Domenic Vadala: Is Chris Davis an MVP candidate?

Domenic Vadala: Is Chris Davis an MVP candidate?
Going into the 2013 season, one of the big questions surrounding the Orioles was Chris Davis at first base. In 26 games at first last year, Davis fielded at a .989 clip and committed four errors before Mark Reynolds became the Orioles' everyday first baseman. However, for the season overall, Davis hit .270 with 33 homers. I remember saying on Birds Watcher during spring training that the nightmare scenario for the Birds would be for Davis to struggle in the field to the point that the O's...

Domenic Vadala: Some thoughts on the Battle of the Beltways

Domenic Vadala: Some thoughts on the Battle of the Beltways
First off, I want to offer my thanks to our nation's veterans who we celebrate today on this Memorial Day. I hope that all Americans remember that we should keep the heroism of our nation's service members in mind on all days, not only today. My late grandfather, Dr. Anthony Launi, was a World War II veteran, and later a catcher in the Washington Senators' minor league system before settling in Bethesda to practice dentistry and raise his family, which included my mother. Today is also a...

Domenic Vadala: Do the Orioles need to trade for a top starting pitcher?

Domenic Vadala: Do the Orioles need to trade for a top starting pitcher?
Orioles pitching has been the elephant in the room all season long, and to a certain degree, it came to a bit of a head last week and this weekend. First off, while starters going deep into games has been an issue all season, I'm also a firm believer in not letting one bad start get you down. While Jason Hammel has struggled through his last few starts, he never struggled as much as he did Friday night against Tampa Bay. However, he can't allow that to seep into his mind, otherwise he won't...

Domenic Vadala: Anatomy of a comeback

Domenic Vadala: Anatomy of a comeback
We all saw what happened Friday night, as the Orioles came back and defeated the Minnesota Twins after being down 6-0. Six runs isn't the greatest comeback of all time, however there's certainly a difference between that and being down by one or two. I think that in all sports there comes a point in a game where a team feels somewhat secure in its lead. In the NFL, I'd say that a 21-point lead is fairly safe, and the same would be true of a 15-point lead in the NBA. Minnesota had the...

Domenic Vadala: Serving up the youth movement

Domenic Vadala: Serving up the youth movement
I'll be as frank and up front as I possibly can in saying this: I'm not a big fan of youth. At 32, some people might ask what I mean by that, given that I'd like to hope that I'm not that old myself. However, when it comes to athletes, I like guys with a bit of experience. I'm not suggesting that the Orioles should nab other teams' good players out from under them as Boston and New York have done for years. What I am saying is that I like players that marinate a bit in the minor leagues...

Domenic Vadala: When did the culture change in Baltimore?

Domenic Vadala: When did the culture change in Baltimore?
With the advent of the internet, we're, in theory, no longer bound to listen to only local radio as most stations stream their programming online. So being interested in some local perspective on the NBA playoffs, I tuned into WEEI-Boston's midday "Mut and Merloni" show last week. At that moment, they were talking about the American League East and specifically about the Toronto Blue Jays. While they did agree that on paper they were a good team, they also said they felt that the culture...

Domenic Vadala: O's starters need to stop nibbling to go deeper

Domenic Vadala: O's starters need to stop nibbling to go deeper
Through the first couple weeks of the regular season, we've consistently heard about how Orioles starters need to go deeper into games. Obviously, it goes without saying that it's not quite as simple in practice as it is to talk about. The first question that should be asked is: Why aren't the starters going deeper? If you look at the anatomy of the games, one thing that stands out at me is that the starters aren't attacking the strike zone as early and as often. They're trying to nibble...

Domenic Vadala: In assuming responsibility for error, Jones sets an example

Domenic Vadala: In assuming responsibility for error, Jones sets an example
We all saw the three-run error committed by Adam Jones in Friday's game at Yankee Stadium. I hesitate to say that it cost the Orioles the game, given that there are so many other aspects to any game than just one play, but I digress. Afterward, Jones did something that should make people stand up and take notice: He took accountability. There were several comments that came out of Jones, however the gist of all of them were, "My bad." It goes without saying that accepting accountability...

Domenic Vadala: Today, there's joy in Mudville

Domenic Vadala: Today, there's joy in Mudville
I think it's safe to say that we've all heard of Ernest Lawrence Thayer's poem, "Casey at the Bat." Published on June 3, 1888, the poem is considered a classic piece of American literature as much as it is a part of baseball lore. One might ask why I'm referencing a poem that, while propping up baseball as America's pastime, is also about a hero failing in his endeavor. Well, going into the 2013 season, the outlook wasn't brilliant for the Baltimore nine. Most national pundits expected...

