The Orioles season is falling further from relevance with their losing play after the All Star break. For hardcore fans of the team though it remains interesting to watch because of the large amount of young players that comprise the team. While the losing is the same, the level of young talent is far superior to what the Orioles have seen since they started losing over a decade ago. There was a little bit of this type of excitement back in 2006 when Nick Markakis was a rookie. At that time Chris Ray was starring in his second year, Adam Loewen made his debut, and Eric Bedard was finally pitching to his potential. However, the team was still dominated by over the hill players and guys who weren't top level talent. I don't feel that way in 2009.
Last night Chris Tillman took the mound for his second career start and tonight Brian Matusz will make his Major League debut. I'll exclude Koji Uehara because he is in his mid 30's, but that will make five rookie starters the O's have featured this year, each of whom is under 25. The bullpen isn't as reliant on rookies, although Kam Mickolio has been a guy to keep an eye on recently. While this isn't translating into wins in 2009, I think this is a great sign for the next few years.
In the field the Orioles have rookies as their primary starters in left field and catcher, and both are playing well despite Matt Wieters not living up to the god-like expectations that some people had for him.
So yes...the team sucks. But watching eight rookies developing at the Major League level at the same time is fun to watch for me. Of those eight guys playing as rookies this season, it is too soon to make a fair assessment of Mickolio, Matusz and Tillman. Briefly though Tillman has struggled through two starts and Mickolio looks good in just over 4 innings of relief. Jason Berken is the only one of the group I would label a failure, while Reimold, Wieters, Bergesen, and Hernandez have been very good if not great in their debuts.
If five of those guys are ready to be judged and four are so far successful, I like what the Orioles system is batting. 80% on rookie production is a great rate of success. Without a doubt it is better than what the Orioles have done in recent memory. The Orioles have been in rebuilding mode since the end of the 1998 season, and unfortunately there has been very little to show for it.
Take a look back at the Orioles first few years of rebuilding and what it provided for the team. In 2000 and 2001 Orioles management tried to seel Baltimore on guys like Chris Richard, Luis Matos, Larry Bigbie, Jay Gibbons, and Brian Roberts as the next generation of Orioles stars.
OUCH!
I'll give the Orioles credit that they made the right decision when they chose Brian Roberts as their franchise second baseman over Jerry Hairston, but those other names are pretty painful to remember. In terms of pitching the best the Orioles could do was probably BJ Ryan and Jorge Julio. Those guys have had successful careers(and I'm being generous with Julio), but it shouldn't be that hard to find a couple of one inning relievers. The Orioles minor league system gave us failures such as Josh Towers, John Stephens, Sean Douglass, Eric Dubose, Calvin Maduro, John Parrish, and Rick Bauer. Rodrigo Lopez was probably the only successful pitcher the Orioles brought along in the early part of this decade, and I don't think that can be attributed to their farm system.
So the idea of rebuilding this decade has been a complete failure for the Orioles aside from what Brian Roberts has become and what Erik Bedard provided from Seattle. Finally the Orioles have a big crop of rookies who are showing great potential. In addition to them the Orioles are looking younger at other key spots as well rather than collecting older vets. Markakis and Jones are already established as stars at just 23 and 25 years old, while the bullpen features some decent young arms with Meredith, Albers, and Johnson.
Its refreshing in some sense that the guys who seem to be struggling the most, Huff, Mora, Baez, and Hendrickson, probably won't be around this team much longer.
So here is to Brad Bergesen getting healthy, Jason Berken some day finding a new life in the bullpen, and a great debut from Brian Matusz tonight. Another losing season is in the works, but at least there is legitimate hope for 2010 and beyond making an impact on the field this season.
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sherrill Trade
The Orioles traded their closer Georrge Sherill to the Dodgers today and received back two decent looking AA prospects just by the stats alone. Losing your best reliever is never fun for a fan, but I still like the trade. For guys like me who watch a lot of Orioles games and follow what goes on with the team, seeing who steps in and snatches the closer's role now that it is vacant should be an interesting story to follow in another losing season. Jim Johnson seems the most likely candidate, but he has struggled at times lately in close situations. I have confidence he will be able to secure that role, but who knows who else might throw their hat into the ring.
The trade made sense for the Orioles to make. Sherrill has a 2.40 ERA and 1.137 WHIP for the O's this season, which puts his stock about as high as it could be. His salary was reasonably under three million dollars this season, which made him a great value for his production. However, the closer is the final piece of the puzzle in my opinion. Bragging about a closer on a last place team just doesn't make sense. Trading a reliever for a legit third base prospect and a potential starting pitching prospect is a no brainer.
In regards to the prospects...
Trading for the son of a former Orioles pitcher and current MASN broadcaster seems like a homer move, but Steve Johnson's numbers look good to me. I'll throw out his numbers as a teenager and take a look at how the soon to be twenty-two year old has done over the last two seasons in A ball and AA.
In 2008 he was 9-2 with a 2.34 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 13 starts at Low A. He moved up to advanced A and struggled with a 3-6 record, 7.10 ERA, and 1.71 WHIP in 11 starts. So he struggled with the jump to a more competitive level. However, this year in advanced A he put up a 8-4 record with a 3.82 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. Thats some solid progression in my mind.
He has just recently completed two starts in AA and has a 1-1 record with a 1.69 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Thats an extremely small sample size, but certainly isn't discouraging.
Overall since turning 20 he has a 20-12 record with a 3.98 ERA at A and AA. Current Orioles rookies David Hernandez and Brad Bergesen were still in Aberdeen and Delmarva respectively when they were 21, and their numbers weren't blowing people away, and look at how well they are pitching for the Orioles this year. Johnson is no lock to be a part of Baltimore's rotation one day, but he looks like a worthwhile guy for the O's to have traded for.
Josh Bell will probably get more attention from O's fans because of the obvious need to find a replacement for Melvin Mora at 3rd base. This is the spot the Orioles have been trying to find a guy for all along, but Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff''s struggles have made them undesirable trade options for other clubs. It would have been hard for the Orioles to acquire an everyday Major League player for a reliever, so a high level third base prospect seems like a good get to me.
Bell is a twenty-two year old prospect who has played all year at AA. That seems like a good developmental pace for a guy drafted out of high school. Looking at his minor league numbers, he has only really struggled during a twenty game stretch at high A ball as a 20 year old. His average at AA this season is .296, and even more impressive than that is his .386 OBP. Its great to see a guy who can swing but isn't afraid to take pitches either. He has also shown good power at that level with 30 doubles and 11 homeruns in 94 games. He immediately becomes the Orioles best minor league option at third base. Sorry Mike Costanzo...you didn't get it done.
The downside with Bell is his defense. His size, 6-3 and 235 pounds, makes him sound a bit more like a 1st baseman than a 3rd baseman. At AA this season he has a .929 fielding percentage with his 17 errors. That certainly isn't Gold Glove caliber, but with his offensive potential, he is worth a shot.
With the way the Orioles have handled prospects lately, it seems that 2010 would probably be too soon to expect Bell to contribute in Baltimore. However, I think he'll be a spring training invite and a long shot to play 3rd next season. Most likely he will find his way to Norfolk next year and have a chance to earn the job at third after Wigginton's contract expires next year.
So the Orioles were able to add two more prospects who appear on the Major League track for George Sherrill. Sherrill had a nice year and a half for the O's, but I'm happy with what he has brought back to the organization. The Erik Bedard trade looks like it will continue to reap benefits for Baltimore.
To get an idea of how the Bedard trade looks so far, here is a quick comparison of what the Orioles have gained from it.
Sherrill - 3 wins, 94 innings, 51 saves, and a 3.71 ERA
Mickolio - 0 wins, 11 innings, and a 3.97 ERA
Tillman - 0 wins, 4 innings, and a 5.79 ERA
Jones - 125 runs, 240 hits, and 116 RBI
Seattle has gotten this out of Bedard.
11 wins, 164 innings, and a 3.24 ERA
Bedard has been good in his limited time for Seattle, but the Orioles have already received Major League time from four players in that deal. Who on Earth knows how to compare this, but Jones' solid play and Sherrill's relief work are probably equal or greater to Bedard's production so far. When you consider that Bedard is already 30, and that the six players currently in the Orioles organization, including Bell and Johnson from today's trade, are 25, 23, 22, 21, 21, and 21, the potential for this to be one of the most mind-blowingly lopsided trades ever is huge. I loved watching Erik Bedard pitch for the Orioles, but I don't miss him one bit with what the Orioles have received in return. The last two years have been painful to watch at times, but I am definitely encouraged for the O's future by the talent they have acquired.
