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On the 160th day, they rested.Well, not exactly. The Orioles still had to play the Boston Red Sox on Friday, less than 24 hours after they popped corks and fired up cigars to celebrate clinching their first American League East championship since 2014. But after fighting tooth and nail for 159 games to capture baseball’s most competitive division, they finally came to Camden Yards facing minimal pressing business.AdvertisementWith their 2-0 victory Thursday night, they also clinched home-field advantage all the way to at least the World Series. They knew they would not have to play another high-stakes game until Oct. 7.The Orioles (100-60) did not win Friday despite another sharp outing from starter John Means, falling 3-0 to a Red Sox team that also had little at stake. None of the patrons at Camden Yards seemed to care much, treating the evening as a casual opportunity to celebrate a team that has already accomplished so much.Advertisement“It’s a great feeling to be able to go out there and play as loose as you can possibly play,” said infielder Gunnar Henderson, who joined catcher Adley Rutschman (he and third baseman Ramón Urías were “under the weather,” the team said) in receiving a night off. “There’s really no weight on these games. That’ll be cool, because you know what’s ahead in the playoff picture. We can just go out there and enjoy it.”After the previous night’s festivities, Henderson woke at 10 a.m., secure in the knowledge that his first full season had coincided with the Orioles’ most successful year in almost a decade. “That’s a pretty cool thing,” he said. “The Rays got off to the start they did, and it felt like we were just climbing the whole way. Once we finally got ahead of them, seems like we never looked back.”U2′s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” played in the background, a subtle reminder perhaps that Thursday night’s celebration was just the beginning of what the Orioles aim to accomplish.Manager Brandon Hyde laughed when asked if it was strange to come to Camden Yards without an urgent need to win.“We have some guys who could really use some time off,” he said before the game, looking ahead to the rare five days without a game the Orioles will have after they finish the regular season Sunday.“Last night was special, so today, you reflect a little bit in the morning, but then you still have a job to do tonight. I still want to play well. I want to play to win.”Orioles left-hander John Means throws a pitch in the first inning Friday against the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards. Means allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings in the 3-0 loss. (Jerry Jackson)Friday’s game, however, would be more about details.How was first baseman Ryan Mountcastle’s injured shoulder coming along with only a few games left to prepare for the postseason? “Good enough to go out there and play,” Mountcastle, who came off the injured list Wednesday, said before the game.AdvertisementHyde was intrigued to see what powerful rookie outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who had played sparingly over the previous week, would do with four or five plate appearances.He wanted to know if Means, starting just his fourth game for the Orioles this season, could build off his one-hit masterpiece in Cleveland six days earlier.The answer to that one was mostly yes as Means mixed four pitches and worked ahead in the count to cut through the first 13 Red Sox hitters of the evening. Left fielder Rob Refsnyder got to him with a double down the third base line, and shortstop Trevor Story followed with a two-run blast into the left field seats to put Boston up 2-0 in the top of the fifth.Baltimore Orioles InsiderWeeklyWant to be an Orioles Insider? The Sun has you covered. Don't miss any Orioles news, notes and info all baseball season and beyond.Means ultimately worked through 6 1/3 innings on 82 pitches, 58 of them strikes, allowing three hits and walking none while striking out four. The Orioles were not sure what to expect when he returned from Tommy John elbow reconstruction earlier this month, but he has made a strong case to be part of their postseason starting rotation.The Orioles, in turn, could not do much with Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta, who shut them out over seven innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 10.This story will be updated.AdvertisementRed Sox at OriolesSaturday, 7:15 p.m.TV: Chs. 45, 5Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

It seemed like the perfect moment at the perfect time. Just after the third inning Thursday night at Camden Yards, the Orioles were up 1-0 against the Boston Red Sox and widely expected to clinch the American League East title before a jubilant crowd, when Gov. Wes Moore and Orioles Chairman/CEO John Angelos — side by side and applauding — suddenly appeared on the stadium’s video board. Beneath the two men was a statement that seemed to bring even more good baseball news.In all caps, it said the team, the governor, the state and the Maryland Stadium authority had that very day, after three years of frustrating negotiation, “AGREED TO A DEAL THAT WILL KEEP THE ORIOLES IN BALTIMORE AND AT CAMDEN YARDS FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT 30 YEARS!!”AdvertisementNeither side would discuss it that night but promised details the next morning. Unfortunately, the scoreboard claim didn’t stand up to the light of day.At a news briefing Friday morning, where journalists were told they couldn’t quote anyone by name, state officials confirmed that no actual lease had been finalized. Instead, a memorandum of understanding — containing no legally enforceable promises — had been signed expressing a commitment to an eventual 30-year lease and various other provisions. In other words, they’d agreed to agree at some point in the future, while the clock for the expiration of the current lease on Dec. 31 keeps ticking.AdvertisementIsn’t that what they’ve been doing for the past three years? What makes this any different?Could it be that they were so swept up in Oriole Magic they felt compelled to exchange the sports-world version of promise rings? Or maybe they didn’t want the playoffs to be marred by constant speculation about whether the Orioles would really, really stay in Baltimore. We have so many questions (including these: Why not just let the team’s clinch be the big news of the day? Why make it about you?).To be fair, everyone expressed a lot of commitment to one another during the news briefing, with senior representatives from both the state and the team saying they expect a 30-year lease deal to be struck any day now (though they acknowledged there’s an option to extend for a year or two if that doesn’t occur, as was done after the first 30-year lease expired in 2021).In response to an editorial board question, administration officials said they chose to sign and announce an MOU because a lot of the “key parameters” are in place and “there’s been a lot of interest [in and questions about] where we are and what’s happening.” They wanted “to be able to share that news,” they said.We’re happy they’ve started to see the value in transparency, given that both sides have been clammed up tight when it comes to lease talks. But they didn’t need an MOU to tell us what’s going on. And an MOU does not guarantee a future for the O’s in Baltimore, no matter how many times officials say it does. That’s like trying to convince your grandma that living together is as good as marriage; it’s a story full of holes.This might all feel like nitpicking at a time when we should be celebrating. The Orioles won the AL East for the first time in nine years. On the same night, they won their 100th game of the season — the last time that happened was 1980. They’re headed for the playoffs, for crying out loud. They’ve been a joy to watch and have done our city proud. Of course we want them to stay here forever.But what we don’t want is for Maryland’s governor to back himself into corners with taxpayer funds by publicly promising to make other promises to a privately owned organization before all of the costly and consequential specifics are worked out. Angelos has every right to do what is best for him and his investors. But Moore should do what’s best for Maryland.So while we, too, would prefer to yell congratulations and bask in the warm glow of it all, we can’t help but feel like the lamps are gaslit.AdvertisementBaltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.

Oct. 1 will see new laws regulating guns, where to carry them and how to store them as Maryland continues to grapple with the U.S. Supreme Court decision that upended the state’s former rules.There have already been challenges to these policies from people who see them as too restrictive.AdvertisementSenate Bill 1, sponsored by Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Vice Chair Jeff Waldstreicher, a Democrat from Montgomery County, will go into effect Sunday. The law will prohibit people with concealed carry permits from bringing firearms into public and private elementary, middle or high schools, health care facilities, buildings owned or leased by the state or local government, public or private university buildings, active polling places, electrical plants or electrical storage facilities, gas plants, nuclear power facilities, stadiums, museums, racetracks, video lottery facilities, venues that serve alcohol or cannabis for on-site consumption, and private property unless the owner has given permission to do so.Gun control advocates celebrated the legislation made by Maryland’s majority-Democratic General Assembly.Advertisement“We’re very grateful that the General Assembly is a gun-sense majority,” Melissa Ladd, a campaign lead for the Maryland chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, said in a phone interview.Ladd called the organization’s work with the legislature in the “fast and furious” year since the Supreme Court ruled Maryland’s concealed carry gun policy unconstitutional a “whirlwind.”But not everyone is thrilled with the legislature’s response to the Supreme Court.One of two federal lawsuits brought in opposition to the new law was done on behalf of the Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. — the state affiliate of the National Rifle Association — and Susannah Warner Kipke, the owner of a gun storage facility and wife of Republican Anne Arundel County Del. Nic Kipke.Plaintiffs in the case, Kipke et al. v. Moore et al., are suing Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, and Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland Butler, alleging that Senate Bill 1 violates the Second Amendment by unconstitutionally restricting where Marylanders with concealed carry permits can take their firearms.A second lawsuit, Novotny et al. v. Moore et al., was filed on behalf of Katherine Novotny, Sue Burke and Esther Rossberg as well as the gun’s rights organizations Maryland Shall Issue, the Second Amendment Foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition.This lawsuit, filed against Moore, Butler, the state’s attorneys from Baltimore City and Baltimore and Harford counties, Paul Wiedefeld, the secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, and Josh Kurtz, the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, challenges Senate Bill 1′s prohibition on carrying firearms in more specific locations — health care facilities, museums, establishments licensed to serve alcohol for on-site consumption, and privately owned buildings that are open to the public.The cases were combined in mid-July.AdvertisementA federal judge ruled Friday to limit some of the parameters of the legislation, allowing people with concealed carry permits to bring their concealed firearms to establishments that sell alcohol, onto private property without the owner’s consent and within 1,000 feet of a protest or demonstration, regardless of the law going into effect on Sunday.“The Court has recognized that so many of the restrictions the far-left wing of the General Assembly tried to place on lawful, peaceful gun owners went way beyond the bounds of what is constitutionally allowed,” House Minority Leader Jason Buckel said in a statement Friday. “During the debate on Senate Bill 1, the members of the House Republican Caucus repeatedly and exhaustively warned our Democratic colleagues that parts of this bill went too far.”Firearms are still prohibited in all other locations deemed sensitive under the legislation.The 2008 U.S. Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to have a handgun for the purpose of self-defense. But the majority opinion clarified that the ruling was not to disrupt existing policies, for example, the prohibition of guns in sensitive places like schools.In the 2022 decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court overturned New York state’s gun licensing policy, which required that people applying for permits to carry guns in public demonstrate “proper cause” to successfully receive a concealed carry permit. The decision disrupted the licensing process in Maryland, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island — all of which held similar policies.According to a memo published this summer by Giffords, an anti-gun violence organization, there have been more than 450 court decisions analyzing the 2022 Bruen decision in Second Amendment challenges to gun laws.AdvertisementMaryland’s now-stricken policy required applicants to provide a legal, established reason for their desire to carry a firearm. This was known as the “good and substantial reason” standard.Following the 6-3 Supreme Court ruling, former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, called on the Maryland State Police to suspend the good and substantial reason standard, causing an influx of concealed carry applications.Under the 2022 Supreme Court opinion, states can prohibit guns only in places analogous to those that were deemed sensitive when the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791 — like courthouses, polling places and legislative buildings.Plaintiffs in the case against Moore allege that many of the places deemed sensitive in the new law, including schools, bars and places of worship, existed at the time of the founding of the United States but didn’t have firearm prohibitions and, therefore, cannot be deemed sensitive.The case is ongoing.Kirk Evans, an attorney and the president of U.S. LawShield, told The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday that, while the Supreme Court did say prohibitions are applicable in places analogous to those deemed sensitive around the nation’s founding, it “didn’t go back that far to tell us” exactly what those sensitive places were.AdvertisementAccording to Evans, many places deemed sensitive in Maryland’s new law have the same designation in other states — “and those have not been decided thumbs-up or thumbs-down” as to whether or not they’re constitutional, he said.“The big thing that makes it much more palatable under the Constitution” is taking out the good and substantial standard, he continued. “Maryland knocked that out … and now it’s a little tougher than a lot of states, but it’s frankly not that much more burdensome than many other states.”Another law going into effect Sunday will limit who is eligible to receive a concealed carry permit.Under the multifaceted House Bill 824 sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chair Luke Clippinger, a Baltimore Democrat, applicants to receive a concealed carry permit must be at least 21 or a member of the military. They cannot be on supervised probation for driving under the influence or while intoxicated, violating a protective order, or any crime punishable by at least one year in prison. Applicants also cannot have a history of violence against themselves or others, been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for more than 30 consecutive days or be subject to a protective order.Before they receive a permit, the Maryland State Police must perform an investigation into the applicant proving that they are not barred from handgun ownership by federal or state law. After Oct. 1, anyone with a second or subsequent conviction for leaving or storing a firearm in a location that is accessible to an unsupervised child is ineligible to receive a permit.Maryland Policy & PoliticsWeeklyKeep up to date with Maryland politics, elections and important decisions made by federal, state and local government officials.The secretary of the Maryland State Police has the ability to revoke licensure from any permit holder, and must routinely review active permit holder information to determine their eligibility. The law will also increase the maximum penalty for wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun without a permit from three to five years.AdvertisementMaryland’s firearms storage policy will also change.Anyone who stores or leaves a loaded firearm where they know or should have reasonably known that it would be accessible to anyone under 18 is in violation of a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine. Anyone convicted of improper storage may not possess a firearm for five years.With so much policy change happening, Evans said it’s imperative for Marylanders to become acquainted with the new laws.“Most other states have had 20 to 30 years getting accustomed to people carrying around” guns, so they’ve had a chance to get accustomed to nuances, “but this is, sort of, within the last year a brand new deal in Maryland and it’s going to take time,” he said. “Please get to know the law.”Originally Published: Sep 29, 2023 at 6:00 am

Sports fans can now eat a burger, watch the game and place a bet — all at the same time — at the new Greene Turtle sports bar in Towson.It’s the second location of the Columbia-based chain to be issued a sports wagering license, after Maryland regulators approved one for its Canton location earlier this year. The adoption of sports betting is a new strategy for Greene Turtle, which has dozens of locations in the Mid-Atlantic region.AdvertisementThe Greene Turtle’s first location opened in 1976 in Ocean City, according to its website, and the company added two more locations before turning the business into a franchise in 2002.Both of Greene Turtle’s sportsbooks are located in newly built restaurants. One is in the Canton Crossing shopping center. The Towson location, which received its sports wagering license Friday, is at 319 York Road, across the street from its former Towson location that closed in 2020 and reopened as The Backyard Uptown.AdvertisementGreene Turtle is operating the sportsbooks with its partner Parx Interactive Maryland Inc.Maryland now has 13 retail sportsbooks, according to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, in addition to 12 mobile sportsbooks. Maryland voters overwhelmingly passed a referendum in support of sportsbooks in 2020, two years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports wagering in most of the United States.Baltimore Sun reporter Amanda Yeager contributed to this article.

