A series of rough results, the Oswalt dream is dead...buck up, Chatters.

Wieters Ejected - One of the few highlights from a disappointing loss.

School of Roch: Now the concern shifts to Markakis Can you deal with Lew Ford?

Shorebirds shutout by Crawdads | The Daily Times | The good folks in Salisbury provide us with the news we crave on Brian Roberts' rehab assignment.

Bad news for you if you want to watch the Nats or Orioles in North Carolina | HardballTalk
Cable companies won't be forced to add MASN, and yet MLB will continue to black-out O's and Nats' games from Extra Innings if you live in North Carolina. Makes perfect sense, right? -duck

Adam Jones free to focus on being face of Baltimore Orioles franchise, inner-city inspiration - MLB News | FOX Sports on MSN Sort of a fluff piece, but makes the Jones extension sound consistent with recent extensions doled out by the Angelos family.

On this day in 1935, Babe Ruth made his last major league appearance. In 1982, Cal Ripken began his consecutive game streak.

It's the birthday of Mike Oquist.

In one of the worst kept secrets in the league, yesterday morning the Orioles officially announced that they had signed Adam Jones to the richest contract in team history. Local and national analysts have some opinions on the six year $85 million deal:

Dave Cameron, Fangraphs: "For the Orioles, getting Jones at this price is a slam dunk. Given what he’s already accomplished in the first several months of the season, Jones was going to get a significant raise in arbitration from the $6 million he’s making this year, likely putting him in line for a $10 or $11 million salary in 2013. Given that the Orioles clearly weren’t going to non-tender Jones under any scenario, we can essentially assume that part of the deal was already predetermined to a large extent, so the Orioles are essentially adding five years and $75 million or so onto their existing commitment."

Jon Shepherd, Camden Depot: "Simply put, I think the Orioles are going to get even value for Jones, maybe a little more..."

Daniel Moroz, Camden Crazies: "There's going to be the usual risks associated with all long-term deals, but I think the Orioles did a nice job locking in a decent floor with some real upside; let's say Jones regresses and ends this year at only 5.5 wins, and declines by a half-win starting next year - that's around $30 in excess value the O's would be getting."

R.J. Anderson, Baseball Prospectus: "Dan Duquette didn’t let the market dictate his price. And, if he read Jones’ improvements and the market correctly, he might have saved some money by acting now rather than later."

Keith Law, ESPN: "Looks like buying high..."

Most commentary on the deal seems, on balance, positive. Law is not totally negative, though he had posted a tweet on Friday showing an Adam Jones slash line from that date in 2009 and it was, in fact, eerily similar to 2012. The deal contains escalators that could bump up the value to $91.5 million and contains no trade protection.

Good morning, my fellow Chatters. Take a moment today to remember your countryman that have died in service to this country. There is a national moment of remembrance at 3:00 PM which won't interfere with your viewing of Orioles baseball, because the Orioles will be playing a night game in Canada. Not to get all George Will on you guys here, but is it too much to ask for an entire slate of day games on a national holiday? Maybe it is, but I find it irksome nonetheless.

Steve Melewski: Pomeranz talks about his injury Poor Stu. Come back soon, hear?

Astros Sign Brian Bass: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com The Bassman returneth!

Happy birthday Daniel Cabrera!

Happy Friday, folks. The Orioles host the unlikely road warrior Royals this weekend. How about you? Grilling plans? Beach plans? Favorite World War II movie?

Tides settle for one-hitter after no-hit bid foiled in ninth | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com Milacki! Williamson! Flanagan! Olson!

School of Roch: Duquette on Romero and rumors (Roberts update) So, this makes more sense with the Zach Phillips injury...which I really don't like the sound of.

The Atlantic League plays host to Armando Benitez and Joey Gathright transactions | HardballTalk Armandogeddinit!

Showalter: ‘You’ve created a semi-monster here. And the feeling should be, bring it on’ " Britt's Bird Watch You should read Britt's piece on Buck Showalter at orioles.com, but this is a fine companion.

Xavier Avery Has Impressed So Far For The Orioles | May Daniel buys in.

Orioles Buzz: Heath Bintliff: MacPhail's trades shaped this winner How much have MacPhail's trades been worth?

