With the usual apologies to former Baltimore Sun Columnist (and current CSNBaltimore.com contributor) John Eisenberg, here is another submission of my version of 'Fact & Opinion.'
Fact: The San Diego Padres declined their 2011 option on Jon Garland, leading some to speculate he could be of interest to the Baltimore Orioles.
Opinion: The Orioles do not need to obtain him or any other veteran starter. (Cliff Lee will not be standing at a podium at the Warehouse this Winter, so we are talking about the class of starter whose best attribute is providing innings.) I like the idea of going into Spring Training with a staff that looks like Matusz, Guthrie, Arrieta, Bergesen, and Tillman. With Britton waiting in the wings in AAA, and other internal options like VandenHurk, Berken, and Hernandez if need be.
You want to guess how Garland would fair in the AL East? Pay less attention to his '10 numbers with San Diego in those huge National League West ballparks, and more attention to his '08 numbers with the Angels. You might as well just bring back Millwood, if Garland is an actual option.
Fact: Jason Berken has announced he is on pace to begin his throwing program in December, and he has received multiple recommendations that surgery is not required.
Opinion: This is the best news of the Winter so far for the Birds. Not because I believe Berken will directly match the production he showed in the 1st-half of last-year, but because a healthy Berken only adds to the depth being assembled in the O's bullpen.
Several times prior to the off-season, Andy MacPhail stated publicly that adding someone externally to the bullpen would be something that is considered.
Right now we are looking at bullpen that includes Gonzalez, Hernandez, Johnson, and Berken. That is four. If you resign Uehara, that is five. I would expect the O's to have one of VandenHurk or Simon in the pen, that is six. Patton or a FA lefty addition would be seven.
Fact: A number of Coaching staff moves have occurred. Pitching Coach Rick Kranitz moved to the Astros, and appears that he will be replaced by Mark Connor. The Crow will no longer be on the bench, and has been replaced by Jim Presley. Rick Adair has been named the bullpen coach. Wayne Kirby will be the coach at 1st, and in a bit of surprise Juan Samuel will likely be back at 3rd. If Don Wakamatsu does not get a Managerial gig of his own, he is the leading candidate to be Showalter's bench-coach.
Opinion: I really do not care about any of these moves beyond the idea that I am happy that Showalter is getting to formulate his coaching staff as he deems fit. There has been plenty of discussion about Crowley over the years, and my feelings have always been mixed. A lot of players directly stated they liked working with him, and that he improved their swing mechanics technically. The results though showed the Orioles were consistently mediocre at taking pitches, working counts, and getting on-base. I'm happy Crowley is staying in the organization, and also excited that a new voice will be heard in the O's dugout. I thought it was interesting that Matusz had spoke out publicly about his desire for Kranitz to return. Based on that alone, I would have been tempted to bring him back. All-in-all though, that would have been the easy decision. It is better that despite Matusz's proclamation, that Showalter surrounded himself with the coach he was more comfortable with.
I was surprised that Samuel was going to be named to the staff. After-all he was not part of the staff when Showalter took over. Still, Showalter did go out of his way to thank Samuel for his contributions before he (Showalter) was hired. Also, we all heard about the respect the team had for Samuel during his time as Manager.
Fact: Peter Gammons recently wrote that he believes the Detroit Tigers will be willing to give Victor Martinez a 4 year deal.
Opinion: I believe Martinez will be pursued by the O's, but would be surprised if the Orioles were willing to offer 4 years.
Fact: The Tigers declined their option on Jhonny Peralta, but Detroit still has interest in resigning the SS.
Opinion: Peralta is 28, and has been just a .700 OPS hitter over the previous two seasons (.748 for his career). He is also known as a mediocre SS (also nearly 300 career games at 3rd) that will make the routine play, that has limited range. I'll still take him over Izturis if Detroit does not get him resigned.That is not me not valuing defense, it just my belief that Izturis is not a Ozzie Smith or Belanger, and because of that you can justify bringing him back. He is the worst everyday offensive player in the Majors. Peralta has had 3 seasons of 20+ homers, and brings some upside.
Showing posts with label Baltimore Orioles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baltimore Orioles. Show all posts
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
I believe this off-season will be different
Among Oriole fans, there is a lot of talk of what this off-season will be like.
The late former Oriole Executive Syd Thrift once stated, "It is like I am offering Confederate money," when talking about his pursuit of impact Free Agents. It is often stated that perception is reality, and the perception among many Oriole fans is that the O's will either not be able to attract top-talent to Baltimore, will have to drastically over-pay (compared to the player's actual market-value) to do so, or is unwilling to spend the money necessary.
Each of those points have some truth, and some inaccuracies.
When you have had losing seasons every-year from 1998 through 2010, it obviously becomes a more difficult proposition to sell elite FA's on coming-here as a destination. When you are talking about elite MLB FA's, you are typically talking about players who are looking to sign a contract that will extend through most of the prime-years of their career. If all things ($$) are equal, it simply is going to be easier to sell that FA on going to an established contender, vs. going to a team that is building.
Even if all teams were on absolute equal-footing financial wise, that above point that it would be easier to sell an elite FA on going to a contender, vs. going to a team that is building would be accurate. As financial disparities do exist, it becomes even more difficult for those franchises with less overall resources to attract that type of talent.
