Baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. was deeply saddened by the news that longtime umpires attendant Ernie Tyler passed away last night at age 86. Ripken released a statement today that read: "Today, Baltimore lost a very special man in Ernie Tyler. The Tyler family is synonymous with Orioles baseball, and O's games won't be the same without Ernie. His commitment and dedication to the Orioles and to the game was something my family and I have always admired. He was Baltimore's true Iron Man and...

Nationals pitchers and catchers report Tuesday in Viera, Fla., with the most talented group since the team moved to Washington. That might not be saying much considering the struggles the team has had, but you still have to be impressed with the work general manager Mike Rizzo has done to assemble two dozen pitchers that will compete for a chance at the 25-man for opening day. The sheer number of pitchers available to pitching coach Steve McCatty made him downright giddy earlier this month as...

The last time I saw Ernie Tyler was, well, vintage Ernie. He was sitting near the corridor that leads to the umpires' dressing room in Camden Yards, a stack of towels perched on his lap and a smile on his face. It's a pretty good memory, befitting an amazing guy who is as synonymous with the Orioles - and on a first-name basis, no less - as Frank, Brooks, Boog or Cal. It happened the day before dizziness forced his hospitalization last October, before surgery a few days later to remove a...

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with RHP Jeremy Guthrie, thus avoiding arbitration. Guthrie, 31, went 11-14 with a 3.83 ERA in 2010, leading the Orioles in wins, starts (32) and innings pitched (209.1). In four seasons with Baltimore, Guthrie is 38-48 with a 4.06 ERA in 121 starts.

The Orioles have reached agreement with Jeremy Guthrie on a contract for the 2011 season, assuring that they won't go to arbitration with any of their eligible players. Guthrie will receive $5.75 million this season. He was seeking $6.5 million, while the Orioles countered at $5 million. His hearing was scheduled for Wednesday in Phoenix, but it's no longer necessary. Guthrie, who made $3 million last year, will likely be the Opening Day starter. He went 11-14 with a 3.83 ERA in 32 starts...

The Orioles mourn the death of longtime umpires attendant Ernie Tyler. Ernie passed away last night, February 10, at the age of 86. Born April 30, 1924, Tyler worked 51 seasons for the club, including a streak of 3,819 consecutive home games as umpires attendant at Memorial Stadium and Oriole Park from Opening Day 1960 through July 27, 2007. A graduate of Baltimore's Mt. St. Joseph High School, where he played in the same football backfield with former Orioles and Mets General Manager Frank...

Ernie Tyler was a physically small man, but his impact on the Orioles' organization was massive. For me and many of you, Ernie has been a constant over so many years of going to O's games at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards. It says all you need to know about Ernie when Cal Ripken Jr. asks you to end a streak and come to his Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown. By now, you know Ernie died last night at 86. The offseason began with news he was hospitalized, and now, as a new season is...

Sadly, the rumor is true. Ernie Tyler, the longtime and beloved umpires attendant at Camden Yards, passed away last night at age 86. An Orioles official confirmed the news. Tyler had undergone surgery Oct. 6 at University of Maryland Medical Center to remove a benign brain tumor after experiencing dizziness four days earlier at Camden Yards. He was transferred to a rehabilitation facility in early December. Tyler, a member of the Orioles Hall of Fame, worked 3,819 consecutive home games at...

First of all, I thank everyone for posting so many comments yesterday. Many were well thought out and I think you all proved that the baseball IQ of the readership here is high. I think my computer is still smoking. Some of the comments were coming in faster than I could get to them. I remember telling someone that called, "Can't talk now, got to get to more comments. Maybe later." I remember thinking I needed to check my e-mail and finally got to it about an hour later. Hey, that was...

One more day in Maryland and I'm heading south for part of the winter. If another person asks when I leave for "spring break," I'm going to launch myself and deliver a helmet-to-helmet hit. I won't be shotgunning beers poolside on MTV and judging wet T-shirt contests (at least not during the week.) It actually qualifies as work. I looked it up. On the positive side, I won't be packing my ice scraper. And if I suddenly change my mind, I could always race back home after missing my...