VIERA, Fla. - For the first workout of the spring for Nationals pitchers and catchers, the first time he's kicked off a major league camp since 2000 in Dodgertown at the now-vacatedVero Beach, Fla., facility, manager Davey Johnson took a page from the past in his instructions to a vastly improved mound staff. Fastballs and change-ups were allowed in the first side sessions. Breaking balls were not. When you're 69 and the oldest manager in the majors, you have a perspective some of the...

He's moving out of the cave and into the yard. The Orioles announced the hiring today of Ryan Wagner as the new public address announcer at Camden Yards. Here is the press release from the club: The Orioles today announced that Ryan Wagner has been selected as the new Voice of Oriole Park. Wagner was chosen to be the club's new public address announcer out of a field of 670 applicants. An Orioles fan originally from Baltimore, Wagner spent last season as a resident of Major League...

VIERA, Fla. - The ink on the inside of his left forearm, only a week old, speaks to the happy resolution Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos prefers not to speak of. In black script among a bevy of sky-blue highlights are the words, "Todo lo puedo en Cristo, que me fortalice" - "I put everything in Jesus, because he's got my back," Ramos said by way of translation - along with the Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, where the saying originated and the date "11-11-11." Last Nov. 11 will forever...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Tsuyoshi Wada, Jake Arrieta, Tommy Hunter, Dana Eveland, Matt Lindstrom and Jason Hammel were among the pitchers who threw bullpen sessions today. Wada has a pause in his delivery that batters will need to time. He's got some deception to it. Matt Wieters insisted on catching Wada and Hammel. He needs to learn more about them. Lindstrom was bringing the heat. He kept popping catcher John Hester's mitt, to the point where my ears started ringing. "He comes as...

The hunt for a new voice of the Orioles has come to an end. The Orioles announced Tuesday they have selected Ryan Wagner, a lifelong Orioles fan, to be the new public address announcer replacing Dave McGowan. Wagner, originally from Baltimore, was chosen from a field of 670 applicants, according to the team's release. Wagner was Major League Baseball's Fan Cave resident last season. "As a lifelong Orioles fan, being named the Voice of Oriole Park at Camden Yards is indescribably...

The Orioles today announced that Ryan Wagner has been selected as the new Voice of Oriole Park. Wagner was chosen to be the club's new public address announcer out of a field of 670 applicants. An Orioles fan originally from Baltimore, Wagner spent last season as a resident of Major League Baseball's Fan Cave , watching over 2,450 major league games at a 15,000 square foot space in Greenwich Village in New York City. He also co-hosted a series of interactive sketch comedy skits and conducted...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles lost one of their camp catchers today when Michael Ohlman from the minor league complex as a replacement, but it may be temporary. They are expected to add another catcher, either internally or from outside the organization. The Orioles are taking it slow with Taylor Teagarden following a second knee surgery last month, so they can't afford to run short of catchers. Sardinha, 32, batted .219 in 15 games with the Phillies last season. The Orioles signed him to a...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles left-hander Zach Britton noted the progress he made during today's long-toss session at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, and he's hoping to throw off a mound for the first time by the middle of next week. Britton repeated Monday's session by making 60-70 throws from about 100 feet, and another 10-15 while simulating his delivery, "It went really well," he said. "Same thing as yesterday. I actually felt better. I think the ball was coming out of my hand better. A...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Second baseman Brian Roberts is hitting off a tee in the covered batting cage at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Roberts is hitting from both sides. At this point in camp, his every move is newsworthy. A few reporters are staking out the cage, hoping to get a quick interview. Also, Ryan Adams is here. Update: Roberts said he'll speak to the media on Friday. He's been hitting off a tee, playing catch and lifting weights. No running or taking ground balls. "That's kind...

When Baseball America released its much anticipated annual list of the top 100 prospects in the game today, the Orioles had two players listed among the top 11 and three in the top 82. Pitcher Dylan Bundy was ranked No. 10, shortstop Manny Machado No. 11 and infielder Jonathan Schoop No. 82. While 13 teams had more players on the list than the three Orioles, Texas is the only other organization with two players listed among the top 11 and one is Yu Darvish. The rankings are a composite list...