Dan Connolly

A quick primer on today’s Orioles FanFest; come visit our booth

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There have been plenty of stories to come out of FanFest over the past few years. Whether it was re-signing Miguel Tejada or the potential signing of Vladimir Guerrero or the death of legendary manager Earl Weaver, FanFest seems to be at the center of offseason Orioles’ news.

I’m not sure that will be the case today, when the Baltimore Convention Center plays host to Orioles FanFest from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (season plan holders can get in at 10 a.m.).

The Orioles’ roster is nearly set with spring training about to start in a little more than two weeks. There will be a few more signings, I’d imagine in the near future. The wish list includes a speedy, defensive outfielder, a veteran starting pitcher at a reasonable, one-year deal or minor-league contract and another solid reliever to add to an outstanding corps.

There probably isn’t an impact move remaining, however, and certainly not one that would top the re-signing of slugger Mark Trumbo.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter – along with most of the club’s players and staff – will be at FanFest, signing autographs and participating in question-and-answer forums.

We’ll be there too.

For the first time, BaltimoreBaseball.com will have its own booth at FanFest. Ours will be next to the BARCS’ pet calendar booth on the main floor, not far from where MASN is set up. Steve Cockey, our founder and web producer, will be there the whole time, helping you download our app, answering any questions you may have and registering you for a couple great giveaways, including autographed jerseys.

I’ll be there at the booth for a large chunk of the day, when I’m not on the third floor conducting player interviews. When I’m at the booth, I’ll be helping out Steve, and selling and inscribing copies of my $15 book, “100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” Please stop by to say hello and let us know how BaltimoreBaseball.com can be better in 2017.

I’ll also be part of the media forum at 5 p.m. with several of my fellow writers and broadcasters.

We look forward to meeting everyone at FanFest.

Dan Connolly

Dan Connolly has spent more than two decades as a print journalist in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Baltimore native and Calvert Hall graduate first covered the Orioles as a beat writer for the York (Pennsylvania) Daily Record in 2001 before becoming The Baltimore Sun’s national baseball writer/Orioles reporter in 2005. He has won multiple state and national writing awards, including several from the Associated Press Sports Editors. In 2013 he was named Maryland Co-Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. And in 2015, he authored his first book, "100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die." He lives in York, with his wife, Karen, and three children, Alex, Annie, and Grace.

View Comments

  • Too many people--Fanfest needs to be a two-day event, or even spread over a three-day holiday weekend.

  • Dan, thank you for taking the time to sign my book today and for the info on the forum at Zion Lutheran Church in York. I hope to be able to make the trip back home for it.

    Todd

  • Great seeing you Dan (away from BWI or a baseball stadium), and great meeting you, Steve. I've downloaded the app and hope to become a regular here. Go O's!

  • Dan, if I already have a copy of your book and wanted to get you to sign it is there a way I could mail it to you for an autograph? (With two toddlers at home making it to FanFest from the Eastern Shore is not happening for another couple of years at least.) Thanks!

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Dan Connolly

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