More difficult does not equate to impossible though. If Teixeira had been a FA this Winter, he might have looked at the O's roster, and been more likely to believe better days were ahead. It is possible you could have sold him on coming home, even if you were offering less money overall.
There are two marquee FA's available this off-season in Carl Crawford, and Cliff Lee. If Darvish is posted in Japan, there will be three elite talents available. I would be surprised if anyone believes any of those players will be spending their 2011 Summer in Charm City. However, let us say that the O's decided they wanted Crawford*, and were willing to offer a 6 year contract totaling $102M ($17M per season). Simply by offering that market-level contract, the O's would be considered by Crawford. I think we can all agree though, that if the Yankees countered the Oriole offer with similar years, and dollars; Crawford would be heading to NY.
(*I do not believe the O's have any interest in going after Crawford, just using him to make the point)
In a scenario where the O's have offered Crawford 6 years $102M, and the Yankees have counted with 7 years $126M, the Orioles are left with two options. Option 1 would be going back to Crawford, and offering more money (and years) than you believe he is worth. (Something like 8 years and $136M) Option 2 would be walking away and allowing the Yankees to obtain him.
Consider me one who believes that the prudent move would be for the O's to walk away from the table at that point. While I want the O's to obtain difference level talent, it will rarely end well for the O's (who will always have less resources available vs. NY, and probably Boston) to spend more money for a player than they are actually worth.
You will note that I said it will 'rarely' end well, instead of stating it will 'never' end well. My rationale there is that I do think it would be possible to build a team constructed around a few highly paid stars, combined with young pre-arbitration players making very little. In that scenario, you could argue that it would be worth-it to overspend for elite talent.
So, I believe it will be hard to attract elite-level talent to Baltimore (though not impossible) until you win. I believe that if you did obtain that elite-level talent, you would likely have to overspend to do so. I tend to believe the O's would 'overspend' on a few select players, but are not going to make an extensive-investment in years and dollars to players if they have to pay over market-value to do so. I also think the Orioles are basically adopting the mantra from Boston's Theo Epstein that, "If you convince yourself you need a certain player to win, then you've already lost. It just doesn't work that way," Epstein said. "One player doesn't have that much impact. It's about building organizations, not adding players. There's no player you can add to make up for an inherent weakness in your organization, a foundational weakness. You need to build the foundation up to get to the point where you don't need to add that one player. I mean, you can pursue that one player -- and yeah, he'd be a great fit. But if it doesn't work out or if the money gets ridiculous, you can turn to a different player and be in just as good a shape, almost."
With that established, this gets us back to this off-season. As I stated above, I believe there are only 2-3 elite FA talents available this Winter. That does not mean there are not players available whom could significantly help this team.
I think the O's would be willing to take the the payroll to around $90M (a $20M +/- difference vs. 2010), but that does not mean they will get there. They can make offers to the players they identify, but that does not mean those players will sign. I think 2010 was significant, because the core you want to move forward with received more time in the bigs - and the larger issues became further apparent. The O's clearly want to address 1st, and 3rd and that is going to cost some money.
The O's have some cash to burn, options that can improve them, and MacPhail's desire for stark improvement. While not my preference (and also not the O's preference), they also have the option of packaging together several younger players for a larger move.
All of this is coupled with a need for the O's to build off the last 2 months, and build back their season-ticket (and corporate box) sales. MacPhail is always going to be somewhat patient, but I do think he is going to be deliberate/systematic about improving the team to the point that we go into spring-training believing contention is actually within the realm of possibility.
I would argue that acquiring Martinez or Lee for 1st, and Beltre for 3rd is the quickest and simplest way to improve the lineup without majorly disrupting the team. Meaning acquiring those players would not cost what they see as an overwhelming investment in Crawford. Would not be prohibitive in cost in-terms of players they trade from within for larger talents.
There is a dearth of top talent at the upper-level minors (in large part because of recently graduated talent to the bigs). If you assume that Markakis, Wieters, Matusz, Arrieta, and Jones are a fairly untouchable core at the Major League level, and that you are worried about your overall depth, you probably are not excited about the prospects of trading Tillman, Britton, Bell, Hernandez, Bergesen, Reimold, Snyder etc etc.
(Of course if you acquire Beltre, you would probably than be willing to package Bell.)
If you go into next season having resigned Uehara, Wigginton, and Izturis, while signing FA's Martinez or Lee, with Beltre you would look like:
Starters:
Matusz, Guthrie, Arrieta, Bergesen, Tillman
Bullpen:
Uehara
Gonzalez
Hernandez
Johnson
Berken (?)
Simon / VandenHurk
Patton / 2nd Lefty
Everyday:
Roberts 2nd
Markakis RF
Martinez or Lee (etc. etc) 1st
Wieters C
Beltre 3rd
Scott DH
Jones CF
Pie LF
Izturis SS
Bench:
Tatum, Andino, Wigginton, Reimold
That is a team pretty close to contention. Reasonably, all that would have to happen is the growth you are already expecting of your younger talent, and an avoidance of your 'older' (ie Roberts, Scott, Guthrie, Martinez or Lee (etc etc), Beltre, Uehara) players falling through the floor. If the O's had that team, at that point I could see MacPhail trying to trade Tillman, Bell, and etc. etc. for a veteran starting pitcher, or perhaps a better option at SS.
