Kolko, Porter named hosts of "Nats Xtra" pregame, postgame shows

Kolko, Porter named hosts of "Nats Xtra" pregame, postgame shows
MASN's "Nats Xtra" pregame and postgame shows will have new hosts in 2019. New, but not unfamiliar. Dan Kolko will move from his role as the on-field reporter on Nationals television broadcasts to succeed the retired Johnny Holliday as host of "Nats Xtra," while former Nationals third base coach and Astros manager Bo Porter has been named as the program's analyst, filling the role most recently held by Ray Knight, whose contract was not renewed. Kolko's role as the team's on-field...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Pass the salami

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Pass the salami
There's nothing like a hero sandwich made with salami. So MASN serves up a triple-decker deal, along with a side of wild Werth and a Zimmerman three-run blast, in the upcoming batch of "Nationals Classics." Your plate is brimming with grand slams and walk-off heroics, so dig in! Thursday, Jan. 24, 12:30 p.m. - The Nationals didn't wait for the game to be over before starting the fireworks. It was July 4, 2011, and the Cubs were in town. With the score tied 4-4, Jayson Werth drew a walk to...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Walk-off this way

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Walk-off this way
It take patience to be a baseball fan. No way around it, there's a lot of dead time in a game. But those who appreciate the intricate diamond ballet can wait it out and have their patience rewarded. And what's a better reward than a walk-off victory? This week's smattering of "Orioles Classics" on MASN is full of walk-offs, and also includes some victories of a more generic persuasion. But who are we kidding: Everyone likes a win, right? Some of the heroes are well known, others not so...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Got no-nos? Yes!

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Got no-nos? Yes!
Home runs are exciting, but true baseball fans get just as cranked up to see their guy on the mound firing on all cylinders. If great pitching is your jam, have we got a deal for you. Regular viewers of "Nationals Classics" are used to looking back at standout performances from star pitchers, but this Monday you can binge-watch three of the best ever back-to-back-to-back. That's on top of a full schedule of throwback Nationals games over the coming week. So dig in, because some of the best...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Extra excitement in extra innings

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Extra excitement in extra innings
Just one more month to go. Hold on. Waiting out the winter can be tough on a baseball fan. T.S. Eliot called April "the cruelest month," but we all know that that distinction belongs to January. It seems like forever since we enjoyed a game at Camden Yards on a sweltering night or watched the Orioles live on MASN in our shorts with a cold one at the ready. But we're halfway through the month now, and this time next month, Sarasota will be stirring as spring training gets rolling. Meanwhile,...

MASN gearing up fans for 2019 season with giveaways at Orioles FanFest

MASN gearing up fans for 2019 season with giveaways at Orioles FanFest
The holiday season went by in a flash and 2019 is underway, which means we're that much closer to Orioles baseball! With pitchers and catchers reporting to the Ed Smith Stadium Complex in Sarasota, Fla., on Feb. 13, there is only one other date Birdland is looking forward to before the start of spring training: Orioles FanFest! The O's annual day-long baseball celebration returns to the Baltimore Convention Center on Saturday, Jan. 26, and MASN will be there gearing up fans for the upcoming...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": In the beginning ...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": In the beginning ...
By now you're used to seeing select games from great and not-so-great Nationals teams of the past on MASN. But we're throwing you way back with a couple of "Nationals Classics" telecasts this week, starting this afternoon. The Nats' inaugural season of 2005 turned out better than one might expect of a new club with a bunch of guys no one is considering for Cooperstown. At least it wasn't a losing year, as the team went 81-81. The Nats did, nonetheless, finish fifth in the National League...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Turn of the century

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Turn of the century
More than any other fans I can think of, those of us who pull for the Orioles are more than happy to see 2018 in the rear-view mirror. With new leadership in the front office and in the dugout, fans aren't sure what 2019 will bring, but it sure ought to be interesting. Those new guys calling the shots around here have made it abundantly clear that they're looking ahead, searching for new blood and new ways (to the Orioles, at least) of doing things. But they have also given a firm nod to the...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Ringing in the old

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Ringing in the old
How are those resolutions coming? Already, huh? Well, there's always next year ... As we try to remember to put the correct year on the checks we write, we start to see some light at the end of the baseball tunnel. Spring training's about a month and a half away now, and while we still don't know whether Bryce Harper will be back, we do know that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has been busy assembling a roster that should give the club a chance to retake the National League East...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Watching the ball drop

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Watching the ball drop
The coming of the new year prompts people (or at least cable news) to look back on what has passed. Of course, MASN is doing that throughout the offseason as we bring you "Nationals Classics." This week, naturally, is no exception. Since you're going to be staying up late Monday night, why not get acclimated with a couple of extra-inning marathons? We'll also have a game from the Nats' early days in D.C. that might make you break into a chorus of "Auld Lang Syne." You can enjoy all that...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Our holiday gift to you