On this day in 1964, the National Brewing Co. purchased 64,000 shares in the Orioles, ushering in the Jerry Hoffberger era.

It's the birthday of Fernando Lunar. It's also the birthday of Bill Haselman, who ignited one of the most epic brawls in Orioles history after being hit by a Mike Mussina pitch in 1993.

Droppings for an off day.

Brian Roberts draws two walks in minor league rehab debut | HardballTalk-Brian Roberts: no longer just a team mascot!

Brian Matusz And A Slow Resurgence - Baseball Nation-Brian Matusz: now with 50% less suck!

Steve Melewski: Kendall on plan for Roberts at Bowie and other notes Other news on the O's minors.

FanGraphs Chat – 5/23/12 | FanGraphs Baseball Lots of O's comments.

Orioles' success could revitalize city of Baltimore, Jon Miller says | The Republic We miss you, Jon Miller.

BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Prospect Pulse: Has Limiting Innings Now Gone Too Far? The debate rages on.

A day for odd finishes in Orioles history. 1962, the Orioles lost to the Tigers in the 11th on a passed ball by Charlie Lau with Hoyt Wilhelm on the mound; in 1964, Harmon Killebrew hit the longest home run in Memorial Stadium history, a 471 foot balst and in 1969, the Yankees beat the Orioles 2-0 on a Mickey Mantle home run that popped out of Frank Robinson's glove over the fence.

A lot of news today and why not? Our friends in the press seem to be falling all over themselves to bask in the embracing glow of your first place Baltimore Orioles.

(Don't forget guys, 12:35 start today!)

Orioles 2B Roberts to begin minor league rehab assignment Wednesday - The Washington Post Kind of amazing. We'll see what happens. Video of Roberts gaggle here.

Zach Britton could be back with the Orioles next week | HardballTalk Prepare for yet another round of roster roulette.

Chronicling Nolan Reimold's Injury-Plagued Orioles Career | Baltimore Sports Report The news about Nolan Reimold is not so positive. Zach at BSR advises we don't hold our breath waiting for Reimold's return.

PressBox: The Most Valuable Oriole ... So Far No point-counterpoint here. The guys at Press Box are ALL about Adam Jones.

2012 MLB: Baltimore Orioles Are Lucky To Have AL's Best Record - The Daily Fix - WSJ Ooooo, that water's cold!

Troubled Yankees Join Troubled Red Sox In Last Place - Baseball Nation ...and Rob Neyer?

Major League Baseball 2K's Cancellation Looms on Grim News from Game's Creators Wait...do people here like video games?

The Detroit Tigers' Heather Nabozny and the Baltimore Orioles Nicole Sherry lead groundskeeping crews - espnW
In case you weren't aware, Orioles groundskeeper Nicole Sherry is kind of a bad ass.

On this day in 1963, Robin Roberts two hit the Washington Senators...he no hit Senators not named Eddie Brinkman.

Happy Birthday to Buck Showalter! It's also the birthday of Mike Gonzalez.

My dear Chatters, I am here to tell you that reports of Chris Tillman's demise have been greatly exaggerated!

Okay, that in itself was a great exaggeration, but it's interesting to dig a little deeper into Tillman's numbers at Norfolk this year as collective frustration with Tommy Hunter and Dana Eveland mounts. I''ve limited my inquiry strictly to Tillman's past and current AAA performances.

Tillman has made 7 starts for Norfolk this season and has averaged a tick under 6 innings per outing. No great shakes, for sure, but it's not all doom and gloom. Tillman is posting his best K/9 since 2009 (2012: 8.49, 2009: 9.22). His BB/9 is a concern at 4.14, which while improving on last year's 4.44, is inflated by nearly two walks over his BB/9 as a 21 year old, a mere 2.42. In 2011, Tillman allowed an average of two home runs per nine innings.This year, however, Tillman's HR/9 seems to have fallen back in line with his career numbers at Norfolk (2012: .65; 2010: .74; 2009: .47).

Continue reading this post »

A new day, a new week and the O's head home to face the surging Red Sox.

For Orioles, two out of three not bad - Carroll County Times: Orioles The view from the Carroll County bureau.

School of Roch: A little Chen music Expo takes some responsibility for Chen's rough day in DC.

