Think about the core group of players that helped the Orioles to four World Series between 1966-71, and you'll likely focus on the powerful bats and slick fielders that made the offense/defense combination of winning baseball in Baltimore - names like Andy Etchebarren, Boog Powell, Davey Johnson, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Paul Blair. However, there were Orioles pitchers who appeared in the 1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971 Fall Classics, too. Left-hander Dave McNally and right-hander Jim...

Left-hander Dontrelle Willis has dropped his grievance against the Orioles and will report to extended spring training tomorrow, according to agent Matt Sosnick. Willis left Triple-A Norfolk and returned home with the assumption that he would be granted his release. Executive vice president Dan Duquette said the Orioles never made that promise and that Willis left without permission, leading to the grievance and some hard feelings on the pitcher's side. In case you need a reminder, here's...

As managers go, Davey Johnson is a patient and trusting one. He believes in his players, giving them a chance to battle through slumps and hard times. It's one of the reasons why guys love playing for him so much. They feel that if they start scuffling, their skipper will have their back. He won't be quick to turn on them, won't worry about being put under the microscope for putting a guy in the lineup who isn't playing well. But talking to reporters last night, even Johnson had to admit...

If there's one thing the Internet loves, it's a list. So, what the hell, I'm game. I got to thinking, after the recent unveiling of the Frank Robinson statue at Camden Yards, about great Orioles of the past and how cool it is to be able to look back on their legacies and claim them for our city. That, naturally enough, led to thinking about the modern Orioles. History looks more kindly on success than on failure, which tends to obscure the achievements of players who toil on losing teams....

A four-homer game is pretty impressive. Josh Hamilton did that last night at Camden Yards. A six-homer game is not bad, either. That happened in the college ranks 13 years ago today and there are some similarities between the two players that hammered all those longballs. Josh Hamilton hit four homers on May 8, 2012 in Baltimore. Marshall McDougall hit six homers on May 9, 1999 in College Park, Md. In the same state where Hamilton hit four last night, McDougall of the Florida State...

Phillies fans aside, the atmosphere at Nationals Park over last weekend was vibrant and full of life. The fact is that Nationals Park feels different when the seats are filled. If it takes a division rivalry to pack the place, then so be it. But it's a whole other thing to sink to the level of the proposed enemy of the evening. Nationals fans tend to be well-behaved while a certain contingent of the rival fan base tends to get a bit more riled up than their counterparts. After sitting...

Before we move on from the new-found and legitimate Nationals-Phillies rivalry, there's one question that has to be clarified: What does Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels mean when he says he was bringing back old-fashioned baseball by drilling Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in the back? Hamels hasn't said a word since he was suspended. Hamels, who deserved the five-game suspension that he received from Major League Baseball, is confused on the term. In old-school baseball, pitchers never...

Thanks to Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox and Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers, the 2012 season has become the first in major league history to feature both a perfect game and a four-homer game. To think, in his first five plate appearances Monday night, Hamilton went 0-for-3 with two walks. But since the ninth inning of that game, he is 6-for-6 with a double, five homers and 10 RBIs. That is beyond ridiculous. The Orioles fans at Camden Yards were very classy to give Hamilton a...

No truth to the rumor that the Orioles are trying to trade for Cole Hamels so he can give Josh Hamilton a belated "welcome to the majors" moment later tonight. The Orioles' 25-man roster was stagnant long enough. Now we're seeing the ripples. Nolan Reimold goes on the disabled list. Luis Exposito is recalled. Tommy Hunter and Ronny Paulino are optioned. Jason Berken is recalled. Stu Pomeranz has his contract purchased. Berken is optioned. Zach Phillips is recalled. I'm pretty sure it...

Josh Hamilton had never hit three home runs in the same game before tonight, the thought crossing his mind after No. 2 cleared the fence. He had no idea what was coming next. Hamilton became the 16th player in major league history to hit four homers in the same game. "Obviously it's, other than being in the World Series, the highlight of my big league career," he said. "I was saying after I hit two that I've never hit three in a game before, and what a blessing that was. And then to...