Arizona Fall League

Norfolk outfielder L.J. Hoes highlights the list of Orioles farmhands that have been chosen to play in the 2012 Arizona Fall League, considered the top venue for young prospects. The others are all on Bowie's roster: left-handed pitchers Chris Petrini and Mike Belfiore, right-handers Mike Wright and Clay Schrader and infielder Jonathan Schoop. All will play for the Mesa Solar Sox. Catcher Brian Ward is on Mesa's taxi squad, meaning he will be eligible to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays only.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- After playing a strong World Baseball Classic with the Netherlands, Orioles top position prospect Jonathan Schoop is slated to return to major league camp on Tuesday, where manager Buck Showalter said he intends to get a few more looks at the 21-year-old before optioning him to the minors. “I'd like to get him some at bats here to take a little look at him,” Showalter said Thursday. “We've gotten very few peeks at him.” Schoop, who tied for the Netherlands team lead with 2 homers and 6 RBIs in eight WBC games, initially started at second base for the Netherlands, then moves to third when Jurickson Profar joined the team.

NFL Former Terp Merriman's run with Chargers to end on IR The San Diego Chargers put outside linebacker Shawne Merriman , once one of the most feared players in the NFL, on the injured reserve list with a calf injury and a "minor-injury designation," meaning the former Maryland standout must be released once he's healthy. Technically, the Chargers could re-sign the controversial player. That almost certainly won't happen, though, because general manager A.J. Smith hasn't been a fan of Merriman's celebrity-leaning lifestyle.

Orioles rookie outfielder L.J. Hoes earned a taste of the big leagues this past season, but the organization's minor league player of the year faces a tough fight this spring to make the 25-man roster out of camp. The Mitchellville native was a late-inning sub in two late-September games last season - he had just one at-bat, an eighth-inning ground out to short in the Sept. 26 game against Toronto - but he was able to experience the Orioles' push to the postseason firsthand. “It was tremendous,” Hoes told reporters Tuesday during the Orioles' annual holiday party.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- After playing a strong World Baseball Classic with the Netherlands, Orioles top position prospect Jonathan Schoop is slated to return to major league camp on Tuesday, where manager Buck Showalter said he intends to get a few more looks at the 21-year-old before optioning him to the minors. “I'd like to get him some at bats here to take a little look at him,” Showalter said Thursday. “We've gotten very few peeks at him.” Schoop, who tied for the Netherlands team lead with 2 homers and 6 RBIs in eight WBC games, initially started at second base for the Netherlands, then moves to third when Jurickson Profar joined the team.

TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS F1 Brazilian Grand Prix (T) SPEEDNoon Baseball Arizona Fall League: teams TBA MLB1 M. bask. Coaches v. Cancer: Seattle@Terps (T) CSNNoon Meyer Classic: Northern St.@Belmont ESPNU7 NBA Golden State@Toronto (T) NBANoon Utah@Miami NBA8 C. foot. Toledo@Northern Illinois ESPN27 Navy@East Carolina (T)

BaseballAngels: Activated IF Norberto Martin. Placed IF Craig Shipley (strained left hamstring) on 15-day DL, retroactive to Aug. 20.Braves: Recalled P Mark Wohlers from Triple-A Richmond and placed him on 15-day DL before returning him to Richmond for rehab stint. Activated P Russ Springer from 15-day DL. Optioned P Adam Butler to Richmond.Cardinals: Assigned 1B J. D. Drew to Peoria of Arizona Fall League. Recalled P Manny Aybar from Triple-A Memphis. Optioned P Rich Croushore to Memphis.

Eddie Murray UP Orioles bench coach will manage in the Arizona Fall League this October with the Scottsdale Scorpions. League president Frank Robinson calls it a "showcase" league rather than a developmental loop.Ricky Bones DOWN Previously invisible, Bones inherited Juan Guzman's spot in the rotation and struggled last weekend in a 12-2 loss. Improvement is needed to avert another disappearance.Jr. DOWN Closing on 39, Cal Ripken speaks of experiencing "two careers." The most recent has forced him to miss 42 games, put him on the disabled list twice and causes him to confront the "surgery" word.

I don't believe for a second that the Ravens lost Saturday because of all the media-driven hype and the nostalgia concerning the old Colts. That would be a weak excuse. The players largely ignored it. It meant nothing to them. I talked to enough people in the organization to know they were treating the game as exactly what it was, nothing else. They lost because of four turnovers and a vanilla offense that didn't take enough chances. They lost because the Colts suddenly have remembered how to play defense.

