"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Some things never get old

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Some things never get old
So long, 2020. Don't let the door whack your backside on your way out. The general consensus seems to be that the year that draws to a close tonight at midnight can't be over soon enough. As if social and political turmoil and a deadly virus sweeping the globe weren't awful enough, the pandemic also screwed up the baseball season. With new vaccines approved and inoculations begun, we're all crossing our fingers in hopes that we can kick COVID-19 to the curb in 2021, and that spring training...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Prodigious power displays and postseason memories

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Prodigious power displays and postseason memories
Well, are you ready for Christmas? Most of my online shopping was done in early November, meaning fewer shipping delays than if I'd waited for another month. But there was the curious case of several packages that spent a week resting in Hagerstown or West Virginia before being delivered. Yes, I'm looking at you, United States Postal Service, and your silly tracking system that merely says that delivery has been delayed, without giving any update of significance. Everything is boxed, bagged...

From afar, Sig Mejdal propelled development from top prospects

From afar, Sig Mejdal propelled development from top prospects
Sig Mejdal hasn't seen a baseball game in person in months. The Orioles were careful to limit the number of non-uniformed personnel at both Camden Yards and the alternate site in Bowie this summer, so Mejdal worked from home, like most Americans. But Mejdal stayed in the loop, thanks in part to the latest gadgets in the game - body sensors, bat trackers, force pads and more. A bit more advanced than Zoom. "Beyond the fact that there were fewer games, no minor league games in the parks, ... we...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Temporarily derailing the Rays

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Temporarily derailing the Rays
The winter solstice is upon us, bringing more darkness than most of us would like as we witness the shortest days of the year. But look on the bright side: Beginning Tuesday, they start getting longer again. Shoot, before you know it, it'll be mid-February and pitchers and catchers will be checking in at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla. We hope. Especially given the current surge in the ongoing pandemic, it can be difficult to keep the winter doldrums from creeping into your...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Something for everyone

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Something for everyone
If you're still putting together your holiday shopping list - and are not one of those folks who likes to have everything bought, wrapped and ready to go by, say, Halloween - you're familiar with the idea that some folks are just plain hard to buy for. This week's rotation of "Orioles Classics" on MASN has a little bit of something for everyone. Whatever you like to see when you watch a baseball game - powerful offensive displays, pitching prowess, sparkling defense, historical...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Feels like the first time

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Feels like the first time
December's here, and as the holiday season ramps up, many folks feel the tug of nostalgia. Perhaps your senses are already summoning fond memories as your stereo plays festive tunes and your kitchen is warmed and made fragrant by an oven cranking out cookies. But winter's arrival doesn't have the market cornered on nostalgia. Memories of springs, summers and autumns past can trigger sentimental feelings, too, and that's what "Orioles Classics" is all about. This batch, still toasty from...

Vavra learning on the fly in new position

Vavra learning on the fly in new position
Terrin Vavra is an infielder. His father was an infielder. His brother was an infielder. His other brother was an infielder. But when the Orioles approached him about adding center field to a resume that had previously listed only second base and shortstop, Vavra jumped at the opportunity. "It's a new experience for me but something that I think I can attack and succeed with," he said in a recent Zoom interview with "MASN All Access." The applicant certainly has skills that fit the job...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A heaping helping of Birdland memories

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A heaping helping of Birdland memories
Since it's Thanksgiving, it's only natural to take a moment to give thanks for the abundance we sometimes take for granted. Really, this should be a daily occurrence. But before you plate the turkey, dig into the sides and ponder the pumpkin pie for dessert, let's take a moment to count our blessings. Since we're a baseball site, we'll start with the national pastime. For as long as I can remember, baseball has been the soundtrack of my life, from the time I tucked my transistor radio...

Kubatko a finalist for Maryland Sportswriter of the Year

Kubatko a finalist for Maryland Sportswriter of the Year
MASNsports.com Orioles beat writer Roch Kubatko has been nominated as a finalist for the Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award presented annually by the National Sports Media Association. Kubatko, who has been with MASN since 2008, is one of three finalists for the Maryland award, joining Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun and Bill Wagner of The Capital in Annapolis. Voting will be conducted among NSMA members from Dec. 1-31, with the winners to be announced in early January and feted at the...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Something old, something new

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Something old, something new
We're heading toward a holiday season fraught with uncertainty as we continue to hunker down and try to ride out the pandemic that has turned our lives upside down and is surging again. Thanksgiving is a week from today and many of us are praying for mild weather so that we can, as a means of minimizing risk, re-enact the outdoor feast that the pilgrims had back in the 17th century. Whatever happens in the coming weeks, MASN will keep "Orioles Classics" coming as you await the start of...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: From 2,131 through 2020