I think this off-season will be different. I do not think the O's are going to be offering Confederate money this Winter. I think they have identified positions they want to improve, and have options available to them that are a step-below the true elite options which would be much harder to obtain. The Orioles will still have dollar and year limits that they will not want to go past for players like Martinez, Lee, and Beltre; but I do think the O's will be aggressive in their pursuit. That aggression by itself would make this off-season different.
The late former Oriole Executive Syd Thrift once stated, "It is like I am offering Confederate money," when talking about his pursuit of impact Free Agents. It is often stated that perception is reality, and the perception among many Oriole fans is that the O's will either not be able to attract top-talent to Baltimore, will have to drastically over-pay (compared to the player's actual market-value) to do so, or is unwilling to spend the money necessary.
Each of those points have some truth, and some inaccuracies.
When you have had losing seasons every-year from 1998 through 2010, it obviously becomes a more difficult proposition to sell elite FA's on coming-here as a destination. When you are talking about elite MLB FA's, you are typically talking about players who are looking to sign a contract that will extend through most of the prime-years of their career. If all things ($$) are equal, it simply is going to be easier to sell that FA on going to an established contender, vs. going to a team that is building.
Even if all teams were on absolute equal-footing financial wise, that above point that it would be easier to sell an elite FA on going to a contender, vs. going to a team that is building would be accurate. As financial disparities do exist, it becomes even more difficult for those franchises with less overall resources to attract that type of talent.
More difficult does not equate to impossible though. If Teixeira had been a FA this Winter, he might have looked at the O's roster, and been more likely to believe better days were ahead. It is possible you could have sold him on coming home, even if you were offering less money overall.
There are two marquee FA's available this off-season in Carl Crawford, and Cliff Lee. If Darvish is posted in Japan, there will be three elite talents available. I would be surprised if anyone believes any of those players will be spending their 2011 Summer in Charm City. However, let us say that the O's decided they wanted Crawford*, and were willing to offer a 6 year contract totaling $102M ($17M per season). Simply by offering that market-level contract, the O's would be considered by Crawford. I think we can all agree though, that if the Yankees countered the Oriole offer with similar years, and dollars; Crawford would be heading to NY.
(*I do not believe the O's have any interest in going after Crawford, just using him to make the point)
In a scenario where the O's have offered Crawford 6 years $102M, and the Yankees have counted with 7 years $126M, the Orioles are left with two options. Option 1 would be going back to Crawford, and offering more money (and years) than you believe he is worth. (Something like 8 years and $136M) Option 2 would be walking away and allowing the Yankees to obtain him.
Consider me one who believes that the prudent move would be for the O's to walk away from the table at that point. While I want the O's to obtain difference level talent, it will rarely end well for the O's (who will always have less resources available vs. NY, and probably Boston) to spend more money for a player than they are actually worth.
You will note that I said it will 'rarely' end well, instead of stating it will 'never' end well. My rationale there is that I do think it would be possible to build a team constructed around a few highly paid stars, combined with young pre-arbitration players making very little. In that scenario, you could argue that it would be worth-it to overspend for elite talent.
So, I believe it will be hard to attract elite-level talent to Baltimore (though not impossible) until you win. I believe that if you did obtain that elite-level talent, you would likely have to overspend to do so. I tend to believe the O's would 'overspend' on a few select players, but are not going to make an extensive-investment in years and dollars to players if they have to pay over market-value to do so. I also think the Orioles are basically adopting the mantra from Boston's Theo Epstein that, "If you convince yourself you need a certain player to win, then you've already lost. It just doesn't work that way," Epstein said. "One player doesn't have that much impact. It's about building organizations, not adding players. There's no player you can add to make up for an inherent weakness in your organization, a foundational weakness. You need to build the foundation up to get to the point where you don't need to add that one player. I mean, you can pursue that one player -- and yeah, he'd be a great fit. But if it doesn't work out or if the money gets ridiculous, you can turn to a different player and be in just as good a shape, almost."
With that established, this gets us back to this off-season. As I stated above, I believe there are only 2-3 elite FA talents available this Winter. That does not mean there are not players available whom could significantly help this team.
I think the O's would be willing to take the the payroll to around $90M (a $20M +/- difference vs. 2010), but that does not mean they will get there. They can make offers to the players they identify, but that does not mean those players will sign. I think 2010 was significant, because the core you want to move forward with received more time in the bigs - and the larger issues became further apparent. The O's clearly want to address 1st, and 3rd and that is going to cost some money.
The O's have some cash to burn, options that can improve them, and MacPhail's desire for stark improvement. While not my preference (and also not the O's preference), they also have the option of packaging together several younger players for a larger move.
All of this is coupled with a need for the O's to build off the last 2 months, and build back their season-ticket (and corporate box) sales. MacPhail is always going to be somewhat patient, but I do think he is going to be deliberate/systematic about improving the team to the point that we go into spring-training believing contention is actually within the realm of possibility.
I would argue that acquiring Martinez or Lee for 1st, and Beltre for 3rd is the quickest and simplest way to improve the lineup without majorly disrupting the team. Meaning acquiring those players would not cost what they see as an overwhelming investment in Crawford. Would not be prohibitive in cost in-terms of players they trade from within for larger talents.
