Fifteen Division I football games were canceled last week because of players, coaches and others testing positive for COVID-19. The 2020 college football season is a mess, with different teams from different conferences playing a different number of games over different stretches of time. Yet all you really hear out of that corner of the sports world are complaints about the effect these scattershot cancellations are having on the sanctity of the season. You aren't hearing any serious talk...

The Orioles organization is "on the move." That was the conclusion of MLBPipeline.com when the outlet recently published an article about the state of the O's farm system. Jonathan Mayo wrote that article and joined me recently for a Zoom interview to talk about the Orioles minor leagues. The O's are now No. 8, up from No. 13, in the latest MLBPipeline.com organizational rankings. That bodes well as the Orioles look to turn their rebuilding efforts into more wins on the field. "There is a...

Perhaps you're skipping the trip over the river and through the woods this year. Maybe you've made the tough choice to put the family's health ahead of family togetherness and forego planes, trains and automobiles for now. It might not seem so at the tail end of the kind of year that 2020 has been for all of us, but chances are you've still got much to be grateful for. And while your Thanksgiving table isn't as crowded as usual (or at least it shouldn't be; safety first), we can be...

They've raised a pennant and a World Series flag, unveiled division title signs and a Ring of Honor. But here's something the Nationals have yet to do during their 16 seasons in town: Retire somebody's number. That day will come, though, and it may not be that far off, with a couple of obvious candidates at the tail end of their respective careers. To be clear, the Nationals do have one officially retired number: 42. Jackie Robinson's jersey, of course, is retired across all of Major League...

The news last week that the Nationals were adopting Rochester as their Triple-A affiliate - so much for the gag order intended to withhold announcements until a later date - immediately took me back to the day that the Red Wings severed ties with the Orioles. This was a huge deal. They had been affiliated since 1961 - a span of 42 years that represented the longest relationship between major league and Triple-A teams. So many future stars began to shine in Rochester. It was hard to imagine the...

Ryan McKenna grabbed his phone Friday evening after the Orioles announced which players were given spots on the 40-man roster to protect them in the Rule 5 draft. He had some calls to make. And some memories to share. McKenna enjoyed the same experience last year with his placement on the 40-man. Less of a certainty than outfielder/first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and pitchers Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer, but allowed to shed invite status in spring training. It would be the highlight for McKenna,...

It was a year when National Football League teams in Indianapolis and Dallas opened new stadiums. The movie "Fever Pitch" debuted at the box office. The Chicago White Sox won their first World Series since 1917. The Tampa Bay baseball team was still named the Devil Rays. The year was 2005, and that was the last time the Orioles did not make a pick in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. In fact, in three of the last four drafts, the Orioles have taken more than one player. In 2016 they...

The Nationals are working the phones, speaking with big-time free agents and well-known players, in an attempt to upgrade their offense for a team that ended up in last place in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. In back-to-back tweets Friday, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported the Nats are interested in trading for All-Star third baseman Kris Bryant and finding a way to sign touted free agent infielder DJ LeMahieu. The Nationals have pursued both players in the past, and could be looking to...

Two and a half years ago, the Nationals agreed to a two-year deal to have their Triple-A team play out of Fresno, Calif., after they lost their affiliation deal with Syracuse to the Mets. But now the Nationals have agreed to move to Rochester, N.Y., for what is reported to be a long-term affiliation. Kevin Reichard, founder and publisher of the Ballpark Digest, appearing on ESPN 95.7 FM Rochester on Friday, said Major League Baseball is looking for longer deals for each of its...

As the 6 p.m. deadline approached and passed yesterday without an announcement from the Orioles on setting their 40-man roster, it became apparent that something was in the works beyond just choosing which prospects to protect in the Rule 5 draft. The Orioles were going to also choose a player to be designated for assignment. With the many additions would come a subtraction. Call it a hunch. Renato Núñez went from non-tender candidate to a DFA, which shook up some fans on Twitter who...