A year ago, Orioles reliever Jason Berken had reporters at FanFest fussing over his weight loss. He dropped about 30 pounds over the winter, and we figured that a slimmer Berken could handle a heavier workload, whether he remained in the bullpen or earned a starting spot. Berken didn't look noticeably different yesterday as we chatted about his beloved Green Bay Packers - we agreed that giving quarterback Aaron Rodgers two weeks off was a mistake - but he's put on 10 to 15 pounds. And...

It's difficult to interpret Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's prolonged silence on the subject of Prince Fielder. Either the club continues to negotiate with the free agent slugger in hopes that he'll man first base in 2012, or talks have again reached an impasse. There's really not much middle ground. One thing we do know: This is standard operating procedure from Rizzo, who clearly prefers the backroom, behind-the-scenes approach to his job, as opposed to those front office...

Another FanFest has come and gone. It was a fun day with around 9,000 fans, slightly fewer than last year, attending at the Baltimore Convention Center. FanFest always gets you ready for another season after a day of talking baseball and talking with Orioles players, coaches and front office staff. Over the next week or two, I'l continue to post some interviews, quotes and stories from the day. For today, here are some quotes from FanFest. Dan Duquette on his fan forum and meeting fans: ...

While addressing fans during this morning's forum for season ticket holders, executive vice president Dan Duquette causally mentioned that the Orioles signed the top amateur pitcher in Korea three days ago - a 17-year-old left-hander who wasn't identified by name. I stored the information in the back of my mind - the front was much too crowded - until I was freed up to do more research. I had no time today with all the FanFest commitments and constant blog updates. Coincidentally, a tweet...

Jim Johnson shook hands with reporters, smiled and said, "I don't know." Hey, we're supposed to ask the questions before you answer them. Johnson knew what was coming. Is he going to be a starter or reliever this season? "You guys probably know more than I do," he said. "I'll be in the bullpen. I'm pretty sure about that." As the closer? "We'll figure that out in the spring," he replied. The Orioles are leaning toward keeping Johnson in a relief role, and he could be the...

Brady Anderson was officially hired this week as special assistant to Dan Duquette, even though he has been doing some work for the club before that and did some work for the Orioles last year. "Last year, I had a condo at Triple-A (in Norfolk). You need to go everywhere. We have minor league affiliates close to Baltimore and you have to be willing to grind it out and go back to the minors. I like being in the trenches," he said. "I was around (the big league club) quite a bit last year...

Infielder Ryan Flaherty participated in the three-day mini-camp this week at Camden Yards and noticed that the ballpark might favor the hitters. Flaherty is hoping to test that theory this summer. The Orioles selected Flaherty in the Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings, which automatically classifies him as a long shot to make the club in spring training, but he'll give it his best shot. "I'm just going to make sure I come into camp ready to go, and whatever happens happen," said...

No pun intended but here are some FanFest nuggets from Buck Showalter and his latest get-together with the reporters here. Buck on the DH spot in the lineup: "It's a question mark because a guy that has to anchor down there and do nothing but that is not there. I look at that as almost an asset, but if the right guy rears his head we'd go there. But it also allows us to move people around and keep people healthy. "Wieters will be able to DH some and (we can) put some bats in the lineup we...

Jai Miller bears a striking resemblance to Jets receiver Plaxico Burress. OK, they're not separated at birth, but they could be related. It's been a relaxing winter for shortstop J.J. Hardy, who usually sat at home wondering where he'd be playing the following season. "It was one of the first offseasons in the last three or four offseasons where I wasn't in all the trade rumors and stuff," he said. "It was nice to know where I was going to be in spring training." Hardy isn't...

Jai Miller bears a striking resemblance to Jets receiver Plaxico Burress. OK, they're not separated at birth, but they could be related. It's been a relaxing winter for shortstop J.J. Hardy, who usually sat at home wondering where he'd be playing the following season. "It was one of the first off-seasons in the last three or four off-seasons where I wasn't in all the trade rumors and stuff," he said. "It was nice to know where I was going to be in spring training." Hardy isn't...