Many major leaguers, including some Nationals players and prospects, spend their offseasons playing winter ball in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and other places. Since yesterday's news of catcher Wilson Ramos' kidnapping, several of them have expressed their concern via Twitter or on Internet blogs. Nationals pitching prospect Ryan Tatusko is playing in the same Venezuelan winter league that Ramos was about to play in before he was kidnapped. Tatusko is playing for a...

Scottsdale left-handed starter Sammy Solis gave up three early runs, only two earned, in Wednesday's loss to Phoenix, 5-0, but has continued to show the stuff in the Arizona Fall League that has the Nationals abuzz over the potential of the former University of San Diego standout. The Nationals have always been very pleased with the makeup Solis possesses, especially his plus-plus fastball and changeup. He has worked on adding a traditional 12-to-6 curve to complement his rare knuckle curve....

Nolan Reimold began the 2011 season in the lineup at Triple-A Norfolk. He ended it with a huge ninth-inning RBI double for the Orioles against Jonathan Papelbon that capped a big September. Will it be enough to get him in Buck Showalter's starting lineup as a regular in left field in 2012? I say the answer to that should be yes. After a strong rookie season in 2009 and a poor year in 2010, Reimold's bat came to life late last year, again showing fans a glimpse of the kind of player many...

While wondering why Hollywood never gave us "Kansas City Bomber II"... The Orioles' 40-man roster still includes only one catcher, All-Star and Gold Glove winner Matt Wieters. He'll need a backup next season, unless the club is relying on him to play every inning of every game. Triple-A catcher John Hester could compete for the job in spring training, assuming he receives an invite. He played in 53 major league games in two seasons with the Diamondbacks, most recently in 2010. As for...

Cal Ripken Jr.'s diplomatic mission to Japan continued today with what the Iron Man most enjoys: the opportunity to teach the game he loves. Ripken and former Orioles teammate Brady Anderson were joined by Sachio Kinugasa, Japan's version of Ripken as far as consecutive games played, and MLB Asia's Jim Small on a couple of clinics for girls and boys in Tokyo. You can read Ripken's written blog here. In this YouTube video, Ripken works with the kids and then critiques their...

Former Orioles pitcher Mike Boddicker has been diagnosed with cancer, but he's expected to make a full recovery. Doctors determined that the cancer was confined to Boddicker's tonsils, which he had removed about three weeks ago. As a precaution, he'll undergo radiation treatments on the tissue around the area. Boddicker spent parts of nine seasons with the Orioles, earning a World Series ring in 1983 and winning 20 games the following season. He placed third in the American League Rookie...

Scottsdale Scorpions catcher Derek Norris' bat has made a lot of noise in the Arizona Fall League, with coaches, scouts and media noticing across the nation. Considered one of the Nationals' top catching prospects for a few seasons now, Norris hit just .210 during the season at Double-A Harrisburg. But Norris said he realized he was freezing up a bit in the batters' box this summer but now is swinging "free and easy" in Arizona. The results have been very impressive. Norris is tied with...

DAY DATE TIME TEAMS Wed 10/26/11 7:00 PM Pikeville College @ Louisville (L) Thu 11/03/11 7:00 PM Bellarmine @ Louisville (L) Fri 11/11/11 7:00 PM Tennessee-Martin @ Louisville (L) Fri 11/11/11 9:00 PM Mt. St. Mary's @ Marquette (L) Sat 11/12/11 4:00 PM Fordham @ Syracuse (L) Sat 11/12/11 7:00 PM St. Francis (NY) @ Seton Hall (L) Sun 11/13/11 7:00 PM Alabama St @...

MASN, the local leader in live sports entertainment, will broadcast up to 200 college baseball games this season, offering viewers a lineup of everything from local college games to contests featuring Top 25 teams. The regional sports network's extensive hoops schedule includes regional favorites from Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, covering 12 conferences and major tournaments, including the BB&T Classic and the Great Alaska Shootout. For the sixth...

One of the first key hires for new Orioles vice president Dan Duquette will be a new scouting director to replace Joe Jordan, who left to take a job with the Phillies. Duquette said yesterday he would consider internal candidates for any openings and the Orioles have a man on the staff now that is interested in the scouting director job. That is Ron Hopkins, who from 2004 through 2009 was the Texas Rangers' scouting director and he joined the Orioles before the 2011 season as a national...