MASNblogs Archive
Pudge leading the way... The Nats are enjoying their first season with future Hall of Famer Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. The 38-year-old catcher not only brings a wealth of experience to the ballclub but he is a true leader. If you look at his track record he is a proven ... Read More
Opening Day 2010 is a day to celebrate the start of another season with optimism running high for every major league ballclub. Every club forgets what could have been last year and looks forward to what will hopefully be a winning season this year. The Washington Nationals made plenty ... Read More
Well the title says it. It's going to be another battle with the big boys of the East. The Yanks and the Red Sox are loaded, and it's going to be bloody before it's over. As usual, as I see all my friends and O's fans this time of ... Read More
Let's face it: Opening Day is the best day of the year. Well, maybe you're just not a baseball fan. But for me, it is the best day of the year. I'm looking forword to this season for many reasons. This is the year that many of the young ... Read More
Welcome to this week's edition of National Matters with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo. This week, Rizzo fielded a few questions from fans about the state of the Nationals as they enter the 2010 season. Read on as Rizzo gives fans his rationale on anything from where to place ... Read More
April is an exciting yet brutal month on the baseball schedule because in most cities, spring hasn't sprung. It's freezing and the threat of a rain delay or postponed game always looms heavy. ... Read More
Like every Maryland Terrapin fan, I was looking forward to being in St. Louis this past weekend as the NCAA tournament rolled along. Unfortunately the Michigan State Spartans had something to say about that. The Terps' loss to Tom Izzo's team - at the buzzer - may have been ... Read More
Welcome back for Mike Rizzo's second blog of the 2010 season here on MASNsports.com. This time around, Rizzo talks with Nationals beat writer Ben Goessling about Nats super-prospect Stephen Strasburg, as the right-hander continues to exceed high expectations. Ben Goessling: You've had a lot of questions this spring about ... Read More
Welcome to the first installment of a new feature on MASNsports.com: Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's weekly blog. Each week during the 2010 season, Rizzo will bring his insight straight to you, only on MASNsports.com. Look out for video blogs when the Nationals are at home at Nats Park ... Read More
The Nationals released veteran reliever Ron Villone Monday. It was tough for GM Mike Rizzo to let one of his favorite players go, but it was necessary for the long term benefit of the ballclub. Ron was a great teammate and he was a good leader on the ballclub. ... Read More
The Nationals got rained out on Friday but there was still talk of optimism in the team's future. Nats skipper Jim Riggleman said he will not look ahead to 2011, nor will he look back on 2009. The focus is on "right now". It's tempting to dream about the ... Read More
Upon arriving in Sarasota on Thursday my goal was to spend the next few days gathering as much information as I could about the new Orioles. My first reaction to the O's newest offseason additions are; Andy MacPhail got the right guys. ... Read More
Back to Business... The Nats were back on the field Monday in Viera, Fla. and it was all business. There's a sense of urgency on this ballclub and it's all about winning. The players are not satisfied with simply playing .500 baseball. They want to win a lot more ... Read More
Finally! A sunny, clear day in Viera, where the weather has been anything but spring-like for Nationals spring training. March came in like a lamb and the boys got plenty of work in, and one of them told me that some players start to think more about the season ... Read More
Here's hoping every one of you has had it with this Winter as much as I have. Don't get me wrong, a Florida guy like me likes the white stuff once in a while, but this last month has been riduculous! Just the sight of Nats manager Jim Riggleman ... Read More
Nyjer Morgan: stay healthy this year, my friend, and the Nationals will be an exciting and productive offensive club. I hope the slides of March, April, May, etc. will be feet-first and not hands-first. The bats will make plenty of noise if Tony Plush is on base, agitating pitchers ... Read More
In another couple of weeks the Nats will start Spring Training for the 2010 season. What you, as loyal fans, really want to know is how is this team going to play? Well, me too! What I will tell you first, is that everyone, from the Lerner family to ... Read More
Greetings from the Skipper from sunny Daytona Beach! With the baseball season just around the corner, MASNsports.com Orioles beat writer Steve Melewski checked in with manager Dave Trembley to talk a little Orioles baseball. Read on for Trembley's thoughts on the Orioles' new spring home in Sarasota and how ... Read More
The big topic of debate with the many passionate Orioles fans this offseason has been the desire to add a "Power Bat" to the middle of the O's lineup for the 2010 season. While I agree with the benefits that type of hitter would bring to Baltimore, the Orioles ... Read More
For those of you who are reading this blog simply because of the entry title...I like your style in music. Good to see Marvin Gaye fans in O's Nation. ... Read More