The trade made sense for the Orioles to make. Sherrill has a 2.40 ERA and 1.137 WHIP for the O's this season, which puts his stock about as high as it could be. His salary was reasonably under three million dollars this season, which made him a great value for his production. However, the closer is the final piece of the puzzle in my opinion. Bragging about a closer on a last place team just doesn't make sense. Trading a reliever for a legit third base prospect and a potential starting pitching prospect is a no brainer.
In regards to the prospects...
Trading for the son of a former Orioles pitcher and current MASN broadcaster seems like a homer move, but Steve Johnson's numbers look good to me. I'll throw out his numbers as a teenager and take a look at how the soon to be twenty-two year old has done over the last two seasons in A ball and AA.
In 2008 he was 9-2 with a 2.34 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 13 starts at Low A. He moved up to advanced A and struggled with a 3-6 record, 7.10 ERA, and 1.71 WHIP in 11 starts. So he struggled with the jump to a more competitive level. However, this year in advanced A he put up a 8-4 record with a 3.82 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. Thats some solid progression in my mind.
He has just recently completed two starts in AA and has a 1-1 record with a 1.69 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Thats an extremely small sample size, but certainly isn't discouraging.
Overall since turning 20 he has a 20-12 record with a 3.98 ERA at A and AA. Current Orioles rookies David Hernandez and Brad Bergesen were still in Aberdeen and Delmarva respectively when they were 21, and their numbers weren't blowing people away, and look at how well they are pitching for the Orioles this year. Johnson is no lock to be a part of Baltimore's rotation one day, but he looks like a worthwhile guy for the O's to have traded for.
Josh Bell will probably get more attention from O's fans because of the obvious need to find a replacement for Melvin Mora at 3rd base. This is the spot the Orioles have been trying to find a guy for all along, but Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff''s struggles have made them undesirable trade options for other clubs. It would have been hard for the Orioles to acquire an everyday Major League player for a reliever, so a high level third base prospect seems like a good get to me.
Bell is a twenty-two year old prospect who has played all year at AA. That seems like a good developmental pace for a guy drafted out of high school. Looking at his minor league numbers, he has only really struggled during a twenty game stretch at high A ball as a 20 year old. His average at AA this season is .296, and even more impressive than that is his .386 OBP. Its great to see a guy who can swing but isn't afraid to take pitches either. He has also shown good power at that level with 30 doubles and 11 homeruns in 94 games. He immediately becomes the Orioles best minor league option at third base. Sorry Mike Costanzo...you didn't get it done.
The downside with Bell is his defense. His size, 6-3 and 235 pounds, makes him sound a bit more like a 1st baseman than a 3rd baseman. At AA this season he has a .929 fielding percentage with his 17 errors. That certainly isn't Gold Glove caliber, but with his offensive potential, he is worth a shot.
With the way the Orioles have handled prospects lately, it seems that 2010 would probably be too soon to expect Bell to contribute in Baltimore. However, I think he'll be a spring training invite and a long shot to play 3rd next season. Most likely he will find his way to Norfolk next year and have a chance to earn the job at third after Wigginton's contract expires next year.
So the Orioles were able to add two more prospects who appear on the Major League track for George Sherrill. Sherrill had a nice year and a half for the O's, but I'm happy with what he has brought back to the organization. The Erik Bedard trade looks like it will continue to reap benefits for Baltimore.
To get an idea of how the Bedard trade looks so far, here is a quick comparison of what the Orioles have gained from it.
Sherrill - 3 wins, 94 innings, 51 saves, and a 3.71 ERA
Mickolio - 0 wins, 11 innings, and a 3.97 ERA
Tillman - 0 wins, 4 innings, and a 5.79 ERA
Jones - 125 runs, 240 hits, and 116 RBI
Seattle has gotten this out of Bedard.
11 wins, 164 innings, and a 3.24 ERA
Bedard has been good in his limited time for Seattle, but the Orioles have already received Major League time from four players in that deal. Who on Earth knows how to compare this, but Jones' solid play and Sherrill's relief work are probably equal or greater to Bedard's production so far. When you consider that Bedard is already 30, and that the six players currently in the Orioles organization, including Bell and Johnson from today's trade, are 25, 23, 22, 21, 21, and 21, the potential for this to be one of the most mind-blowingly lopsided trades ever is huge. I loved watching Erik Bedard pitch for the Orioles, but I don't miss him one bit with what the Orioles have received in return. The last two years have been painful to watch at times, but I am definitely encouraged for the O's future by the talent they have acquired.
Monday, May 25, 2009
The future of the O's
Haven't written on this blog for a while, but since nobody really reads it...I don't think anybody has missed it.
Memorial Day means summer time, which of course means baseball. I've made it out to two O's games this season, a Mother's Day loss to the Yanks and a win over the lowly Nats down in DC. I can live with a 1-1 record so far this year, now only is the O's were playing .500 ball.
The record is crap as ususal, but the Orioles have a lot of positives mixed in with some big negatives. However, the Orioles' management has been saying since Andy McPhail arrived as General Manager that they were aiming to compete in 2010 or 2011, so this year is part of the current rebuilding plan. Damn...how many rebuilding plans has Baltimore seen since 1998? So here is what I like from the O's so far.
The O's have made it a priority to acquire more depth in the minor leagues, and I think they have been very successful in doing so. One piece of evidence is that the minor league teams are playing well and winning across the board.
Norfolk is 28-14
Bowie is 21-20
Frederick is 22-20
Delmarva is 22-18
And for those that really follow the organization at more than just the Major League level, there are prospects at all of these levels, rather than over the hill prospects and guys who failed at the Major League level. From different message boards and blogs I've read, some fans are agitated that the Orioles aren't calling up these potential "stars" from the minors. I'm sure some of the guys in the Orioles' minor league system could do well in Baltimore already, but I like the idea of creating a winning environment in the minors first. Young players shouldn't be given a spot, and should have to earn it first.
Nolan Reimold has been playing well in left field since he has been called up this month, and I feel he is a good example of a player that has proven he belongs in the Majors. Reimold has been a big name prospect for some time now, and I can remember reading fans calling for him to be in the Majors for most of the last year and a half. He wasn't rushed to spring training in 2008 or when rosters expanded last September. He played well this year in the Spring, but was sent to AAA and forced to perform well there before getting the recent promotion. The way he has been handled has apparently shown him that he will need to compete to get where he belongs, and that appears to be working well for him so far.
Hopefully that mindset is also being instilled in the minor league pitchers, because that is this team's greatest need right now. I think this philosophy was shown with Brad Bergesen this spring. He pitched extremely well in spring training, but was sent to Norfolk to start the year despite the wishes of many fans. I'm sure that nobody in the Orioles front office thought Adam Eaton, Mark Hendrickson, and Alfredo Simon were the answers to the Orioles pitching problems. However, those guys were used to start the season in the rotation so that Bergesen and other pitchers weren't just given spots, but had to prove that they belonged. Bergesen was giving the opportunity first to prove he belongs, and it looks like Jason Berken will be given that chance tommorow. I'm excited for all of the Orioles' pitching prospects, but I think its a smart idea to not rush them all at one time, and allow them time to learn success in the minors.
While its exciting to see some guys like Bergesen and Reimold come up and hold their own with the Orioles, its great to realize that these aren't even the biggest names in the farm system. The most anticipated player is obviously Matt Wieters, who was tabbed as the #1 prospect in all of baseball before this season. He is being compared to Joe Mauer and Mark Teixeira, and any O's fan has to be excited to hear that. Like the other guys I brought up, fans thought he should have been on the O's roster to start the season, or maybe last season. However, he is being brought along slowly and the debut is getting closer, although it hasn't been announced yet. Everybody who pays attention knows that he was being held back about a month because of future contract issues. I don't know when he will be up, but I'll guess that June 9th against the Mariners is a good bet. That will be the first game of a nine game home stand, and it falls on a Tuesday after a day off Monday. I'm sure that announcing Wieters' call up Sunday afternoon will create enough build-up for the O's to sell a lot more tickets on a Tuesday evening than they normally would. With nine games in a row at home, including two series that won't likely draw a lot of interest from opposing fans, the Orioles management would assure themselves a lot of interest from Orioles fans, even if the team isn't winning.
The top pitchers are further away, but Chris Tilman, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, and Brandon Erbe are all 4 and 5 star prospects according to Baseball Prospectus. All of these guys are young and have performed well so far this season. Matusz was a first round pick last year, but was placed in just A ball at Frederick. Again, this speaks to the philosophy of forcing a player to earn a promotion to the next level. Each of these guys is expected to be better than Bergesen and Berken, but they are being forced to earn their promotions over an extended period of time, rather than gifted their opportunities. Nobody knows how many of these guys will wear an Orioles uniform this season, but its exciting to know they are on their way.