Orioles lead parade of baseball's early-season surprises – USATODAY.com One of two "surprising start" columns today. Jon Paul Morosi also swears allegiance to the almighty O.

10 Degrees: Examining Some Dubious Starts Like Dave Cameron before him, Jeff Passan thinks Adam Jones is for real...the Orioles start? Ehhh...

Orioles' top pitching prospect taking things a step at a time - herald-mail.com Your weekly love letter to Dylan Bundy.

Josh Reddick, And Having Patience With Prospects - Baseball Nation I don't know that this is necessarily a counterpoint to the articles about overvaluing prospects, but there is definitely an art to properly assessing what exactly you've got.

On this day in 1962, the Orioles signed Yankees castoff and future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts. Roberts never threw a pitch for the Yankees, but the 35 year old would go on to win 42 games over the next 4 seasons and pitch nearly 800 innings for the Orioles...and is there any question some mentoring occurred?

It is the birthday of our dear leader, Matt Wieters.

It's Friday, the Orioles are in first place and it is the 75th birthday of Brooks Robinson. A celebration's in order!

Outrighted To Triple-A: Brad Bergesen: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com Damn you, Billy Butler!

Yankees acquire infielder Matt Antonelli off waivers from Baltimore Orioles - The Washington Post The O's bid adieu to the former top prospect and noted raconteur.

Orioles Hot Start No Fluke This Time - Forbes What do you think? Are we averaging about two of this type of article a week right now?

The Freakish Parity Of The American League East - Baseball Nation This really is pretty crazy when you look at it.

Camden Depot: Orioles 2005 and 2012 seasons: Apple and Oranges? (Pt I) Sort of a companion piece to Daniel's article at Camden Crazies the other day, but not really.

A Trade the Orioles Should Make | Fanspeak Baltimore Orioles Should they? Have your say!

Wei-Yin Chen’s Surprising Fastball | FanGraphs Baseball Chen! Chen! Chen! Chen!

On this day in 1990, the Orioles tied the record for consecutive singles (with eight) in a 13-1 rout of the Rangers. On a day in 2011 where 5 games ended as shutouts and 4 went to extra innings, Mike Gonzalez is ejected from an Orioles-Yankees game in the top 15th inning after hitting Chris Dickerson in the head. The ejection forces Buck Showalter to replace Gonzalez with Jeremy Guthrie.

In addition to Brooks Robinson, it is also the birthday of Luis Terrero and candy bar magnate Reggie Jackson.

The Orioles finish off "the Gauntlet" 9-6. Good stuff. On to Kansas City and then Washington for a battle of some of the most hyped prospects of the last decade.

School of Roch: Getting a charge out of the Orioles' battery Chen! Chen! Chen! Chen!

Steve Melewski: Checking in on a busy day of O's minor league transactions I really think Duquette's got a large device in his office like the George Michael Sports Machine with large "DL", "Option" and "Waive" buttons

Orioles await MLB decision on Nationals' request for rights fees increase from MASN - baltimoresun.com Angelos v. Lerner: Battle of the Beltway.

Luis Ayala, Jim Johnson, Matt Wieters, and the surprising Baltimore Orioles - Grantland This piece generated some heat in the post game thread, so I am re-posting.

Peter Schmuck: Orioles' priority should be keeping Jones and Wieters - opinion - Modbee.com The Schmucker bangs the drum...slowly.

Portland’s versatile Ryan Flaherty realizing a dream by playing for Baltimore Orioles — Bangor Daily News Know your rookie!

PressBox: Ghiroli's Tweets Augment Orioles' Victorious Tunes Know your beat writer!

Sounds like someone put Icy-Hot in Stephen Strasburg’s jock | HardballTalk Flash forward: Jim Palmer's keys to the game...

On this day in 1954, Don Larsen salvaged a split against the Yankees in a doubleheader drawing a record 46,796 to Memorial Stadium. In 1965, Jim Palmer picked up his first win keyed by his own home run off of Jim Bouton; Palmer was released by the Orioles exactly 19 years later. In a 1999 rout of the Rangers, Mike Bordick has 4 hits and Albert Belle hits two home runs; no starter has less than two hits. In 2000, while serving as coaches for the Dodgers, Rick Dempsey and John Shelby become involved in a melee with Cubs fans after one takes Chad Kreuter's batting helmet and hits him in the back of the head.

