"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Giving the gift of Orioles baseball

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Giving the gift of Orioles baseball
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are in the rear-view mirror, although the credit card bill next month will be a harsh reality that reminds you of how much you spent on holiday gifts. Giving Tuesday has also passed, and it's always a good time to support your favorite charities with donations of goods and money. What's the gift that keeps on giving? Orioles baseball, of course - and here at MASN, we've got a full array of "Orioles Classics" to keep your mind's eye firmly planted in the...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: No turkeys in this feast of Birds baseball

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: No turkeys in this feast of Birds baseball
It might have been George Will. Or maybe it was Casey Stengel. I get those two mixed up all the time. Anyhow, whoever it was that first said it, the great truism goes something like this: "There are just two seasons: baseball season and the void." And so it is we find ourselves staring across the vast emptiness between here and the spring. During this pause, we here at MASNsports.com will every Thursday give you a little taste of the coming week's "Orioles Classics" offerings, full game...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: O's sluggers make Camden Yards a lumberyard

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: O's sluggers make Camden Yards a lumberyard
Late February always fills baseball fans with anticipation, and it is doing so again. But this year it's different. This year we aren't taking spring games for granted. As of this writing, the Orioles' exhibition and regular seasons are scheduled to take place on time, and fully. Assuming that doesn't change, this will be our last Throwback Thursday until October. "Orioles Classics" closes out February 2021 with plenty of clutch hitting from the Birds in games from the past eight years....

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Postseason memories and some prodigious power

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Postseason memories and some prodigious power
Well, we've made it. Spring training has started, and a new baseball season is right around the corner. After all the havoc created by the pandemic since March, it feels good to look ahead to something with eager anticipation, doesn't it? While the Orioles get ready in Florida, we'll continue revisiting yesteryear with "Orioles Classics" on MASN. This week, we've got two distinct themes: postseason baseball from 1996 and some prodigious power displays from the guys in orange and black. So...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Going to the Matt

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Going to the Matt
The Super Bowl is now behind us. The NCAA's March Madness - we hope - lies just ahead. But as far as MASN world is concerned, the really big event is scheduled to begin next week. In five days - cross your fingers, knock on wood or perform any other superstitious ritual you like to ward off evil spirits and the always looming potential coronavirus-related postponement - pitchers and catchers will report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla. The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over,...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Clinchers and a milestone blast

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Clinchers and a milestone blast
There's still snow on the ground, but that may be a temporary condition, with temperatures in the 50s being predicted for tomorrow. My back is still sore from shoveling, though the pre-snow removal Tylenol seems to have helped considerably. All in all, I'm ready for warmer weather. Spring can be sprung any time. Who's with me? Well, we're all in the same boat. Depending on what the groundhog said in Punxsutawney, Pa., on Tuesday - and whether you believe in old tales dependent on the sun...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Something old, something new

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Something old, something new
We're rapidly running out of January. Assuming we're still on the Gregorian calendar - I, for one, take nothing for granted - that means we'll soon be in February, which means spring training! That, of course, assumes that pandemic-induced protocols don't postpone it. Like I said, take nothing for granted. So while we wait out these last few weeks (or more) before things start hopping at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla., what's a shivering O's fan to do? Watch "Orioles...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Pushing toward playoffs

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Pushing toward playoffs
Greater Baltimore still stings a little since Sunday, when the Ravens took one on the chin in Buffalo, but now our region's sports fans can turn their full attention to the approach of spring training, whenever it actually is to start. Assessing the status of the Orioles rebuilding project should prove interesting. Meanwhile, we can take a look at the not-too-distant past to remind ourselves what a contending O's squad looks like. The Birds enjoyed a resurgance in the mid-2010s, making the...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Trumbo and Davis deliver

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Trumbo and Davis deliver
As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate small ball, the art of the opposite-field single, the sacrifice bunt, hitting behind the runner, the cat-and-mouse between a speedster taking a lead and the pitcher trying to make sure he stays put. But one cannot deny the thrill of seeing a muscular dude launching a fastball that gets too much of the plate. Though you'll also see some of the former in this week's "Orioles Classics," the latter takes center stage. In the principal roles of big...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: 1970 revisited in the new year

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: 1970 revisited in the new year
Well, we made it. It's 2021. We can put last year behind us and look ahead. Like about six weeks, when spring training begins in Sarasota at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. For the moment, we'll assume camp starts as scheduled, but as we all know, these days everything is subject to change. Fingers crossed. In the meantime, we'll warm the winter chill with some "Orioles Classics" on MASN. This week's smattering of retro games includes a trip in the wayback machine to October 1970 and a...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Some things never get old