Hitters from the Orioles organization continued a general hot streak through last week's play in the winter leagues, while pitchers improved their ERAs, if not their won-lost records.Orioles hitters were batting a combined .292, led by first baseman Paul Carey, who is hitting .398 through 29 games for Tucson in the Arizona Fall League, with five homers and 25 RBIs.Meanwhile, only one pitcher, right-hander Mike Cook (1-0, 1.86), who is pitching for Santurce in the Puerto Rican League, has a winning record, though three other pitchers -- Kevin Ryan of Honolulu (2.79)

In preparation for setting their roster before December's Rule 5 draft, the Orioles added two players to their 40-man roster on Tuesday, infielder Jonathan Schoop and left-hander Mike Belfiore. To make room, the Orioles took pitcher Oliver Drake off the roster and outrighted him to Triple-A Norfolk. Schoop, 21, was the organization's 2011 minor league player of the year and held his own at Double-A Bowie (.245 average and .324 on-base percentage) in 2012 despite being one of the youngest players at that level.

One of several offseason roster deadlines arrived tonight at midnight, when teams must set their 40-man rosters for next month's Rule 5 draft. The Orioles must place certain players with minor-league experience on their 40-man or risk losing them in the Rule 5. Last season, the Orioles selected infielder Ryan Flaherty from the Cubs in the Rule 5. Teams must keep Rule 5 picks on their major league roster for the entire season or pass the player through...

Norfolk outfielder L.J. Hoes highlights the list of Orioles farmhands that have been chosen to play in the 2012 Arizona Fall League, considered the top venue for young prospects. The others are all on Bowie's roster: left-handed pitchers Chris Petrini and Mike Belfiore, right-handers Mike Wright and Clay Schrader and infielder Jonathan Schoop. All will play for the Mesa Solar Sox. Catcher Brian Ward is on Mesa's taxi squad, meaning he will be eligible to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays only.

TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS F1 Brazilian Grand Prix (T) SPEEDNoon Baseball Arizona Fall League: teams TBA MLB1 M. bask. Coaches v. Cancer: Seattle@Terps (T) CSNNoon Meyer Classic: Northern St.@Belmont ESPNU7 NBA Golden State@Toronto (T) NBANoon Utah@Miami NBA8 C. foot. Toledo@Northern Illinois ESPN27 Navy@East Carolina (T)

NFL Former Terp Merriman's run with Chargers to end on IR The San Diego Chargers put outside linebacker Shawne Merriman , once one of the most feared players in the NFL, on the injured reserve list with a calf injury and a "minor-injury designation," meaning the former Maryland standout must be released once he's healthy. Technically, the Chargers could re-sign the controversial player. That almost certainly won't happen, though, because general manager A.J. Smith hasn't been a fan of Merriman's celebrity-leaning lifestyle.

Mike Gonzalez expects to be the Orioles' full-time closer in 2010, but he's taking the same approach he has had his entire career. He's prepared to fight for it. "Every year is a competition, man, as far as I can remember. Even back in Little League baseball, everything was a competition," said Gonzalez, who was a 30th-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1997. "If there is no competition, there's no real reward to it. I have never had anything given to me, and I don't expect it will be given to me now. I will go out there, do what I do and I don't think there will be any question" about his role.

Brad Pennington, OriolesWho has the best-looking uniforms and caps, and why?Cincinnati's got the best, with their sleeveless. First off, they were my favorite team when I was growing up, and they look awesome. They've got the red outlining and the white pinstripe in the front. That's just a great look to me.I like the Yankees, because they've pretty much been the same since Day 1. They've got a lot of history to them. They never put the names on their shirts. They've never changed, and it's still a nice-looking uniform after all these years.

One of several offseason roster deadlines arrived tonight at midnight, when teams must set their 40-man rosters for next month's Rule 5 draft. The Orioles must place certain players with minor-league experience on their 40-man or risk losing them in the Rule 5. Last season, the Orioles selected infielder Ryan Flaherty from the Cubs in the Rule 5. Teams must keep Rule 5 picks on their major league roster for the entire season or pass the player through...

Mike Gonzalez expects to be the Orioles' full-time closer in 2010, but he's taking the same approach he has had his entire career. He's prepared to fight for it. "Every year is a competition, man, as far as I can remember. Even back in Little League baseball, everything was a competition," said Gonzalez, who was a 30th-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1997. "If there is no competition, there's no real reward to it. I have never had anything given to me, and I don't expect it will be given to me now. I will go out there, do what I do and I don't think there will be any question" about his role.

Capitals 4, Flyers 2 Semin, Ovechkin lead Caps to fifth consecutive victory Alexander Semin returned from a two-game absence with a tiebreaking goal and an assist, Jose Theodore stopped Darroll Powe's penalty shot later in the third period, and the host Washington Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-2, on Tuesday night. Alex Ovechkin scored two goals - including an empty-netter in the final minute - and Nicklas Backstrom had four points for the Capitals. The Southeast Division leaders rallied from a 2-0 deficit to stretch their winning streak to five games.