As it turns out, Saturday is Joe Flacco's Birthday - as well as Jim Caldwell's, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. So, the big question is, who's going to truly celebrate late Saturday night? Well, let's break it down... ... Read More
Mark McGwire handed me the photo and it said, "To Bob, My Friend, Mark McGwire." The Tulsa newspaper had done a story on me and took my picture around the batting cage with Mark and, of course, I wanted him to sign it. This was, after all, the man ... Read More
Happy New Year to Nats fans everywhere! Like you, I can't wait for the start of spring training, but until then we all can look to the future of what should be a very exciting season for the Washington Nationals. ... Read More
Happy New Year! It's already starting to look that way for the Nats and our fans, with all the new faces Mike Rizzo is adding to the roster for 2010, and there may be more to come. If it all starts with pitching, and we know it does, the ... Read More
Holiday Greetings everyone. My guess is, like us, you are busy trying to balance the remaining time and the "must get done list." As the Christmas decorations went up around the house, it dawned on me that the baseball offseason is more than half over, and before we know ... Read More
The playoffs are a few weeks away in the NFL, but they are front and center in Fantasy Football! Hopefully your team made it to post-season play in your Fantasy Football League. Lets break it down! ... Read More
Happy Holidays to not only Nats fans, but to all sport's fans. I have so much to be thankful for this year, and topping the list is the health of my 11-year-old grandson Jack Rolle. Jack is one of our 10 grandchildren. He's number three of the four sons ... Read More
Heading into Week 13, a few players are banged up and some big names are going on the IR this week: Chris Cooley, Jamal Lewis, and possibly Clinton Portis. So hopefully you were very active on your free agent wire to make sure you have a player like Jamaal ... Read More
One of the top storylines heading into Fantasy Football in Week 11 is the suspension of wide receiver - Dwayne Bowe. As for the rest, lets break it down... ... Read More
It's only appropriate that during the week the Nationals take a major step toward their future with the hiring of Jim Riggleman, the future becomes clearer with personal accolades for Ryan Zimmerman. First, the manager: Jim is a knowledgeable, classy, solid baseball man and the right one to be ... Read More
In his first video blog as the full-time manager of the Washington Nationals, Jim Riggleman checked in with MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr following the press conference at Nationals Park. Riggleman relayed his feelings at becoming the third full-time manager of the Nationals and looks ahead to his first full season ... Read More
Just the other day I called Jim Riggleman down in Florida to get an update on his situation as returning to Washington as the permanent, not interim, skipper of the Washington Nationals. As always Jim was upbeat about the possibility and expressed his desire to return with an opportunity ... Read More
Heading into Week 10, let's look at some top fantasy football leaders in the top 3 categories: At QB Aaron Rodgers, Matt Schaub, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees; at RB Maurice Jones Drew, Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Mike Turner; at WR Vincent Jackson, and Reggie Wayne. ... Read More
Hi everyone - Sorry I've been out of the loop since season's end. I haven't been home since March 1st--There's so much to do here! Things are heating up for me in Baltimore though. ... Read More
Heading into Week 8, QB musical chairs are in full effect: No more Shaun Hill - make room for Alex Smith. No more Kerry Collins - make room for Vince Young. And soon to follow, JaMarcus Russell and possibly Jake Delhome. Lets break it down... ... Read More
Any day now, we will find out who the Nationals' skipper will be for 2010. It's nice to know that Jim Riggleman is still under consideration to have his interim label removed and to be given the job on a permanent basis. ... Read More
Heading into Week 7 in the NFL, the Fantasy Football MVP this season is Matt Schaub. And congratulations to those who drafted him in the fourth or fifth round. Keep in mind, there are six teams on a bye this week, so it will be a little more difficult ... Read More
If you haven't yet realized this about the game of baseball, here it is: the only predictable thing is its unpredictability. The 15-inning marathon win at Atlanta on the final day of the regular season was not only the longest game in the young history of our team, but ... Read More
Now that the 2009 season is complete, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and to thank the Orioles fans and the crew at O's Xtra. For the past 6 months O's Xtra set the scene and recapped the action of the Orioles games. We were able to ... Read More
The 2009 season is in the books and what a finish! Our ballclub made baseball history becoming the first team ever to start a season losing their first seven games, only to wind up the year winning their final seven. ... Read More
When a team is in last place in the division and just coming off a thirteen-game losing streak, news that the man who oversaw the whole implosion will keep his job is going to come with mixed reactions. Walking into the Orioles clubhouse after Andy MacPhail announced Dave Trembley ... Read More