There is a dearth of top talent at the upper-level minors (in large part because of recently graduated talent to the bigs). If you assume that Markakis, Wieters, Matusz, Arrieta, and Jones are a fairly untouchable core at the Major League level, and that you are worried about your overall depth, you probably are not excited about the prospects of trading Tillman, Britton, Bell, Hernandez, Bergesen, Reimold, Snyder etc etc.
(Of course if you acquire Beltre, you would probably than be willing to package Bell.)
If you go into next season having resigned Uehara, Wigginton, and Izturis, while signing FA's Martinez or Lee, with Beltre you would look like:
Starters:
Matusz, Guthrie, Arrieta, Bergesen, Tillman
Bullpen:
Uehara
Gonzalez
Hernandez
Johnson
Berken (?)
Simon / VandenHurk
Patton / 2nd Lefty
Everyday:
Roberts 2nd
Markakis RF
Martinez or Lee (etc. etc) 1st
Wieters C
Beltre 3rd
Scott DH
Jones CF
Pie LF
Izturis SS
Bench:
Tatum, Andino, Wigginton, Reimold
That is a team pretty close to contention. Reasonably, all that would have to happen is the growth you are already expecting of your younger talent, and an avoidance of your 'older' (ie Roberts, Scott, Guthrie, Martinez or Lee (etc etc), Beltre, Uehara) players falling through the floor. If the O's had that team, at that point I could see MacPhail trying to trade Tillman, Bell, and etc. etc. for a veteran starting pitcher, or perhaps a better option at SS.
I think this off-season will be different. I do not think the O's are going to be offering Confederate money this Winter. I think they have identified positions they want to improve, and have options available to them that are a step-below the true elite options which would be much harder to obtain. The Orioles will still have dollar and year limits that they will not want to go past for players like Martinez, Lee, and Beltre; but I do think the O's will be aggressive in their pursuit. That aggression by itself would make this off-season different.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
O's win, move over .500 since the AS Break
Brian Matusz won his 10th game of 2010 tonight, as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1.
Matusz's win was his 6th consecutive winning decision, and really punctuated his impressive 2nd-half. For the second straight start Matusz had at-least 8 k's.
Down 1-0, Nick Markakis homered for the second time in two days, bringing his OPS above .800.
Uehara notched his 13th save of the year.
With the win, the Orioles are now 37-36 since the All-Star break.
Matusz's win was his 6th consecutive winning decision, and really punctuated his impressive 2nd-half. For the second straight start Matusz had at-least 8 k's.
Down 1-0, Nick Markakis homered for the second time in two days, bringing his OPS above .800.
Uehara notched his 13th save of the year.
With the win, the Orioles are now 37-36 since the All-Star break.
Looking forward to the O's off-season
After sweeping a double-header yesterday against the Detroit Tigers, the Baltimore Orioles are now 65-95 with two games remaining in the 2010 season.
65 wins represents a 1 game improvement over the 2009 season, which is frankly amazing considering the O's were 32-73 when Showalter took over. With one win in these last two games, the O's will have a .500 record since the All-Star break. (currently 36-36) The Orioles had a winning August. The Orioles will have a winning September/October. With Showalter at the helm, the O's have showed they can play against the division.
Two weeks ago, I asked after further inspection who are the O's?
http://baltimoresportsandlife.blogspot.com/2010/09/after-further-examination-who-are-os.html
My basic opinions remain. You are not as good as you look when everything is going right, nor as bad as you look when everything is going wrong. As currently constructed, I think the O's in 2011 would be the .500 level team I predicted them to be here in '10. Watching the youth of this roster continue to grow and mature is going to be fun.
What also is going to be fun, is seeing how the O's choose to augment their roster.
Before the O's make plans to pursue players currently external to the organization, I anticipate they will prioritize resigning Uehara, and Wigginton. I do believe both players will be back in an Oriole uniform for 2011.
There are no secrets about where the O's need to improve. Izturis is the worst offensive every-day player in the Majors, and his defense is not at the level of a Belanger or Ozzie Smith to make it acceptable.
(Check-out this thread started by Tony Pente on his own Orioles Hangout forum about Izturis. http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102979 )
Josh Bell is a legitimate 3rd-base prospect, but 53 k's (vs. 2 walks) in 155 at-bats clearly indicates he is not ready to hold down the position.
I've made clear that I believe in the talents of Nolan Reimold, and feel he could handle 1st-base if handed the position full-time. With the Achillies' and the birth of his child behind him, I expect him to have a focused off-season, and be prepared to help the O's next-year. The reality is that as encouraging as his rookie season was, this sophomore season was a nightmare. If the Orioles have visions of rapidly improving, you can not go into 2011 with 1st-base being a question mark.
Barring trade or injury; Guthrie, Matusz, Arrieta, and Bergesen are four locks for the O's 2011 Opening Day rotation. Without a Free Agent addition, or the acquisition of a starter via trade; Tillman will head to Spring Training as the most-likely 5th starter. Britton (and to a lesser extent VandenHurk) will be waiting in the wings as internal replacements when injuries or non-performance occurs.
If you believe like I do that Uehara returns, you have to be excited about the prospects for the bullpen. Uehara, Gonzalez, Hernandez, Johnson, Berken (if able), Simon/ VandenHurk, Patton / 2nd lefty is potentially very good.