The other positives are easier to see. Brian Roberts and Aubrey Huff still have it, and the Orioles have a 23 and a 25 year old outfielder who should both be playing in the All Star game. It will be tough for the last place O's to squeeze two guys into the game, but these guys are two of the best hitters in the AL. Losing for over a decade is incredibly frustrating, and playing in the AL East won't make it easy to turn that around. However, the future is looking brighter than I can remember in a long time. At least that is one reason to be excited for the Orioles.
Memorial Day means summer time, which of course means baseball. I've made it out to two O's games this season, a Mother's Day loss to the Yanks and a win over the lowly Nats down in DC. I can live with a 1-1 record so far this year, now only is the O's were playing .500 ball.
The record is crap as ususal, but the Orioles have a lot of positives mixed in with some big negatives. However, the Orioles' management has been saying since Andy McPhail arrived as General Manager that they were aiming to compete in 2010 or 2011, so this year is part of the current rebuilding plan. Damn...how many rebuilding plans has Baltimore seen since 1998? So here is what I like from the O's so far.
The O's have made it a priority to acquire more depth in the minor leagues, and I think they have been very successful in doing so. One piece of evidence is that the minor league teams are playing well and winning across the board.
Norfolk is 28-14
Bowie is 21-20
Frederick is 22-20
Delmarva is 22-18
And for those that really follow the organization at more than just the Major League level, there are prospects at all of these levels, rather than over the hill prospects and guys who failed at the Major League level. From different message boards and blogs I've read, some fans are agitated that the Orioles aren't calling up these potential "stars" from the minors. I'm sure some of the guys in the Orioles' minor league system could do well in Baltimore already, but I like the idea of creating a winning environment in the minors first. Young players shouldn't be given a spot, and should have to earn it first.
Nolan Reimold has been playing well in left field since he has been called up this month, and I feel he is a good example of a player that has proven he belongs in the Majors. Reimold has been a big name prospect for some time now, and I can remember reading fans calling for him to be in the Majors for most of the last year and a half. He wasn't rushed to spring training in 2008 or when rosters expanded last September. He played well this year in the Spring, but was sent to AAA and forced to perform well there before getting the recent promotion. The way he has been handled has apparently shown him that he will need to compete to get where he belongs, and that appears to be working well for him so far.
Hopefully that mindset is also being instilled in the minor league pitchers, because that is this team's greatest need right now. I think this philosophy was shown with Brad Bergesen this spring. He pitched extremely well in spring training, but was sent to Norfolk to start the year despite the wishes of many fans. I'm sure that nobody in the Orioles front office thought Adam Eaton, Mark Hendrickson, and Alfredo Simon were the answers to the Orioles pitching problems. However, those guys were used to start the season in the rotation so that Bergesen and other pitchers weren't just given spots, but had to prove that they belonged. Bergesen was giving the opportunity first to prove he belongs, and it looks like Jason Berken will be given that chance tommorow. I'm excited for all of the Orioles' pitching prospects, but I think its a smart idea to not rush them all at one time, and allow them time to learn success in the minors.
While its exciting to see some guys like Bergesen and Reimold come up and hold their own with the Orioles, its great to realize that these aren't even the biggest names in the farm system. The most anticipated player is obviously Matt Wieters, who was tabbed as the #1 prospect in all of baseball before this season. He is being compared to Joe Mauer and Mark Teixeira, and any O's fan has to be excited to hear that. Like the other guys I brought up, fans thought he should have been on the O's roster to start the season, or maybe last season. However, he is being brought along slowly and the debut is getting closer, although it hasn't been announced yet. Everybody who pays attention knows that he was being held back about a month because of future contract issues. I don't know when he will be up, but I'll guess that June 9th against the Mariners is a good bet. That will be the first game of a nine game home stand, and it falls on a Tuesday after a day off Monday. I'm sure that announcing Wieters' call up Sunday afternoon will create enough build-up for the O's to sell a lot more tickets on a Tuesday evening than they normally would. With nine games in a row at home, including two series that won't likely draw a lot of interest from opposing fans, the Orioles management would assure themselves a lot of interest from Orioles fans, even if the team isn't winning.
The top pitchers are further away, but Chris Tilman, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, and Brandon Erbe are all 4 and 5 star prospects according to Baseball Prospectus. All of these guys are young and have performed well so far this season. Matusz was a first round pick last year, but was placed in just A ball at Frederick. Again, this speaks to the philosophy of forcing a player to earn a promotion to the next level. Each of these guys is expected to be better than Bergesen and Berken, but they are being forced to earn their promotions over an extended period of time, rather than gifted their opportunities. Nobody knows how many of these guys will wear an Orioles uniform this season, but its exciting to know they are on their way.
The other positives are easier to see. Brian Roberts and Aubrey Huff still have it, and the Orioles have a 23 and a 25 year old outfielder who should both be playing in the All Star game. It will be tough for the last place O's to squeeze two guys into the game, but these guys are two of the best hitters in the AL. Losing for over a decade is incredibly frustrating, and playing in the AL East won't make it easy to turn that around. However, the future is looking brighter than I can remember in a long time. At least that is one reason to be excited for the Orioles.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Orioles Winning
The O's had a rough 3-7 stretch coming out of the All Star break which sent them plummeting towards into the cellar of the AL East. Well, thats where everybody thought they would be this season, and despite where they are in the standings they have had a pleasantly surprising year so far. They've rebounded well since that initial post-break free fall, going 5-1 with their lone loss being Dennis Sarfate's first career start against Joba Chamberlain. Thats an understandable loss. Its been great to see the O's offense playing great lately. Aubrey Huff is finally earning the money he signed for before last season, Melvin Mora doesn't look dead in the water, and Adam Jones seems to be developing as the year goes along like Nick Markakis did back in 2006. There are definitely some highlights lately.
The pitching has been weak this season, but its nice that they have had some good outings since the Sunday monkey was lifted. Cabrera had a great start before his BS toss-out against the Yanks. He looked to be going all the way in that game, and then in the last two games Garrett Olson went into the ninth, and Jeremy Guthrie managed his first career complete game last night. The O's have had a string of great starts as good as they have had all year. Its disappointing that Rhadames Liz and Brian Burres didn't work out in the rotation, but nobody could really expect long term success from Burres, and Liz still has a lot to do to ensure he is a steady Major League starter. It will be interesting to see who gets the start for the O's on Tuesday. Hayden Penn would probably be the popular choice among the fans since he his name has held so much promise for several years. I wouldn't mind seeing him, but he is another guy who has a whole lot to prove.
Overall the Orioles have made progress in their first year under Andy McPhail. The standings might not improve, but they are playing better baseball at most spots than they have in previous years. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis are two huge stars for the future, and I'm happy Brian Roberts is still getting things done at the top of the order. Shortstop is obviously an issue with 5 guys who have gotten extended looks their this year. Juan Castro is nothing but a short term solution, and none of Bynum, Fahey, Hernandez, and Cintron appear to be the answer either. I would love to see what the plan is for the O's to acquire a good shortstop for the future. I think that is the main target of McPhail and co. right now, and is probably the main reason why George Sherrill wasn't traded. I think they would rather hold on to him to get what they really need, than to have traded him last week for what may or may not fill a hole on this team. Another interesting development is Mark Teixeira heading to the Angels. He seems to be a guy who wants to play in the AL, but will he fall in love in Anaheim. Arte Moreno is an aggressive owner who will probably want to sign Tex after giving up Kotchman. I can only hope that the hometown urge is their for Tex, and that the O's come up with a great deal for him. The Orioles have had to deal with Kevin Millar-type numbers for too long at first, and another legit power hitter needs to be infused into this lineup.
The pitching has been weak this season, but its nice that they have had some good outings since the Sunday monkey was lifted. Cabrera had a great start before his BS toss-out against the Yanks. He looked to be going all the way in that game, and then in the last two games Garrett Olson went into the ninth, and Jeremy Guthrie managed his first career complete game last night. The O's have had a string of great starts as good as they have had all year. Its disappointing that Rhadames Liz and Brian Burres didn't work out in the rotation, but nobody could really expect long term success from Burres, and Liz still has a lot to do to ensure he is a steady Major League starter. It will be interesting to see who gets the start for the O's on Tuesday. Hayden Penn would probably be the popular choice among the fans since he his name has held so much promise for several years. I wouldn't mind seeing him, but he is another guy who has a whole lot to prove.
