Ed Smith Stadium

Orioles manager Buck Showalter sensed some nervousness in record-setting Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps as he lingered around the Orioles batting cage. Phelps, a Baltimore-area native, clutched a bat and wore an orange Orioles jersey with No. 18 on the back - for the record number of Olympic gold medals Phelps has won as a world-class swimmer. The 27-year-old Phelps joined the Orioles before Thursday's intrasquad game at Ed Smith Stadium, taking batting practice with the team.

After eight days of relatively uneventful defensive drills, bullpen sessions and batting practice, the Orioles suited up today for a pair of brief intrasquad games on the back fields at the Ed Smith Stadium training complex. They aren't really games, since none of the four squads even has enough rostered players to fill the lineup and manager Buck Showalter often stops the action to set up an instructional situation, but they do give the players a chance to throw and swing competitively for the first time this spring.

For the Orioles, today marks the first of two straight days of intrasquad games in advance of the opening of the Grapefruit League season Saturday. For a manager like Orioles skipper Buck Showalter, the time here in camp has gone by too quickly. He's eager to see players actually play in games, but Showalter is a teacher, and he really relishes this time of spring, when he can instruct players on drills he believes will make them a better team throughout the season. I asked Showalter after Tuesday's workout if he believed he or the players were getting to the point where they had enough of the drills and wanted to start the games.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Here are some updates and observations after watching Chris Davis pepper the local neighborhood with baseballs on Thursday: -- Nolan Reimold says he wants to go full-throttle from the start of full-squad workouts, which begin Saturday, but manager Buck Showalter said that he wants Reimold to know that no one expects him to do too much too soon if he's not totally ready. “I had a little conversation with Nolan yesterday," Showalter said. “I think he needs to know that if he's not running on all cylinders, somebody's not going to (take his job)

The Orioles' official reporting day has been uneventful, so far. Some players are working out already, but the first organized pitcher/catcher workout will be Wednesday afternoon, following physicals. Pitcher Wei-Yin Chen spent some time with the Taiwanese media, but there is very limited media access today. General manager Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter will hold their first news briefing today at 12:30. Not expecting any startling revelations, but you never know. Duquette has been known to make significant moves late in the offseason.

This morning marks the official beginning of spring training for the Orioles as pitchers and catchers will report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex here in Sarasota, Fla. Players will stroll into the complex over the course of the day. Some position players who have reported early will work out on their own. Tomorrow, the pitchers and catchers will have their first workout of the spring. So much has happened since this time last season. Few would have predicted anything more than a fifth-place finish in the American League East for the Orioles last season.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter leaves for spring training today, a week before pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota, Fla., on Feb. 12. Expect everything to be set up exactly to Showalter's liking by that date. He ignores no detail, especially when it comes to the team's spring training set up. But Sarasota is already buzzing with activity. About 23 players in the organization are already training there. They're being overseen by Double-A Bowie manager Gary Kendall. Players are beginning to flow into the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

WBAL Radio will broadcast 16 of the Orioles' spring training games on 1090 AM, the team announced today. The schedule includes the spring opener against the Minnesota Twins from Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla., on Feb. 23. MASN previously announced that it will broadcast six Orioles spring training games. ESPN will broadcast the March 25 game against the Boston Red Sox. WBAL Radio will also broadcast all 162 regular season games, with Joe Angel and Fred Manfra back on the call.

Individual game tickets for the Orioles' 18 home spring training games at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla., will go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. Spring training tickets can be purchased several different ways, but the team recommends purchasing them online or by phone to ensure the best game and seating options. Tickets can be purchased on at www.orioles.com or by calling 877-222-2802. Season ticket packages, group tickets, suites and other specialty areas are available by calling 941-893-6300.

The Orioles' spring training begins with pitchers and catchers reporting to Sarasota, Fla. on Feb. 12, position players arriving by Feb. 15 and the first game at Ed Smith Stadium against the Minnesota Twins on Sat. Feb. 23. It's all a little earlier this year due to the World Baseball Classic. The club's spring training schedule, which was released this morning, features 34 games. The Orioles will play 18 home dates against eight teams -- three against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox, two against the Twins, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays and one against the New York Mets on March 30, which will conclude the Orioles' official Grapefruit League schedule.