You know who will man RF, C, and 2nd. Even if the O's decide to move Jones to LF, you know that he will man one of the OF spots. My guess is that he returns to CF at-least to start '11. The odds are very low on Scott being traded, so really you know who is the DH. Unless the unexpected presents itself, Pie figures to be back in LF.
You can not make Free Agents sign, but it will still be interesting to see whom the O's choose to pursue.
In June, I asked if the O's should consider Victor Martinez this off-season:
http://baltimoresportsandlife.blogspot.com/2010/06/should-os-target-victor-martinez.html
Now in October, you are hearing his name with some frequency. I expect the O's will make an offer here. If the O's could get him for 2 years, I see a lot of value in his potential acquisition.
I've come around to the idea of pursuing Adrian Beltre for 3rd. Here is a Fangraphs.com article about the type of contract it will likely take to land him.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/contract-crowdsourcing-results-adrian-beltre/
Four years, and $60M seems like a reasonable estimation of what it would take to bring him to Baltimore. He is not the hitter he has shown to be this year with Boston, but he is a capable offensive and defensive player that would improve the everyday Oriole lineup.
The Orioles have spent additional time scouting Japan this year, and I'm interested to see if the O's will aggressively pursue top-level talent such as the starter Yu Darvish, or SS Hiroyuki Nakajima. Both players are mentioned as potential options to be posted this Winter. The first-link below talks about that possible posting, the second link is a previous entry from me on Darvish complete with scouting reports. At the time I was suggesting a posting-fee possibly at $60M, which would represent a slight increase over what Boston provided to negotiate for Dice-K. If it is now going to be significantly lower, and similar to what it cost for Igawa - you can bet the Orioles will be involved.
http://www.metsblog.com/2010/09/30/yu-darvish-could-be-up-for-grabs/
http://baltimoresportsandlife.blogspot.com/2010/07/2011-os-rotation.html
What these last two months have done is reset the clock. People are seeing tangible improvement, and potential for the franchise. Questions remain, but even if no major additions are made the talent exists internally for this team to take major steps next-year. That by itself is going to have people looking forward to '11. With a couple of key additions you have to wonder just how much this team could achieve.
65 wins represents a 1 game improvement over the 2009 season, which is frankly amazing considering the O's were 32-73 when Showalter took over. With one win in these last two games, the O's will have a .500 record since the All-Star break. (currently 36-36) The Orioles had a winning August. The Orioles will have a winning September/October. With Showalter at the helm, the O's have showed they can play against the division.
Two weeks ago, I asked after further inspection who are the O's?
http://baltimoresportsandlife.blogspot.com/2010/09/after-further-examination-who-are-os.html
My basic opinions remain. You are not as good as you look when everything is going right, nor as bad as you look when everything is going wrong. As currently constructed, I think the O's in 2011 would be the .500 level team I predicted them to be here in '10. Watching the youth of this roster continue to grow and mature is going to be fun.
What also is going to be fun, is seeing how the O's choose to augment their roster.
Before the O's make plans to pursue players currently external to the organization, I anticipate they will prioritize resigning Uehara, and Wigginton. I do believe both players will be back in an Oriole uniform for 2011.
There are no secrets about where the O's need to improve. Izturis is the worst offensive every-day player in the Majors, and his defense is not at the level of a Belanger or Ozzie Smith to make it acceptable.
(Check-out this thread started by Tony Pente on his own Orioles Hangout forum about Izturis. http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102979 )
Josh Bell is a legitimate 3rd-base prospect, but 53 k's (vs. 2 walks) in 155 at-bats clearly indicates he is not ready to hold down the position.
I've made clear that I believe in the talents of Nolan Reimold, and feel he could handle 1st-base if handed the position full-time. With the Achillies' and the birth of his child behind him, I expect him to have a focused off-season, and be prepared to help the O's next-year. The reality is that as encouraging as his rookie season was, this sophomore season was a nightmare. If the Orioles have visions of rapidly improving, you can not go into 2011 with 1st-base being a question mark.
Barring trade or injury; Guthrie, Matusz, Arrieta, and Bergesen are four locks for the O's 2011 Opening Day rotation. Without a Free Agent addition, or the acquisition of a starter via trade; Tillman will head to Spring Training as the most-likely 5th starter. Britton (and to a lesser extent VandenHurk) will be waiting in the wings as internal replacements when injuries or non-performance occurs.
If you believe like I do that Uehara returns, you have to be excited about the prospects for the bullpen. Uehara, Gonzalez, Hernandez, Johnson, Berken (if able), Simon/ VandenHurk, Patton / 2nd lefty is potentially very good.
You know who will man RF, C, and 2nd. Even if the O's decide to move Jones to LF, you know that he will man one of the OF spots. My guess is that he returns to CF at-least to start '11. The odds are very low on Scott being traded, so really you know who is the DH. Unless the unexpected presents itself, Pie figures to be back in LF.
You can not make Free Agents sign, but it will still be interesting to see whom the O's choose to pursue.
In June, I asked if the O's should consider Victor Martinez this off-season:
http://baltimoresportsandlife.blogspot.com/2010/06/should-os-target-victor-martinez.html
Now in October, you are hearing his name with some frequency. I expect the O's will make an offer here. If the O's could get him for 2 years, I see a lot of value in his potential acquisition.