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Our holiday gift to you
It's the most wonderful time of the year - at least that's what that song tells me. Seriously, it seems like it's on a continuous loop. From the car to the department store to the supermarket. It's everywhere. While we don't have parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting or caroling in the snow, we do have some of the hap-hap-happiest results in this week's holiday array of "Nationals Classics" on MASN. Consider these our gift to you - and be of good cheer, as spring training is...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: No humbugs here

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: No humbugs here
The ol' Warehouse was humming with the Spirit of Seasons Yet to Come earlier this week, when Orioles general manager Mike Elias introduced Birdland to the team's new skipper, Brandon Hyde. Like Bob Cratchit, Hyde now will have several youngsters to look after, as the O's rebuilding project will be flush with fresh-faced prospects. For Christmas Present, however, MASN will this week summon some ghosts from the past (OK, if you want to get technical, the principal characters in the games...

"MASN All Access" bringing exclusive live Winter Meetings shows to fans

"MASN All Access" bringing exclusive live Winter Meetings shows to fans
LAS VEGAS - Season's greetings from the Winter Meetings! The "MASN All Access" crew touched down in Vegas this weekend and is gearing up to bring you our biggest and best live shows yet. Where will Manny Machado and Bryce Harper sign? Will the O's name their next manager? How the heck do we find the exit to this casino? We're looking to bring all of these answers to you this week with twice-daily live shows on MASN All Access. Be sure to follow along on Facebook Live from 3-5 p.m. Eastern...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Keeping the home fires burning

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Keeping the home fires burning
Daylight's at a premium as we approach the winter solstice, and it can be tough keep your spirits up. MASN's here to help. For this week's throwback telecasts, we bring you a gem from the guy who wrote the jeweler's handbook on gemology, then a tough choice in the middle of a Nationals romp. After that, we take a glance back at the Nats' early days in D.C. for a glimpse of what was to come for the guy who would become Mr. National. So cheer up! In another week or so the days will start...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: It was one fine day in Philadelphia

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: It was one fine day in Philadelphia
The NCAA football playoff matchups are set, and the Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Clemson and Alabama teams are x-ing and o-ing in preparation over the long layoff that follows the end of the regular season. The Maryland grid squad has a new coach. The NFL playoff picture is becoming clearer, though it's by no means settled, certainly not where the Ravens are concerned. Especially at this time of year, you hear the term "sudden death" more commonly in the context of football. But it happens in...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": A little bit of something for everyone

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": A little bit of something for everyone
One of the great things about being a baseball fan is the fact that the game offers something for every fan, no matter your rooting interest, whether you prefer to see offense or pitching or how invested you are in the game. That's the overriding theme for this week's array of "Nationals Classics" on MASN: We've got something for everyone. You like late heroics? We've got shining examples of how bats and gloves can make the difference between winning and losing. You prefer pitching...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": No crystal ball required

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": No crystal ball required
As we turn another page on the calendar, the hot stove is getting warmer. Will the Nationals have a shot at free agent starters Patrick Corbin and Dallas Keuchel? Will they sign another catcher to spell 35-year-old Kurt Suzuki, who is now a Nat again? What's happening at second base? Does Screech's salary count toward the luxury tax? For the answers to these and other questions, you'll just have to stay tuned for the next episode of "As the Nats Turn." The team's past, on the other hand,...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A perfect time for pie

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A perfect time for pie
We all know that the best thing you can do for yourself after a heavy meal is to walk it off. So on this biggest feast day of the year, and in the days to follow, MASN delivers extra helpings of walk-off Orioles wins from marathon matches of seasons past. On the menu are tasty victories over the Yankees, Nationals, Athletics and Diamondbacks, and a heaping portion of wins against the Blue Jays. We decided to do dessert first this time, serving up some playoff pie this morning. Hope you're...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: An unexpected call to arms and a parade of homers

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: An unexpected call to arms and a parade of homers
It won't be long now. Pretty soon, the house will be filled with the aroma of roasting turkey. Folks will cram around the table to give thanks for life's many blessings. They'll also debate which type of cranberry sauce is better, the jiggly gel that slides out of the can or the kind boasting actual berries. But before Turkey Day, you can give thanks for some pretty special memories by watching this week's slate of "Orioles Classics" on MASN. If you prefer your baseball to feature...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Milestone moments in O's history

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Milestone moments in O's history
The long national nightmare known as election season has finally passed, and the next barrage of campaign ads is two years away. Now that it's safe to watch TV again, it's a great time to relive some of the best feel-good moments in Orioles history. The MASN vault this week yields three of Birdland's most auspicious occasions ever. Starting with today's day-night doubleheader, you'll see one Hall of Fame slugger reach a nice round number of round-trippers, another one set a new standard...