We know people are excited for Friday's home opener, which has the second-highest ticket value behind World Series champs the San Francisco Giants. But today is true Opening Day for the Orioles, who kick off the 2013 season in Tampa Bay at 3:10 p.m.

Yesterday, the Orioles released the Opening Day lineup to the public, pictured, above. The only huge surprise is Buck putting 20-year-old Manny Machado in the number two-spot against All-Star and Cy Young winner David Price. Definitely shows that our manager's faith in the young third baseman.

But, other than that, it's business as usual: This season's ace Jason Hammel will take the mound. One of the team's strongest hitters, Matt Wieters, is batting cleanup. And Brian Roberts, who has only played 115 games the last three seasons, bats ninth. If his bat is anything like it used to be, that would be a great way to turn over the lineup. It will also be exciting to see the performance of DH Steve Pearce, who led the O's during spring training in average (.366), home runs (6), and RBIs (16).

It's fitting that the Orioles open against Tampa Bay, as the AL East is wide open this season: the Yankees are flooded with injuries and the Red Sox will be lucky to...

The Ravens just signed quarterback Joe Flacco to a long-term deal, but apparently his younger brother Mike is leaving town.

A number of sportswriters covering the Baltimore Orioles and Red Sox this afternoon tweeted that minor league first baseman Mike Flacco, 26, has been sent to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations or a player-to-be-named-later.

The 6-foot-6 right-handed hitter batted just .218, with eight homeruns and 35 RBI in 103 games last year for the Frederick Keys, a high "A" Oriole affiliate. 

The O's drafted Flacco in the 31st round in 2009 out of the Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville. Once a promising high school quarteback, injuries derailed the younger Flacco's gridiron career,  ultimately pushing him toward the diamond.

MASN's Roch Kubatko reports Oriole's executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette comments on the deal: "Orioles have more corner players than spots...

Could it be that the tide has finally been stemmed? Reversed even? After watching our population dwindle, decade after decade since the 1950s, the U.S. Census reports that Baltimore City grew by more than 1,000 residents in the year leading up to July 1, 2012.

The Census estimated Baltimore’s population at 620,216 as of July 2011 and, as of July 2012 — 621,342 — a net gain of 1,126 Baltimoreans.

Baltimore County has grown as well, according to the newly released Census data, adding slightly more than 5,000 residents for a total population of 817,455. Anne Arundel, Howard and Harford counties also have seen population increases. Carroll County's population fell by less than than 100, according to the survey.

The Maryland county-by-county data can be found here.

From July 1, 2011 to July 1, 2012, Baltimore saw a net "natural increase" of 2,281 births over deaths. During that time period, a net of just more than 3,000 people also left the city, according to the Census, but that number was offset, for the most part, by nearly 2,000 new immigrants.

More information on the components of the state's...

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentine cardinal from Buenos Aires, is the Roman Catholic Church's new pope. He will be known as Pope Francis, the Archdiocese of Baltimore tweeted.

Rachel Donadio, the New York Times's Rome bureau chief, tweeted this afternoon from St. Peter's Square, pictured: "Papal hymn plays for the new pope, who looks friendly, a bit frightened, in the glare of the lights in his glasses."

Baltimore archbishop William Lori will celebrate Mass at 5:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen for the new pope. All are welcome, the Archdiocese tweeted.