A federal judge limited portions of a law restricting where people with licenses to carry handguns Friday, only two days before it will be enacted.“This is a huge win for the Second Amendment and for all law-abiding firearms owners in Maryland,” House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy said in a statement. “This decision is also a vindication for the members of our Caucus who fought so hard to defeat this bill.”AdvertisementA conjoined court case of Maryland residents and Second Amendment rights organizations filed a lawsuit against Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and members of his executive cabinet earlier this year, alleging that Senate Bill 1, which Moore signed in May, violates their constitutional right to carry a firearm for protection.Sponsored by Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Vice Chair Jeff Waldstreicher, a Democrat from Montgomery County, Senate Bill 1 aims to prohibit people with concealed carry permits from bringing firearms into public and private elementary, middle or high schools, health care facilities, buildings owned or leased by the state or local government, public or private university buildings, active polling places, electrical plants or electrical storage facilities, gas plants, nuclear power facilities, stadiums, museums, racetracks, video lottery facilities, venues that serve alcohol or cannabis for on-site consumption, and private property unless the owner has given permission to do so.AdvertisementUnder Friday’s ruling, people with concealed carry permits will still be able to bring their concealed firearms to establishments that sell alcohol, onto private property without the owner’s consent and within 1,000 feet of a protest or demonstration, regardless of the law going into effect on Sunday.“The Court has recognized that so many of the restrictions the far-left wing of the General Assembly tried to place on lawful, peaceful gun owners went way beyond the bounds of what is constitutionally allowed,” House Minority Leader Jason Buckel said in a statement Friday. “During the debate on Senate Bill 1, the members of the House Republican Caucus repeatedly and exhaustively warned our Democratic colleagues that parts of this bill went too far.”Firearms are still prohibited in all other locations deemed sensitive under the legislation.In addition to Senate Bill 1, Marylanders can anticipate changes to the application process for concealed carry permits and higher penalties for storing loaded guns where they should reasonably know a minor may have access to it. All three bills will go into effect on Sunday.

An off-duty Howard County sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot in a bar in Federal Hill early Friday morning.Baltimore Police said officers responded to the 1100 block of South Charles Street around 12:14 a.m. and found 23-year-old Ryan Demby with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead.AdvertisementBaltimore Police said Friday night they will announce an arrest they made in the case at a news conference Saturday.Baltimore Police said a preliminary investigation indicates that a verbal altercation occurred prior to the shooting.Advertisement“Deputy Ryan Demby was in a bar around midnight when a verbal argument broke out between other patrons. During the altercation, shots were fired and Deputy Demby was struck,” the Howard County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post. The department previously posted that his father Sam Demby is also a Howard County sheriff’s deputy.“Our hearts are broken for the Demby family, Ryan’s friends and colleagues, and our entire sheriff’s office family. We will continue to keep our community updated and are grateful for your support during this difficult time.”Originally Published: Sep 29, 2023 at 10:35 am

The Orioles have conquered the American League East, but now face a conflict with a Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks concert scheduled at the Ravens’ nearby stadium on the same day they begin the American League Division Series.Major League Baseball has four division series games scheduled to start on Oct. 7. The concert is scheduled for that night at 7 p.m.AdvertisementThe Orioles’ and Ravens’ stadiums sit on an 85-acre tract with shared, state-owned parking lots between them. It’s not workable to hold simultaneous events. A ballgame and concert would need to be scheduled hours apart, and even that could pose traffic or logistical problems.Major League Baseball, which is aware of the potential conflict, says the baseball game cannot be pushed to the next day — Oct. 8 — when the Ravens will be in Pittsburgh playing the Steelers.AdvertisementBy clinching the American League East — and having the AL’s best record — the Orioles gained home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. That’s why they will host the opener of the division series on Oct. 7. Their opponent will be the winner of the Wild Card Series that will include the Tampa Bay Rays and a team still be to determined.MLB doesn’t determine game times until it knows the matchups and time zones of all the teams in the playoffs. It prefers to have maximum flexibility to place certain games in prime time.But there would seem to be few options other than putting the Camden Yards game in the early afternoon, ahead of the concert.MLB said it would be premature to comment. A Maryland Stadium Authority spokesperson declined specific comment, saying that it works with both teams on “contingencies” that may arise.

