led the majors with 212 home runs this season. They ranked fifth in runs scored with 745 and eighth in hits with 1,460. They were tied for eighth in batting average at .260. They were fourth in OPS at .744. Chris Davis did the heavy lifting, and first base is one of many positions that will go untouched over the winter. The Orioles are set, to say the least. But...

The Nationals' minor league Player of the Year for 2012 is back on the field and only a couple of days away from heading to the Arizona Fall League. In the first post in a two-part series, I got to speak with third baseman Matt Skole on a myriad of subjects. First and foremost, he spoke about the long summer of rehab. Skole was injured on a freak play at first base in the first month of his Double-A season for Harrisburg. After tearing a ligament in his non-throwing arm, Skole underwent Tommy...

The Orioles have issued the following statement from owner Peter G. Angelos on the passing of Tom Clancy, who most recently served as the organization's vice chairman of community projects and public affairs: "For decades, Tom Clancy entertained millions with his novels and enjoyed producing no fewer than 17 best-sellers. He was an extraordinary storyteller who had an ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats. His passion for the military was evident in his efforts to ensure that...

"For decades, Tom Clancy entertained millions with his novels and enjoyed producing no fewer than 17 best-sellers. He was an extraordinary storyteller who had an ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats. His passion for the military was evident in his efforts to ensure that the men and women who serve our country were properly recognized for their service and commitment. "While he achieved international acclaim as a celebrated author, Tom, a proud Baltimorean, was a devoted...

Some have said they think the wild card playoff game should be more than just one game. That it should be a best-of-three series and that would be more fair after playing 162 games - or even 163 as Tampa Bay played. My take: Leave it the way it is, as a one-game playoff. I prefer that for the drama, the tension, the pressure and all that a one-and-done scenario creates. O's fans probably can still remember the butterflies dancing in their stomachs as the Orioles played in Texas last...

On June 5 of this season, Anthony Rendon started his first big league game at second base. Rendon had been promoted from Triple-A Syracuse the day prior, marking his second stint with the Nationals, and Danny Espinosa, who had been the Nats' starting second baseman the vast majority of the season up to that point, had been placed on the disabled list. That day, June 5, served as a turning point as far as the Nationals' second base job went for the remainder of the season. Rendon effectively...