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Some things never get old
So long, 2020. Don't let the door whack your backside on your way out. The general consensus seems to be that the year that draws to a close tonight at midnight can't be over soon enough. As if social and political turmoil and a deadly virus sweeping the globe weren't awful enough, the pandemic also screwed up the baseball season. With new vaccines approved and inoculations begun, we're all crossing our fingers in hopes that we can kick COVID-19 to the curb in 2021, and that spring training...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Prodigious power displays and postseason memories

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Prodigious power displays and postseason memories
Well, are you ready for Christmas? Most of my online shopping was done in early November, meaning fewer shipping delays than if I'd waited for another month. But there was the curious case of several packages that spent a week resting in Hagerstown or West Virginia before being delivered. Yes, I'm looking at you, United States Postal Service, and your silly tracking system that merely says that delivery has been delayed, without giving any update of significance. Everything is boxed, bagged...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Temporarily derailing the Rays

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Temporarily derailing the Rays
The winter solstice is upon us, bringing more darkness than most of us would like as we witness the shortest days of the year. But look on the bright side: Beginning Tuesday, they start getting longer again. Shoot, before you know it, it'll be mid-February and pitchers and catchers will be checking in at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla. We hope. Especially given the current surge in the ongoing pandemic, it can be difficult to keep the winter doldrums from creeping into your...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Something for everyone

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Something for everyone
If you're still putting together your holiday shopping list - and are not one of those folks who likes to have everything bought, wrapped and ready to go by, say, Halloween - you're familiar with the idea that some folks are just plain hard to buy for. This week's rotation of "Orioles Classics" on MASN has a little bit of something for everyone. Whatever you like to see when you watch a baseball game - powerful offensive displays, pitching prowess, sparkling defense, historical...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Feels like the first time

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Feels like the first time
December's here, and as the holiday season ramps up, many folks feel the tug of nostalgia. Perhaps your senses are already summoning fond memories as your stereo plays festive tunes and your kitchen is warmed and made fragrant by an oven cranking out cookies. But winter's arrival doesn't have the market cornered on nostalgia. Memories of springs, summers and autumns past can trigger sentimental feelings, too, and that's what "Orioles Classics" is all about. This batch, still toasty from...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A heaping helping of Birdland memories

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A heaping helping of Birdland memories
Since it's Thanksgiving, it's only natural to take a moment to give thanks for the abundance we sometimes take for granted. Really, this should be a daily occurrence. But before you plate the turkey, dig into the sides and ponder the pumpkin pie for dessert, let's take a moment to count our blessings. Since we're a baseball site, we'll start with the national pastime. For as long as I can remember, baseball has been the soundtrack of my life, from the time I tucked my transistor radio...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: From 2,131 through 2020

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: From 2,131 through 2020
As timelines go, this week's "Orioles Classics," if plotted on a chronological chart, would be a series of connecting lines that look like a toddler's scribbles. Luckily, you merely have to watch. No cleanup involved. This week's offerings date from 1995, when the numeral "2,131" entered into Baltimore's sports lexicon, to the recently completed season, which included some strong debuts and the requisite comeback victories. It's early in the offseason, so it's best to remember to pace...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Comeback wins and marathon matches

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Comeback wins and marathon matches
With the strangest baseball season on record now in the books (congrats to the Dodgers), the offseason is now upon us. The Orioles have already made some roster moves, and more are almost certainly on the way. And with COVID cases climbing again, the O's and the rest of Major League Baseball also will likely be figuring out contingencies in case spring training and/or the 2021 season have to be delayed. So even though there won't be any live games to see, baseball people will still be plenty...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A few more retro looks before baseball resumes

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: A few more retro looks before baseball resumes
By this time next week, we'll be staring at real baseball games (assuming COVID-19 doesn't again rear its ugly head and get in the way of our long-awaited reunion with the national pastime). So consider this your own version of the latter stages of spring training 2.0, where you reacquaint yourself with how to watch baseball games in preparation for next weekend's Orioles series in Fenway Park that kicks off the truncated 2020 campaign. Sometimes, the most important thing in a game happens...

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Trumbo, Davis tear up opposition

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: Trumbo, Davis tear up opposition
We're now almost a week into the resumption of baseball activities after an abrupt and unwelcome hiatus. And while baseball has undergone many changes over its long evolution, it has never seen such wholesale alteration of the way things are done. Hand-sanitizing stations, daily temperature checks and frequent testing for COVID-19 have become the everyday reality for everyone involved in the sport. The players are doing their best to keep their distance from one another while at the same time...