Overall the Orioles have made progress in their first year under Andy McPhail. The standings might not improve, but they are playing better baseball at most spots than they have in previous years. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis are two huge stars for the future, and I'm happy Brian Roberts is still getting things done at the top of the order. Shortstop is obviously an issue with 5 guys who have gotten extended looks their this year. Juan Castro is nothing but a short term solution, and none of Bynum, Fahey, Hernandez, and Cintron appear to be the answer either. I would love to see what the plan is for the O's to acquire a good shortstop for the future. I think that is the main target of McPhail and co. right now, and is probably the main reason why George Sherrill wasn't traded. I think they would rather hold on to him to get what they really need, than to have traded him last week for what may or may not fill a hole on this team. Another interesting development is Mark Teixeira heading to the Angels. He seems to be a guy who wants to play in the AL, but will he fall in love in Anaheim. Arte Moreno is an aggressive owner who will probably want to sign Tex after giving up Kotchman. I can only hope that the hometown urge is their for Tex, and that the O's come up with a great deal for him. The Orioles have had to deal with Kevin Millar-type numbers for too long at first, and another legit power hitter needs to be infused into this lineup.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Milledge and Dukes
While most of the local baseball talk so far this offseason is about the probable trades the Orioles will make with Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada, the only real action has come from the Nationals. The Nationals haven't made any blockbuster moves, but they did make two that will draw a lot of attention to the team.
The first trade was with the Mets, with Lastings Milledge coming to DC and Brian Schneider and Ryan Church heading to NY. Milledge might be considered a bit of a gamble, but a pretty safe one in my opinion. He has gotten a bad rep so far for trying to play himself off as a rapper, before he even establishes himself as a baseball player. He was the youngest player to reach the majors in 2006, and only played sparingly in 2007 with the Mets as well. He will turn 23 right about the time the season starts this year, so the Nats did get younger with this move. He hasn't particularly wowed people with his play, but he did improve from an average of .241 to .272, and an OBP of .310 to .341. That is only a one year trend, but I figure it is a good sign. He is still extremely young, and with some maturing I think he should be a great player in a few years.
Losing Brian Schneider in the deal might hurt some in the short term. He appeared to be a likable guy and a capable defensive catcher, but he is getting up there in terms of catcher age. Replacing his production shouldn't be too hard. Church is a good player, who probably won't max out his stats far beyond where they are now. He will probably have a good career in the Majors, but he isn't a potential star.
The other big name the Nats picked up was Elijah Dukes. This kid is another young guy(23 on opening day) with amazing potential. However, the baggage he brings is more severe than Milledge. He didn't play most of last season because of a domestic incident with his wife, that led the Devil Rays to inactivate him. Demonstrating physically aggressive behavior is certainly a warning sign, but the Nationals seem willing to give him a shot. He did hit 10 homeruns in just 180 at bats for the Rays last season, but his average was below .200. If he can get his head on straight, in terms of his personal life and baseball, than he may be a huge steal for the Nats. They only had to give up one minor leaguer in this deal, a player who hasn't yet gone above A ball. So even with the risk of Dukes self destructing, there doesn't seem to be much loss here.
There seems to be some cultural awareness with these moves that the Nationals have made. The team has brought in two young African American players to introduce at their new stadium that is mostly surrounded by African American neighborhoods. In addition to making baseball sense, the club seems to be considering the demographics of their locale, and are making an attempt to connect with local residents. Dmitri Young has already gained some popularity in the city for his recent performance, and with his publicized personal struggles and journey to overcome them, I think he will be looked upon by others to be a guide for Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. Time will tell how these two moves pan out for Washington, but I admire the team for taking some good chances. This might not be the big name offseason move that people are used to in Boston or NY, but its a pleasant thing to see for a team that is reintroducing itself to the city this season.
The first trade was with the Mets, with Lastings Milledge coming to DC and Brian Schneider and Ryan Church heading to NY. Milledge might be considered a bit of a gamble, but a pretty safe one in my opinion. He has gotten a bad rep so far for trying to play himself off as a rapper, before he even establishes himself as a baseball player. He was the youngest player to reach the majors in 2006, and only played sparingly in 2007 with the Mets as well. He will turn 23 right about the time the season starts this year, so the Nats did get younger with this move. He hasn't particularly wowed people with his play, but he did improve from an average of .241 to .272, and an OBP of .310 to .341. That is only a one year trend, but I figure it is a good sign. He is still extremely young, and with some maturing I think he should be a great player in a few years.
Losing Brian Schneider in the deal might hurt some in the short term. He appeared to be a likable guy and a capable defensive catcher, but he is getting up there in terms of catcher age. Replacing his production shouldn't be too hard. Church is a good player, who probably won't max out his stats far beyond where they are now. He will probably have a good career in the Majors, but he isn't a potential star.
The other big name the Nats picked up was Elijah Dukes. This kid is another young guy(23 on opening day) with amazing potential. However, the baggage he brings is more severe than Milledge. He didn't play most of last season because of a domestic incident with his wife, that led the Devil Rays to inactivate him. Demonstrating physically aggressive behavior is certainly a warning sign, but the Nationals seem willing to give him a shot. He did hit 10 homeruns in just 180 at bats for the Rays last season, but his average was below .200. If he can get his head on straight, in terms of his personal life and baseball, than he may be a huge steal for the Nats. They only had to give up one minor leaguer in this deal, a player who hasn't yet gone above A ball. So even with the risk of Dukes self destructing, there doesn't seem to be much loss here.
There seems to be some cultural awareness with these moves that the Nationals have made. The team has brought in two young African American players to introduce at their new stadium that is mostly surrounded by African American neighborhoods. In addition to making baseball sense, the club seems to be considering the demographics of their locale, and are making an attempt to connect with local residents. Dmitri Young has already gained some popularity in the city for his recent performance, and with his publicized personal struggles and journey to overcome them, I think he will be looked upon by others to be a guide for Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. Time will tell how these two moves pan out for Washington, but I admire the team for taking some good chances. This might not be the big name offseason move that people are used to in Boston or NY, but its a pleasant thing to see for a team that is reintroducing itself to the city this season.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Long Time No Post
So I had a pretty good rate of posting I thought over the summer, but with my work kicking back in and other personal things going on...I haven't been able to put my thoughts out that often. So here I go with a little bit of rambling about whats been going on lately.
The baseball season is over...well atleast locally. The Nats did a good job to finish above expectations in the NL East. It still isn't fun cheering for a loser though. There should be a lot more excitement with the opening of the new stadium next spring, and hopefully the team makes some moves to improve the club as well.
The Orioles had their usual 6 week collapse to end the regular season. After Erik Bedard went down with his injury, there really wasn't anything to get excited about. Their pitching was absolutely horrible over the last month, with guys who were signed just to get them through the rest of the season. The bright spot for the O's was Nick Markakis. He finished top 10 in RBI for the year, and improved upon his rookie year. The Orioles seem to finally have an up and coming star, and hopefully they can develop a few more players sooner rather than later.
Football is in full effect now. The Redskins got off to a great start at 2-0, and then blew their perfect start with a depressing 2nd half against the Giants. It seems like fans are waiting on the Detroit game this week to see if the Redskins' season will be heading up or down. I'm happy with where the team is right now, especially with how Jason Campbell has played. He hasn't been amazing, but he is consistent and has a great attitude when he is on the field. I like him as a leader for this team.
The Ravens have gone 2-2, and look to be struggling a bit more. Steve McNair is frustrating to watch, because he seems to be past his time. His nagging injuries won't keep him off of the field, but his passing ability isn't where it should be. The stats aren't awful, but the plays just aren't being made on the field when they should be. Meanwhile the defense is struggling. Adalius Thomas was obviously a big loss, however, the whole scheme seems to be off. Plays that used to be made in the backfield are happening 4 yards down the field, and thats what separates a middle of the pack defense from a top 5 D.
And finally Maryland football has my attention. Well I try to give it my attention, but its hard to see a live game on TV. Of course the die hards make it out to the stadium, but I'm not that lucky. Rutgers was the first game I was able to see live this year, and that was only because the Knights were somehow ranked 10th in the nation. Maryland played great to beat them, and would be in a nice spot right now if they hadn't dropped their game to Wake. I watched most of that game...on Comcast about 5 days later. The Terps truly gave away a game against an ACC opponent. That one hurts, but atleast the Terps bounced back well.
The baseball season is over...well atleast locally. The Nats did a good job to finish above expectations in the NL East. It still isn't fun cheering for a loser though. There should be a lot more excitement with the opening of the new stadium next spring, and hopefully the team makes some moves to improve the club as well.
