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Olivia Witherite: Fans, please stay seated past April

April 23, 2012, 5:35am

Orioles

Olivia Witherite: Fans, please stay seated past April

When it comes to the Orioles, I usually have a great idea of what to say about the team, and generally, it's some kind of justified gripe. However, with the team off to a solid 9-7 start, I find myself slightly conflicted. I'd love to be one to take the optimistic route and say that the start is a sign. No, not even a sign for a pennant win or playoff security, but rather a sign to finish above .500 in what I believe is the toughest division in Major League Baseball. But I can't. Because...

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Matthew Taylor: A few words on fairness

April 20, 2012, 4:51am

Orioles

The Orioles are currently in first place. But by the end of a 162-game season they won't be, and it's largely due to the fact that baseball is a fair sport. First, let's define fairness in this context. Fairness doesn't relate to payroll. The balance of baseball bucks decidedly favors roughly a quarter of major league teams. Instead, I use fairness in relation to the concept of "May the best team win." Stated simply, a 162-game regular season doesn't allow for flukes. Love it or hate...

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F. Robinson will throw out first pitch before Gilman, St. Joe meet in tourney final Saturday

April 19, 2012, 11:13am

Orioles

F. Robinson will throw out first pitch before Gilman, St. Joe meet in tourney final Saturday

When Gilman and Mt. St. Joseph meet Saturday at Camden Yards in the finals of the President's Cup high school tournament, the opportunity to play on the same field used by the Orioles will be only one of the highlights for two prep teams. Former Orioles player and manager Frank Robinson, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday's 1 p.m. game. The Greyhounds and Gaels are the survivors in a 16-team,...

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Anthony Amobi: Role finally solidified, Reimold on a roll

April 19, 2012, 5:08am

Orioles

Anthony Amobi: Role finally solidified, Reimold on a roll

As most fans know, it has been an extremely tough road for Nolan Reimold during the past few seasons. Life is always full of ups and downs, but the true test of someone's character depends on how they persevere. So far, Reimold is passing that test - at least professionally. During the early weeks of the season, he has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, batting .341 with four homers - all in key spots - with eight RBIs. As it is, you can say that Reimold has had a critical role in...

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Neal Shaffer: A dream of 2005 all over again

April 18, 2012, 5:00am

Orioles

Neal Shaffer: A dream of 2005 all over again

The Orioles' hot start here in 2012 should not give rise to indulgent thoughts of a winning season. That much has to be said up front. It's true that there's plenty to enjoy so far, but let's take it game by game. Odds are, this team will still eventually lose more than they win. Let's say for the sake of argument, however, that they keep this up. Let's say that April turns into May and the win total is still in the black. Would then it be wise to dream of 82 wins, or more? Alas, no....

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Heath Bintliff: Nolan Reimold and other delights

April 17, 2012, 3:47am

Orioles

Heath Bintliff: Nolan Reimold and other delights

At this time last season, I was keeping vigil for Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold. Reimold had been exiled to Triple-A Norfolk after a very good spring in Sarasota (.315/.448/.537) and, after a wretched 2010 campaign, finally looked healthy, fully recovered from offseason Achilles tendon surgery that cut his 2009 season short and ready to build upon the .831 OPS he put up during his rookie season. That was not to be. During the 2011 offseason, O's executive Andy MacPhail decided to shore up...

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Flashback: Going batty over giveaway lumber

April 16, 2012, 7:42am

Orioles

No doubt about it, Orioles fans love their giveaways. From brandishing T-shirt Tuesday handouts to lining up bobbleheads as part of their office decor to loveable but goofy looking floppy hats on the beaches in Ocean City, Md., and Rehoboth Beach, Del., those premiums distributed at the Camden Yards gates become prized possessions. Over the years, the O's have scheduled some pretty interesting giveaways. Remember seat cushion night at Memorial Stadium, where a debatable umpire's call...

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Olivia Witherite: Andino is more than a utility guy

April 16, 2012, 5:33am

Orioles

Olivia Witherite: Andino is more than a utility guy

I'm glad to see Robert Andino at second base. Flash back a year, and I can assure you that the previous sentence would never come out of my mouth. But with injuries and gaps in the roster, the utility infielder has been upgraded to an everyday role. So what can we expect from the almost-28-year-old this year? This 2012 season is Andino's to seize. With the chance to finally play pretty much every day, Andino has the chance to show what he can do not only at second base, but also at the...

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Matthew Taylor: Examining the legend of Dylan Bundy

April 13, 2012, 4:52am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Examining the legend of Dylan Bundy

It's fitting that the surnames Bundy and Bunyan are so similar. In two brief minor league outings, 19-year-old pitcher Dylan Bundy is burnishing a legend among Orioles fans that's roughly equivalent to Paul Bunyan's place in American folklore. However, there's a distance between the developing Bundy legend and the actual Bundy reality I witnessed firsthand this week in Kannapolis, N.C. (You can see photos and video of Bundy's start on Roar From 34.) Let me be clear from the outset that...

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Matthew Taylor: It wasn't love at first sight for me and Camden Yards

April 06, 2012, 4:56am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: It wasn't love at first sight for me and Camden Yards

I was among the first paying customers to step inside Camden Yards, and I initially wasn't sold on the place. That's not the sort of thing you expect to read on opening day, particularly at the outset of the 20th anniversary season for "The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball," but to state otherwise would be dishonest. A little background is in order. The first game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards took place April 3, 1992, an exhibition contest versus the New York Mets, and the team...

