Marty Niland: Rickey's reports set the stage for historic summer in D.C.

Marty Niland: Rickey's reports set the stage for historic summer in D.C.
Former Senators outfielder Curt Flood "approach(ed) perfection" with St. Louis in 1963. That same year, former Washington slugger Harmon Killebrew was described as strikeout-prone and overpriced as a Minnesota Twin. Former Nationals manager Frank Robinson was "upset" by the changeup as a Cincinnati Red in the spring of 1964. Those are the professional opinions of Branch Rickey, whose more than 1,750 scouting reports and other baseball-related papers and correspondence have been digitized by...

The history of Nats managers, through Zimmerman's eyes

The history of Nats managers, through Zimmerman's eyes
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals have experienced plenty of change over the years, nowhere more so than in the manager's office. Davey Martinez is now the club's seventh full-time manager in 14 seasons in Washington, with none of his predecessors having survived longer than 2 1/2 seasons. Only one player has been around for every one of the seven skippers: Ryan Zimmerman, the organization's first draft pick in 2005. Zimmerman's career has included its own share of changes, but he has...

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Zimmerman homers twice in return, Nats beat Braves 10-5

#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Zimmerman homers twice in return, Nats beat Braves 10-5
We couldn't end the year without giving you at least one more Ryan Zimmerman moment: Zim's amazing season continues: 3-4 2HR/3RBIs and still leads the NL in hitting. Nats 10 Braves 5 June 13.This one's for you 91 years young Thelma. Your grandson @ryryjones saved my pix. pic.twitter.com/LlRSmmVZT0 -- Bob Carpenter (@scorebook_bob) December 16, 2017 What happened: After missing some time due to back soreness, he made a triumphant return, hitting his 18th and 19th homers of the season and...

"Orioles Classics" rewind: 1970, year of the Birds

"Orioles Classics" rewind: 1970, year of the Birds
As we move closer to spring training - and, hopefully, toward storing the rock salt and snow shovels for the winter - it's time to throw back to some of the most memorable games in Orioles history: the 1970 World Series, where the Birds vanquished the vaunted Big Red Machine from Cincinnati in five games to win their second world championship. Future Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Tony Perez, along with eventual all-time hit king Pete Rose, were no match for Earl Weaver's Orioles. If you're...

"Orioles Classics" rewind: Throwbacks to start the new year

"Orioles Classics" rewind: Throwbacks to start the new year
Happy New Year, Birdland! Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday and is enjoying today on their couches while resting from last night's festivities. I bring you tidings of great joy: With the flip of the calendar, we are now officially less than two months away from pitchers and catchers reporting to the Ed Smith Stadium Complex in Sarasota, Fla.! After last night's countdown to the new year, we're now helping you countdown to baseball's return with more "Orioles Classics" on MASN...

"Orioles Classics" rewind: Davis pitches, World Series champs and 2,131

"Orioles Classics" rewind: Davis pitches, World Series champs and 2,131
It's the week of Thanksgiving, and do we have some good reasons for Orioles fans to be thankful! MASN is trotting out some of the all-time greats in this week's slate of "Orioles Classics" replays, both of the recent variety and of the O's past. Take a look at this week's schedule as you prepare for a friends, family, turkey and now baseball-filled week: Monday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m. - Given all the drama and excitement an extra-inning game can bring, there are few things as exciting as a...

Orioles open 2017 season at home (and other notes)

Orioles open 2017 season at home (and other notes)
BOSTON - Major League Baseball will release the 2017 schedules this week as teams continue to make a push toward the 2016 postseason. Eyes on the prize while glancing toward the future. I've only heard a few details, but most of the interest centers on opening day. The Orioles will be home again, with their first game on April 3 against the division rival Blue Jays. The interleague schedule pits the Orioles against the National League Central. The Cubs and Cardinals will visit Camden Yards...

Sunday event will mark 50th anniversary of Frank Robinson's blast out of Memorial Stadium

Sunday event will mark 50th anniversary of Frank Robinson's blast out of Memorial Stadium
Mother's Day is Sunday, and the holiday will be marked in many traditional ways - breakfasts in bed, hand-drawn greeting cards, bouquets of flowers and family dinners. But Mark Melonas will celebrate Mother's Day by marking - rather re-marking - one of the most significant achievements in Orioles history on the site where Memorial Stadium used to be. Melonas, a woodworker who lives in Ednor Gardens, near where the old stadium stood until 2002, is inviting Orioles fans to join him for a...

Best of the Decade: Baseball finally returns to D.C.

Best of the Decade: Baseball finally returns to D.C.
As the Nationals celebrate 10 seasons in Washington, D.C., we reflect on some of the best moments since the franchise moved to the nation's capital. Each Wednesday through mid-August, check out Nationals Pastime for a remembrance of one of the watershed moments in Nationals history. After a long 33-year wait, baseball finally returned to Washington on April 14, 2005. Since the Senators rolled out of D.C. following the 1971 season, the nation's capital watched as Major League Baseball awarded...

Adam Jones, MLBPA reps spend time with the kids at James Mosher Little League

Adam Jones, MLBPA reps spend time with the kids at James Mosher Little League
In a joint effort of Orioles outfielder Adam Jones and the Major League Baseball Players Association, several former players joined Jones this morning in West Baltimore at the James Mosher Fields, the home of one of the country's longest continuously operating African-American Little League. After the recent rioting in Baltimore, it was about spending time with the kids and letting them see that some baseball stars care about them. "It was for the community of Baltimore," Jones said this...

