Matthew Taylor: Approaching club record, no double trouble for Machado

Matthew Taylor: Approaching club record, no double trouble for Machado
One of the nice things about great individual performances are that they bring attention to past player accomplishments. Such is the case with Manny Machado and Brian Roberts. Machado hit his major league-leading 33rd double of the season this week, which tied Roberts' Orioles record for most doubles prior to an All-Star Game. Machado is likely to break that 2008 mark as soon as this weekend and has Roberts' single-season franchise record for doubles in his sights. After setting an Orioles...

Matthew Taylor: How a second wild card might have rewritten O's history

Matthew Taylor: How a second wild card might have rewritten O's history
It's June, and I'm scoreboard watching. I've actually been doing so since early May. It's not the best way to weather periodic losing streaks, blown saves or even a rival's hot streaks. Nevertheless, I do it all the same. The process is made more enjoyable by the realization that for much of the recent past there was no reason to scoreboard watch at any point in the season for us Orioles fans. Scoreboard watching, regardless of when it takes place, has become a little less stressful with...

Matthew Taylor: Tracing the battle to before there were Beltways

Matthew Taylor: Tracing the battle to before there were Beltways
The Orioles and Nationals wrapped up the 2013 edition of the Battle of the Beltways on Thursday night with the O's winning their third game of the four-game, split-stadium series. The series got me to thinking about the early days of this match-up and how much I'd forgotten since these two teams starting playing each other again. And then there's the stuff I never knew from the original days of Baltimore-Washington baseball. I took a look back at the first games between the two franchises in...

Matthew Taylor: Ballpark franks aren't the answer in Toronto

Matthew Taylor: Ballpark franks aren't the answer in Toronto
I can't watch the Orioles play in Toronto without thinking of my trips to see games there in its pre-2005 SkyDome days. Both of those visits were memorable in their own right - I'm sure I'm not the only one who has neglected to convert kilometers to miles upon first driving into Canada. However, it was the latter adventure some nine years ago that nearly landed me in a Major League Baseball video. The purpose of my trip to the Great White North was to attend an academic conference. I was a...

Matthew Taylor: Some context on Johnson's consecutive saves record

Matthew Taylor: Some context on Johnson's consecutive saves record
Jim Johnson's consecutive saves streak ended at 35 games Tuesday night in a 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. Johnson's streak was one better than Randy Myers' previous Orioles record of 34 and one worse than Mariano Rivera's personal best of 36. Eric Gagne is in a world all his own with his major league record of 84 consecutive saves for the Los Angeles Dodgers. While it's interesting to see how Johnson's run stacks up to those of other great relievers, the more remarkable context is...

Matthew Taylor: Enjoying the ride

Matthew Taylor: Enjoying the ride
The Orioles enter the weekend with a 21-14 record, in a three-way tie for first place in the American League East with the Red Sox and Yankees. If you've followed baseball long enough, you've likely developed the reserved reflex that is so common to the sport. It's the one that produces programmed responses to good news, led by the many variations of "it's early." We're not supposed to get excited about individual efforts yet because of sample size, and as for teams, well, "It's a...

Matthew Taylor: Tillman continuing pitching staff's success on west coast

Matthew Taylor: Tillman continuing pitching staff's success on west coast
Chris Tillman provided the Orioles bullpen with some much-needed rest Thursday night by pitching eight shutout innings against the Angels. In the process, Tillman became only the second Orioles starter to go more than seven innings in 2013, which has left the team's relievers to carry a heavy early-season load. Coming into the game, the O's bullpen had pitched a shade more than 42 innings in the previous 13 games. Tillman averaged 5.2 innings per outing in five starts prior to Thursday....

Matthew Taylor: Inside the O's now-ended streak of extra-inning success

Matthew Taylor: Inside the O's now-ended streak of extra-inning success
The Orioles' streak of 17 consecutive extra-inning victories ended with Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Toronto. The Orioles matched the 1949 Cleveland Indians for most consecutive extra-inning victories in major league history. I reviewed the box scores from all 17 games and came away with the following facts and figures: * The average number of innings played per game during the streak fell just shy of 12 (11.82352941176471, to be exact). The longest game of the streak by innings played was 18...

Matthew Taylor: Planning a visit to the site of a Camden Yards milestone

Matthew Taylor: Planning a visit to the site of a Camden Yards milestone
As a fan of Orioles history, I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to visit Camden Yards on Saturday night to hear Hall of Famers Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson, and others celebrate the baseball life of the late Earl of Baltimore. At some point during the evening, I'll amble out beyond the bullpens and pay my respects at Earl Weaver's statue. I imagine it will be a popular stop for O's fans that evening. I have a second, less popular ballpark locale in mind to visit...

Matthew Taylor: Of Davis and comparisons to beefy left-handed bashers

Matthew Taylor: Of Davis and comparisons to beefy left-handed bashers
On April 5, with Chris Davis having hit four home runs in four games, MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons commented on Twitter about the Orioles' 2011 acquisition of the lefty slugger and remarked, "Now Davis is Boog." Boog, of course, is Boog Powell. And Gammons, of course, was engaging in a bit of hyperbole. Chris Davis is no Boog Powell. Nevertheless, a player like Davis, built the way he is and performing the way he has to start the season, invites historical comparisons, and Powell is...