It's the birthday of Ivanon Coffie and Nick Bierbrodt.

What an odd, unexpected week of Orioles baseball. Orioles clinched a winning record during "the gauntlet" and now just have two left against the Yankees in that 15 game stretch. They finish the week with the Royals and in DC against the Nats.

Arrieta: ‘I think I need to relax a little bit’ " Britt's Bird Watch Oh, indeed.

Kevin Millwood notches 2,000th strikeout in beating Yankees | HardballTalk - Yankees: mentored. I can't decide whether this bodes well or augurs ill.

Orioles’ success a real throwback - BostonHerald.com The last time the Red Sox were in last place this late in the season was 1997.

Orioles' Frank Robinson is No. 4 on The Baltimore Sun's list of Top 175 Maryland athletes - herald-mail.com

BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Prospect Hot Sheet: Prospect Hot Sheet: May 11 Avery at #5!

Cooperstown Confidential: The sad saga of Oil Can Boyd This is sort of old news at this point, but I just heard an interview with Oil Can Boyd on the radio and find this an interesting look back into 80s baseball.

Three-Pitch Strikeout Rate Leaders & Trailers - Beyond the Box Score Somehow, a piece on strikeouts that does not involve Mark Reynolds.

It's the birthday of Dennis "El Presidente" Martinez, Rod Delmonico and Tyler Townsend.

Happy Friday. A little more than halfway through the gauntlet and the Orioles have maintained a winning record. Predictions for the Rays series?

Five years later, the Orioles' Matt Wieters ranks among baseball's best catchers - ESPN
"Baltimore's 25-year-old backstop is living up to the hype that was thrust upon him as the No. 5 overall draft pick in 2007."

Mike Newman Prospects Chat – 5/10/12 | FanGraphs Baseball Lots of birdly goodness. Worth a read all the way through.

Blue Jays Sign Vladimir Guerrero: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com Double A ups the ante after O's Tejada signing.

Red Sox release John Maine from minor-league deal | HardballTalk Remember the Maine?

MASN News & Information: Orioles introduce "Birdland Passport" program "The Orioles today unveiled the Birdland Passport program, which will reward fans who visit Oriole Park at Camden Yards and the Orioles' local minor league affiliates."

Five reasons Oriole Park at Camden Yards should be packed | Baltimore Sports Report

Camden Depot: 2012 Draft Coverage: Weekly pref list, May 9, 2012 More draft stuff from Nick. If we're just grading guys on names, Byron Buxton's an easy top 5.

On this day in 1897, the Orioles beat the Senators 6-3 despite eight runners getting thrown out on steal attempts; on this day in 2003, Rafael Palmeiro hit his 500th home run (though it was as a Ranger).

It's the birthday of Trenidad Hubbard (part of the bounty from the B.J. Surhoff trade) and Kerry Ligtenberg.

Being stuck on the business end of two good, old fashioned beatdowns is decidedly un-Birdland, and yet...

Yeah, I kind of trailed off there. Clippings?

Suddenly, Orioles rotation is in crisis - baltimoresun.com Is the rotation reverting to true form, does it not match up with Texas very well or is Texas just too darn good?

Steve Melewski: Nolan Reimold updates his status Dear Nolan, Having fun. Wish you were here.

Bundy Named Orioles Minor League Pitcher of Month - WBOC-TV 16, Delmarvas News Leader, FOX 21 - A little bit of the good stuff after the bitter medicine of two nasty defeats.

Orioles Sign Miguel Tejada: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com Oh, it's not a rumor.

Nationals sign reliever Mike Gonzalez to help bullpen depth - Nationals Journal - The Washington Post See you soon, Mikey.

BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: International Affairs: Outlining New International Rules For 2012-13 Another update. Ben Badler is kind of the king of this stuff.

May 9 is a day of homeriffic landmarks. In 1961, Jim Gentile hit two grand slams and tacked on another RBI for good measure as the Orioles won 13-5; in 1962, Brooks Robinson hit a grand slam in his second consecutive game and in 1987, Eddie Murray homered from both sides of the plate in his second straight game, the first time the feat was achieved in major league history.