Domenic Vadala: In Buck we trust

Domenic Vadala: In Buck we trust
Greetings, MASNsports.com readers. On behalf of the Fansided Network and our great staff of writers at Birds Watcher, it's an honor to be back with you for the 2013 season. With the season beginning in earnest tomorrow afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla., the big lingering question regarding the Orioles is whether or not they can repeat their successes from 2012. Before getting into that question, it's worth mentioning as a disclaimer that we have no clue what wild cards (is the use of that...

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...

Domenic Vadala: 2012 The Afterglow

Domenic Vadala: 2012 The Afterglow
While arguably the most important games of the 2012 Orioles' regular season are still ahead, at this point I feel it's worth taking a look back at where we've been. It goes without saying that 2012 will go down as the best Orioles season in a generation, especially with a playoff spot in hand. This was a team that was supposed to lose 100 games. Instead, they're going to win 90+ and go to the postseason. This was a team that supposedly had no chance to do anything more than fail. Instead...

Domenic Vadala: On closing acts and changed fortunes

Domenic Vadala: On closing acts and changed fortunes
On Friday night, the Boston Red Sox come to town for the final home series of 2012's regular season. Friday is also the Sept. 28, which will mark the one-year anniversary of last season's spectacular finish to the regular season. I'll spare everyone the details yet again, however the act of Robert Andino hitting an RBI single to win it for the Fighting Showalters followed almost immediately by Evan Longoria hitting a walk off homer in St. Petersburg, Fla., is something that will not soon...

Domenic Vadala: Time loves a hero

Domenic Vadala: Time loves a hero
There are so many different angles at which we can look at these 2012 Orioles. However, needless to say 2012 will always represent a return to glory of a once-great franchise. Ironically - and who among us ever thought we'd hear this - I've seen some blabber on message boards to the effect that people are getting tired of hearing so much about the Orioles on national outlets. Feels strange not to be talking about Boston or New York, doesn't it? When Manny Machado's blooper hit the ground...

Domenic Vadala: Overcoming obstacles is the Oriole way

Domenic Vadala: Overcoming obstacles is the Oriole way
I think that most people my age in this area have very similar stories with regard to the Orioles. Our parents raised us as O's fans and we grew up idolizing Cal Ripken Jr. I'm no different, as Cal was my boyhood hero, however I liked him for a slightly different reason. The best memories of my life were spent at my grandparents' house in Rising Sun, Md., which is about 15 miles from Aberdeen. My dad and my uncles passed their love of this team onto me, and I was told that Eddie Murray and...

Domenic Vadala: The future isn't written yet

Domenic Vadala: The future isn't written yet
Prior to writing for Birds Watcher, I covered the Orioles for another outlet in 2010-11. After what I still feel was the greatest closing act of all time last September against Boston, I wrote that I felt that game juxtaposed the fortunes of the two franchises together in some strange way for the future. (Shout out to my high school English teachers, as I was paying attention all those years - who else could work juxtaposition into a sports column?). I suppose that, at the time, I did in fact...

Domenic Vadala: Is Showalter an afterthought in Manager of the Year conversation?

Domenic Vadala: Is Showalter an afterthought in Manager of the Year conversation?
With the Orioles on the road lsat week, I took the opportunity to visit one of my favorite places, and one of the jewels of our home region: the Delmarva shore. For the record, the seashore is one of the few places on earth that rivals a ballpark for my attention. There's nothing like braving the surf during the day, and then quite literally sittin' on the dock of the bay watching the tide roll away as you watch Orioles baseball outdoors at dockside restaurants. During my time at the shore,...

Domenic Vadala: Why do some teams get the calls?

Domenic Vadala: Why do some teams get the calls?
We all saw what happened Friday night in Detroit, so I'll spare you another testimonial or play-by-play account. However, while we don't know what type of internal training or reporting that Major League Baseball requires of its umpires, I think we can all agree with Mark Reynolds in that there's very little outward accountability for the umps. There are a couple of different ways to look at this. First off, it's the natural inclination of an employer to protect his/her employee when...

Domenic Vadala: Are Orioles getting hot at the right time?

Domenic Vadala: Are Orioles getting hot at the right time?
Despite only splitting this weekend's series against the Kansas City Royals, the Orioles seem to have turned it up a tick in the past few weeks. This is not in the least bit surprising to me; in fact, I expected it. The Birds have always finished strong under Buck Showalter. In 2010, he had them take the competition to the opponents who figured that they'd walk all over the O's due to their record. And who could forget last September, which I believe was the launching point for 2011?...

Domenic Vadala: Tying together the past and present

Domenic Vadala: Tying together the past and present
I've liked a lot of movies in my life; as an Italian-American, "The Godfather Trilogy" and "Rocky" are both up there. I'd also throw in "Back to the Future," as well as a few others. However, by far my favorite movie of all time will always be "Field of Dreams." That movie uses baseball to tell a story about a father and son righting old wrongs. It also ties together the past and present in an unparalleled manner. This coming weekend, the O's will pay homage to one of the most...