And so it begins. I'm heading to the airport for my flight to Tampa and the hour-long drive into Sarasota. The Ed Smith Stadium complex is closed to the media today, which I discovered after booking an 8:20 a.m. flight. Upon further review, I probably could have stayed in bed a little longer. Pitchers and catchers report Tuesday, with their first workout the following day. Position players are due Friday. I've been asked many times, by fans and hosts of various radio/television shows, for...

Today in this space, I conclude my two-part interview with Brian Graham. On Jan. 25, the Orioles promoted Graham from coordinator of minor league instruction to director of player development. Graham is now the man in charge of the Orioles' minor leagues. In his sixth season with the club, Graham joins a newcomer to the organization, Kent Qualls, who has been named director of minor league operations, as the top brass heading up the minors. He brings a long resume to this position. He spent...

MELBOURNE, Fla. - After a little bit of a bumpy flight and a 55 minute wait in line to get my rental car, I'm all set up in my hotel room and ready for spring training to get going. I've traded in my winter coat for a pair of sunglasses, and my freezing cold hands for a sweaty back. Too much information? Yeah, I figured as much. Sorry about that. I made a point to swing by the Nationals' spring facilities at Space Coast Stadium in Viera before getting settled at my hotel, but the place...

Some people consider the day after the Super Bowl to be the beginning of baseball season. Personally, I consider the beginning of baseball season the day that I first hear the click-clack of cleats against the dugout floor and the loud pop of a ball settling into a mitt. That day is today. I'm taking off for Viera, Fla., and Nationals spring training in just a couple of hours, leaving behind the offseason and 20-degree temperatures in place of long, hardball-filled days and sunny...

We should find out within the next couple of days whether pitcher Jair Jurrjens will officially become an Oriole. Executive vice president Dan Duquette, calling into yesterday's "Hot Stove Baseball" show on WBAL Radio, said he hoped that the matter would be resolved "by the start of camp." Pitchers and catchers report to spring training Tuesday, and the first workout takes place the following day. Jurrjens has completed his physical, but the Orioles clearly aren't satisfied with the...

Gio Gonzalez isn't shying away from the spotlight after being linked to a Miami-area anti-aging clinic accused of dealing performance-enhancing drugs. USA Baseball has announced that Gonzalez, a Hialeah, Fla., native, has accepted an invitation to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. The Nationals now have three players on their 40-man roster who are on the provisional roster for teams competing in the WBC; second baseman Danny Espinosa is set to play for Team Mexico and...

And now, all of the Orioles' arbitration-eligible players are under contract for 2013. In the case of Darren O'Day, he's also locked up through 2014. O'Day's agency, the Beverly Hills Sports Council, tweeted confirmation this afternoon that the reliever agreed to a two-year deal with an $4.25 million option for 2015. He is guaranteed $5.8 million. The deal becomes official once O'Day passes his physical. O'Day, 30, made $1.35 million last season while winning a career-high seven...

MASN, the television home of the defending National League East champion Washington Nationals, is partnering with WUSA 9 to simulcast 20 Nationals games on WUSA 9 TV in Washington, D.C., during the upcoming 2013 season. The schedule of the games being simulcast on WUSA 9 will begin with the Nationals' April 1 season and home opener against the Miami Marlins and will also include select weekend games. All available Nationals games will be aired on MASN HD and MAS2 HD in 2013; a full MASN...

My remaining hours in the mid-Atlantic region are dwindling. I leave for Viera, Fla., and Nationals spring training tomorrow morning, meaning today is my final day to run errands, pay bills and pack seven weeks' worth of clothes into two suitcases. OK, so there's a laundry room in my hotel, and I don't actually need seven weeks' worth of clothes. But I really hate doing laundry, and as a result, I'm a self-admitted over-packer. I'm also a self-admitted procrastinator, leaving me with...

The days continue to melt away before pitchers and catchers report to spring training. I'm actually counting down the hours now as I try to get my life in order before turning it upside down. The first workout for pitchers and catchers takes place Feb. 13. The first full-squad workout is three days later. Here's the list of non-roster invitees: Pitchers 68 Zach Braddock LHP 75 Kevin Gausman RHP 27 Mark Hendrickson LHP 54 Daniel McCutchen RHP 84 Eduardo Rodriguez LHP 61 Adam Russell RHP 55...