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2016 could be all about the Orioles and Nationals rivalry
Wednesday’s Say Hey, Baseball includes the latest in the O’s vs. Nats, Mike Trout dunking and an introduction to a longtime baseballer.
Greg Fiume/Getty Images
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The Nationals and Orioles have a real rivalry, but it’s one that has mostly played out off of the field. The Nats are in the NL, the O’s in the AL, and while interleague allows them the occasional opportunity to tussle, most of their clashes have come through the media or in the courtroom. The two began feuding from the moment the Nationals moved on from Montreal and their Expos’ moniker to D.C. and into Birdland, and that dispute over television rights fees lives on today over a decade later.
The latest point of contention might be O’s general manager Dan Duquette, who reportedly is a target of the Nationals for their team presidency. The Blue Jays tried to pry Duquette away from Baltimore previously, and even though rumors were that Duquette wanted the promotion, the organization wouldn’t let him leave. Watching the two sides attempt to negotiate compensation for a GM while the MASN argument is active could be high-quality entertainment for everyone outside the mid-Atlantic.
If off-the-field isn’t your thing, though, there could be plenty going on, well, on-the-field. The Orioles are 7-0 after taking down the Red Sox on Tuesday night, while the Nationals sit at 5-1, similarly atop their Eastern division. The Nats were favorites in 2015 before a slow, injury-filled season by players not named Bryce Harper kept them out of the postseason, and the Orioles might just have the lineup to keep them in the playoff race all season -- we could be seeing an early preview of 2016 play out in these first weeks of the season. If the rest of MLB’s fans are to care about this lengthy O’s-Nats rivalry, both teams playing exceptionally will help that along.
- Mike Trout can dunk and there is visual evidence.
- Nori Aoki wants everyone to have free cotton candy if this foul ball is any indication.
- Don’t sleep on that 7-0 start by the Orioles, by the way. History shows that they are already in a good position by kicking things off this way.
- Jeremy Hazelbaker was a Red Sox prospect of little notoriety earlier this decade. Now he’s 28 years old and crushing it for the Cardinals because injuries opened up a spot for him.
- Speaking of injuries, here is Michael Baumann to crush your spirits.
- The Cubs have a spiffy new clubhouse, and you can take a visual tour through it thanks to all these photos.
- Mike Bates is wondering why the Nationals would be interested in Dan Duquette at all, given how the O’s tend to operate. Don’t you hope it’s just for the sake of aggravating Peter Angelos?
- Tuesday was the Dodgers’ home opener, which means it was also the final home opener for the retiring Vin Scully.
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SB Nation Presents: All that’s happened with the Dodgers during Vin Scully’s tenure
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