Patrick Reddington: Memories of Expos come full circle at Nationals Park

Patrick Reddington: Memories of Expos come full circle at Nationals Park
I grew up a Montreal Expos fan. It was a completely different experience following a team from a city outside of your own at that point. No MLB.tv. No MLB Extra Innings or MLB Network. Just newspaper reports the next day, box scores and a few games a year when they played in or against New York. Living in New Jersey, surrounded by Phillies fans on one side, and Yankees and Mets fans on the another, with no team to call our own, there was no way I was cheering for any teams from Philadelphia or...

Ryan Zimmerman finds relief from big three-run homer

Ryan Zimmerman finds relief from big three-run homer
The way Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman's season has been going so far, the events surrounding his three-run homer yesterday were no surprise. Zimmerman has been hitting ropes this year with unlucky results. Sure, he has 22 strikeouts in 121 at-bats, but his .223 average isn't reflective of how well he has hit the ball. After battling though seven pitches in his fifth inning at-bat, Zimmerman ripped a slider from Braves right-hander Julio Tehran into the flower bed just above the left...

Nationals honor Frank Robinson with spot in Nationals Ring of Honor

Nationals honor Frank Robinson with spot in Nationals Ring of Honor
Hall of Famer Frank Robinson returned to Nationals Park today as the team honored its first manager by unveiling his name in the Nationals Ring of Honor. Robinson became the Nationals first manager, guiding the team from Montreal to Washington. "I take a lot of pride in it," Robinson said. "The players were great. It was a good situation for us coming from Montreal although it was kind of bittersweet to leave those fans up there." Robinson's Nationals greatly overachieved in their first...

Unreal stretch for Bryce Harper continues with walk-off homer, Nats win 8-6

Unreal stretch for Bryce Harper continues with walk-off homer, Nats win 8-6
The Nationals are on quite a roll with the long ball. Catcher Jose Lobaton joined the party in the second inning with a two-run shot into the second deck beyond the right field wall at Nats Park. For Lobaton, both of his homers this season have come off Braves starter Julio Teheran. Second baseman Danny Espinosa followed Lobaton's blast with a double to center field. Three batters later, third baseman Yunel Escobar hit a two-out flare to center plating Espinosa for the Nats' third run. Nats...

Whose glove do you love? (plus Werth Chia Pets and Rendon gnomes)

Whose glove do you love? (plus Werth Chia Pets and Rendon gnomes)
Whose glove do you love? The Nationals accomplished a lot in 2015, among them most wins in the National League and Silver Slugger Awards for Ian Desmond and Anthony Rendon. But not one Nats player was awarded a Gold Glove last season. In fact, in the 10 seasons of Nationals baseball, only two Nationals - Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche - have received Gold Gloves. Ironically, Zimmerman is replacing the departed LaRoche this season, but is basically a novice at his new first base position having...

Watch this week's "Orioles Classics" on MASN HD

Watch this week's "Orioles Classics" on MASN HD
Last week, Orioles manager Buck Showalter was named American League Manager of the Year. While Showalter definitely deserved the award, it merely reminds many fans that the offseason has arrived. And that means they miss the Orioles. If you find yourself missing live baseball action, I can't really help you. I can, however, direct you to three "Orioles Classics" games airing on MASN HD this week. Don't miss this week's "Orioles Classics": Monday, Nov. 17, 12:30 p.m.: Catch Game 5 of the...

An Orioles Mount Rushmore

An Orioles Mount Rushmore
If we could magically produce an Orioles Mount Rushmore, which four Orioles do you put on the mountain? There have been six Orioles that have had their numbers retired. They are the six elected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and the six that have statues at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. How do you pick just four? No. 4 - Earl Weaver is the greatest manager in O's history. His career winning percentage is .583. Cooperstown called Earl in 1996 and the Earl of Baltimore died Jan. 19, 2013,...

Zach Wilt: Comparing Nelson Cruz to Frank Robinson

Zach Wilt: Comparing Nelson Cruz to Frank Robinson
Nelson Cruz's career year couldn't have come at a better time. The Orioles slugger will likely finish the season with the Major League lead in home runs, assuming Jose Abreu doesn't go on an absolute tear. He currently sits at 40 homers, seven more than his previous career-high in 2009 and his 108 RBIs are also more than he's ever driven in, he finished with 90 in 2012. Cruz has totaled more doubles and taken more free passes this year than he had in any of his previous nine seasons in the...

Celebrating 60: Frank Robinson reflects on winning two World Series with O's, playing at Memorial Stadium

Celebrating 60: Frank Robinson reflects on winning two World Series with O's, playing at Memorial Stadium
Outfielder Frank Robinson started his career in 1956 and played his final game in 1976. In between, he put up Hall of Fame numbers. Robinson finished with 586 home runs, 2,948 hits and 1,812 RBIs. As an Oriole in 1966, he hit .316 with 42 homers and 122 RBIs to win the American League Triple Crown. He won National League Rookie of the Year and an MVP award in each league. He helped the Orioles to two World Series titles in 1966 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and in 1970 against Cincinnati....

Keri's "Up, Up, & Away" should be required reading for Nats fans

Keri's "Up, Up, & Away" should be required reading for Nats fans
Baseball is a game dominated by numbers: match-ups between pitchers and batters, forgettable and memorable streaks, and win-loss records, especially during the dog days of August. But statistics are only one facet of the national pastime; they help frame and shape the game, but they don't define it. Though we're caught between old-school stats and the sabermetric revolution - where there seems to be a number to explain everything, however convoluted the reasoning behind the figure - nothing...