Former Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson, who spent seven years in the Orioles organization and became one of its most popular members, died today in Tennessee of complications from COVID-19. He was 64. Family members confirmed the news to The Virginian-Pilot. Johnson is Norfolk's all-time winningest manager with a 491-511 record, an impressive accomplishment given the large turnover in personnel and constant shuttling of players between the majors and minors. He was named International...

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...

Though he was the consensus best reliever available on the free agent market this winter, Brad Hand spent 2 1/2 months waiting to learn where he would pitch in 2021. Chalk it up to this most unusual offseason across baseball, and it's understandable, though no less nerve-wracking for the players involved. Early in the process, though, Hand knew the Nationals were among the teams interested in him. And over the last couple of weeks, he said, they stepped up their efforts before finally sealing...

The holidays have passed and the calendar has turned to 2021, but that doesn't mean one has to lose his or her spirit of giving. Especially during these uncertain times. Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin and his wife, Jen, certainly took that to heart as they recently surprised six families from the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy with a Macy's shopping experience via Zoom. In case you may have missed it or forgotten, the Youth Baseball Academy safely returned to play by opening a modified...

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with left-handed pitcher Brad Hand on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Hand, 30, joins the Nationals after going 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA and a Major League-leading 16 saves in 2020. He struck out 29 batters while walking just four in 22.0 innings pitched across 23 outings. Hand posted a 0.77 walks/hits per innings pitched, a .169 opponents' batting average and...

Left-hander Fernando Abad, signed by the Orioles to a minor league contract in December, has been exceptional as the closer for Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League. Abad made 10 appearances prior to the Caribbean World Series and didn't allow a run in 11 innings. He surrendered only three hits, walked one batter, struck out 10 and recorded six saves. Toros del Este is set to compete in the Caribbean World Series beginning Sunday at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal in Mexico. Abad will be a...

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 drafted him in the second round of the 2016 draft, No. 54 overall out of Western Michigan University. Later that summer, he made his pro debut at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. He moved his way up the ranks, pitching at Double-A Bowie in 2018 and Triple-A Norfolk by 2019. After lefty Keegan Akin made his O's debut and had an impressive start to his big league career last summer, he'll now try to show he can stick in the majors and become a fixture in the rotation. For the 2020...

The Orioles today announced the club's 2021 broadcast team, including on-air talent for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) and the Orioles Radio Network. The versatile Orioles talent lineup features returning veterans and rising stars, who will continue to appear in multiple roles across MASN and Orioles Radio Network programming: * Geoff Arnold returns for his second season with the Orioles broadcast team. He will primarily serve as a play-by-play announcer for the Orioles Radio Network,...

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...