You've certainly heard the saying, "The friendly confines of Fenway Park." Well, the Orioles are sure finding the place friendly this year. They are now 4-0 this season at the Fens and that is more wins at that ballpark than they have had in five of the last six entire seasons and keep in mind they play nine games a year there. The Orioles at Fenway Park the past six seasons: 2006: 1-8 2007: 3-6 2008: 2-7 2009: 1-8 2010: 4-5 2011: 3-6 The Orioles have won their last six games and seven of...

BOSTON - The Ripken name may be staying in the Orioles family. The Orioles just drafted Ryan Ripken - Cal Sr's grandson, Cal's son and Billy's nephew - in the 20th round of the First-Year Player Draft. Ripken, a left-handed-hitting first baseman at Gilman who also played basketball, has committed to the University of South Carolina. He received plenty of scholarship offers after batting .353 as a junior. This year, Ripken hit .377 with 25 RBIs at Gilman. Ripken, listed at 6 foot 6, 205...

BOSTON - It's Day 3 of the First-Year Player Drafts, and the picks are coming fast and furious. Teams don't need five minutes between selections. They don't stay on the clock for more than a few seconds. The Orioles used their 16th pick on pitcher Luc Rennie of Torrey Pines (Ca.) High School. Their 17th pick was used on pitcher Nick Grim of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. That's 12 pitchers chosen in the first 17 rounds. Rennie was 9-1 with a 0.89 ERA, 10 walks and 73 strikeouts in 70 2/3...

Groups are the backbone of baseball attendance numbers. It's a simple equation, really - a block of tickets sold to a group inevitably includes ducats in the hands of casual fans or people who have never been to a game before. They come to a game at a usually discounted price and hopefully like what they see and feel. Amid all the sodas and hot dogs, beer and peanuts, souvenirs and actual baseball action, maybe you entice them back again at full price. And maybe a non-fan or casual fan becomes...

The Nationals have spoken to a good amount of teams since the beginning of the season regarding left-hander John Lannan. General manager Mike Rizzo said their had been "mild interest" in early April. Now, Ken Rosenthal of FOXsports.com reports that the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers have had "recent discussions" with the Nationals about their former front line starter. It seems that the talks have yet to intensify, but with Lannan's latest impressive start Tuesday, and team's...

The list of superlatives that were used to describe Bryce Harper in the Nationals' clubhouse late last night was a lengthy one. "He's a man-child," outfielder Michael Morse said. "He's unbelievable." "The kid's a gamer," said shortstop Ian Desmond. "He's unbelievable. One of the best players I've ever seen, to be honest." This all came after Harper delivered another big-time moment - his first career walk-off hit in the Nats' 7-6 12-inning win over the Mets last night. It was...

If I were to keep it simple, I'd summarize watching Bryce Harper play baseball as fun because it is - whether it was his post-draft introductory press conference (where he took batting practice before the formal session), his home debut at Nationals Park, the time he stole home off Cole Hamels or Tuesday night's first career walk-off. I know I'll always kick myself for missing his first career home run. A friend and I were going to make it to that game too. We were planning on it, rain got...

After drafting 15 players over the first 15 rounds of the First-Year Player Draft the last two days, Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich said he is quite pleased with the club's haul of talent so far. "I feel really good," Rajsich said. "You know, this draft was considered a very shallow draft and I couldn't be happier with what we were able to come up with." Rajsich was a guest last night on my radio show, "Baltimore Baseball Tonight," on 105.7 FM The Fan in Baltimore. I asked...

Well, this one was nuts. Twelve innings, 14 total pitchers used, three blown Mets leads in the eighth inning or later, countless misplayed balls (two in the bottom of the 10th by poor Jordany Valdespin), three wild pitches and the first walk-off hit by a teenager in nearly 24 years. It felt like it might never end, but it did. A thrilling - and exhausting - contest finally went to the Nationals by a 7-6 score. "It was a wild game," manager Davey Johnson said. "They didn't play very well,...

BOSTON - I can't figure out who's going to make Saturday's start against the Phillies at Camden Yards. It's easier to eliminate certain pitchers, most notably left-hander Zach Britton, who would be working on short rest and who will stay on his rehab assignment. The Orioles apparently think Britton needs to improve the command of his pitches. They're in no rush to end his assignment. Cross him off the list. Manager Buck Showalter didn't mention Brad Bergesen when rattling off the names...