I'm typing this entry over the sound of my dishwasher, which seems to run for hours on the normal cycle. I can't imagine how long it would go on "heavy wash." I'm thinking days. The Orioles aren't likely to bid on Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, despite reports coming out of Japan. Don't believe everything you read - and that includes the translated stuff. Again, the Orioles aren't completely sold on Nishioka and don't think the cost will be worth it. At this time, there are...

It was about a month ago that O's top pitching prospect Zach Britton sat with agent Scott Boras for lunch. Nearly four hours later they were still talking. "We had a long lunch with Scott and talked baseball a lot, but it was more just getting to know him and I was really impressed," Britton said. So the lefty that was the O's minor league pitcher of the year for the 2010 season, decided it was time to change agents. He moved from the Hendricks brothers, neither of which he had ever...

Did I really take Miami - 1 ½ with Tyler Thigpen at quarterback? There must be a gas leak in my house. That could explain the chirping smoke detectors. I was hoping to clean out my notebook this morning, but there isn't much left that we haven't already discussed. I was told late Monday night that the coaching situation could be resolved by the end of this week. Well, today's Friday. The weekend is bearing down on us. I'm ready for the announcement. I'm wearing my...

The Orioles 2010 minor league pitcher of the year, Zach Britton, has become the latest player in the organization to be represented by agent Scott Boras. About a month ago, Britton decided to switch from the Hendricks brothers to the Boras corporation. "I was with Hendricks Sports and dealt with Matt Laird," Britton said. "He was great but I never really had contact with the Hendricks brothers myself, so I just never felt comfortable going forward with people I hadn't met. So I had a...

Reliever Armando Gabino and first baseman Rhyne Hughes cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Gabino appeared in five games for the Orioles, allowing seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. He went 7-0 with a 2.37 ERA and two saves at Norfolk. Hughes hit .213 with four RBIs in 14 games with the Orioles, and .258 with 10 homers and 39 RBIs in 104 games with the Tides. The Orioles have 32 players on their 40-man roster as they attempt to make room for players who must be...

At this hour, the Orioles still don't have a signed contract from John Russell, who would serve as bench coach or third base coach, but they don't anticipate any snags that would still leave two vacancies. This one should get done. Willie Randolph and Bobby Dickerson remain two of the strongest candidates to fill the final spot. The last I heard, Randolph was regarded as the favorite. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is flying back to Baltimore today after attending the GM...

The Orioles have released eight minor leaguers, seven of which played in their Dominican Summer League program last season. There are likely to be more releases coming since the O's will have two fewer minor league teams next season as they cut back to one, not two clubs, in the Dominican and they have also moved out of Bluefield. The players that were released are: *C Moises Beltre, 20 years old, who hit .182-1-10 in 21 games. *C Carlos Paez, 19 years old, who hit .151-0-9 in 44...

These mornings roll around much too fast in my household. The Thanksgiving holiday can't come soon enough. School's are closed for the entire week. I shall rejoice. Reports keep surfacing that the Orioles are actively pursuing Rockies left-hander Jorge de la Rosa. Troy Renck uses the word "aggressive" in his tweet. I'm aggressively trying to avoid using the word "tweet," but it's unavoidable. As so often happens, I'm left to ponder how De la Rosa would fit on this club. Is he the...

MASN is once again broadcast home to the 19th annual BB&T Classic, the annual showcase of the region's most talented young players. The 2013 line-up has been announced! The Classic will showcase long-time host universities, University of Maryland and George Washington University, plus A10 rookie George Mason University and Big 12 powerhouse University of Oklahoma. The doubleheader will be played on Sunday, December 8th, 2013, and will benefit the Children's Charities Foundation (CCF). For...

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa hit for the cycle Tuesday for his team Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico. "It was really exciting and a lot of fun," says Espinosa. "It was funny because my Uncle Bob always use to joke with me to call him when I hit for the cycle. So I was thinking about him after the game and I gave him a call. He just started laughing." Espinosa hit a home run, drew a walk, smacked a triple, then a double and finished off the cycle with a single. It was the...