Orioles Manager Dave Trembley met a handful of fans in a private side room at the ESPN Zone in Baltimore's Inner Harbor today with a smile as warm as the weather. On an unseasonably nice day in November, the O's skipper got up at 3:00 a.m. to leave his sunny Daytona Beach home for a 5:00 a.m. flight to Baltimore; but he wasn't headed back to Charm City on business. Today, he traveled back to the home of the O's to have lunch with the winners of MASN's first fantasy baseball league on...

Gary Allenson returns for his fifth season as manager at Triple-A Norfolk. Mike Griffin returns as pitching coach, but former Single-A Frederick manager Richie Hebner has replaced Dallas Williams as field coach. Former Norfolk pitching coach Larry McCall drops down to rookie-level Bluefield. And you'll recognize some familiar names at Single-A Delmarva. Here's the complete list: Norfolk: Gary Allenson (manager) Mike Griffin (pitching coach) Richie Hebner (field coach) Bowie: Brad...

Over the two-hour lunch the MASN fantasy baseball winners were treated to with Orioles Manager Dave Trembley Monday, there seemed to be a handful of one-liners and little observations that didn't fit into my official piece on the event. So here they are, one at a time... -When looking at the photo in the post on the MASN fantasy baseball winners' lunch, did you notice anyone familiar in the group of winners? Yep, that's "Molly from Pikesville" from the MASN Defining Moments commercial. ...

After two years as field coach at Single-A Delmarva, Ryan Minor is getting the opportunity to manage. And he'll feel right at home despite limited experience in the role, since he lives in Salisbury and has a short commute to the ballpark. Minor has managed in the instructional league, so he's not a total stranger to the job. Otherwise, he's served as a coach for the York Revolution under former manager Chris Hoiles and offered hitting tips and other instruction with the Shorebirds. "I...

Many more events will mark the occasion, including the first Orioles game in Sarasota this spring and the completion of the renovations to come later on that will transform the Reds' fomer complex into a warmer-weather Birdland; but O's fans put their initial mark on Ed Smith Stadium by turning out 2,500 strong last Saturday for the Orioles Family FanFest held in the team's new spring training home. More than twice as many fans than were expected at the event came out on Saturday to add...

The baseball season might be over, but the season for giving is quickly upon us; and in that spirit, the Markakis family will continue their charitable efforts throughout Maryland communities by helping to give area families full and happy Thanksgivings this season. Nick and Christinia Markakis will join the Maryland Food Bank this Saturday, November 21 from 11:00 a.m. to noon to help distribute frozen Thanksgiving turkeys to pre-registered families in need. While the Markakises will be the...

Another rumor for me to chase: I hear Tom Brady's baby wanted to bounce on daddy's knee, and he drew a 15-yard penalty. I'm playing a hunch here, but I bet Ryan Minor's legacy in baseball won't have anything to do with being hired as Delmarva's manager. It has to be his tenure as a York Revolution coach. Or maybe - just maybe - it will be the night he replaced Cal Ripken at third base. On Sept. 20, 1998, Ripken walked into manager Ray Miller's office at Camden Yards and voluntarily...

If you talk to a sports broadcaster or front office member, they'll likely laugh a little as they use the word "offseason." There's not a whole lot "off" about it, they'll say, as everyone from the grounds crew to the front office spend their winter months preparing for next season, while broadcasters often fill their "down time" with the equally non-stop schedule of another sport. In former Oriole turned MASN broadcaster Rick Dempsey's case, he's not providing color analysis for...

The O's can only hope the saying "it's darkest before the dawn" might apply to baseball as well. It's getting pretty dark around here lately. Until this ten-game losing streak, the Orioles were not only competing with but they were beating good teams. They took two of three from Texas and won back to back series over the Yankees (on the road) and vs. Tampa. That all happened in September, although it seems years away now. With some recent blowout losses, the teams' effort can be...

There are still well over 100 days until Orioles baseball officially begins in 2010, but Nicole Sherry and her grounds crew haven't been alone inside Oriole Park over the last few weeks of the baseball offseason. It's too early for FanFest, let alone ballgames at the Yard, but since I'm lucky enough to have a ballpark-facing office here in the MASNsports.com WebStudio, I couldn't help noticing the hum and I asked Director of Communications Greg Bader what the buzz was all about. Many of...