He has been a minor league coach and manager for the Orioles organization and his tenure spans 20 years. It's a labor of love for Baltimore native Gary Kendall, whose first O's managing assignment was at Rookie-level Bluefield in 2004. Kendall, now manager of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, had a big hand in sending many players on to Baltimore. The list includes Trey Mancini, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, John Means, Mychal Givens, Hunter Harvey, Chance Sisco, Austin Hays, Anthony Santander...

After offering a partial list of athletes who would interest me in a 10-part documentary, I wanted to pile on by including an obvious choice. One that must be near or at the top. Hank Aaron would be an incredible watch. Also a difficult one, given the ugliness that followed his pursuit of the all-time home run record. But racism isn't supposed to be comfortable. Aaron has shown a willingness in the past to share his experiences, the stacks of hateful mail with threats and harassment that...

The Orioles hadn't made a final decision on shortstop Richie Martin prior to baseball's shutdown in spring training. He remained on the camp roster, which is frozen at 50 players. The club could have placed him in a utility role or, more likely, assigned him to Triple-A Norfolk in an attempt to further develop his skills. They had the freedom to go in any direction with Martin no longer holding Rule 5 status. Now what? The minor league season is expected to be canceled due to the coronavirus...

The Nationals work very hard on teaching their catchers how to guide each pitcher through their outing, making sure the duo remain on the same page, keeping them focused on the task at hand. This concentration on the next pitch - an ability to clear out distraction that might have been caused by the last play - is important in helping the pitcher and catcher stay on point. These two players have to work together for the team to be successful. "Another thing that our organization really...

Are we possibly only a few weeks away from baseball? If Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association can come to an agreement - and if society at large is ready for it - we could see "Spring Training 2.0" begin roughly three weeks from now, then the regular season begin the first week of July. In the meantime, the Nationals are all set to hold their virtual ring ceremony on Sunday at 7 p.m. on MASN, a surprise development that has caught some folks off guard this week. It's not the...

Pitchers who are confined to their homes during the pandemic are challenged to find a mound and perhaps a willing partner to provide a target. Hitters are relegated to batting cages, if they have one built or access to a facility that's open, in order to stay sharp. What's an infielder to do? José Flores, who replaced Bobby Dickerson as Orioles third base coach and infield instructor prior to the 2019 season, is trying to teach and encourage from Puerto Rico. He doesn't know whether...

I recently described my relationship with my only sister to a friend as "perfect." I recently turned 60, and for 60 years, that word has fit, well, perfectly. There is a big gap, about 20 years, in our ages. So making that perfect was not easy. It's not like we grew up as best friends or went to school together. The age difference could make her seem more like a parent. And I guess that could fit in the sense that my sister was my babysitter often when I was a kid as my parents were off...

Jumping into the minor leagues today again and looking at some of the outfielders who played at low Single-A Hagerstown last season. Manager Patrick Anderson, now with short-season Single-A Auburn, saw some good growth and potential from his outfielders. We have already talked about all the tools Cody Wilson has shown. Wilson, 23, played 77 games for the Suns in 2019. He's still working to get better at the plate (.215), but hit nine doubles, four triples, five homers and 23 RBIs. Anderson...

All this time off has given us plenty of opportunity to look back and fondly remember events of the past 15 years. Great games that were won. Great players that made an impact. Big decisions that had long-lasting ramifications for the future of the organization. But what if some of those big moments didn't happen? What if one of those decisions wasn't made the same way? What impact would that have had on the Nationals in the long term? I've thought of several possible moves that could've...

In separate interviews with "MASN All Access" yesterday, Ben McDonald and I offered similar thoughts. The junior college ranks could really benefit in the 2021 season from this year's five-round MLB draft. The draft next month could be very college-heavy. Teams may not take chances on high school players they hardly saw play or didn't see play at all during abbreviated senior seasons this year. Players not drafted could sign for $20,000, but most players who are, in my opinion, in line to...