The Orioles had their usual 6 week collapse to end the regular season. After Erik Bedard went down with his injury, there really wasn't anything to get excited about. Their pitching was absolutely horrible over the last month, with guys who were signed just to get them through the rest of the season. The bright spot for the O's was Nick Markakis. He finished top 10 in RBI for the year, and improved upon his rookie year. The Orioles seem to finally have an up and coming star, and hopefully they can develop a few more players sooner rather than later.
Football is in full effect now. The Redskins got off to a great start at 2-0, and then blew their perfect start with a depressing 2nd half against the Giants. It seems like fans are waiting on the Detroit game this week to see if the Redskins' season will be heading up or down. I'm happy with where the team is right now, especially with how Jason Campbell has played. He hasn't been amazing, but he is consistent and has a great attitude when he is on the field. I like him as a leader for this team.
The Ravens have gone 2-2, and look to be struggling a bit more. Steve McNair is frustrating to watch, because he seems to be past his time. His nagging injuries won't keep him off of the field, but his passing ability isn't where it should be. The stats aren't awful, but the plays just aren't being made on the field when they should be. Meanwhile the defense is struggling. Adalius Thomas was obviously a big loss, however, the whole scheme seems to be off. Plays that used to be made in the backfield are happening 4 yards down the field, and thats what separates a middle of the pack defense from a top 5 D.
And finally Maryland football has my attention. Well I try to give it my attention, but its hard to see a live game on TV. Of course the die hards make it out to the stadium, but I'm not that lucky. Rutgers was the first game I was able to see live this year, and that was only because the Knights were somehow ranked 10th in the nation. Maryland played great to beat them, and would be in a nice spot right now if they hadn't dropped their game to Wake. I watched most of that game...on Comcast about 5 days later. The Terps truly gave away a game against an ACC opponent. That one hurts, but atleast the Terps bounced back well.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Yesterday at the O's Game
So yesterday at the O's game was a disappointment. The Yanks took one from the O's in what was a long, badly pitched game by both teams. It was a frustrating game to watch because of how many men were left on base. It seemed that there were plenty of opportunities for the O's to score, but they only took advantage of a few.
Daniel Cabrera is incredibly inconsistent. He can be completely awful one inning while looking amazing the next. He gave up 8 baserunners in the first 2 innings, while giving up 4 runs. However, he managed to retire 13 of 15 batters after that. There is no doubt that he will lead the league for the 2nd year in a row in base on balls, but will the Orioles really allow him another chance to make it 3 straight years? Its hard to watch him when he is off, but its amazing how much potential to be a dominating pitcher he has.
The atmosphere at the game was decent. It was nice to see a full crowd, even if many of the fans are Yankee fans. The New Yorkers usually show up in force, but with many O's fans in Cooperstown this weekend, it did seem like they had an easier time getting tickets. Atleast A-Rod didn't hit his 500th to a roaring Yankees crowd at Camden Yards.
O's fans showed they were there when the scoreboard said to cheer on a 3-2 pitch. Of course if Cabrera had a guy 0-2, hardly a peep was made. Yanks fans showed that they are superior to Orioles fans, by starting random cheers, and making noise when they should.
Daniel Cabrera is incredibly inconsistent. He can be completely awful one inning while looking amazing the next. He gave up 8 baserunners in the first 2 innings, while giving up 4 runs. However, he managed to retire 13 of 15 batters after that. There is no doubt that he will lead the league for the 2nd year in a row in base on balls, but will the Orioles really allow him another chance to make it 3 straight years? Its hard to watch him when he is off, but its amazing how much potential to be a dominating pitcher he has.
The atmosphere at the game was decent. It was nice to see a full crowd, even if many of the fans are Yankee fans. The New Yorkers usually show up in force, but with many O's fans in Cooperstown this weekend, it did seem like they had an easier time getting tickets. Atleast A-Rod didn't hit his 500th to a roaring Yankees crowd at Camden Yards.
O's fans showed they were there when the scoreboard said to cheer on a 3-2 pitch. Of course if Cabrera had a guy 0-2, hardly a peep was made. Yanks fans showed that they are superior to Orioles fans, by starting random cheers, and making noise when they should.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Orioles Look to Sweep Yanks
Well the Orioles have taken the series from the Yanks, and look to get a sweep today with D-Cab on the mound. This will be my first game attending Camden Yards this season. Its hard to believe, but its hard to make it up for a game with a child under 2 years old. More day games would definitely make attending easier. My wife and her Yankee fan cousins will be coming along and rooting for Alex Rodriguez to hit his 500th and lead the Yanks to a win. However, my son is 1-0 in favor of the Orioles in this series so far. Going up 2 games in his young career as a fan would definitely be a great start. So lets make it a sweep, and keep the Yankees as far away from the playoffs as possible!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
O's take Series from Chicago
So a young pitcher for the Orioles leaves the game with a lead on a Sunday afternoon. I've seen this before. Danys Baez and Chris Ray enter the game late in order to protect the lead, and the Orioles win!!! What? Baez and Ray came through to keep a win from slipping away from a deserving starter? Thats right...it happened.
While Jeremy Guthrie wasn't so lucky on Mother's Day, Garrett Olson got the help he deserved today to earn his first Major League win. Its great to see a 23 year-old pitcher come to the Majors and pitch well in his first 2 games. Olson hasn't been brilliant, but he has shown a lot of potential and pretty good composure on the mound. He improved in his 2nd start today by going longer in the game, giving up fewer walks, and striking guys out at key times. If not for Jermaine Dye tapping into his 2006 season, then Olson might not have given up any runs today.
Now Steve Trachsel is slated to retake his position the next time through the rotation, but I think the O's feel very confident now that Olson will be able to come up from Norfolk again and help them out. I like that he got 2 starts under his belt rather than just one emergency start and a quick trip back to AAA. Hopefully, Trachsel's bit of rest got him back on track, but if it hasn't I would like to see Olson back in B-more sooner than later.
As mentioned before...I was pleased that Chris Ray and Danys Baez didn't ruin this for Olson today. Baez looked much better than he was before hitting the DL. Of course that shouldn't be hard to do. Just one more good outing, and his ERA is likely to dip below 6.00! Chris Ray got things done, but he still looks shaky to me. However, I can't complain if these guys keep runs off of the board.
While Jeremy Guthrie wasn't so lucky on Mother's Day, Garrett Olson got the help he deserved today to earn his first Major League win. Its great to see a 23 year-old pitcher come to the Majors and pitch well in his first 2 games. Olson hasn't been brilliant, but he has shown a lot of potential and pretty good composure on the mound. He improved in his 2nd start today by going longer in the game, giving up fewer walks, and striking guys out at key times. If not for Jermaine Dye tapping into his 2006 season, then Olson might not have given up any runs today.
Now Steve Trachsel is slated to retake his position the next time through the rotation, but I think the O's feel very confident now that Olson will be able to come up from Norfolk again and help them out. I like that he got 2 starts under his belt rather than just one emergency start and a quick trip back to AAA. Hopefully, Trachsel's bit of rest got him back on track, but if it hasn't I would like to see Olson back in B-more sooner than later.
As mentioned before...I was pleased that Chris Ray and Danys Baez didn't ruin this for Olson today. Baez looked much better than he was before hitting the DL. Of course that shouldn't be hard to do. Just one more good outing, and his ERA is likely to dip below 6.00! Chris Ray got things done, but he still looks shaky to me. However, I can't complain if these guys keep runs off of the board.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Markakis Heating Up?
Its beginning to look like Nick Markakis might be a second half player. He came up huge tonight with a 3-5 night with a walk and 2 RBI. The O's don't win against the ChiSox without Nick. He is currently hitting .342, with a .432 OBP, and a .984 OPS in July. Thats a hell of a month so far. If you look at his progression each month this seasons, he has gone from .245 in April, to .286 in May, to .292 in June, to .342 in July. Maybe he is a guy who just plays better as the weather heats up.
I remember hearing people say after Nick's rough start to his career that the O's made a mistake in bringing Markakis up too early. However, he acclimated well, and was an amazing player in the 2nd half of '06. He has done well so far in 2007, but he hasn't been amazing. However, his play seems to be picking up lately, and he is starting the second half of '07 in a much better place than he did in '06. If he has a similar 2nd half this season, his numbers will be extremely impressive. While I have a tendency to root for homegrown guys with the Orioles like Larry Bigbie and Luis Matos, Nick Markakis is not just another prospect. He is a legitimate big leaguer, who will be a top player for a long time. This is one of the bright spots to savor as an O's fan.
