MASN, the television home of the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles, has announced its 2011 spring training schedule. The network will televise 10 spring training games - five for each team - and all will appear on MASN's dedicated high-definition channel, MASN HD. Kicking off the baseball season on MASN HD, the Nationals will face the Atlanta Braves on March 6 in Viera, Florida. MASN's preseason Nationals schedule will include four other games from Space Coast Stadium, the team's...

If we think back to last July, as it appeared that the Orioles were likely to name Buck Showalter as their next manager, there was one great debate ongoing. The debate was about just when Showalter should take over the team. Many fans, it seemed well over 50 percent to me, felt Showalter should not take over the club until the season was over so he could start fresh in the dugout on opening day 2011. We can look back now and say that Andy MacPhail's timing of Showalter's hire could not...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Sorry to hear about the snow last night. If it makes you feel any better, the automated phone call from Carroll County Public Schools woke me up at 6 a.m. Snippets of the motivational video that manager Buck Showalter presented to his team Sunday night will be shown between innings at Camden Yards throughout the season. There are no plans to make the entire film available to the public. Vladimir Guerrero is still sporting his goatee. He's also smiling more as each day...

Nationals pitcher Cole Kimball has settled in nicely in his first big league camp and is ready to go for today's initial full team workout. Kimball pitched well over last summer and then saved the championship game of the Arizona Fall League. That experience helped him for this week and he is thrilled to be in Viera, Fla., now. "This is awesome for me," Kimball said. "Arizona was beneficial because I only had one month off so I didn't have to build back arm strength. I didn't lose it...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon could be released from a Dominican jail this week, perhaps as early as Wednesday, according to his representatives. Simon has been detained for 49 days following the shooting death of his cousin on New Year's Eve in the town of Luperon. Another man was injured during the celebration. Phil Isaac of the Para Sports Group said a ballistics test proved that the bullet that killed Michael Esteban Castillo Almonte, 25, didn't come from the gun Simon...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Derrek Lee took ground balls at first base this morning, but most of his work was done before taking the field for the first full-squad workout. He continues to hit soft tosses in the cage. "After talking to him, everything's progressing right on schedule. In fact, he's ahead of schedule," manager Buck Showalter said. Lee underwent surgery in November to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. The Orioles won't rush him, and they don't seem concerned about getting...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Don't read too much into it, but manager Buck Showalter has chosen Brad Bergesen to start the first exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Feb. 28 in Bradenton. Chris Tillman will follow Bergesen to the mound. They'll each go two or three innings. Showalter will mostly use his relievers for the intrasquad game that will be played the previous day at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Jeremy Guthrie is expected to be the opening day starter at Tropicana Field, which...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The reviews keep pouring in, and it's apparent that manager Buck Showalter's inspirational film is a huge hit with his players. Showalter took his team to a local movie theater last night after everyone gathered at Ed Smith Stadium for a pre-workout meeting. They were treated to a short video that included highlights of past and present players, and a sold-out Camden Yards. Just a reminder of what it was like, and what it could be again. "It was awesome. It was off the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Derrek Lee still has soft hands around first base, fielding the ball cleanly and effortlessly. We'll evaluate his range once the games begin. Lee and Jake Fox took grounders at first and worked on executing the 3-6-3 double play. Mark Reynolds and Brendan Harris took grounders at third, J.J. Hardy and Nick Green at shortstop and Brian Roberts and Cesar Izturis at second. Harris, Green and Izturis will move around the infield. Vladimir Guerrero's first round of batting...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles took the field to stretch around 11:40 a.m. They paired up to play catch and currently are participating in fielding drills. Bobby Dickerson was hitting fly balls to Luke Scott and Randy Winn in left field. Scott showed off an accurate arm. Vladimir Guerrero spent the first part of the workout kneeling beside Rudy Arias after doing some long tossing. He later joined a cluster of outfielders and shagged fly balls from first base coach Wayne Kirby. See what you're...