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: From 2,131 through 2020
As timelines go, this week's "Orioles Classics," if plotted on a chronological chart, would be a series of connecting lines that look like a toddler's scribbles. Luckily, you merely have to watch. No cleanup involved. This week's offerings date from 1995, when the numeral "2,131" entered into Baltimore's sports lexicon, to the recently completed season, which included some strong debuts and the requisite comeback victories. It's early in the offseason, so it's best to remember to pace...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Comeback wins and marathon matches

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Comeback wins and marathon matches
With the strangest baseball season on record now in the books (congrats to the Dodgers), the offseason is now upon us. The Orioles have already made some roster moves, and more are almost certainly on the way. And with COVID cases climbing again, the O's and the rest of Major League Baseball also will likely be figuring out contingencies in case spring training and/or the 2021 season have to be delayed. So even though there won't be any live games to see, baseball people will still be plenty...

Last chance to be selected as a Maryland Lottery "Contestant of the Game"

Last chance to be selected as a Maryland Lottery "Contestant of the Game"
Time is running out to enter the Maryland Lottery's FAST PLAY "Contestant of the Game" promotion. The final drawing to pick contestants for the remaining Orioles games is this Tuesday, Sept. 1. Two contestants are selected for each Orioles game. The Lottery has awarded $72,000 in cash prizes to winners so far this season, including $2,500 to both Teresa Martin of Whiteford and Dina Pierelli of Dundalk. They were the "Contestants of the Game" for the Aug. 6 game versus the Miami Marlins....

The Maryland Lottery's "Contestant of the Game" promotion is back

The Maryland Lottery's "Contestant of the Game" promotion is back
Orioles fans and Lottery players alike are gearing up for the start of the 2020 baseball season. The fan favorite "Contestant of the Game" promotion returns, awarding cash to two lucky Maryland Lottery winners per Orioles game. The Lottery will select two "Contestants of the Game" for each of the 60 Orioles games this season. Each winner will receive $500 just for being selected, and an additional $500 for every Orioles home run hit during that game. The O's hit 213 home runs last season,...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A few more retro looks before baseball resumes

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A few more retro looks before baseball resumes
By this time next week, we'll be staring at real baseball games (assuming COVID-19 doesn't again rear its ugly head and get in the way of our long-awaited reunion with the national pastime). So consider this your own version of the latter stages of spring training 2.0, where you reacquaint yourself with how to watch baseball games in preparation for next weekend's Orioles series in Fenway Park that kicks off the truncated 2020 campaign. Sometimes, the most important thing in a game happens...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Trumbo, Davis tear up opposition

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Trumbo, Davis tear up opposition
We're now almost a week into the resumption of baseball activities after an abrupt and unwelcome hiatus. And while baseball has undergone many changes over its long evolution, it has never seen such wholesale alteration of the way things are done. Hand-sanitizing stations, daily temperature checks and frequent testing for COVID-19 have become the everyday reality for everyone involved in the sport. The players are doing their best to keep their distance from one another while at the same time...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: 11th-inning heroics and a World Series triumph

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: 11th-inning heroics and a World Series triumph
In years to come, our grandchildren will ask us about 2020. Political and societal turmoil raging against a backdrop of global pandemic will certainly give future historians much to analyze. When all the books are written, at least a few will dwell on the effects of the prolonged suspension of sporting events, both on fans and on the sports themselves. In the case of baseball, the coronavirus shutdown brought to a rapid boil the labor conflict that had been expected to simmer for another year....

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A nailbiter, a decisive blast and the start of something big

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A nailbiter, a decisive blast and the start of something big
One of the great things about baseball is that the game offers something for everyone, an aspect on full display in this week's collection of "Orioles Classics" on MASN. If you prefer pitchers' duels over slugfests, we've got a good one for you from 2017, a night when the Orioles and Blue Jays matched zeros into extra innings before someone broke through. Of course, some people prefer lots of offense, and few players produced it like 2016 American League home run champ Mark Trumbo, whose...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Postseason bonanza

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Postseason bonanza
Looking ahead to the coming week's "Orioles Classics," I couldn't help but think of Jim Mora's most famous moment. Mora, then head coach of the Indianapolis (grr!) Colts, spoke with reporters following a 2001 loss that dropped the team to 4-6. One of those reporters asked Mora about the Colts' chances at making the National Football League playoffs that season, triggering the coach's now legendary reaction. "Playoffs? Don't talk about ... playoffs?" Mora screeched incredulously, his...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Hello, goodbye and everything in between

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Hello, goodbye and everything in between
One of the great things about highlighting rebroadcasts of games from a team with a tradition that stretches back to 1954 is the variety of choices you get in the film library. This week's collection of "Orioles Classics" on MASN stretches all the way back to 1987 and a day when a trio from the same family made headlines. It includes the last game at Memorial Stadium in 1991 and the first game at Camden Yards in 1992. And it includes some memorable moments from the 2012 season that saw the...