oriole park at camden yards

Adding another catcher to their growing list for spring training, the Orioles have finalized a minor league deal with J.P. Arencibia. He will get an invite to spring training.

2014 just came to a close, but don't let the pages of your new 2015 calendar stay white for long.

Here are a few of Baltimore Sun reporter Dan Connolly's most memorable moments or storylines of the year, in no particular order.

Mark David Pacione, a past director of youth and young adult ministry for the Archdiocese of Baltimore who helped plan the 1995 visit of Pope John Paul II, died of an aneurysm Dec. 29 while he running on a trail near his Bel Air home. He was 60.

Nothing compares with the eighth inning of Game 2 of the 2014 American League Division Series between the Orioles and Detroit Tigers.

No one is saying exactly why Baltimore has gone from being called a "very, very viable candidate" for the 2016 All-Star Game by baseball commissioner Bud Selig in May to being all-but-officially out of the picture, but you can draw your own conclusions.

In one of his final acts as Major League Baseball commissioner, Bud Selig is expected to officially announce next month which city will host the 2016 All-Star Game, and it is "highly unlikely" that it will be Baltimore, according to an industry source.

Christmas Day essayish column

Nick Markakis cleaned out his Orioles' locker today. He'll have neck fusion surgery in Atlanta Wednesday.

Nick Markakis was not only a greater Oriole, he is a terrific person

Outfielder Nick Markakis, who had been the longest tenured member of the Orioles before signing a free-agent deal with the Atlanta Braves last week, has taken out a two-page advertisement in Wednesday's Baltimore Sun to thank fans, the city and the organization for his nine seasons with the club.

We sports fans let our emotions get the best of us and ignore the well-known realities of professional sports. The players that we deify are all too human. And the teams we love — the Orioles and the Ravens — are businesses that make decisions with a singular goal: profit for their owners.

A lifelong Orioles fan who served two tours in Iraq and raises money for charity through his love for the team is one of 10 finalists for this year's class of ESPN's "Fan Hall of Fame."

Nelson Cruz agreed to terms Monday with the Seattle Mariners on a four-year, $57 million deal plus a $1 million signing bonus. The deal is pending a physical, which Cruz is expected to take this week.

Zach Britton's older brother, Buck, has signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers

A report surfaced Thursday morning that the Orioles had made a one-year offer to veteran right-hander A.J. Burnett. But an Orioles official said the team has not made Burnett an offer.

The first bombshell of the hot stove season dropped Wednesday when the Detroit Tigers backed up the truck to keep designated hitter Victor Martinez with a four-year deal that is reportedly worth $68 million.

On the night he won the American League Manager of the Year award for the third time, Orioles manager Buck Showalter was quick to make sure he didn't relish the honor too much.

First annual Zaching Against Cancer Foundation's "Living The Dream" event takes place Friday, Nov. 7 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Sports Legends Museum in Baltimore. The Zaching Against Cancer Foundation was established in honor of Centennial High School graduate and University of Maryland student Zachary Lederer who inspired millions of people during his courageous battle with brain cancer.

The Loper brothers of Bel Air sought a one-two finish at Oriole Park at Camden Yards Saturday. In the Fifth Annual KidsPeace Trick or Trot 5K, they finished just short of a brotherly sweep, however, with Alex Loper taking second place and Shawn, third.

Adam Jones, he of the ubiquitous Orioles pie-in-the-face celebration, will be eating some pie of the humble variety next year, thanks to a bet he made with Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen over last night¿s Ravens-Steelers game.

Scientists who observe Earth from space say the data they collect tells them climate change is impacting land use. With a goal of sharing that data with the masses, "Changing Landscapes Observed from Space" is the topic of a forum open to the public at Howard Community College on Nov. 8.

Thomas J. Turner, a paraplegic who brought the issue of accessibility to the public's attention after being deemed a "fire hazard" for blocking a ramp at the old Memorial Stadium, died Sunday at his Ruxton home of heart failure. He was 57.

Hall of Famer Leon Day's passion for baseball lives on in his widow. Geraldine Day attended "about a dozen" Orioles games this past season and watched the rest on television, even those on the West Coast.

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones and shortstop J.J. Hardy have won Gold Glove Awards at their respective positions in each of the past two seasons. Right fielder Nick Markakis won the award in 2011.

We now have the potential to stop a new generation of smokers by regulating the use of vaping indoors, enforcing the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and mandating that they be placed behind the counter in retail establishments. It is time that Baltimore joins nearly 200 other cities and counties, as well as three states, that have enacted prohibitions against using e-cigarettes indoors.

Brian Rosenberg, a 37-year-old from Mechanicsburg, Pa., won the Baltimore Marathon, finishing in a personal-best two hours, 33 minutes and 27 seconds. Alex Wang, a 23-year-old University of Maryland graduate from Ellicott City, was the women's marathon champion, finishing in 2:58:41.

Despite everything, a great year for the Orioles

Close but no cigar: O's will try again next year

Manager Buck Showalter and executive vice president Dan Duquette plan to meet, along with team brass, to begin looking to next season. Pitchers and catchers are slated to return for spring training three months from Saturday, and the Orioles face many difficult roster decisions in the meantime.

Brian Roberts, a two-time All Star and fan favorite who spent all but one year of his 14-season career with the Orioles, has retired from baseball. He was released by the New York Yankees in August.

After the Orioles were swept by the Kansas City Royals this week, Lee Corrigan said he was "relieved" the Baltimore Running Festival finish wouldn't have to be altered. That doesn't mean he wouldn't want to change it in the future.

The Orioles had formidable opponents, but they also gave away the win

The Orioles' 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday ensured Baltimore marathon participants would finish their race with the downhill jaunt down Eutaw Street and through Camden Yards that veteran runners are accustomed to.

The shirt Jeremy Guthrie wore to his postgame press conference Tuesday sparked outrage from Orioles' fans.

Having lost the first two at home to red-hot Royals, manager Buck Showalter's team faces long odds, but fans in places as far away as Australia, Israel and Uganda are keeping the faith.

The Royals haven't lost in the postseason, and they take a 3-0 ALCS lead by doing everying right

Even if the Orioles end up losing to the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series this week, there's a sense that the experience itself will help the club going forward -- especially for the younger players who didn't participate in the 2012 postseason.

Major League Baseball teams collect, authenticate and auction to fans — who willingly pay thousands of dollars for them — some very unique items.

The Orioles will have to wait another day to attempt to cut into the Kansas City Royals' 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.