I've decided that "fluid" is my favorite term to describe the Orioles' list of general manager candidates. If only I knew how to describe the job itself. General manager. President of baseball operations. Whatever. It's the same responsibilities previously bestowed upon Andy MacPhail. The list keeps changing, depending on who you follow on Twitter. In fairness, it's going to take on different looks, no matter who's passing it along, because candidates were added and removed during this...

He may not have posted big stats this year when he played for the Single-A Frederick Keys, but Orioles 2010 top draft pick Manny Machado still made a big impression on his manager, Orlando Gomez, who enjoyed working with the 19-year-old shortstop. "It's been fun. You have to teach and be patient and let him know when you don't like something. Try to keep his mind positive and let him see things he needs to do to keep improving," Gomez said of Machado. "He's very level-headed. He gets...

The Orioles received permission to interview Jerry Dipoto, the Diamondbacks' senior vice president of scouting and player development, for the position of president of baseball operations. The meeting is expected to take place this weekend. You can read more about Dipoto in this report from mlbtraderumors. Dipoto is the only confirmed candidate that the Orioles have contacted today. However, it appears that they're still hoping to sit down with Tony LaCava (Blue Jays), Dan Jennings...

If the Orioles decide to replace John Stockstill as director of player development, the top in-house candidate appears to be former coach Brian Graham, the coordinator of minor league instruction. We've been told that the final decision will be made by the new president of baseball operations. The Orioles are trying to make these hires and announcements in their proper order. But multiple sources in the industry have confirmed that Graham is a leading contender for the job and would be highly...

Fifty-one years ago this afternoon, at precisely 3:36 p.m., a guy who became synonymous with the Orioles called arguably the greatest home run in baseball history. In Pittsburgh, no less. Chuck Thompson was doing the national radio broadcast for NBC when Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski stepped to the plate at Forbes Field and hit a 1-0 pitch from the Yankees' Ralph Terry over the left field wall to give the battling Buccos the 1960 World Series. To folks in Pittsburgh, the sight of a...

Halloween is one of those times during the year when I wish I had a single creative bone in my body. Costume ideas seem to avoid me, while my lack of artistic skills keep me from carving pretty much anything into a pumpkin except for a somewhat disfigured jack-o-lantern. But for those of you with the knack for carving pumpkins, here's your chance to put those talents on display and, if your creation is among the best, take home some coveted Nationals game-used baseballs. From now until Oct....

Left-hander Sammy Solis has sometimes allowed runs early and then settled down during his first year of professional ball. That scenario again played out Wednesday as Salt River scored four runs in the first three frames off the Scottsdale southpaw in a 10-5 setback in Arizona Fall League competition. Solis allowed a two-run single by Nolan Arenado and a pair of RBI outs in the third as the Rafters took a 4-3 advantage. The nearby Avondale, Ariz., product did have scoreless second and...

As Joe Jordan leaves the Orioles for the Phillies, I guess he can finally go several weeks without getting a phone call from me. We'll have less to talk about now, but I sure wish him the best. He's done so many interviews with me since 2004, I've lost track. I have asked so many questions about Matt Hobgood that I've lost track of that. A typical conversation between us might go like this: Joe: Steve, Britton was sure good last night. What did you think of that sinker? Steve: Looked...

Manager Buck Showalter will likely remain in Baltimore through the weekend while trying to speed up the process of interviewing candidates for general manager/president of baseball operations and making a hire. This thing can't drag out much longer. Showalter wants the coaching staff to become more settled by the weekend. We might not learn every name, but we could find out if anyone is leaving. The Orioles need a bullpen coach after Rick Adair replaced Mark Connor as pitching coach on June...

The Orioles are expected to begin contacting teams tomorrow to receive permission to interview candidates for general manager/president of baseball operations. I'm not sure which title will be used, so I'm playing it safe. The list is a moving target, to use one of manager Buck Showalter's favorite expressions. Thad Levine (Rangers), Tony LaCava (Blue Jays), Dan Jennings (Marlins) and J.P. Ricciardi (Mets) remain on it, though Ricciardi is an unlikely hire. I'd place him at the...