Columns

    Jon Meoli: O’s prospect Jackson Holliday hasn’t been challenged by Low-A pitching, so he’s finding ways to grow
    Entering Tuesday’s game in Fredericksburg, Holliday’s full-season debut has been exactly what he and the Orioles would hope.
    This photo shows Jackson Holliday, a left-handed hitter, continuing his swing after making contact with a baseball.
    I moderated a panel on race relations. Here are four things I learned.
    Organizers asked me to moderate a panel on racial and social justice because I’ve been reporting on these ideas for much of my career as a journalist. But listening to people who focus on this issue daily provided some revelations worth sharing.
    The Racial Reconciliation Collaborative was formed by two churches in Annapolis, one white and one Black.
    When grief derailed me, my students knew what to do
    After a friend dies, I ask my students to be gentle with me. And they are. Because they know these early, impossible moments so well.
    Illustration of teacher peeling off blue, sad version of herself, and looking over shoulder at female student standing next to a window.
    The best brushes with celebrity in Baltimore, from Kevin Bacon to the Oriole Bird
    Baltimore is no Los Angeles, but we’ve got our share of star encounters that range from the A-list to the terrifying.
    Halethorpe's William Cox and actor Josh Charles hanging around Camden Yards in 2014. "It was the most Baltimore thing ever," Cox said.
    Jon Meoli: Coby Mayo’s maturity impressed a Major League mentor. Next up is figuring out Double-A.
    He fought through injuries in the latter part of last season and knows that Double-A will continue to challenge him as a hitter. He’s responded by taking a more refined approach in BP.
    Coby Mayo (95) poses for a portrait during Photo Day at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota on 2/23/23. The Baltimore Orioles’ Spring Training session runs from mid-February through the end of March.
    I was gonna write this column, but then I got high: Thoughts on the end of pot prohibition
    Will Annapolis disappear in a cloud bank of pot smoke on July 1? Will it reek of the devil’s cabbage? And most importantly to me, should I get high? As we approach the end of pot prohibition in Maryland, I’ve got questions.
    Scenes from inside at the grand opening of Ceylon House, Maryland's first cannabis lounge, on March 5, 2023.
    Baltimore pop culture is firmly in the mainstream. Again.
    Is there something special happening here right now? Or have we always been this cool, and every once in a while, other people notice?
    (l to r)  Singer Beyonce performs , Lance Reddick, Richard Belzer and Chris Rock.
    A Maryland prosecutor granted immunity to a predatory priest. Only the truth holds him accountable.
    Deep within the litany of outrages by the Catholic Church documented by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General report, there is a revelation as shocking as the predatory priests or the religious bureaucracy eager to hide its sins.
    The Anne Arundel County Courthouse is located on Church Circle in Annapolis. It is home to the Circuit Court, the Clerk of the Court, the State Attorney's Office and other agencies.
    When it comes to double standards for Black women, Angel Reese is just the tip of the iceberg
    Being a Black woman "was always about someone else’s impression of what I was supposed to be, getting to be either gracious or stank about it. We have to perform niceness,” said one Baltimorean.
    DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 02: Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers cuts down a piece of the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.
    Jon Meoli: What does O’s struggle to fit Kyle Stowers in the majors mean for other prospects?
    Kyle Stowers has proven all he needs to prove in Triple-A, yet the Orioles could only get him four at-bats and opted to send him down. With so many prospects already in Norfolk, how are the Orioles going to ensure they all continue to develop — and stay happy?
    Kyle Stowers (83) swings at a pitch in Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in the fourth inning of a game against the Tigers on 3/2/23. The Baltimore Orioles lost to the Detroit Tigers, 10-3, in the Florida Grapefruit League matchup.
    Commentary: ‘I’ve got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack’: Bruce Springsteen cements relationship with city at arena show
    I caught two Springsteen shows 11 days apart, in Baltimore and D.C. The Baltimore show was better, and a reminder that live music is back at the old arena.
    Bruce Springsteen performed the first concert at CFG Bank Arena post renovations on April 7, 2023.
    ‘You’re wasted’: The story behind a bizarre outburst at Annapolis City Hall
    Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley and DaJuan Gay sparred at a recent council meeting over the alderman’s state of mind, and whether the mayor was out of line.
    Annapolis City Hall has long kept the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis at arms length.
    Jon Meoli: The best- and worst-case scenarios for the Orioles’ most important players
    There’s a wide range of possibilities for how this year will go for both established players and prospects. These are the benchmarks to look for as the season unfurls and you attempt to evaluate the progress of the rebuild that is trying to prove it is no longer a rebuild.
    ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 05: Grayson Rodriguez #30 of the Baltimore Orioles and Adley Rutschman #35 walk back to the dugout ahead of Rodriguez' Major League debut game against the Texas Rangers  at Globe Life Field on April 05, 2023 in Arlington, Texas.
    Normalizing therapy has saved lives — including mine
    It’s Counseling Awareness Month. Here’s why taking care of your mental health should be a necessity, not a luxury.
    Young depressed female character sitting on a sofa.
    Commentary: Angel Reese is from Baltimore, not the DMV. Yes, that matters.
    Baltimore has its own culture, style and authenticity that separate it from other areas in the region.
    Baltimore outside of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia -- The DMV.
    Three of my favorite Baltimore Banner stories
    The Banner’s TikTok anchor picks three pieces that deserve another look.
    Lead art from three of my favorite Baltimore Banner stories.
    As General Assembly enters its final week, here are nine bills no one’s told you about.
    When the General Assembly wraps up Monday and lawmakers head home, they’ll talk about their accomplishments and failures. Headline-grabbing big bills will feature in that conversation. But so will less splashy matters, like rewriting a 32-year-old law on trees.
    A view of the Maryland State House, framed by the House of Delegates' offices on the left, the Senate's offices on the right and a crane during active construction in Annapolis, as seen on Friday, March 31.
    Lamar Jackson and his ‘momager’: Would you trust your parents to manage your career?
    Mothers are advocates by nature, but Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson’s decision to make his mom an advisor could have its cons.
    NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 10:  Lamar Jackson of the Louisville Cardinals poses for a photo with his mother, Felicia Jones, after being named the 82nd Heisman Memorial Trophy Award winner during the 2016 Heisman Trophy Presentation at the Marriott Marquis on December 10, 2016 in New York City.
    Jon Meoli: It took time, but Orioles players are buying into a new approach at the plate
    Built through discipline and tougher batting practice sessions, more Orioles are trusting a program introduced by the team’s hitting instructors that emphasizes forcing pitchers to throw more strikes.
    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 30: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles bats during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day at Fenway Park on March 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.
    Jon Meoli: The Orioles’ season-opening win showed a full view of what they could be
    They'll remember the win, most of all, but the Orioles have plenty to take from opening day. The positives: A potent, patient offense powered by speedy, daring runners. The negatives: Questions about the defense and relief pitching, which were solid on the way to 2022's surprising season.
    Austin Hays #21 and Ryan McKenna #26 and Cedric Mullins #31 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day at Fenway Park on March 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.
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