Nationals prospects Bryce Harper and Derek Norris played in Saturday's AFL Rising Stars Game in Surprise, Ariz. The AFL West, led by former Virginia standout Danny Hultzen, beat the AFL East 11-2 at Surprise Stadium. Harper connected on an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth for the East. He finished 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts. Norris went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout. As the second half of the season begins Monday, Norris is batting .339 and Harper connecting at .314. The...

The idea of Orioles fans being held hostage may soon be over. If Dan Duquette gets the general manager's job, the club will have its new top executive and you can get on with your lives, not to mention the rest of the offseason. Personally, I was and remain a big fan of De Jon Watson of the Dodgers. I think this guy is going to be a top GM for someone soon and hope the Orioles didn't miss out on a guy that shows leadership, the ability to produce a solid player development system and...

Owner Peter Angelos met with Dan Duquette late into the night, and I turned off my laptop without any word on whether a deal had been struck. Not that anyone is burning up my phone with updates. Keeping me in the loop isn't a high priority. As of early this morning, it appears that nothing has been finalized, but we're still heading in that direction. I don't feel any need to dust off my list of other potential candidates. Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer comes into play only if...

The reaction here to Dan Duquette's second interview with the Orioles is mixed, to say the least. Some fans respect the work he's done in the past - especially the one-sided trades - and think he'll be a major asset. Others think the work was done too far in the past and he's no longer relevant. I just want the situation resolved, so I'm feeling a small sense of relief for selfish reasons. Duquette is meeting tonight with owner Peter Angelos, and the common belief is the Orioles...

I've received confirmation that Dan Duquette is heading back to Baltimore, and the Orioles could be drawing close to naming their new president of baseball operations. No contract has been offered, according to a source, but the two sides will attempt to hammer out a deal this weekend. ESPN's Tim Kurkjian first reported that Duquette was returning to Baltimore. Duquette interviewed yesterday, and I'm told that his detailed presentation impressed everyone in the room. One member of the...

If you know me and this blog, you know that I was dragged kicking and screaming into the Twitter world. I had little choice. My profession dictated it. Well, so did my bosses, but you know what I mean. I was confused and amused by how many people simultaneously tweeted last night that Red Sox assistant general manager Allard Baird declined the opportunity to interview with the Orioles for the position of president of baseball operations. I thought he was on a conference call, but he actually...

Here is a good question to ponder this weekend: How do you feel about a fan that dumps one team for another? How would feel about an Orioles fan that dumps the Birds for say the Nationals or Red Sox or Yankees or any other baseball team? I think fans have the right to be upset with their team, to rip their team on the message boards and talk shows and clearly they have the right to decide against purchasing any tickets or team merchandise. No one could blame any longtime Orioles fan to be...

Mix politics and baseball, says Orioles pitcher Tommy Hunter, and you've got the potential for some awkwardness. At least that's what Hunter gleaned from a day at Camden Yards earlier this week, portraying himself in an episode of the forthcoming HBO comedy "Veep." Hunter, teammate Jake Arrieta and other O's staffers spent almost six hours on the ballpark field shooting an episode that will air next March, when the O's are at spring training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarastota, Fla. The TV...

Bo Porter will remain the third base coach of the Nationals, according to general manager Mike Rizzo. Porter spoke with Rizzo about the vacancy on the coaching staff at the bench coach position, following manager Davey Johnson's announcement that Pat Corrales would not return at that post next season. The Nationals believe Porter is very valuable to the organization as a coach, especially as the third base coach. They mutually decided that Porter best serves the Nationals at third base and...

I can't let you go to bed later tonight without another entry about the Orioles' search for a president of baseball operations. As of right now - check the time on this entry - the Orioles haven't scheduled any other interviews for the weekend. Of course, that could change. I've heard that they really want to sit down with Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird. And they received permission from the Yankees to interview scouting director Damon Oppenheimer. Multiple people close to the...