I've come around to the idea of pursuing Adrian Beltre for 3rd. Here is a Fangraphs.com article about the type of contract it will likely take to land him.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/contract-crowdsourcing-results-adrian-beltre/
Four years, and $60M seems like a reasonable estimation of what it would take to bring him to Baltimore. He is not the hitter he has shown to be this year with Boston, but he is a capable offensive and defensive player that would improve the everyday Oriole lineup.
The Orioles have spent additional time scouting Japan this year, and I'm interested to see if the O's will aggressively pursue top-level talent such as the starter Yu Darvish, or SS Hiroyuki Nakajima. Both players are mentioned as potential options to be posted this Winter. The first-link below talks about that possible posting, the second link is a previous entry from me on Darvish complete with scouting reports. At the time I was suggesting a posting-fee possibly at $60M, which would represent a slight increase over what Boston provided to negotiate for Dice-K. If it is now going to be significantly lower, and similar to what it cost for Igawa - you can bet the Orioles will be involved.
http://www.metsblog.com/2010/09/30/yu-darvish-could-be-up-for-grabs/
http://baltimoresportsandlife.blogspot.com/2010/07/2011-os-rotation.html
What these last two months have done is reset the clock. People are seeing tangible improvement, and potential for the franchise. Questions remain, but even if no major additions are made the talent exists internally for this team to take major steps next-year. That by itself is going to have people looking forward to '11. With a couple of key additions you have to wonder just how much this team could achieve.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
O's win, take 2 out of 3 in Tampa
Buoyed by 7 scoreless innings from veteran Kevin Millwood, the Baltimore Orioles beat the Rays 2-0 in Tampa.
With the win, the O's moved to 4-1 against Tampa for the month. Since the All-Star break, the Orioles are now 34 and 36 overall. If Baltimore can take 3 of 4 against Detroit, the O's will have played .500 baseball for the last 46% of the season.
I felt good for Millwood tonight. The odds are pretty strong that he was making his last appearance as an Oriole. Tampa takes a lot of pitches, and they also have hitters that expand the zone. Millwood exploited the high strike-zone being called by home-plate Umpire Angel Hernandez. In the bottom of the 7th, Millwood took the mound being staked to the 2-run lead. When he walked Zobrist to start the inning, I had images of the game coming apart. Of course it progressed to a two-out bases loaded situation, with B.J. Upton at the plate. Consciously you know Millwood had to be aware this was going to be the last hitter he faced (and would face in an Oriole uniform) and he was able to get the strike-out.
I would think that if Millwood wants to continue playing in 2011, someone will give him a look. If he decides to call it a career, he should feel good about how he earned his fourth 2010 win, and the professionalism he showed this season.
Two other Oriole players who should feel good tonight are Felix Pie, and Koji Uehara. Pie knocked in the O's two runs, with his triple in the 7th. He fell behind in count against Niemann, but was able to battle before getting a pitch to hit.
For the second-time in the series, Uehara was just outstanding in the 9th. Uehara earned his 11th save on the year, striking out Crawford swinging, and Johnson looking to end the game.
With the win, the O's moved to 4-1 against Tampa for the month. Since the All-Star break, the Orioles are now 34 and 36 overall. If Baltimore can take 3 of 4 against Detroit, the O's will have played .500 baseball for the last 46% of the season.
I felt good for Millwood tonight. The odds are pretty strong that he was making his last appearance as an Oriole. Tampa takes a lot of pitches, and they also have hitters that expand the zone. Millwood exploited the high strike-zone being called by home-plate Umpire Angel Hernandez. In the bottom of the 7th, Millwood took the mound being staked to the 2-run lead. When he walked Zobrist to start the inning, I had images of the game coming apart. Of course it progressed to a two-out bases loaded situation, with B.J. Upton at the plate. Consciously you know Millwood had to be aware this was going to be the last hitter he faced (and would face in an Oriole uniform) and he was able to get the strike-out.
I would think that if Millwood wants to continue playing in 2011, someone will give him a look. If he decides to call it a career, he should feel good about how he earned his fourth 2010 win, and the professionalism he showed this season.
Two other Oriole players who should feel good tonight are Felix Pie, and Koji Uehara. Pie knocked in the O's two runs, with his triple in the 7th. He fell behind in count against Niemann, but was able to battle before getting a pitch to hit.
For the second-time in the series, Uehara was just outstanding in the 9th. Uehara earned his 11th save on the year, striking out Crawford swinging, and Johnson looking to end the game.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Matusz was dominating
Brian Matusz was pretty dominating last-night in the O's 4-0 win at Tampa.
Matusz is not going to confuse anyone of Randy Johnson in his prime, but in his own way he was every bit as impressive.
As Palmer pointed out on the telecast, Matusz's curve was in top-form. That big-break helped him go 7 innings of score-less ball, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, while striking-out 8.
He was now won 5 straight decisions, and 6 of his past 7.
Since the All-Star break, Matusz is 6-3, with a 3.82 era. In 66 innings, he has allowed 59 hits, 23 walks, with 54 k's.
Tampa is playing for a Divisional crown, and obviously in the mind-set that every-game matters. The fact that Matusz was able to walk into that building, in that setting and shut-down Tampa is something to take note of.
