The Orioles today announced that Luke Scott has been voted winner of the 2010 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media who cover the team on a regular basis. He will be recognized for his accomplishments in an on-field ceremony prior to tonight's game against the Detroit Tigers. Entering tonight's game Scott, 32, was 6th in the American League in slugging percentage (.538) and on-base plus slugging (.904) and was 14th in the league in home runs with a...

When teams begin play in the Arizona Fall League a week from tomorrow, it turns out that Tyler Townsend will be playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions. The team's roster includes 8 O's minor leaguers. Townsend told me recently he would not play in Arizona, but rather Australia. The reasoning being that he is a "taxi squad" player on the Scorpions and said player can only start once or twice a week. He needed more at bats than that and playing in Australia would provide that. Now, word is...

I hear the voice of Stewie from "Family Guy" every time I type or say that line. The offseason has begun with me staring out the window at the rain and my daughter staying home from school with an upset stomach caused by the antibiotics she's taking to fight an infection in her thumb. Swallowing the pills on a full stomach didn't work as promised. So now what do I do? Call the doctor and ask for the pills that don't upset my kid's stomach? I didn't realize that I needed to be so...

Here we are on the first day of the offseason, with today the first of many days without Orioles baseball. On one hand, it's a bit of a relief to the players, coaches, managers, and front office members who have put in long hours over a long season. On the other hand, it won't take more than a few days before things already start to feel empty around Oriole Park. When the team departs, so does a certain energy from the Warehouse, and the overcast feeling of winter days without baseball...

When I was broadcasting Triple-A games back in the 80's and early 90's, my broadcast partner, Bob Black and I, had a running joke. We used to say the three saddest words in baseball were "no game today." In a way, it is sad. Yes it does feel strange today to not have a game to cover, watch or attend. I might have to watch Bull Durham to get my fix. Actually, to be honest, it will be nice to take a few days to slow down a bit and re-charge the batteries after the long season. The...

In his final post-game media session for 2010, manager Buck Showalter was asked when he'd start getting itchy for spring training. "Probably a couple hours," he replied. Spring training tends to make me itchy, but I digress... Showalter met briefly with his players before heading to the interview room. "Like I told the players, you need to get away from it," he said. "We're so close to it every day. It's right there in your face every day. Sometimes, you've got to back off and take...

Try as they might, the Orioles just could not put together a five-game win streak in 2010. Not even under Buck Showalter. They lost 4-2 today to the Tigers to see a four-game win streak snapped and post a final record of 66-96. The O's had six, four-game win streaks this year. Here are some post-game comments from Nick Markakis and Brad Bergesen. Markakis went 3 for 5. Did he know he could finish with a .300 average with a 5 for 5 day?: "Yeah, I knew. It was a longshot, but it is...

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts will likely undergo a CT scan tomorrow to determine the cause of the headaches and dizziness that prevented him from playing in the last six games of the season. Roberts noticed that the symptoms began after he hit his helmet with his bat in frustration after striking out in the ninth inning of Monday's game. Bad idea when you're still wearing the helmet. "It's something I've done a million times," he said. "I still can't tell you for sure if...

It began April 6th with a one-run loss on the road vs. Tampa and ended this afternoon with a two-run, home loss vs. Detroit. In between, the Orioles did have some fun this season, especially since August 3rd. The Tigers beat the Orioles 4-2 in the regular season finale as the Orioles finish the 2010 season with a record of 66 and 96. Even in pitching well today and giving his team a quality start, Brad Bergesen gave up three runs, one more than the O's starters had given up in the first...

Today's attendance: 23,914. The season total of 1,733,019 in 80 dates is the lowest in Camden Yards history. The Orioles just gave up a critical run with two outs in the ninth inning when Brandon Snyder, inserted into the game at first base, failed to catch Robert Andino's throw, increasing the Tigers' lead to 4-2. Andino moved to shortstop after Corey Patterson pinch-hit for Cesar Izturis in the bottom of the eighth, and Ty Wigginton moved to second. I expected Julio Lugo to replace...