Clubhouse

Orioles left fielder Nolan Reimold can describe in one word what the last few months have been like for him, watching his teammates win while he recovers from neck surgery: Bittersweet. “It's hard to be away, especially when the team is having so much success. You want to be a part of it,” said Reimold, who hit .313 with five homers in 16 games before being sidelined April 30. “But I'm happy for the guys, happy for the team, the organization and the fans that they were able to be such a good team this year and prove everybody wrong.

A month before he joined the Orioles as the organization's new executive director of international recruiting, curiosity took Fred Ferreira to the Mexican coastal city of Mazatlan. With more than 40 years of experience scouring for international talent, Ferreira has uncovered many diamonds in the rough throughout Latin America. And his most recent such discovery emerged last November in the Mexican Pacific League, a world away from the intimidating cathedrals of the American League East like Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.

Kevin Gregg, the hulking, bespectacled reliever who endeared himself to teammates for his brotherly advice and refusal to back down to the opposition - but drew the ire of fans for his ineffectiveness as a well-paid closer - was designated for assignment on Tuesday. The Orioles have 10 days to trade, release or ask waivers on the 34-year-old right-hander, who was 3-2 with a 4.74 ERA in 40 games this season. "We're trying to see if we can put him in a place where he can get the ball on a consistent basis and present himself as a good option," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

TORONTO - Inside the cramped visiting clubhouse at "PLREC000155"> Rogers Centre, the Orioles quickly packed their equipment bags, eager to get back home to Baltimore. Despite a disappointing 6-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night, the Orioles finished their six-game road trip with series wins in New York and Toronto. Their stay atop the AL East lasted just one day, but the Orioles kept the same tunnel-visioned approach that has served them well all season. “Good road trip, successful road trip, we played a hell of a road trip,” center fielder Adam Jones said.

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale answers questions in the visitors' clubhouse following Chicago's 6-0 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday night.

This is the 12th season I have covered the Baltimore Orioles. And at some point - usually it is before the All-Star Break - the club stumbles and the season crumbles. Honestly, and maybe it is just habit, I've been waiting for that moment since about May. And though the players will tell you differently, I'm sure that thought has been in the back of their minds at times this year. That's why I was struck by the comments of center fielder Adam Jones after the Orioles' 5-1 loss to the two-time defending American League champion Texas Rangers on Monday night.

ARLINGTON, Texas - After the Orioles' 5-1 loss to the Texas Rangers on Monday night, center fielder Adam Jones said he walked into the visiting clubhouse and sensed the right vibe, one that's been prevalent throughout this surprising season. “The first thing I said after the game, when I came in the clubhouse, was, 'Hey, it's the first game of the series. You thought it was gonna be easy?' We're good,” said Jones, who had two of the Orioles' four hits Monday. “In previous years, you lose a game and you come into the clubhouse, it's like a mortuary.

It doesn't happen often. But, a few times a year, I'll write a game story and then head down to the clubhouse for quotes, and what the players and managers say doesn't sync with what I've written.  In fact, it can be the opposite. That's OK, because I am not writing for the players or coaching staff - they'll all tell you they never read what we write anyway. (I think a player would get put on the union's double-secret probation list if he admitted to a reporter that he read what he or she wrote.)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada , who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, visited the Orioles clubhouse for the first times since his surgery on May 11. "I'm happy, being able to come here and see the coaches, the manager and my teammates," Wada said through an interpreter. "I wanted to talk to the manager after the surgery about my feelings, and I wanted to talk to my teammates about it, too. I feel refreshed. I feel good about it. Manager Buck Showalter said he was pleased to see Wada, who signed a two-year, $8.15 million contract with the Orioles in the offseason after pitching in Japan.

WASHINGTON, DC -- Since the Orioles and Washington Nationals began their so-called rivalry in 2006, there's been a consistent theme.The clubs have never had a winning record at the same time when they've met for interleague play. Oftentimes, they've been awful simultaneously. But in the Bizarro World that is the 2012 season - Albert Pujols can't hit, the New York Yankees can't pitch and the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies are cellar dwellers -- the Orioles and Nationals owned two of baseball's six best records heading into Friday night.