As an aside, how about Uehara in the 9th? Obviously was not a save situation, but the Rays had absolutely no chance against him. He has great movement, and even better control. His fastball is really the equivalent of 4 different pitches, because he has the ability to work up,down, in, and out.
Matusz is not going to confuse anyone of Randy Johnson in his prime, but in his own way he was every bit as impressive.
As Palmer pointed out on the telecast, Matusz's curve was in top-form. That big-break helped him go 7 innings of score-less ball, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, while striking-out 8.
He was now won 5 straight decisions, and 6 of his past 7.
Since the All-Star break, Matusz is 6-3, with a 3.82 era. In 66 innings, he has allowed 59 hits, 23 walks, with 54 k's.
Tampa is playing for a Divisional crown, and obviously in the mind-set that every-game matters. The fact that Matusz was able to walk into that building, in that setting and shut-down Tampa is something to take note of.
As an aside, how about Uehara in the 9th? Obviously was not a save situation, but the Rays had absolutely no chance against him. He has great movement, and even better control. His fastball is really the equivalent of 4 different pitches, because he has the ability to work up,down, in, and out.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Tejada Part 3?
If the O's were unable to obtain a legitimate multi-year option for SS, would you be opposed to Tejada returning to Baltimore for a 3rd time?
He has played SS for the Padres since being traded. He has a .766 OPS as a Padre (.702 overall, .860 vs. LHP).
Fangraphs.com shows his UZR / 150 at 11.9 as a SS this year (was -11.2 in '09).
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=941&position=SS
If the options were Tejada for 1 year, or Izturis for 1 year... who do you choose?
To me, even if you believe Izturis is not the .554 OPS player he has been in 2010 (and is closer to the .620 OPS guy he has been for his career), I take Tejada.
Yes, it is not surprising Tejada is producing better in a lesser league; but it is also not surprising that his play improved playing with a team in contention. National League or not, he is playing SS everyday and batting 3rd for a team going to the playoffs. Why could he not play SS and bat 7th or 8th for us?
He has played SS for the Padres since being traded. He has a .766 OPS as a Padre (.702 overall, .860 vs. LHP).
Fangraphs.com shows his UZR / 150 at 11.9 as a SS this year (was -11.2 in '09).
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=941&position=SS
If the options were Tejada for 1 year, or Izturis for 1 year... who do you choose?
To me, even if you believe Izturis is not the .554 OPS player he has been in 2010 (and is closer to the .620 OPS guy he has been for his career), I take Tejada.
Yes, it is not surprising Tejada is producing better in a lesser league; but it is also not surprising that his play improved playing with a team in contention. National League or not, he is playing SS everyday and batting 3rd for a team going to the playoffs. Why could he not play SS and bat 7th or 8th for us?
Jim Johnson is not a starter
There is nobody associated with the Orioles organization that I respect more than Jim Palmer.The man was part of every Oriole World Series team, won 3 Cy Young Awards, and was a 20 game winner 8 times. (On another day we can discuss how many within the sabermetric community believe Palmer was over-rated.)
My direct memories of Palmer are not of him as a player but as an announcer. I remember him doing games as far back as 20+ years ago with WMAR. With all due respect to Joe Angel, only Jon Miller stands above Palmer as an Oriole announcer during this time-frame. No matter how much knowledge of the game you believe you have, you will always learn something new listening to Palmer and his analysis day-after-day, summer-after-summer.
That long-winded preface brings me to yesterday and the MASN telecast of the O's in Toronto. Palmer, and his broadcast partner Jim Hunter, suggested once more that the future for Jim Johnson could entail a return to a rotation.
To me, this is evidence that even the best are capable of off days. Yes, Johnson was a Minor League starter. Yes, Johnson has that power sinker which could help him eat innings. No, there is no reason to discuss Johnson ever again joining the O's rotation.
Johnson turned 27 years-old in June. He was last a starter in 2007, when he pitched 148 innings for AAA Norfolk. Since that time, he has pitched a combined 172.1 innings during the 2008, '09, and '10 seasons. Let us say that you were able to stretch Johnson's arm out during Spring Training 2011 to the point he was physically ready to start again. Would that be the proper decision for a guy that missed 4 months of 2010 season to an elbow injury?
The O's are not lacking for options to start anyway. Baring trade or injury; Guthrie, Matusz, Arrieta, and Bergesen are locks for the Oriole rotation to begin 2011. That leaves only the 5th starter.
Why would Johnson be a better option for the rotation vs. Chris Tillman?
Johnson 2007 AAA (Age 24): 6-12, 4.07 era, 148 innings, 164 hits, 48 walks, 109 k's
Tillman 2010 AAA (Age 22): 11-7, 3.34 era, 121.1 innings, 120 hits, 30 walks, 94 k's
Zack Britton is also waiting in the wings, and will be the first option if/when injuries and non-performance occurs.
The effectiveness of relief pitchers can widely fluctuate from year to year, but the O's potentially could have a very strong bullpen in 2011. If the O's are able to retain Uehara, you are looking at a bullpen that looks likes:
Uehara
Gonzalez
Hernandez
Johnson
Berken (if able)
Simon / VandenHurk
Patton / 2nd lefty
With Albers, Sarfate, Mickolio, Hoey all providing options/depth depending on the health of the aforementioned.