I remember hearing people say after Nick's rough start to his career that the O's made a mistake in bringing Markakis up too early. However, he acclimated well, and was an amazing player in the 2nd half of '06. He has done well so far in 2007, but he hasn't been amazing. However, his play seems to be picking up lately, and he is starting the second half of '07 in a much better place than he did in '06. If he has a similar 2nd half this season, his numbers will be extremely impressive. While I have a tendency to root for homegrown guys with the Orioles like Larry Bigbie and Luis Matos, Nick Markakis is not just another prospect. He is a legitimate big leaguer, who will be a top player for a long time. This is one of the bright spots to savor as an O's fan.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Slowest Sports Week of Summer
The slowest sports week of the summer has hit, and its time to move on towards more exciting times. However, football season is still some time away. Baseball is the only sport going on right now, unless you want to count international soccer or summer league basketball. The Orioles have gone past the halfway point of the season and find themselves 15 games out of 1st in the AL East and 14 in the Wild Card. Erik Bedard has had two exciting performances in a row after last night's outing. He truly is a stud, and the O's need to make sure he stays with this team for a while. However, there really isn't too much to get excited for right now with the O's. They really aren't scoring runs consistently lately. Miguel Tejada's absence seems to really be felt.
They have yet to score 400 runs on the year, and only Chicago and Oakland have yet to do so as well in the AL. Chicago is a joke like the O's, but atleast the A's still have a positive run differential. Orioles pitching has been decent this year, but its wasted with an unproductive offense.
They have yet to score 400 runs on the year, and only Chicago and Oakland have yet to do so as well in the AL. Chicago is a joke like the O's, but atleast the A's still have a positive run differential. Orioles pitching has been decent this year, but its wasted with an unproductive offense.
Monday, July 2, 2007
All Stars Announced
So the All Stars were announced yesterday evening, and the Nats and O's each got just one lone representative. This really isn't a surprise for two teams who are way below even through the 1st half of the season. Dmitri Young is a decent choice for the Nats. Obviously there won't be any pitching representatives from this team with its awful staff. So an everyday player makes the most sense. Ryan Zimmerman is a player I would argue could have made it over Dmitri Young. He has more RBI and runs, which I feel are the most important stats for an offensive player, but he is only batting .245. Young's .340 batting average is a lot more impressive, and he is slugging over .500 as well.
Brian Roberts definitely earned his place for the Orioles. He is one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball, plays good 2nd base, and leads the league in SB. Miguel Tejada was another possibility before his injury, but it would be odd to see him rewarded in somewhat of an off year. There is also a lot more competition for the All Star spot at SS then there is at 2B. Erik Bedard and Jeremy Guthrie are having good years pitching, but neither has too much of a track record, especially Guthrie. Bedard's strikeout totals are impressive, but there are too many players with a better win-loss record and superior ERA this year in the AL for Bedard to get a spot.
Brian Roberts definitely earned his place for the Orioles. He is one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball, plays good 2nd base, and leads the league in SB. Miguel Tejada was another possibility before his injury, but it would be odd to see him rewarded in somewhat of an off year. There is also a lot more competition for the All Star spot at SS then there is at 2B. Erik Bedard and Jeremy Guthrie are having good years pitching, but neither has too much of a track record, especially Guthrie. Bedard's strikeout totals are impressive, but there are too many players with a better win-loss record and superior ERA this year in the AL for Bedard to get a spot.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
2 Over the Yanks
Well I have plans to see the Yankees and O's tommorow for my first O's game of the year. Should I bring a broom?
Its been great to see the O's beat NY the last 2 days. It helps boost the Orioles a little bit closer to respectability, while moving the Yankees a bit further away from the playoffs. Bedard was great today in beating Clemens, and Guthrie was good Tuesday despite not having his best stuff. Hopefully Daniel Cabrera brings what he had against the D-Backs last weekend to tommorow's game. Before that game it had been more than a month since his last good start.
On today's game...it was nice to see Aubrey Huff hit a 3 run homerun. He is having a decent year average wise, but I was expecting better power. He is on track for 11 homeruns, which certainly isn't what the Orioles need from their 1B/DH. At least he is showing more power than Jay Gibbons. What a mess there. Huff hit 21 homeruns last season with both TB and Houston. I was expecting along those lines this year. His OBP is also lower for the O's this year than what it has recently been. I've heard all year long that he is a second half player, so I hope he really turns it on after the All Star break.
Its been great to see the O's beat NY the last 2 days. It helps boost the Orioles a little bit closer to respectability, while moving the Yankees a bit further away from the playoffs. Bedard was great today in beating Clemens, and Guthrie was good Tuesday despite not having his best stuff. Hopefully Daniel Cabrera brings what he had against the D-Backs last weekend to tommorow's game. Before that game it had been more than a month since his last good start.
On today's game...it was nice to see Aubrey Huff hit a 3 run homerun. He is having a decent year average wise, but I was expecting better power. He is on track for 11 homeruns, which certainly isn't what the Orioles need from their 1B/DH. At least he is showing more power than Jay Gibbons. What a mess there. Huff hit 21 homeruns last season with both TB and Houston. I was expecting along those lines this year. His OBP is also lower for the O's this year than what it has recently been. I've heard all year long that he is a second half player, so I hope he really turns it on after the All Star break.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Tejada to DL and Cabrera Shines
So Miguel Tejada won't break Cal Ripken's consecutive games played streak. Well...not unless he comes back and plays until he is in his 50's. I don't think his range at SS will be that great by then. I'm somewhat glad that the streak is over, so that the O's don't feel as obligated to play him every day as they have felt. A little rest is a good idea for a player who is starting to age. This trip to the DL will give Freddy Bynum more of a chance to prove what he is capable of, whie Chris Gomez will continue to do his great job with everything that is thrown at him.
Tejada's roster space was taken by Jon Knott. The guy was only hitting .210 in Norfolk, but he has been hot lately, getting a hit in each of his last 9 games. His power is probably as good as anybody the O's have, so I would like to see him given a shot. With Corey Patterson and Jay Gibbons providing minimal offensive help, I would love to see somebody who atleast has a shot at knocking a ball out of the park.
And Daniel Cabrera has done it again. After giving up earned run totals of 5,7,4,3,4, and 5 over his last six starts, he goes on to no hit a good team for 5 innings and got the win while giving up just 1 run. I don't think he will ever be a great pitcher. However, I feel he will always be a good pitcher who will give you either amazing performances or terrifying ones at any time. He truly is a roller coaster of a player, and I'm pumped that he helped the Orioles build a winning streak after 9 games of losing this month.
Tejada's roster space was taken by Jon Knott. The guy was only hitting .210 in Norfolk, but he has been hot lately, getting a hit in each of his last 9 games. His power is probably as good as anybody the O's have, so I would like to see him given a shot. With Corey Patterson and Jay Gibbons providing minimal offensive help, I would love to see somebody who atleast has a shot at knocking a ball out of the park.
And Daniel Cabrera has done it again. After giving up earned run totals of 5,7,4,3,4, and 5 over his last six starts, he goes on to no hit a good team for 5 innings and got the win while giving up just 1 run. I don't think he will ever be a great pitcher. However, I feel he will always be a good pitcher who will give you either amazing performances or terrifying ones at any time. He truly is a roller coaster of a player, and I'm pumped that he helped the Orioles build a winning streak after 9 games of losing this month.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Chris Ray = Closer?
Chris Ray has had a stellar start to his career with the Baltimore Orioles. After doing brilliantly as BJ Ryan's set up guy for one year, he was given the closer's role last season and appeared to earn that spot with his performance. So far this season Ray has looked like anything but a closer.
The idea of a closer isn't just of a great reliever, but also of a guy who has some fire when he is on the mound. He is the type of guy who might only get one inning of work, but he will give you everything he has in that one inning and walk off knowing he helped win that game. Ray doesn't seem like that guy right now. Its obvious that he is trying, but his demeanor makes it appear that he isn't comfortable that he is that guy right now.
Ray's peripheral stats are fairly decent right now. His WHIP of 1.24 isn't bad. Not as nice as his 1.09 last season, but still respectable. His K/BB ratio is better this year than last, 2.33 to 1.88. He also hasn't give up a lot of homeruns, 3 in over 30 innings. Despite these decent stats, his ERA is almost 2 whole points higher than it was last year, and he already has 5 losses.
So if most of his stats reflect that he is pitching well, why has he struggled in critical games? What causes him to come up short when it seems the O's need him most.
Looking at the Nationals' closer Chad Cordero seems like a good impression to me. He and Ray are the same age, although Cordero has had a longer length of experience as a closer. They both play for teams that are near the bottom of the standings and don't give them as many save opportunities as other closers. Cordero's WHIP this season is 1.48, K/BB is 1.66, and he has given up 4 homeruns in the same amount of innings as Ray. By those stats Ray is having the better season. However, Cordero has just one loss and an ERA of 2.90.
