We're getting close to the start of the opening day ceremonies. Batting practice is over, and starting pitcher Jake Arrieta has snapped his last photograph. Yes, Arrieta stood on the field during BP with a camera around his neck. I'd say he's pretty relaxed. Here's manager Buck Showalter on whether he initially had concerns about Nick Markakis' availability for opening day after the right fielder underwent abdominal surgery in January: "A little bit. We had to do it a little later on...

CHICAGO - It wasn't the smoothest of opening days for Adam LaRoche. LaRoche came to the plate four times during yesterday's game against the Cubs, and the Nationals first baseman left Wrigley Field having started his season with a big, fat 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts - all swinging - and five runners left on base. "Those games suck," LaRoche said after the game. "They're really no fun when you don't come out with a win, so to get a win in there and get that one in the...

When the Orioles come up to bat for the first time today, Nolan Reimold will be batting first. He has just 24 career at-bats in the leadoff spot, but will add to the total today. "I'm excited. Get up there first and set the tone. Try to get on base and score runs is my focus," he said. He was asked if he has to change anything about his approach when batting atop the order. "No, I don't think so. I mean, the goal is always to get on base and get hits. In that aspect, nothing changes....

Even though he had just 24 at-bats in spring training after offseason abdominal surgery, Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis today pronounced himself fit and ready to go for this season. "Yeah, physically, I think I'm about as good as I can be right now. It's just a matter of going out and playing now. All the rehab and hard work in spring training is behind me and now I can focus on the season," Markakis said. "I feel close. There are some things where I can tell I had surgery. But I'm...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter won't keep his ninth-inning specialist a mystery. No need to wait until someone starts warming to figure out who's closing. Showalter confirmed today that Jim Johnson will be the closer. Johnson, who converted his final eight save chances last season, received the news in an unorthodox manner. "He texted me something about the baby and something else, and I said, 'Congratulations. And by the way, you're closing.' And he said, 'Yeah, I know,'" Showalter...

It wasn't just big hits and the clutch pitches that gave the Nationals a 2-1 opening day win over the Chicago Cubs. For the past six weeks, the team has focused on fundamentals - little things that translate to success or failure over the long haul. They came to fruition Thursday in Chicago, contributing to the Nats' first win and setting the stage for future success. Here are three little things that not only keyed the win, but should give Nats fans confidence that the team will come out on...

CHICAGO - I'm still not used to being in the Central time zone after living in the mid-Atlantic region my whole life. I wake up here and look at my phone, which says one time, then open my computer, which says another. Yesterday, I knew the game was a 2:20 p.m. start, but it didn't kick in that first pitch would actually be at 1:20 p.m. local time until I was getting ready to hop in the shower. It's that damn East Coast bias, getting in the way again. I'm guessing that your...

I was among the first paying customers to step inside Camden Yards, and I initially wasn't sold on the place. That's not the sort of thing you expect to read on opening day, particularly at the outset of the 20th anniversary season for "The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball," but to state otherwise would be dishonest. A little background is in order. The first game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards took place April 3, 1992, an exhibition contest versus the New York Mets, and the team...

Now the games count. No more words like "exhibition" or "intrasquad" or "simulated." I'm hoping to use "postseason" while I'm still in the business. The sun's shining but I'm not fooled. I'm taking a jacket to Camden Yards. My blood thinned out during those seven weeks in Sarasota. At least it's not snowing. We've seen it in the past on opening day. We saw Jake Arrieta start the home opener last year, but this one's different. It's the first of 162 games. It's truly the...

BOWIE, Md. - At a time when the Orioles brought what seemed like dozens and dozens of pitchers to major league camp this year, there was an omission that was somewhat glaring to me. The Orioles failed to provide a major league spring training invite to their 2011 minor league Pitcher of the Year, Tim Bascom. I'm not saying that Bascom is ready to make the O's staff right now or is ranked as one of the club's top prospects, but I felt he had done enough last year to warrant at least some...