Right-hander Mike Baumann, still one of the Orioles' top pitching prospects, had a cameo in the big leagues last September. There were two outings without an earned run allowed and two where he gave it up. But there was not much to judge or analyze off a 10-inning small sample. But Baumann ended 2021 making it to the big leagues. And that was a success since his season began amid lingering injury concerns and a two-inning outing on May 15 at low Single-A Delmarva. His early numbers were not...

Baseball's lockout is fogging up the future. However, it can't blur the past. What's done is done. A new collective bargaining agreement won't adjust the Orioles' 2021 loss total or remove the gains made by their prospects. It can't tarnish the memories. Yesterday, we talked about Trey Mancini's comeback and Cedric Mullins' historic 30/30 season. Probably the top two moments of the season. Unless you think the following belong closer to the top: John Means' no-hitter It began to feel...

What made the Orioles' 2021 season memorable, whether good or grating? And how would you rank these moments? Hold that thought. I'm tossing out two today that might be the highest for most fans. Others will follow later. Trey Mancini's comeback I won't speak for everyone, but how could Mancini rate anywhere except first? I've witnessed a lot of special moments while working the Orioles beat, including Eric Davis' return from colon cancer in June 1997. How the diagnosis explained the...

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the most frustrating developments of the year: The loss of a host of prominent players at various times due to COVID-19. ... After everything they went through to get through a compressed 2020 season, the first such season...

The eventual promotion of Adley Rutschman to the major league roster, whenever it happens, comes with the expectation that the Orioles will have a veteran mentor ready as his backup. But the club already seems equipped to tutor him. The staff isn't running short on former catchers. Manager Brandon Hyde caught 69 games in the minors and 13 with the independent Chico Heat. Major league field coordinator and catching instructor Tim Cossins caught 217 games in the minors and two with the...

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the most emotional aspects of the year: Ryan Zimmerman's potential farewell tour. ... Throughout a season of turmoil and constant change, there was only one declaration the Nationals could make with complete confidence:...

The Orioles haven't made any announcements during the holiday break. Nothing about minor league deals or staff hires. Not a creature is stirring, not even a rumor to douse. The ice pellets in yesterday's wintry mix had me yearning for the Florida sunshine that illuminates spring training workouts and afternoon exhibition games. Warms the heart - and areas where you should apply sunscreen. I've already written about eight camp storylines that should keep me busy, whether or not I'm able to...

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the most depressing developments of the year: Stephen Strasburg's latest (and perhaps most serious) injury. ... It's not fair to boil a baseball franchise's chances for success in any given year to the health and...

Among the inconveniences of baseball's lockout is the delay in attacking roster deficiencies with major league free agent signings. Get ready for the frenzy of activity after a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, with teams racing through the green light at speeds that could leave many competitors in the dust. The Orioles tossed a starting pitcher and second baseman in their cart before the market closed. Jordan Lyles isn't listed on the 40-man roster, which holds at 38, because...

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We begin today with one of the most uplifting events of the year: Kyle Schwarber's early-summer home run barrage. ... When he stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the first inning of a June 12 doubleheader at Nationals Park, Kyle Schwarber...