Cordero obviously is being more productive this season than Ray. However, his numbers don't reflect that he is necessarily superior to Ray. What separates the two players is the mindset. Cordero has the confidence of a closer, while I am not seeing that confidence from Ray this season. At this point Chris Ray is the closer by default. The O's don't have anybody in their pen to come in and take his spot away. Maybe thats a problem. If Danys Baez was pitching well, maybe it would push Chris Ray a bit. Hopefully Ray is able to turn things around this season and prove he is the O's guy at the end of games, but his confidence, and my confidence in him, certainly isn't there right now.
The idea of a closer isn't just of a great reliever, but also of a guy who has some fire when he is on the mound. He is the type of guy who might only get one inning of work, but he will give you everything he has in that one inning and walk off knowing he helped win that game. Ray doesn't seem like that guy right now. Its obvious that he is trying, but his demeanor makes it appear that he isn't comfortable that he is that guy right now.
Ray's peripheral stats are fairly decent right now. His WHIP of 1.24 isn't bad. Not as nice as his 1.09 last season, but still respectable. His K/BB ratio is better this year than last, 2.33 to 1.88. He also hasn't give up a lot of homeruns, 3 in over 30 innings. Despite these decent stats, his ERA is almost 2 whole points higher than it was last year, and he already has 5 losses.
So if most of his stats reflect that he is pitching well, why has he struggled in critical games? What causes him to come up short when it seems the O's need him most.
Looking at the Nationals' closer Chad Cordero seems like a good impression to me. He and Ray are the same age, although Cordero has had a longer length of experience as a closer. They both play for teams that are near the bottom of the standings and don't give them as many save opportunities as other closers. Cordero's WHIP this season is 1.48, K/BB is 1.66, and he has given up 4 homeruns in the same amount of innings as Ray. By those stats Ray is having the better season. However, Cordero has just one loss and an ERA of 2.90.
Cordero obviously is being more productive this season than Ray. However, his numbers don't reflect that he is necessarily superior to Ray. What separates the two players is the mindset. Cordero has the confidence of a closer, while I am not seeing that confidence from Ray this season. At this point Chris Ray is the closer by default. The O's don't have anybody in their pen to come in and take his spot away. Maybe thats a problem. If Danys Baez was pitching well, maybe it would push Chris Ray a bit. Hopefully Ray is able to turn things around this season and prove he is the O's guy at the end of games, but his confidence, and my confidence in him, certainly isn't there right now.
Monday, June 11, 2007
4th in the East
4th in the East is where the O's currently stand right now. The O's did not take care of business in a very winnable series against the Rockies, and now find themselves just .001 percentage points ahead of the D-Rays for last in the East. Just looking at the loss column, only the Rangers and Royals have more losses than the O's do right now.
What is truly frustrating about the O's record, is that they aren't as bad of a team as their record shows. The number of 1 run games that the O's have lost is a sign of this. This team might not be clutch or whatever you want to call it, but they are playing a huge amount of close games, and have come up short more than their share of times. On the year the O's have scored 5 more runs than they have allowed. That should translate to a record somewhere around .500.
The teams lower than the O's in the standings are -60(Rangers), -71(Royals), -51(White Sox), and -67(Tampa Bay). Looking at those numbers, those teams should definitely be near the bottom of the AL.
On the opposite end there are teams whose run differential clearly shows that they are the better teams in the league...+80(Rex Sox), +56(Angels), +47(Indians), +67(Detroit), +51(Yankees), and +45(A's). Those 6 teams should be the one's competing for the 4 AL playoff spots with winning records. The Yankees are the only team in that bunch without a current winning record, but I don't see that staying that way for much longer. They have underachieved all year, and are likely to make their way back into the Wild Card spot.
That leaves several other teams whose run differential is somewhere near even. In addition to the O's at +5, there are +2(Twins), -1(Blue Jays), and +13(Seattle).
Minnesota and the Blue Jays are a game and 2 games below .500 respectively. That is right where they should be. The Mariners have been the opposite of the O's, in that they have won a lot of close games. Their 33-26 record has them in the Wild Card hunt early in the summer while their run differential is nowhere near as good as the other teams near the top of the standings.
Whats my point in all of this. The run differential so far this year is impressive to me for an O's team. Since 2000 the Orioles have only had one year, 2004 (+12), where they have finished the season with a positive run differential. Most of those years the O's have finished with a run differential greater than -100. It shows me that during the O's stretch of losing seasons, they truly have not deserved to be winners. That +12 differential under Lee Mazzili in 2004 is miniscule over the course of 162 games. After a run differential of -131 last season, it is a step in the right direction for the O's to turn that number around to +5 in June. However, the wins still aren't coming for the Orioles. Its as if the team has improved, but they still haven't learned how to win.
What is truly frustrating about the O's record, is that they aren't as bad of a team as their record shows. The number of 1 run games that the O's have lost is a sign of this. This team might not be clutch or whatever you want to call it, but they are playing a huge amount of close games, and have come up short more than their share of times. On the year the O's have scored 5 more runs than they have allowed. That should translate to a record somewhere around .500.
The teams lower than the O's in the standings are -60(Rangers), -71(Royals), -51(White Sox), and -67(Tampa Bay). Looking at those numbers, those teams should definitely be near the bottom of the AL.
On the opposite end there are teams whose run differential clearly shows that they are the better teams in the league...+80(Rex Sox), +56(Angels), +47(Indians), +67(Detroit), +51(Yankees), and +45(A's). Those 6 teams should be the one's competing for the 4 AL playoff spots with winning records. The Yankees are the only team in that bunch without a current winning record, but I don't see that staying that way for much longer. They have underachieved all year, and are likely to make their way back into the Wild Card spot.
That leaves several other teams whose run differential is somewhere near even. In addition to the O's at +5, there are +2(Twins), -1(Blue Jays), and +13(Seattle).
Minnesota and the Blue Jays are a game and 2 games below .500 respectively. That is right where they should be. The Mariners have been the opposite of the O's, in that they have won a lot of close games. Their 33-26 record has them in the Wild Card hunt early in the summer while their run differential is nowhere near as good as the other teams near the top of the standings.
Whats my point in all of this. The run differential so far this year is impressive to me for an O's team. Since 2000 the Orioles have only had one year, 2004 (+12), where they have finished the season with a positive run differential. Most of those years the O's have finished with a run differential greater than -100. It shows me that during the O's stretch of losing seasons, they truly have not deserved to be winners. That +12 differential under Lee Mazzili in 2004 is miniscule over the course of 162 games. After a run differential of -131 last season, it is a step in the right direction for the O's to turn that number around to +5 in June. However, the wins still aren't coming for the Orioles. Its as if the team has improved, but they still haven't learned how to win.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Cold Streak
I had a post earlier in the baseball season regarding how the O's appear to be a team of streaks. That trend is definitely keeping up. Win a bunch, lose a bunch...repeat the process. It doesn't seem to get them anywhere. However, there have been times when I love the team, and then times like right now, when watching them play just pisses me off. On the year the O's have winning streaks of 4,4,4, and 6, while losing 3,5,4,5, and 5. Each time the O's snap off a good winning streak, there has always been a equal losing streak to bring them back into the rear of the AL standings. Its a depressing way to follow a team.
Currently the O's have lost 5 straight...the last 3 of those losses earned by the bullpen. The supposed strength of the 2007 O's sure is disappointing.
How worthless is a Hold? Well...Danys Baez earned a hold last night(12th on the year) despite getting just 1 out and giving up 3 earned runs. That stat is meaningless...and Baez's era continues to rise...now at 6.84. Perlozzo just can't trust this guy in a game the O's have the lead any more.
Good news from last night is that Burres continues to do well. I wish he could pitch more efficiently and log some more innings, but its hard to complain with just 1 run given up.
10 hits is also a good sign, although Cory Patterson's .214 average is pretty trifling.
The O's really don't have somebody in the minors who can come up and hit better than Patterson or Gibbons right now? I'd love to atleast see somebody else given a chance in LF, with Payton moving over to CF. Maybe a little benching would inspire one of those guys to get out of their prolonged slumps.
Currently the O's have lost 5 straight...the last 3 of those losses earned by the bullpen. The supposed strength of the 2007 O's sure is disappointing.
How worthless is a Hold? Well...Danys Baez earned a hold last night(12th on the year) despite getting just 1 out and giving up 3 earned runs. That stat is meaningless...and Baez's era continues to rise...now at 6.84. Perlozzo just can't trust this guy in a game the O's have the lead any more.
Good news from last night is that Burres continues to do well. I wish he could pitch more efficiently and log some more innings, but its hard to complain with just 1 run given up.