It's the birthday of Ron Jackson.

What a weekend for the Orioles. What a day for baseball. If you haven't been pummeled into a catatonic state by the pure, unadulterated baseball fury of the past few days, then I applaud your fortitude. I still can't believe yesterday's game happened.

The winning pitcher " Britt's Bird Watch More notes on yesterday's insanity.

School of Roch: Pomeranz expected to get the call (updated) Disco Stu doesn't advertise!

Orioles fans unhappy as WJZ cuts over to '60 Minutes' - baltimoresun.com Oh, WJZ...how could you?

Team of destiny? Orioles have magic look - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN Invocation of the d-word. Come on, guys.

Changing of the AL East? Orioles out front for now | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com More irrational exuberance from the msm.

Top Five: Orioles starts gone horribly wrong | Washington Examiner Buzzkill or dose of reality?

There's no hitting Orioles prospect - Sports Washington Greene PA - www.observer-reporter.com Another day, another piece in praise of Dylan Bundy.

I'm dusting off a boxscore today from 2007. On this day in that year, the Orioles lost to the Indians 10-1. It's a great demonstration as to why I appreciate the heck out of this year's bullpen, especially after yesterday. In this game, Steve Trachsel went 6 innings and allowed one run and seven baserunners. Chad Bradford and John Parrish would then allow four runs in the 7th inning with Jamie Walker allowing four in the 8th. Ugly.

It's the birthday of Brook Fordyce and minor league lifer and heir to the Walter Young-Calvin Pickering fortune, Luis Antonio Jimenez.

Reminder! Today's first game is at 2:10, so be sure to get your picks in for Pick 6 by then.

Prognostications for this weekend's three game set at Camden North?

School of Roch: Pineiro debuts with Norfolk (updated) Now we can all breathe easier.

Duquette....and MacPhail to Thank for O's Start | Fanspeak Baltimore Orioles
I guess they've done a few things right.

Baltimore Orioles pass first test of daunting stretch | MLB.com: News Not to be an arrogant Orioles fan, but...

If Hammel can be like Fister, Orioles pitching revival could be real - CBSSports Is it just me, or does this article only make 3/4 of a point?

Fluke Watch: Jason Hammel Here's some analysis for you.

Orioles Buzz: Matthew Taylor: A closer look at some historical tidbits "I love the historical tidbits that regularly work their way into baseball game stories."

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera's future in doubt after tearing ACL | MLB.com: News Is this the end for zombie Mariano Rivera?

It's the birthday of Joe Borowski (not to be confused with Dave Borkowski).

On this day in 1992, Storm Davis began a rough stretch in his second tour of duty with the O's. Davis would allow seven baserunners in 2.2 innings and pick up the loss against the Rangers. Despite chasing Nolan Ryan early after a home run from Cal RIpken, Jr. and a triple from Big Sam Horn, the offense only would muster three runs. Rangers 5, Orioles 3.

You've got to crawl before you learn how to walk and so the Orioles have finally won a game against the Yankees this season, which was also Buck Showalter's 1,000th managerial win, the first win in 14 starts for Brian Matusz and included the first hit for Nick Johnson in 30 at bats.

Steve Melewski: Finally back in the win column: Matusz pitches Orioles past New York This guy...always with the running tallies.

School of Roch: Nick Johnson: "It's been tough, but you've got to keep working" Here's hoping Nick Johnson's put this unpleasantness behind him.

Baltimore Orioles' Nolan Reimold out with bulging disk in back - ESPN Get well, Moldy!

Fans Rushing The Field Becomes Growing Concern At Camden Yards " CBS Baltimore 48 ejections on Friday? Good grief.

Dylan Bundy: Orioles prospect seems like a logical target for our never-ending desire to hype | Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports Dylan Bundy is the anti-Harper...or is Harper the anti-Bundy?

Camden Depot: What Effect Moving the Fences at Camden Yards Would Have?

On this day in 1939, Lou Gehrig sat for the first time in 2,130 games; in 1959, Frank Robinson hit for the cycle and in 2010, despite the worst record in baseball, the Orioles completed a three game sweep of the Red Sox.

