ESPN's report that Buck Showalter will take over next Tuesday as Orioles manager comes as good news on many fronts. I like the fact that the new man will be in place for part of this season. The time to change the losing culture and the clubhouse dynamic is now. It's due. It's past due. If Showalter can start that process now, there is no reason to wait on that until Opening Day next year. I like the fact that it gives him a chance to get to know the players this year. Despite this...

Finally, the headline everyone was waiting to read. ESPN's Tim Kurkjian reports that the Orioles reached agreement with Buck Showalter to take over as manager on Tuesday, when the Orioles begin their next homestand. Interesting timing that president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail had to take another call earlier today just as I asked him about the managerial situation. Could Showalter have been on the other end? Update: A team official confirmed the hiring, and the Orioles are...

The Orioles continue to engage in "active discussions" with other teams as the 4:00 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline approaches on Saturday, according to president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, but nothing appears close to transpiring. No deals are on the immediate horizon. It's obvious that teams are chasing impact pitchers and position players, and the Orioles represent a fallback option. What happens with the Orioles depends largely on what happens around them. That doesn't...

The Washington Nationals today returned from rehab and reinstated left-handed pitcher Scott Olsen from the 15-Day Disabled List and placed right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg on the 15-Day DL with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to July 22. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Olsen, who will get the starting nod in today's series finale against Atlanta, missed the last 59 games after he was placed on the DL on May 22 with left...

If it makes you feel any better, the Orioles don't play Toronto again until Sept. 13. They should be good and mad at the Jays. Hold 'em back or this could get ugly. They also have three more games at Rogers Centre beginning Sept. 24. Oh, I bet they'll be steamed like a bushel of crabs. Prepare for baseball's No. 1 rivalry. It'll make Yankees-Red Sox look like a PTA meeting. (So who ordered the French toast with a side of sarcasm? And anyone need a refill on their coffee?) Scooter gave...

If you had to pick a player to be named Orioles minor league player of the year for 2010 today, many might pick first baseman Joe Mahoney. The sixth-round pick out of the University of Richmond from 2007 is having a breakout season and making quite an impression. It started at Frederick where Mahoney put up solid power numbers. Since July 9 it has continued at Double-A Bowie where Mahoney's bat has been sizzling hot. In 17 Baysox games since his promotion, the 23-year-old lefty batter is...

This time, the Orioles got good starting pitching. In fact, they got excellent starting pitching. Yet, they still lost to Toronto. The Jays posted a 5-0 win over the Orioles Wednesday to sweep this three-game series and improve to 12-0 vs. the O's on the season. Gary and Mike talk with Juan Samuel after the O's 5-0 loss to the Blue Jays Toronto got just one run off O's starter Jeremy Guthrie and led 1-0 heading to the last of the eighth before they scored four vs. the O's bullpen to...

Jeremy Guthrie turned in his third consecutive quality start, but he has no shot at winning this game. The offense bailed on him again, finding it impossible to catch up to Brad Mills' mid-80s heater and sweeping curveball. Looked like slop to me, but what do I know? The Orioles managed only two hits in seven innings - Brian Roberts' leadoff single in the first and Jake Fox's two-out single in the seventh. They were impatient early on, making it easy for Mills, and stranded three runners...

Brian Roberts began the game with a single, and Miguel Tejada swung at the first pitch and grounded into a routine double play. Can't recall if that's happened this season. Ty Wigginton stopped halfway between first and second because he wasn't certain if Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay fielded Adam Jones' sharp grounder in fair territory. He took a few more steps and stopped again before realizing it was a live ball. Wigginton dived into second without a throw, but I can't quite...

Tonight is the first time the O's hitters have ever seen Toronto lefty Brad Mills. Despite that, once again, they are not seeing many pitches at the plate. The O's trail 1-0 after three innings and Mills has thrown just 23 pitches to get nine outs. He has faced ten hitters, so that is just 2.3 pitches seen per hitter so far. He threw just seven pitches in the first inning, eight in the second and eight in the third. They are hoping to go over ten in one of these innings. The O's were...