Mock Finishes Strong... Garrett Mock told me he has learned a lot this season in a year where he began as a reliever and was converted back to a starter. Pitching coach Steve McCatty has preached to Garrett for him to "trust his stuff." ... Read More
For his last video blog of the 2009 season, Brian Roberts looked back on '09, ahead to 2010 and thanked fans for their support throughout the season. Watch Brian's last video blog to get the second baseman's take on a season full of ups and downs and to find ... Read More
In his last video blog of the 2009 season, Dave Trembley sat down with MASN's Carolyn Wiedel one more time to look back on the 2009 season and forward to 2010. After finishing up with a young 2009 team, Dave predicts the fans will see great strides in quite ... Read More
Dave Trembley announced today that right handed reliever Bob McCrory will undergo surgery on Friday to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. He's expected to be out of commission for about six months. That does make him questionable for spring trianing. ... Read More
The 2009 season wouldn't be complete without another video blog from Adam Dunn, so the Nats' slugger sat down with play-by-play announcer Bob Carpenter for his final video segment of the year. Adam talked about how he feels his season has played out from an individual perspective, gave his ... Read More
In his final video blog of 2009, Jim Riggleman took a few minutes to talk with MASN's Bob Carpenter about the state of the Nationals and how he viewed this season. Jim discussed how the increased roster size in September has affected how he's managed the last few weeks, ... Read More
Every game, as I go from the pregame show into the stadium, I see fans rushing through the walkways, sprinting from the concession line to their seats to hear Bruce Cunningham introduce the Ravens' starting Def--scratch that--Offense!? This past Sunday, the Ravens introduced the starting offense and the stadium ... Read More
For one of his last two video journals of 2009, Dave Trembley sat down with MASN's Carolyn Wiedel to discuss the end of Dave's second complete year as manager of the O's. Find out what Dave sees as the biggest hurdle he faced this season and how the Orioles ... Read More
For his second-to-last video blog of the season, B-Rob discussed the O's struggles at the end of the season and how the ballclub will deal with these tough times and come out a better team in the future. Brian also admitted that he's looking forward to a beach vacation ... Read More
Ross Detwiler would love to get that first major league win before the season wraps up, but his improvement in 2009 has been enormous, even if it does not show up in the won-loss record. ... Read More
As the baseball season winds down, Adam Dunn sat down with Nationals play-by-play announcer Bob Carpenter to talk a little more Nats baseball before the season comes to a close. Dunn talked with Bob about the pressure brought on by the importance placed on statistics and numbers in baseball ... Read More
For one of his last few blogs of the season, Nationals interim manager Jim Riggleman met up with Nats play-by-play announcer Bob Carpenter to talk Washington baseball in a video entry this week. Riggleman gave his take on the changes managers deal with in September, such as the Desmond-Guzman ... Read More
Not to undermine Nolan Reimold's hopes of being voted AL Rookie of the Year, but I can't help but pose the question: Should Matt Wieters' name be amongst the candidates as well? ... Read More
The dog days of Baseball season have the most effect on teams that are no longer contending for postseason play. As the 2009 season winds down for Nationals fans, there still remains the opportunity to see the ballclub at home for the final time against the likes of the ... Read More
Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz are the youngest players on the Orioles. Matusz is 22, and Tillman is 21. But despite their youth and inexperience, their passion reminds me of what baseball is all about: Having fun while playing the game and enjoying the moment. ... Read More
It's not as if everyone watching O's games lately hasn't noticed how much this club is in desperate need of a power hitter. It's impossible to compete in the AL East without one---and even one might not be enough, especially when teams like the Yankees have anywhere from four to ... Read More
A friend of mine, St. Louis Cardinals TV director Tom Mee, is finishing a book on televised baseball; and after he asked me to write a liner note for his cover, it got me to thinking about our MASN Nationals crew and what great work they do! The men ... Read More
Orr Catching on... Pete Orr will be adding to his versatility after the season when he joins the Nationals' Florida Instructional League team in Viera. The infielder/outfielder will be working on becoming a catcher, too. He spent some time with Nats bench coach and former big league catcher Pat ... Read More
As the Orioles' season winds down, manager Dave Trembley sat with MASN's Carolyn Wiedel for one of his last video blogs from the O's dugout this season. Watch this week's entry to get the skipper's assessment of Jim Johnson as the O's closer, Trembley's vote for Most Valuable Oriole ... Read More
