Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa continues to play well in winter ball in Puerto Rico and has altered his batting stance a little to shorten his swing so he can make more contact and get on base. "I have made a little bit of an adjustment. The first three games (here in Puerto Rico) I had four or five strikeouts. That was a point that manager Jim Riggleman had really touched on is that they would really like to see those (strikeout numbers) go down. He said he would be willing to give...

My Orioles postseason media guide just arrived in the mail. Spoiler alert: In this version, they make the playoffs. Flipping through the pages, provided by the Orioles' first-rate PR staff, I'm reminded that: • The Orioles won 34 games from the start of August through the end of the season, the most since 1996, when they won 35 games on their way to the Division Series and ALCS. • The Orioles won 34 games after suffering their...

RHP Jason Berken Reinstated from 60-day Disabled List The Orioles today announced that RHP Frank Mata has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Mata, 26, made his major league debut on May 26 and pitched to a 7.79 ERA (17.1IP, 15ER) in 15 games with the Orioles. Additionally, RHP Jason Berken has been reinstated from the 60-day disabled list.

Bodog has made the New York Yankees a 4/1 favorite to win the World Series next year. The Giants are 10/1 to repeat. The Orioles are 75/1, but that's better than five other teams. Of course, you can't get a true read on a team until Opening Day. Rosters are a long way from being set. New York Yankees 4/1 Philadelphia Phillies 6/1 Boston Red Sox 10/1 San Francisco Giants 10/1 St. Louis Cardinals ...

I have a few items to pass along on this rainy day, starting with the sad news that Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson died today as a result of complications from dementia. He was 76. RIP Captain Hook. Reliever Frank Mata cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. He's taken off the 40-man roster to make room for pitcher Jason Berken, who was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list. And you thought today would be void of news. Update: I should mention that Mata becomes a...

It should come as no surprise that when Nationals pitcher Collin Balester heard about a mustache-growing movement called Movember, he immediately wanted to get involved. The reliever's previous experiments with mustaches were well documented on his Twitter feed. This time, however, the experiment will be for a cause that is very important to him. "I've decided to donate my face to raising awareness about cancers that affect men," he said in an e-mail. "My commitment is the growth of a...

MASN, the local leader in live sports entertainment, will televise East Carolina's game against Navy on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. live in high definition from Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC. The exclusive production highlights MASN's four-year partnership with East Carolina University. MASN's coverage features veteran Pirates play-by-play voice Patrick Kinas with Chris Hemeyer as sideline reporter and former ECU kicker Kevin Miller providing color analysis. Ruffin McNeill's Pirates...

Did anyone watch "Modern Family" last night? The smoke detector kept chirping. The guy finally destroys them all with a baton. I could relate. The Orioles are in the market for a first baseman and a bat that can launch baseballs onto the flagcourt. They were interested in Adam LaRoche last winter and made an offer comparable to the one he accepted from the Arizona Diamondbacks - one year, $6 million. Arizona declined to pick up LaRoche's $7.5 million option for next season, choosing...

If the Orioles want to challenge the big boys in the American League East, their best chance may be to win the arms race. While I keep hearing the O's need a big bat or two to add to their lineup, didn't we just get yet another strong lesson that it's more about the pitching. The San Francisco Giants finished ninth this year in the regular season in runs scored in the National League. They finished first in team ERA. The Giants won the World Series during a postseason where they...

An industry source confirmed that Wayne Kirby has agreed to become the Orioles' first base coach, nearly completing manager Buck Showalter's staff for 2011. It's been later rather than sooner, but it's almost done. The Sun cited a source earlier today while reporting that the Orioles came to terms with Kirby, who also will work with the outfielders. I sought out former manager Mike Hargrove's opinion of Kirby a few days ago. You can review it right here. It looks like we're down to...