I'm 51-34 picking NFL games against the spread this season. Is that good? Double-A Bowie first baseman Joe Mahoney, playing in his second Arizona Fall League game yesterday, went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored for the Mesa Solar Sox. He's hitting .600 with seven RBIs in two games. And his error total held at four. Xavier Avery, starting in center field, went 0-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and his first error. He's batting .077. FOXSports.com's...

I would imagine we all can agree that the Orioles' biggest offseason priority is to upgrade the pitching staff for the 2012 season. But how do you feel about the offense? In several team batting categories, the Orioles were average - or a little above - average this year. They finished fourth in the American League in homers (191), sixth in average (.257), sxith in slugging (.413), seventh in runs (708) and seventh in OPS (.729). The AL average, by the way, was 723 runs scored and .730 in...

The Orioles will interview Arizona Diamondbacks senior vice president of scouting and player development Jerry Dipoto tomorrow for the position of general manager, according to an industry source. Dipoto will be the first candidate interviewed. Toronto Blue Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava is scheduled to be interviewed later this week. You can read more about Dipoto right here, courtesy of mlbtraderumors.com. Update: LaCava will be interviewed on Wednesday. That's two.

Nationals mascot will accompany MLB All-Star Team for series against Chinese Taipei National Team. The Washington Nationals official mascot Screech has been selected as the only Major League Baseball (MLB) mascot to travel to Taiwan with a team of MLB All-Stars for the 2011 Taiwan All-Star Series the first week of November. Screech will join Nationals players Ross Detwiler and Michael Morse, who have been named to the MLB team roster, and Chien-Ming Wang, who will play for the Chinese Taipei...

In case you were wondering or thought I forgot, reliever Jeremy Accardo refused his outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk last week and elected to become a free agent. Add him to your list of available relievers. Accardo went 3-3 with a 5.73 ERA in 31 appearances with the Orioles. He allowed 43 hits, walked 18 and hit a batter in 37 2/3 innings. His WHIP was 1.619. Yes, that's too many baserunners. Accardo was 1-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 26 games at Norfolk. The Orioles also outrighted...

Both Buck Showalter and Andy MacPhail have said it: A critical thing that any organization must do is properly evaluate itself. Many times, fans have asked me about the shortcomings of the Orioles' minor leagues and and they want to know where the issues are. Let me tell you, it is hard to completely really know. For three years, from 2004 through 2006, I broadcast games for short-season Single-A Aberdeen and for the last few years I have covered the O's minors pretty closely. After all...

Jeff Passan, the lead baseball columnist for Yahoo! Sports, tweeted the following last night: Brewers gave up Brett Lawrie and four prospects for Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke. Their playoff stats: 26.1 IP, 9.57 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, 7 HR. Ouch. Lawrie will be a star with the Blue Jays. Marcum will be remembered as something else, and it won't be Mr. October. I was reminded last night that you can't spell M-I-L-W-A-U-K-E-E without two Es. Jerry Hairston Jr. has carved out a nice career as a...

After hitting 31 homers in back-to-back seasons, first baseman Tyler Moore is the hottest young power hitter in the Nationals organization. Moore hit 15 homers in his first two professional campaigns, and then exploded for 62 in his last two seasons at Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg. With first base locked in at Triple-A Syracuse by Chris Marrero, and because of Adam LaRoche's presence in D.C., the Nationals decided to try out Moore in the outfield during instructional league this...

Scottsdale Scorpions left-hander Matt Purke pitched two innings following Red Sox prospect Brock Huntzinger in Saturday's 8-7 loss to the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League. Purke fired 38 pitches, 20 for strikes, allowing one run on one hit, one walk and striking out one. He induced two groundouts and two flyouts. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said Friday that this is one of the ways we might see Purke pitch in Arizona, as a "piggyback" to Huntzinger's...

Double-A Bowie first baseman Joe Mahoney made his Arizona Fall League debut yesterday and went 3-for-5 with four RBIs. He also committed four errors. Now that his oblique strain is gone, he needs to get rid of the stiffness in his mitt. But at least he's playing again. Maryland's football team squandered an 18-point third quarter lead last night against Clemson, and Kevin Gregg was charged with a blown save. I'm not sure how that's possible. I failed to wish Jim Palmer a happy 66th...