Here’s a roundup of high school varsity action on Friday, Sept. 29.C. Milton Wright 10, Woodlawn 0: Miroslav Bilyayevs scored twice, while eight other Mustangs hit the back of the net as the offense was spread around in the big win. Matt Luk, Aiden Whitmore, Dylan Sander, Quinn Van Pee, Anthony Ketelsen, Kai Cempura, Ben Mroz and Axel Lorentzen also had goals.AdvertisementFallston 1, Rising Sun 0: Despite controlling most of the game, it took until the final 15 seconds for the Cougars to put one in the net. Ryan Blair fed Roman Impagliatelli who put in the game’s only goal. Liberty 9, Catoctin 0: Seven Lions scored in the win, led by Bryce Sarver and Kate Grauel who each scored twice. Hannah DeVincent, Caitlin Marsicano, Ashley Schwartz, Rose Larner and Alyssa Golombeck also scored. DeVincent also handed out four assists to her teammates. Mady Matthews gifted three helpers. Aver Asom and Kourtney Goff also had assists.AdvertisementSouth Carroll 7, Chopticon 0: Sophia DuPont and Alayna Enoff each scored twice to lead the host Cavaliers over the Braves. Emma Strelczyk had a goal and two assists, Addie Fowble had a goal and assist, Cailin Yankle scored and Alayna Enoff, Emily Maynard and Megan Maynard all added assists. To submit scores and stats, email mdscores@baltsun.com with a full box score, including first and last names of the players.

The U.S. Navy announced Friday it had started a project to fully enclose the firing range at Greenbury Point in Annapolis.The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command in Washington, D.C., awarded a $300,000 contract in August to Georgia-based Raymond Pond Full Service Solutions to design a complete enclosure for the range.AdvertisementRaymond Pond Full Service Solutions will develop a blueprint to complete the barrier enclosure for the 50-yard firing range to protect those enjoying the conservation area outside it. The designs are expected to be completed by next spring, after which time the Navy will evaluate its options to execute the plan.The range is only partially surrounded by barriers, creating a risk that stray bullets could strike outside the range. That has prompted the Navy to frequently close the East and West Access roads and a region of the conservation area it refers to as the Surface Danger Zone.AdvertisementThose roadways will be open to the public just eight days in October, according to Naval Support Activity Annapolis’s Greenbury Point Access Schedule.The move comes after widespread criticism of the Navy’s attempt to expand so-called “danger zones” and restrict boating around the more than 200-acre peninsula while the rifle range is in use. High-profile opponents of the expanded danger zones include U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, who sent a letter co-signed by other members of Maryland’s congressional delegation urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carefully evaluate whether the expansion was necessary. Cardin also said in March that he supported seeking more federal funding to secure the firing range.“Design is the first step to understand the costs associated with this future repair,” Cmdr. Billy Moiles, public works officer at Naval Support Activity Annapolis, the Navy entity that manages Greenbury Point, said in a statement. “We look forward to mitigating the need to maintain a surface danger zone on Greenbury Point.”For decades, the conservation area has been frequented by nature lovers exploring miles of walking trails throughout the peninsula, which extends into the mouth of the Severn River.“This design supports an end state that allows us to complete our training mission with less frequent closures to the access roads,” Capt. Chris Schwarz, commanding officer of NSAA, said in a statement.Conservation advocates say their concerns about the rifle range extend beyond worries about road closures restricting public access. The Severn River Commission, an advisory board convened by Anne Arundel County government, maintains that the firing range has long been a potential environmental hazard.“The rifle range has been in use for over 100 years and is estimated to have had millions of rounds of lead-containing munitions,” the commission wrote in a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers earlier this year. The eight-member board also noted the target shooting area is out-of-compliance with several Environmental Protection Agency best practices for rifle ranges.AdvertisementThe commission called on the Navy to “harden its existing facility to eliminate hazards to people on land or water.”For Sue Steinbrook, co-founder of the Save Greenbury Point grassroots conservation group, news that the rifle range could become fully enclosed is positive in the short-term as it could make way for more access to hiking trails, but she fears the long-term implications of the decision.