10 hits is also a good sign, although Cory Patterson's .214 average is pretty trifling.
The O's really don't have somebody in the minors who can come up and hit better than Patterson or Gibbons right now? I'd love to atleast see somebody else given a chance in LF, with Payton moving over to CF. Maybe a little benching would inspire one of those guys to get out of their prolonged slumps.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Guthrie Let Down Again
Does Chris Ray have a problem with Jeremy Guthrie? It seems like Ray just doesn't want to do Guthrie right. Yesterday's homerun offered up by Chris Ray meant another blown save after Guthrie has gone 8 innings versus a division leading team. That type of game makes it hurt to be an O's fan.
The good news for the O's is that Jeremy Guthrie is showing no signs of slowing down. Against the West leading Angels, Guthrie went 8 innings with no walks, 3 hits, and just 1 earned run. Now unlike the game against the Red Sox, Guthrie looked shaky in the 8th inning before coming out. I understand why you might go to the closer in that situation after 2 hits and a run in the previous inning. However, shouldn't a starting pitcher have the right to close out his own game when he has the lead after 8 innings? Especially after the Boston debacle on Mother's Day, I would have given Guthrie control over this game.
Guthrie now has a WHIP under 1.00, and an ERA of 2.76. Hands down...right now he is your best pitcher. If you need to get 3 outs against a division leader with their best 3 hitters coming up...wouldn't you want your best pitcher on the mound?
Chris Ray has had a great young career for the Orioles. He has stepped in nicely for BJ Ryan, and I'm proud to have him as an Oriole. However, his failure in clutch situations against tough teams has me a bit worried. His 4 losses this year were against the Angels, Yankees, and twice to Boston. Those are games that the O's can't afford to be losing when they have a lead. Blowing a game to potential playoff teams is what is keeping the O's out of playoff contention.
If you take the 4 blown saves by Ray that ended in losses for the O's, and flipped them into wins. The O's would be at 31-26 right now. Thats just 1.5 games back of Detroit for the Wild Card. I'm a bit suprised by this, but the O's aren't that far away from being Wild Card contenders. They just completed a 6 game winning streak before the Angels took 3 of 4 from them. However, another prolonged winning streak, and the O's can put themselves right in the mix for the 4th playoff spot.
I know other O's teams over the last decade have had great starts to their seasons, only to return to 4th place by September. I truly hope this O's team has the right mix of guys and a little bit better luck, so they can show themselves and their fans that they can be a better team.
The good news for the O's is that Jeremy Guthrie is showing no signs of slowing down. Against the West leading Angels, Guthrie went 8 innings with no walks, 3 hits, and just 1 earned run. Now unlike the game against the Red Sox, Guthrie looked shaky in the 8th inning before coming out. I understand why you might go to the closer in that situation after 2 hits and a run in the previous inning. However, shouldn't a starting pitcher have the right to close out his own game when he has the lead after 8 innings? Especially after the Boston debacle on Mother's Day, I would have given Guthrie control over this game.
Guthrie now has a WHIP under 1.00, and an ERA of 2.76. Hands down...right now he is your best pitcher. If you need to get 3 outs against a division leader with their best 3 hitters coming up...wouldn't you want your best pitcher on the mound?
Chris Ray has had a great young career for the Orioles. He has stepped in nicely for BJ Ryan, and I'm proud to have him as an Oriole. However, his failure in clutch situations against tough teams has me a bit worried. His 4 losses this year were against the Angels, Yankees, and twice to Boston. Those are games that the O's can't afford to be losing when they have a lead. Blowing a game to potential playoff teams is what is keeping the O's out of playoff contention.
If you take the 4 blown saves by Ray that ended in losses for the O's, and flipped them into wins. The O's would be at 31-26 right now. Thats just 1.5 games back of Detroit for the Wild Card. I'm a bit suprised by this, but the O's aren't that far away from being Wild Card contenders. They just completed a 6 game winning streak before the Angels took 3 of 4 from them. However, another prolonged winning streak, and the O's can put themselves right in the mix for the 4th playoff spot.
I know other O's teams over the last decade have had great starts to their seasons, only to return to 4th place by September. I truly hope this O's team has the right mix of guys and a little bit better luck, so they can show themselves and their fans that they can be a better team.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
5 in a Row
Nothing like a series against the Royals to give a team a boost. The Orioles followed up taking the final two from the A's over Memorial Day weekend to sweep the Royals in KC. The best thing about this win streak is that each starter has gotten a win over the last five days. Erik Bedard was great last night. The great thing about yesterday's win was that he outlasted Gil Meche, who was just as good as Bedard until the Orioles produced a run with some small ball in the 8th. For those who criticize Sam Perlozzo, I think you have to agree with his decisions late in the game last night. Having Bynum pinch run and the bunts by Patterson and Roberts were the difference in the game. As Perlozzo has said before...his decisions come down to the players getting it done, and that is certainly what they did last night.
With the possibility of getting back over .500 this weekend, I saw some good news for the Orioles on the bottom line of ESPN last night. Apparently Bartolo Colon will not be pitching Saturday because of an injury to his triceps. Right now it looks like Joe Saunders(2-0, 1.96 era) is scheduled to go in Colon's place. Saunders initial stats look good, but he does have a WHIP over 1.5, and a mediocre BB/K ratio.
Playing the Angels certainly won't be easy, because they have been hot lately, and are currently the 3rd best team in the AL. Their pitching staff is very solid. John Lackey is having an extremely good year, and their rotation is one of the tops in the AL. Their bullpen is also tough with guys like Rodriguez and Shields to close out games. Hopefully Brian Burres can be tough against the Angels tonight, and get this series off to a great start.
With the possibility of getting back over .500 this weekend, I saw some good news for the Orioles on the bottom line of ESPN last night. Apparently Bartolo Colon will not be pitching Saturday because of an injury to his triceps. Right now it looks like Joe Saunders(2-0, 1.96 era) is scheduled to go in Colon's place. Saunders initial stats look good, but he does have a WHIP over 1.5, and a mediocre BB/K ratio.
Playing the Angels certainly won't be easy, because they have been hot lately, and are currently the 3rd best team in the AL. Their pitching staff is very solid. John Lackey is having an extremely good year, and their rotation is one of the tops in the AL. Their bullpen is also tough with guys like Rodriguez and Shields to close out games. Hopefully Brian Burres can be tough against the Angels tonight, and get this series off to a great start.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Guthrie
I don't think I'm alone among O's fans when I state that I am starting to love Jeremy Guthrie. He has been absolutely spectacular in his 6 starts this year, and is performing better than any of our starters over that stretch of time. His era is currently at 3.02, but that includes several lousy bullpen performances at the beginning of the year. With my math, his era has been 1.91 as a starter. With a .232 BAA and 1.02 WHIP, it certainly doesn't look like an aberration that he has given up so few runs. His BB/K ratio is good and so are his homerun totals. At some point Guthrie may drop off in his performance, but I don't think he will slide far. He appears very athletic out on the field. I loved watching the O's game against the Nats when he almost beat out an infield hit by busting his ass down the line. At the same time though, he seems to be a very cool guy on the field. He doesn't seem to get worked up, and has a very efficient business-like approach on the mound.
Its amazing to me that the O's got this guy for practically nothing with the way he has been playing. I understand a bit why Cleveland couldn't keep him. They have a pretty good rotation, and Guthrie didn't really show them much according to his stats.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/guthrje01.shtml
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Jeremy%2520Guthrie&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=425386
However, he had a good year in the minors in 2006. Perhaps he just wasn't accustomed to coming out of the bullpen, which is all he did with Cleveland besides 1 start.
Guthrie is making it very easy for O's fans to forget the O's acquired Jaret Wright this past offseason. I truly don't care about the progress Wright may be making, because his spot has been taken by somebody who is pitching like an All Star lately. Its pretty impressive that a guy who was waived back in January is now proving his worth as a big league starter.
Its amazing to me that the O's got this guy for practically nothing with the way he has been playing. I understand a bit why Cleveland couldn't keep him. They have a pretty good rotation, and Guthrie didn't really show them much according to his stats.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/guthrje01.shtml
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Jeremy%2520Guthrie&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=425386
However, he had a good year in the minors in 2006. Perhaps he just wasn't accustomed to coming out of the bullpen, which is all he did with Cleveland besides 1 start.
Guthrie is making it very easy for O's fans to forget the O's acquired Jaret Wright this past offseason. I truly don't care about the progress Wright may be making, because his spot has been taken by somebody who is pitching like an All Star lately. Its pretty impressive that a guy who was waived back in January is now proving his worth as a big league starter.
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