If you glanced at the 2022 Hall of Fame ballot that was released Monday hoping to find some prominent Nationals representation, you were sorely disappointed. Sure, Jonathan Papelbon made the list, but you probably aren't going to find too many Nats fans excited to relive those regrettable 12 months in club history. You'll just have to wait another year, because among the players eligible to make the 2023 ballot is none other than Jayson Werth. We'll have some fun with that one when the time...

Thirteen new candidates appear on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, which was released yesterday, but none have ties to the Orioles. Unless, of course, you want to count how fans assumed that Severna Park resident and Mount St. Joseph graduate Mark Teixeira would sign with the Orioles the minute after he became a free agent. Other newbies are infielders Álex Rodríguez, Justin Morneau, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Prince Fielder; pitchers Tim Lincecum, Jake Peavy, Joe Nathan and...

There's no greater privilege in this business than serving as a Hall of Fame voter. And there's no greater feeling than seeing one of baseball's greatest get the news of his election, knowing you played a small role in making it happen. So it's always disappointing to put the time and effort into voting in a given year and then find out nobody was elected. Unfortunately, it does happen from time to time. Not by design, but by a confluence of events including an excess number of players...

Hall of Fame election day should be an enjoyable event. We should spend our time celebrating the careers of the greatest players baseball has to offer and engaging in spirited but friendly debates about those players who didn't get enough votes to make it to Cooperstown. Unfortunately, this probably isn't going to be one of those election days. For a number of reasons, this could wind up being the most depressing one of these we've had in a while. The year-long pandemic, of course, has made...

The Orioles have acquired 18-year-old right-hander Miguel Padilla from the Astros as the player to be named later in the Hector Velázquez trade on July 29. Padilla signed as an international free agent on Nov. 26, 2018, out of Carora, Venezuela. He appeared in 19 games for the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Astros in 2019, going 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26 innings. Padilla allowed six earned runs and 20 hits and surrendered only two home runs in 26 innings. He walked 16...

After a string of 20 new electees in the last six years, the Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2020 was always destined to be small. But not so small that there wasn't room for two electees. Derek Jeter, the obvious choice in his first year of eligibility, will be joined on the stage in Cooperstown this summer by Larry Walker, who narrowly earned election in his 10th and final year of eligibility. Jeter was named on 396 of 397 ballots submitted by members of the Baseball Writers' Association...

It's been a rough week for baseball, unless you're of the opinion that bad publicity is better than no publicity. Regardless, the Astros' sign-stealing scandal - and the still-falling domino effects of it - has shown us some of the worst baseball has to offer. Which makes today a good day, because we're going to get to experience some of the very best baseball has to offer. (Plus some controversy, because this sport simply isn't allowed to just celebrate the good things without having a...

The latest Hall of Fame ballot includes four players with ties to the Orioles and one who made a significant impact, though he isn't likely to be a future inductee. Second baseman Brian Roberts appears on the ballot for the first time. He's joined by pitcher Curt Schilling and outfielder Sammy Sosa. Pitcher Heath Bell, also in the group, signed a minor league deal with the Orioles in May 2014 and was released after 10 relief appearances at Triple-A Norfolk. Roberts, now an analyst on MASN and...

The 2019 Hall of Fame class has now been announced, and it's quite a compelling class of inductees, huh? Mariano Rivera became the first player ever to be named on 100 percent of submitted ballots and permanently sealed the career Yankee's legacy as the greatest closer of all-time. Roy Halladay was elected in his first year on the ballot, a bittersweet moment for family and fans of the Blue Jays and Phillies ace, who tragically died in a plane crash a little more than a year ago. Edgar...

The hot stove league may be tepid right now, but at least baseball is providing us something us to get excited about later today: the Hall of Fame election announcement. Yes, it's time to find out who's in the class of 2019 in addition to Lee Smith and Harold Baines (who were elected last month by what used to be called the Veterans' Committee but now has a confusing and completely unnecessary longer name). The announcement is scheduled for 6 p.m. Eastern time on MLB Network, after which...

It's Hall of Fame announcement day, which means two things: Several of the greatest players in baseball history are about to become immortalized forever, and far more attention will be paid to those very good-to-great players who aren't elected this year, for a variety of reasons. Personally, I think it's a real shame that we spend way more time and energy arguing over who didn't get in than celebrating who did get in. But that's the world we live in today. Why celebrate positives when we...

Ten former Orioles are included on the latest Hall of Fame ballot released today by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The most prestigious newcomers are Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez. Guerrero concluded his 16-year career with the Orioles in 2011, batting .290/.317/.416 with 30 doubles, 13 home runs and 63 RBIs in 145 games. The 13 home runs were his lowest total since he hit 11 in 90 games with the Expos in 1997. Other former Orioles include first-timers...

Five former Orioles return to the latest Hall of Fame Ballot, which has been released today by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Mike Mussina, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Lee Smith and Sammy Sosa are included among the 32 candidates for election. Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., a 13-time All-Star who ranks sixth on the all-time home run list with 630, and closer Trevor Hoffman, who ranks second to Mariano Rivera with 601 career saves and 856 games finished, are counted among 15...

If there is one thing some Orioles fans seem to crave, it is respect from national analysts. For those of you that fit into that category, you got what you want earlier this week on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight," when the analysts spent several minutes talking up the Orioles and their postseason chances. Jayson Stark was first. "All I hear is they can't win the World Series, they can't do this or that. They've got a plus-64 run differential since the start of August," Stark said. "This is...

The Orioles have added to their spring training roster, signing right-hander Evan Meek to a minor league deal, according to a team official. Meek, 30, will report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex, giving the Orioles 31 pitchers in camp. Meek is 7-7 with a 3.34 ERA in 156 major league relief appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2008-2012. The Texas Rangers signed Meek as a free agent on Dec. 6, 2012, and he went 6-9 with a 4.50 ERA in 33 games, including 15 starts, with Triple-A Round...