Matthew Taylor: Knocking at the door of franchise's all-time marks

Matthew Taylor: Knocking at the door of franchise's all-time marks
Happy opening day, Baltimore fans. I'm sorry to report that I won't be at Camden Yards for the opener. Nevertheless, I have taken the day off from work to watch the game at home. It's not an official holiday, but it should be. Each new season brings the promise of the unknown, so we start the year with predictions and projections that typically focus on expected team and individual totals. Given my interest in Orioles history, I decided to look at where some current players might end up on...

MASNsports.com sets O's guest blogger lineup for first half of 2013

MASNsports.com sets O's guest blogger lineup for first half of 2013
We've created quite the interesting discussion space here at MASNsports.com, a place where you come for news but also to share your thoughts and opinions with other Orioles fans. Baltimore is also home to some of the most dedicated bloggers in all of baseball. So it's only natural that these two camps would eventually intersect. In 2011, MASNsports.com introduced guest bloggers to its site, reasoning that the distinct voices of the Orioles-centric blogosphere would be a good addition to our...

Matthew Taylor: Everything I needed to know about Jim Johnson I learned back in June

Matthew Taylor: Everything I needed to know about Jim Johnson I learned back in  June
Jim Johnson's 51 saves in 2012 were the most in baseball and established a new Orioles record in the category. Despite all that success, Johnson's most memorable regular season moment for me was his first blown save, which demonstrated his resilience as well Buck Showalter's faith in his new closer. Little did I know at the time that it would also serve as foreshadowing for the American League Division Series. Johnson's blown save occurred June 5 at Fenway Park. He allowed a game-tying,...

Matthew Taylor: Postseason probably means an improbable hero or two

Matthew Taylor: Postseason probably means an improbable hero or two
The 2012 Orioles, a roster filled with odds-defying heroes, are a perfect match for postseason baseball, which rewards unlikely stars by elevating their clutch performances from enjoyable to unforgettable. Player names that, years later, you can't remember become ones you'll never forget. Taylor Teagarden has recorded three walk-off hits this season, including a game-winning, two-run homer in his second at-bat with the Orioles. I can envision O's fans years from now talking about "that...

Matthew Taylor: Historical proof that more is better

Matthew Taylor: Historical proof that more is better
The Orioles extended their remarkable run of consecutive extra-inning victories to 15 this week with wins in 18 and 11 innings against Seattle. Overall, the O's are 15-2 in extra-inning games in 2012. Explanations for the team's success in extra frames are varied; however, the historical marker you'll hear referenced most often is that the current 15-game extra-inning streak is the longest such effort since 1949, when the Cleveland Indians won 17 straight extra-inning games. History tends to...

Matthew Taylor: New Oriole Magic ends string of 14 losing seasons

Matthew Taylor: New Oriole Magic ends string of 14 losing seasons
Let's start with this: The Orioles' run of 14 losing seasons is over. The O's 14th-inning victory Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays was their 81st of the 2012 season, ensuring that they can do no worse than a .500 record. If you follow the team closely, you know the numbers and therefore understand how appropriate it was for the Orioles to secure a non-losing fashion in the manner they did. Here's a refresher: the Orioles are 27-7 in one-run games, 64-0 when they lead after the seventh...

Matthew Taylor: Enjoy the moment, Orioles fans

Matthew Taylor: Enjoy the moment, Orioles fans
During a seemingly off-the-cuff speech as a part of Thursday's on-the-field-ceremonies, Cal Ripken Jr. pointed to the Orioles dugout and encouraged this year's team to "enjoy September." He was talking to the players, but he may as well have been talking to the fans, as well. If there's anything that 14 consecutive losing seasons should have taught the diehards who have been with this team through it all, it's to enjoy the moment and not take it for granted. What does it mean to enjoy...

Matthew Taylor: Five-game win streaks are the new Oriole Way

Matthew Taylor: Five-game win streaks are the new Oriole Way
The Orioles are masters of the five-game win streak. After stringing together a then-season-best four-game win streak in late April, the O's have posted five-game win streaks in every month since. The Orioles' five-game win streaks are more different than they are alike, although some patterns have emerged. Here are five facts about the O's five-game win streaks: * All but one of the Orioles' five-game win streaks have included two extra-inning victories. Among these are two extra-inning...

Matthew Taylor: Machado surpasses Powell for youngest Oriole to have multi-homer game

Matthew Taylor: Machado surpasses Powell for youngest Oriole to have multi-homer game
Manny Machado hit his first two major league home runs against the Kansas City Royals' Luke Hochevar on Aug. 10, becoming the youngest Orioles player to record a multi-homer game. That honor previously belonged to one John Wesley "Boog" Powell who, like Machado, got his first two major league home runs in the same game. Powell's first four career home runs came as part of multi-homer games, and they were all two-run shots. Powell homered twice against the Twins on May 2, 1962. He followed...

Matthew Taylor: Feeling the plight of the low-budget little man

Matthew Taylor: Feeling the plight of the low-budget little man
Think about big-budget baseball teams that have been a disappointment this season. Which teams come to mind, and how do you feel about them? The Philadelphia Phillies stand out to me. The Phillies have baseball's second-largest payroll at $175 million and are in last place in the NL East with a 47-58 record. I'd also have the Miami Marlins in the conversation. They're just ahead of the Phillies in the standings, and five slots below them in payroll. The Marlins own a 48-56 record despite...