With fall weather starting to settle in on Baltimore, Brian Roberts took his usual perch atop the Orioles' dugout for his latest MASNsports.com Video Blog. Brian talked about preparing for the final roadtrip of the season and took a look back at what the O's have accomplished over the ... Read More
The countdown continues to the end of the 2009 baseball season. With 19 games still on the books, the Nationals can certainly do some damage and either spoil or put on the back burner, post-season plans for the Phillies, Mets, Dodgers and Braves. ... Read More
With plenty of extra fan questions coming in via email and Twitter for Nats interim manager Jim Riggleman, Washington's skipper answered a handful of them from his hotel on the road before heading to the ballpark for another day of Nats baseball. Find out what Jim Riggleman likes to ... Read More
Through the clouds and raindrops of South Florida over the weekend, there were a few peeks of sunshine that suggested to me that better days are ahead for the Nationals. Battling their way to a 2-1 series win over the division and Wild Card contending Marlins got the Nats ... Read More
Okay, so maybe the O's will not add much excitement to the end of this season. But--the excitement may be in the fact that they have opened some eyes into the future, and at least we can see some light at the end of this tunnel. ... Read More
With MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko in New York the same weekend as the Orioles, Roch sat down with the O's skipper for a unique edition of Dave Trembley's video journal from the visiting clubhouse in Bronx. Roch and Dave discussed the opening at first base and how things stand with ... Read More
The weather matches the mood here in NY. On the eighth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, there is a somber mood across the city. There are subtle reminders all over Manhattan of how terrible that day was. ... Read More
What is it like to be a player in the dugout for the team that hits a walk off home run to win the game? Just ask Nats pitcher Garrett Mock who was a witness to Ryan Zimmerman's walk off HR against the Marlins a couple weeks ago: ... Read More
As the season winds down, try and stay positive and build for tomorrow. I know it sounds cliche, and maybe it is; but it's how we deal with failure and stay grounded in this game. ... Read More
From the road during a short two-game series in Boston, Brian Roberts checked in for his latest video blog on MASNsports.com. With so many good questions from fans on his entry from last week, Brian gave his usual update on the O's before answering a few extra questions from ... Read More
With the final weeks of the season winding down and with numerous call-ups joining the big club, many ballclubs with no shot at postseason play just go through the motions. I don't believe this is the case with the Nats. ... Read More
For this week's blog entry, Dunn sat down with Nationals beat writer Pete McElroy to discuss goals the team hopes to accomplish during the last few weeks of the season and how the young call-ups have blended with the ballclub. Also get Adam's take on reaching the 100-walk plateau ... Read More
I guess you can go with "Expect the Unexpected." This has been a crazy summer for the Johnson family. Of course, most of you know my oldest son, Steve, was with the Dodgers organization. He had a goal to get to AA this season--he just had no idea that ... Read More
Koji Uehara is in Boston with the team, but he will not be available to pitch tonight. After Uehara's last bullpen session in Sarasota, he told Orioles Minor League Medical Coordinator Dave Walker, he was not ready to pitch yet in a big league game. He threw 40 pitches ... Read More
As the Nationals finish up a six-game homestand before setting out on a nine-game road trip, Jim Riggleman checked in with Nationals beat writer Pete McElroy to talk Nats baseball and answer a few questions from fans of NatsTown. Read this week's Q&A blog with interim manager Jim Riggleman ... Read More
Labor Day has always been the last pause before the end of the baseball season--the final post before that finish line, which comes late this year on October 4. In the days before divisional play, pre-1969, if your team was within five games of first place on Labor Day, ... Read More
For this week's "Getting it Dunn" blog, Adam answered your questions ranging from those about Little League ball to questions about why he chose his walk-up song for when he steps into the batter's box. Don't forget to submit your questions for Adam using the comment box below, and ... Read More
What happens if Chris Tillman has a breakthrough performance tonight or his next start? What if he pitches seven innings plus with ease? We saw Brian Matusz do it last Sunday, and it makes you wonder. Will the Orioles still shut down their two young arms early if they ... Read More
Tough break for Adam Jones. As it's been reported on MASNsports.com that his sprained ankle could be a season-ending injury. Coming into September his focus was on finishing strong - now he has to deal with the reality that he won't have the chance. ... Read More
Nearing the back end of a 10-game homestand, Brian Roberts checked in with fans for another weekly video blog from the top of the O's dugout at Camden Yards. As the Orioles gear up for what seems like an entire month of games against AL East opponents and as ... Read More