It's the birthday of Keith Moreland.

Note from Stacey: We had a very successful first day of Pick 6, with 74 entrants! Check out the leaderboard here. The first game today is at 12:37 (weird Canadians) so make sure to get your picks in before then. Here is the top five from yesterday. Congrats to t.shug, and look who's slightly better than Dave!

1. t.shug 63.3
2. Oriolesfan9229 63.2
3. Twisted Wrister 54.4
4. Stacey 50.1
5. daveh873 49.4

For those of you that are superstitious, I regret to inform you that the national press has taken notice of the recent run of good form as the Orioles embark on their toughest challenge yet in this young season. Buck Showalter goes for his 1,000th win as a major league manager tonight and I'm sure getting it against the Yankees would be a satisfying result...for him and us.

Weekly preview: Are Orioles for real? - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN A little love from ESPN? Bizarre.

The Juice: Orioles’ Wilson Betemit walks it off, Bryce Harper makes a great catch | Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports Shock, awe, and Wilson Betemit.

George Sherrill scheduled for Tommy John elbow surgery | HardballTalk Rough week for former Orioles pitchers.

Vlad Guerrero Will Work Out For Diamondbacks: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com The Diamondbacks are starving for ill-timed, slap singles!

Orioles' No. 2 pick doesn't feel the heat | The Daily Times | delmarvanow.com A nice little profile of Jason Esposito.

On this day in 1967, Montgomery Blair grad and Takoma Park native Steve Barber combined on a no hitter as the Orioles lost to the Tigers 2-1. Barber walked 10 batters.

It's the birthday of Ernie Tyler, Ray Miller and Jeff Reboulet.

Sweeps are Birdland. Good vibes headed into the weekend with Matusz looking solid, Britton on the mend...the sun is shining...It's payday...

Game 19: Orioles 5, Blue Jays 2 | April Daniel's take on last night's game.

School of Roch: This, that and the other Another thrilling edition of "The Hopper, with Roch Kubatko"

Orioles Notebook: Johnson remains hospitalized - Carroll County Times: Orioles Johnson, Wada...yeesh.

Britton to throw first bullpen Friday " Britt's Bird Watch Is the new-fangled shoulder of Zach Britton up to snuff?

AL East Notes: Orioles, Red Sox, Crawford, Yankees: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com Is Inge-y coming to town?

Dylan Bundy among quartet of pitching prospects drafted in 2011 - Eric Mack - SI.com "Phil Humber was outstanding, no, legendary, last week, retiring 27 consecutive batters. He ain't no Dylan Bundy, though."

This has historically been a big day for no hitters. While Tom Phoebus hurled one for the O's on this day in 1968, both Scott Erickson and Kevin Millwood tossed no hitters in their pre-Orioles careers on this day in 1994 and 2003 respectively. Phoebus helped himself with two of his own hits, while Davey Johnson went 3 for 4 with a double and two runs driven in. More about the Phoebus No-No.

Today is Joey Gathright's birthday. Jump a car in celebration!

Another dominant performance by Dylan Bundy, another home run from the bat of Matt Wieters, another gritty battle from Tommy Hunter and...STROP! Oh, April. I will be making no Wada puns today.

School of Roch: Orioles will recall Berken We knew it was a matter of time.

Steve Melewski: Dylan Bundy talks about tonight's strong outing for Delmarva...and the beatings continue.

Camden Depot: Is Dylan Bundy Being Mishandled? Shepherd takes a look at Bundy's peers.

Pitcher Dontrelle Willis is filing a grievance against Baltimore Orioles - ESPN This is getting kind of stupid, no?

PressBox: Biggest Surprises Of The Orioles Season So Far Another thrilling edition of point-counterpoint with Matt Palmer and Stan the Fan!

On this day in 2002, the O's were two hit by Pedro Martinez and Sunny Kim. Batting second, Gary Matthews, Jr. struck out not once, not twice, but thrice. Brook Fordyce got a single and was hit by a pitch. The O's struck out 13 times overall and ended the day 8-13.

Happy Birthday Robert Andino!

However brief, I'm all for the good vibes of an off day following a win.