“I think it’s a step in the right direction,” she said. “But I’m nervous because is it paving the way for future golfers, too?”The Evening SunDailyGet your evening news in your e-mail inbox. Get all the top news and sports from the baltimoresun.com.Tensions between the military and public over how to best use Greenbury Point date back decades. While some have advocated for the area to remain as undeveloped as possible to protect wildlife and the health of the Chesapeake Bay, others have competing goals for the property.In 2018, the NSA Annapolis Installation Development Plan included a Greenbury Point RV Park for the Navy Recreational Lodging Program. Congressional approval for the 35-pad RV park at Possum Point is expected by December, with contractors submitting bids early next year.Even more controversial is a 2022 proposal from Chet Gladchuk, president of the Naval Academy Golf Association, to build a second golf course near an 18-hole course on Greenbury Point. Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman then requested a long-term lease on that property to use as a conservation site. The competing unsolicited proposals rendered the Navy unable to entertain either request, Naval District Washington spokesperson Ed Zeigler said in August 2022.AdvertisementThe drama is far from over, however. In June, the Naval Academy alumni magazine, Shipmate, shared news that Jerry Miller, a wealthy alumnus from the Class of 1977, had engaged the firm of legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus to design another 18 holes at Greenbury Point, whether the Navy was ready to build the course or not.That announcement helped spur action from Cardin, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes. The trio of Democrats have come out in support of keeping as much of the peninsula public as possible. Language inserted into the Senate version of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act would require the secretary of the Navy to submit a report to Congress describing “the manner in which such access will be modified or restricted” before a federal law is enacted permitting those changes.Van Hollen’s office says that provision, should it survive the reconciliation process with the House version of the act, would prevent a second golf course or other major changes restricting public access at Greenbury Point.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde put out a new-look lineup for Friday’s game, the first after Baltimore clinched the American League East. It received a couple of further alterations before first pitch against the Boston Red Sox.Hyde was already resting infielder Gunnar Henderson and outfielder Anthony Santander, but catcher Adley Rutschman and third baseman Ramón Urías joining them on the bench after the club said both players were “under the weather.” James McCann and Jordan Westburg, respectively, replaced them in the lineup.AdvertisementThursday’s 2-0 victory secured the division and the top record in the AL for Baltimore, leading to a raucous clubhouse celebration. All that’s left for the Orioles to jockey for over their final three regular-season games is gaining home-field advantage in a potential World Series matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But Hyde said before Friday’s game his priority is sorting out players’ workloads in preparation for the postseason, which begins for the Orioles with Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Oct. 7 at Camden Yards after five days off following Sunday’s finale.“It’s very unique,” Hyde said. “I haven’t ever had that many days off in a row, especially before a postseason game. But we have some guys that could really use some time off. Now, that many days? No. But how do we simulate live pitching, having our hitters still continue to see velocity? Probably want some of our pitchers to throw to some hitters at some point. So all those things come into play.”AdvertisementWith Henderson out of the lineup for the first time since Aug. 12, Cedric Mullins slotted into the leadoff spot, his first appearance there since July 1. Even without the changes to the lineup, rookie Heston Kjerstad received his first major league start in the outfield, having been Baltimore’s designated hitter in his previous six starts.“I wanted to let Heston get the experience out there,” Hyde said. “You’re gonna see him play probably two if not all three of these games and get him the at-bats ... I want to kind of give him four or five at-bats a night if I can in at least two of these games and see what he’s like against big league pitching.”The Orioles are still finalizing their pitching plans for both Sunday’s game and the postseason. Veteran Kyle Gibson will start Saturday, but Hyde said the club hasn’t decided who will pitch Sunday; it would be Kyle Bradish’s turn in the rotation, but the second-year right-hander is expected to be the Orioles’ Game 1 starter. Hyde added he has scheduled out appearances for some of his relievers, wanting to make sure they get work over these next three days.