I had a chance to sit down and catch up with Scott Hopgood, the high school baseball coach of Stephen Strasburg, to talk about when he first met Strasburg and what he has become today. Hopgood discussed what he saw from Strasburg initially, what pitches needed improvement, and how ... Read More
Smack-dab in the middle of a 10-game homestand, Dave Trembley sat down with Roch Kubatko for his latest Video Journal. The O's skipper had been planning to use a six-man rotation down the stretch, but with Brad Bergesen's absence and Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman needing to be shut ... Read More
Nats hitting coach Rick Eckstein and his brother, Padres second baseman David Eckstein are two of the hardest working men in baseball. The two grew up in Sanford, Florida, just outside of Orlando. They are the two youngest of five Eckstein kids. When they were younger, David would always ... Read More
I have to give Mike Rizzo credit for catching us all off guard last week with the signing of Livan Hernandez. "Levo" was on the mound the next day at Wrigley Field and gave a typically sound performance: 6 innings, 2 runs on 5 hits, 6 strikeouts and 2 ... Read More
With Ronnie Belliard's trade to the Dodgers and the Nationals in a bit of a rough stretch, Nationals beat writer Pete McElroy sat down with Nats interim manager Jim Riggleman to check in on a variety of topics. Read Pete's Q&A with Riggleman to find out what fans can ... Read More
Since the Orioles' youth movement began back in May, we've heard how hard the young players are working to improve. We've heard about Felix Pie working endlessly with hitting coach Terry Crowley in the batting cages. We've listened to the accounts of the great bullpen sessions Brian Matusz has ... Read More
This past Friday was a very special day for our family. It was the final day of Chemotherapy for one of my grandsons, Jack Rolle. The last thing any 10-year-old kid wants is to have his entire summer wiped out by illness from a malignant tumor on his Pituitary ... Read More
Since things aren't going so well for the O's right now, I thought we might take a step back to an era that a lot of you will happily remember. Yes, there was a time when Baltimore was one of the most feared organizations in baseball. I became an ... Read More
Baseball is a game of numbers. Most are obvious - 4 balls for a walk, 3 strikes for a strikeout, 3 outs in an inning, 9 innings in a game. But for some major league teams, a significant number can be more subtle. And for the 2009 Orioles their ... Read More
The Orioles are going to have to figure out how to win some of these close games. I'm a bit worried the young players are missing out on the opportunity to learn how to win. It's easier said than done, but they have to learn the value of finding ... Read More
MASNsports.com's Nationals beat writer Pete McElroy caught up with Adam Dunn while the Nats were on the road this week to check in with the Washington slugger on the latest with the team, as well as Dunn's family. Check out this week's Q&A with Adam Dunn to hear his ... Read More
After returning to Baltimore after what felt like a long road trip, Brian admitted it was good to be home. It's the time of year when ballplayers start to battle physical and mental fatigue, but it's also a time when reinforcements are just around the corner with rosters expanding ... Read More
At home with the Orioles for a 10-game homestand, Dave Trembley sat down in the O's dugout with Roch Kubatko to discuss the approaching topic of the moment, the roster expansions coming up in September. Watch Dave Trembley's latest video journal to find out when the skipper sees the ... Read More
Welcome to DC Livan Hernandez! Livan - who threw the first ever pitch for the Nationals when the club moved to Washington and played their initial game of the 2005 season, April 4th at Philly - is back with the ballclub. ... Read More
Chicago, My Kind of Town! Baseball at Wrigley Field is such a treat. It's a throwback to the good old days of baseball. Fans in Chicago are very educated and passionate. With that said, half of the folks are soaking in the atmosphere with one eye on the ballgame. ... Read More
As Jim Riggleman sets out on a tour of his former stomping grounds - this time as interim manager for the Nats - he sat down with Nationals beat writer Pete McElroy to discuss the state of the Nats. Read Pete's Q&A with Riggleman to find out the skipper's ... Read More
A homestand of one win and six losses isn't usually something to remember, but this last week at Nationals Park was memorable and might have implications for our ballclub for years to come. Before the Nationals even played a game on the stand, Stephen Strasburg was signed and immediately ... Read More
It's definitely personal. It's definitely going to be a battle. But who will get the victory in tonight's Monday Night Game? I'm not talking about the score at the end of the game, because we all know that preseason games are hard to read, but who will win the ... Read More
Before Friday's game against the White Sox in Chicago Dave Trembley confirmed the Orioles still plan to see Brad Bergesen pitch again in the big leagues before the end of the season. ... Read More
One thing that has bothered me since I retired after the 1996 season is the way pro baseball pitchers have been handled--or should I say mishandled. Not many people will ever be blessed with the skills necessary to pitch at the Major League level. When the Washington Nationals drafted ... Read More