Showalter believes O's will improve their D | orioles.com: News
...but Buck also believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

Steve Melewski: Dontrelle Willis moved to the restricted list at Triple-A It would appear that the DTrain relief experiment is not going so well.

Camden Depot: What does April's Pennant Mean? Don't book those playoff tickets just yet.

Performances in April Mean Little When Forecasting Success - Beyond the Box Score A popular topic this weekend!

Mad Men reactions? Capitals gripes? It's an off day, guys. Work with me.

Victory in Toronto, victory in Chicago...I won't get too used to this, but on to Anaheim!

Sources: Baltimore Orioles and Washington National's TV rights fees to be decided by panel of baseball officials - MLB News | FOX Sports on MSN Rich people problems.

G-Braves complete sweep of Norfolk in 7-1 win | AccessNorthGa Wada mess.

Kid Runs Onto Field During White Sox Game (Video) | SportsGrid At least no one got hurt. This IS Chicago, after all.

Johnson wiser, coming into his own " Britt's Bird Watch Johnson's got to be one of the best recent vintage O's relievers, yeah?

Baseball Free Agency Dies of Neglect -- Matt Cain, Joey Votto, Andrew McCutchen, Matt Kemp Opt for Long-Term Deals - WSJ.com This is a hot topic lately.

On this day in 1988, the Orioles lost their 14th straight game to open a season, breaking a major league record; in 2006, Nick Johnson hit two home run in a Nats win, the 1,000 career managerial win for Frank Robinson.

Ah, April. Enjoying this ride?

School of Roch: Orioles help Chen celebrate his first major league win Moldy! Chen! Shaving cream!

Is Matt Wieters The Best Catcher In Baseball? | April Is this a rhetorical question?!

Glenn Younes: Orioles Are Calling " CBS Baltimore "11 games I know, but it's what we've got to go by and it's been a nice 11 games. That's all I'm saying."

Steve Melewski: Another excellent outing tonight for Dylan Bundy (update, O's beat Chicago) Mekewski adds a tiny shred of insight into the Bundy Plan.

Bundy, Howard Neutralize Suns in 6-2 Win - WBOC-TV 16, Delmarvas News Leader, FOX 21 Another perspective.

At 49, Jamie Moyer becomes oldest to win a game | HardballTalk Neat!

It's the birthday of Rich Bordi and Pete Stanicek.

A fella once said that two out of three ain't bad, but I'm guessing that fella never had to worry about acquiring the taste for Kevin Gregg's pitching.

Matusz: flat-out didn’t get the job done " Britt's Bird Watch I really do feel for Matusz. He's definitely taking ownership of his failings and seems miles ahead of where he was last year, but the results haven't seemed to match the effort thus far.

The Orioles can’t take much more Kevin Gregg | HardballTalk I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMOOOOOOOOORE!

LOCAL ROUNDUP: Shorebirds crush Greensboro in series finale | The Daily Times | delmarvanow.com The Shorebirds tore up the opposition in an assault powered by blog favorites Gabriel Lino and Sammie Starr. Jason Esposito featured prominently, as well.

Omar Infante activates Marlins sculpture for first time, home run ball ends up with lingerie model | Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports Look at it! Looooooook!

On this day in 1999, the great Kaoru Betto passed.

Victory in the North!

Reynolds DH's and will take grounders at first for Orioles - Wire Lifestyle - The Sacramento Bee Buck as exited the no-spin zone and entered the O's spin zone.

Steve Melewski: Orioles pitching prospect Dan Klein will have shoulder procedure on Monday Not even Rick Peterson could save him...

BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Prospect Hot Sheet: Prospect Hot Sheet: April 13 Dylan Bundy #1, Manny at 11.\

Orioles Buzz: Matthew Taylor: Examining the legend of Dylan Bundy Are you swooning yet?n

On this day in 1990, Cal began a 95 game errorless streak.

It's the birthday of Mike Trombley, Brad Pennington, ZAUN! and Jeff Fiorentino.

It's Friday the 13th and Buck Showalter is missing a golden opportunity to tweak the rotation and start Jason Hammel. Meanwhile...

School of Roch: Remember Alfredo Simon? The Sauce had a not so memorable outing in DC.

Robert Andino seems sad to be playing for the Orioles - DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post Can a Caleb Joseph retrospective be far behind?