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Anthony Amobi: This season is critical for Adam Jones

April 12, 2012, 7:40am

Orioles

Anthony Amobi: This season is critical for Adam Jones

During the offseason, one the biggest names on the Orioles - Adam Jones - was a target of trade rumors, specifically talks with the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Jair Jurrjens and infielder Martin Prado. Baltimore didn't wind up trading Jones, as we all know; however, will he stay with Orioles throughout his career or move to greener pastures and go to a winner? Jones' profile has risen in the game, and he has steadily improved over the past few years. One would think that considering the...

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O's turning back bleacher prices to 1992 for select games

April 11, 2012, 9:04am

Orioles

O's turning back bleacher prices to 1992 for select games

How's this for a budget-busting way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Camden Yards: throwback 1992 pricing for Eutaw Street bleachers for select games during the 2012 campaign. For six games this season, a limited number of bleacher seats will be available for $4, their price in 1992, the ballpark's first season. The selected dates are April 27 against Oakland, May 7 versus Texas, July 24 against Tampa Bay, Aug. 9 versus Kansas City, Aug. 27 against the Chicago White Sox and September 12...

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Neal Shaffer: "No expectations, just baseball" - O's fans' mantra for 2012

April 10, 2012, 12:08pm

Orioles

Neal Shaffer: "No expectations, just baseball" - O's fans' mantra for 2012

Those of you who follow me at my regular baseball home, The Loss Column, have seen me discuss this at some length. I don't want to repeat myself too much, but I've also never really offered up a dedicated explanation of my thinking. The uniqueness of this forum seems a good place to do that. To wit: I have worked out a way - possibly not the best way, but a way nonetheless - to enjoy the Orioles in 2012 despite their dim prospects for success. No expectations, just baseball. What do I mean...

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Heath Bintliff: Looking back on Brian Roberts

April 10, 2012, 3:23am

Orioles

Heath Bintliff: Looking back on Brian Roberts

Nobody will say it. Nobody wants to say it. Nobody wants it to be true. But it's time to face the fact that we may never see Brian Roberts play meaningful time for the Orioles again. He hasn't played even more than 59 games in the last two seasons and his injuries, now concussion-related, have seemed to linger longer as he gets older. The odds of him playing more than half a season for Baltimore again seem slim with only two seasons left on his contract. So as his playing career in...

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Olivia Witherite: No better month than April

April 09, 2012, 4:25am

Orioles

Olivia Witherite: No better month than April

I don't even remember a winning season. Ever since I became a fan of the Orioles and of baseball in general, I have watched the team play to a sub-.500 record. The last time they had a winning season, it was 1997, and I was much too young to process or remember it. However, the game is so much more than wins and losses. While obviously I will be completely enthralled when the team makes it into a pennant race, I still am just as loyal today as I will be when that day comes. And to be an...

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At first glance, new sightlines are impressive additions to Camden Yards

April 04, 2012, 2:38pm

Orioles

At first glance, new sightlines are impressive additions to Camden Yards

If first appearances count for anything, I'm predicting that Orioles fans are going to really enjoy some of the renovations and new food offerings at Camden Yards. They'll go on full display Friday, when the O's draw the curtain on the 2012 season against the Minnesota Twins, but I've just returned from a sneak peek. Color me impressed - and eager to sneak down to the flag court or roof deck in the middle of a game this weekend to get the full effect. As we've previously discussed, as...

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Orioles, MVA team up for speciality cartoon bird license plates

April 03, 2012, 8:26am

Orioles

Want to change those dull, white license plates on your car? Now you can. The Orioles and Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration are now giving you that opportunity. Today, the Orioles announced that, in conjunction with the MVA, they have created Orioles-themed license plates. The plates will be $50 apiece, with $25 going to the Baltimore Orioles Charitable Foundation. Also for charity, license plate numbers featuring the uniform jersey numbers of Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Matt...

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Sutcliffe-Hoiles battery returns for 20th anniversary of Camden Yards

April 02, 2012, 7:11am

Orioles

Sutcliffe-Hoiles battery returns for 20th anniversary of Camden Yards

When the Orioles open the 2012 season Friday against the Twins - and begin a season-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of Camden Yards - they'll turn back the clock to 1992 for the ceremonial first pitch. Rick Sutcliffe and Chris Hoiles, who were the pitcher and catcher during the ballpark's debut two decades ago, will reprise their role as battery mates for Friday's festivities. Sutcliffe, you'll remember, threw a five-hit shutout against the Indians on April 6, 1992 in the first...

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Flashback: Spring training, Thomasville, Ga., and the "Oriole Way"

April 02, 2012, 5:33am

Orioles

Flashback: Spring training, Thomasville, Ga., and the "Oriole Way"

One of the major benefits to the Orioles' move to Sarasota, Fla., from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., three years ago was the shortening of the distance between the club's major and minor league spring facilities. Even though the O's big league camp had been at Fort Lauderdale Stadium from 1996-2009, the minor leaguers remained at least a three-hour drive away at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota, making it difficult to get pitchers extra innings against farmhands or for a major league manager to easily...

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A peek at the renovations to be unveiled at Camden Yards

March 26, 2012, 6:57am

Orioles

A peek at the renovations to be unveiled at Camden Yards

Opening day is like Christmas morning and New Year's Day rolled into one for baseball fans, filled with eager anticipation and a feeling of renewal. When fans stream into Camden Yards on April 6 for the season opener against the Minnesota Twins, they'll also get to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking ballpark and check out some new additions, the product of an offseason's worth of busy construction activity. This morning, the Orioles released the first artist's rendering...