Banned for life: Maryland's trespass laws allow Orioles, others to keep people out - baltimoresun.com I;m sure Jim Palmer is shaking his head that I'm helping to keep this in the news, but I'll redeem myself.

Camden Depot: Will This Be the Decade of the Offensive Catcher? Could be.

Tides beat Charlotte 1-0 for first home win of year | HamptonRoads.com Alright, Chris Tillman...way to go!

On this day in 1914, the Baltimore Terrapins debuted with a 3-2 victory; in 1954, the Baltimore Orioles debuted with a 3-0 loss (not O's related. but Hank Aaron debuted, as well) and in 1966, the Orioles opened their first championship season with an 8-1 drubbing of the Red Sox that featured homers from Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson and all around great guy, Jim Palmer.

Given the last couple of days, I'm going to try and keep things light this AM, cool?

Guy in the Tebow Orioles jersey comes forward - DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post So, Time Tebow's still a thing, huh?

Baltimore Orioles | Batman Field Jumper | Opening Day | The Daily Caller Baltimore City: Soft on Crime...Vote Carcetti!

MASN posts ratings increase for Orioles' season opener - Baltimore Business Journal "MASN saw a 14 percent increase in television viewers for the Baltimore Orioles 2012 season opener compared with the first game of last year, according to Nielsen ratings"

Photos surface of MLB commissioner Bud Selig rubbing elbows with Fidel Castro | al.com Bud Selig being accused of hypocirsy? Well, now I've heard everything.

Should The Orioles Look At Brandon Allen? | April It's like deja vu all over again.

Sports Comment: Minor moves key for Orioles A popular theme early on this season.

It's the birthday of Steve Scarsone and Rick Stahl.

The Orioles start their second straight season with a sweep while the Yankees and Red Sox are both swept. Sweet.

Game 3: Orioles 3, Twins 1 | Camden Crazies "The Orioles get the sweep in impressive fashion, with the starting pitchers going a combined 22 IP, 10 H, 3 R (1 ER), 6 BB, 12 K"

Opening Day weekend thoughts | Britt's Bird Watch "The O’s have now won seven straight games against the Twins, outscoring them 39-9 during the streak, which includes a four-game sweep in Minnesota last season."

Luke Scott pulled from game due to left hamstring tightness | HardballTalk Ah, Luke Scott, Luke Scott...you're still my boy.

The Juice: Alex Avila walkoff caps Tigers sweep of Red Sox | Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports News from around the league...

Tides ready for Home Opener | Wavy.com | Norfolk, Va. Dana Eveland: Don't You Forget About Me!

Baltimore Orioles Owner Tops List of Baseball's Political Donors - chicagotribune.com "Angelos has continued to give ever since, and if he was hoping his political donations would create good karma for his team, he was wrong."

On this day in 1959, the Orioles became the first team to execute a triple play on opening day, but were thumped by the Senators anyways; in 1970, Don Buford hit home runs from both sides of the plate on the way to a career high at the time; in 1998, Cal Ripken, Jr. passed Lou Gehrig on the all time home run list.

It's the birthday of Brian Graham, Dennis Sarfate and Adam Loewen. Jerry Hoffberger died today in 1999.

Happy REAL O('s)pening Day. I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy the game today or, at a minimum, hang out and celebrate and/or commiserate with us here at Camden Chat.

Machado Homers First At Bat, Baysox Win Go Manny!

Nick Johnson dodges injuries, hopes to contribute for Orioles | The Republic Maybe if we all believe, we can create a protective bubble around Nick Johnson.

PressBox: Orioles Outlook: Who Is Most Capable Of A Breakout Year? Who, indeed.

Mascots help make baseball fun - The Washington Post Don't you know about the Bird? Everybody's heard that the Bird is the word!

Same old, same old for mediocre Orioles - BostonHerald.com Boo on these men. Enjoy the Bobby Valentine fiasco.

And now, the top 20 jerseys sold | HardballTalk What?! No O's?

On this day in 1970, Dave McNally threw a three hit shutout and the O's whupped the Brewers 10-0; in 1979, Earl Weaver won his 1,000th game as the O's beat the White Sox and of course, Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened on this day in 1992.