Bringing back Uehara is no guarantee, but even if that occurs you will not be able to pencil him in for 162 games. Gonzalez missed significant time this year. Berken's ability to be ready is going to be a mystery. Simon and VandenHurk have power arms that can help, but you do not want to have to rely on either.
Even if Johnson was not coming off of his own injury, you would still want him to be part of that bullpen and providing quality depth to that group.
My direct memories of Palmer are not of him as a player but as an announcer. I remember him doing games as far back as 20+ years ago with WMAR. With all due respect to Joe Angel, only Jon Miller stands above Palmer as an Oriole announcer during this time-frame. No matter how much knowledge of the game you believe you have, you will always learn something new listening to Palmer and his analysis day-after-day, summer-after-summer.
That long-winded preface brings me to yesterday and the MASN telecast of the O's in Toronto. Palmer, and his broadcast partner Jim Hunter, suggested once more that the future for Jim Johnson could entail a return to a rotation.
To me, this is evidence that even the best are capable of off days. Yes, Johnson was a Minor League starter. Yes, Johnson has that power sinker which could help him eat innings. No, there is no reason to discuss Johnson ever again joining the O's rotation.
Johnson turned 27 years-old in June. He was last a starter in 2007, when he pitched 148 innings for AAA Norfolk. Since that time, he has pitched a combined 172.1 innings during the 2008, '09, and '10 seasons. Let us say that you were able to stretch Johnson's arm out during Spring Training 2011 to the point he was physically ready to start again. Would that be the proper decision for a guy that missed 4 months of 2010 season to an elbow injury?
The O's are not lacking for options to start anyway. Baring trade or injury; Guthrie, Matusz, Arrieta, and Bergesen are locks for the Oriole rotation to begin 2011. That leaves only the 5th starter.
Why would Johnson be a better option for the rotation vs. Chris Tillman?
Johnson 2007 AAA (Age 24): 6-12, 4.07 era, 148 innings, 164 hits, 48 walks, 109 k's
Tillman 2010 AAA (Age 22): 11-7, 3.34 era, 121.1 innings, 120 hits, 30 walks, 94 k's
Zack Britton is also waiting in the wings, and will be the first option if/when injuries and non-performance occurs.
The effectiveness of relief pitchers can widely fluctuate from year to year, but the O's potentially could have a very strong bullpen in 2011. If the O's are able to retain Uehara, you are looking at a bullpen that looks likes:
Uehara
Gonzalez
Hernandez
Johnson
Berken (if able)
Simon / VandenHurk
Patton / 2nd lefty
With Albers, Sarfate, Mickolio, Hoey all providing options/depth depending on the health of the aforementioned.
Bringing back Uehara is no guarantee, but even if that occurs you will not be able to pencil him in for 162 games. Gonzalez missed significant time this year. Berken's ability to be ready is going to be a mystery. Simon and VandenHurk have power arms that can help, but you do not want to have to rely on either.
Even if Johnson was not coming off of his own injury, you would still want him to be part of that bullpen and providing quality depth to that group.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Obvious questions for Wieters, Markakis, & Jones
As the O's get ready to stare another off-season in the face, lets identify some of the obvious questions that exist with some of their core players. In this piece, we will take a look at Wieters, Markakis, and Jones.
Matt Wieters - By all accounts he has improved at calling a game, and has grown more comfortable within the clubhouse since Showalter took over. With a .357 batting average, and .944 OPS in September; Wieters is raising his overall numbers to a level approaching respectable.
Questions for Wieters:
1) In 110 at-bats during 2010, Wieters has a horrific .558 OPS as a right-handed hitter against LHP. (Compared to .779 vs RHP). Wieters is regularly described as a player that is analytical and inquisitive. Will he determine on his own something that is limiting him from the right side?
2) When Wieters was drafted the comparisons were to his fellow former Georgia Tech Catcher Jason Varitek. When Wieters dominated the Minors, the description became 'Mauer with Power.' Varitek has had a great career by any measure, but Mauer he is not. Which Catcher does Wieters compare better to now?
Nick Markakis - In '08 Markakis had a Ultimate Zone Rating of 11.1. In '09 the UZR was -5.7, and is -4.8 here in '10.
UZR can have such a variance year to year, that I question the value of the statistic. I value the opinions of Jim Palmer as much as any analyst in this game, and he regularly raves about Markakis in RF. You do not need advanced metrics to see the impact his arm has on the running habits of opposing teams, or how quickly Markakis gets to the line.
Whatever you think about his glove, the primary reason Markakis received a 6 year $66M extension after the '08 season was his production with the bat. His '08 OPS was .897. In '09 that dropped to .801, in '10 it stands at .788 entering tonight.
Question for Markakis:
1) 2010 was his 4th consecutive season with 40+ doubles, but his slugging % has dropped dramatically the past two years. Will he have to sacrifice some average going forward, to provide this lineup with some additional pop?
Adam Jones - By late May, Jones was symbolic of all that was wrong with the Orioles by many in Baltimore. His approach was horrible at the plate, and he did not look like deserving of his Gold Glove. Since then he has had two full months of an OPS above .850, and has made some adjustments in the OF (noticeably playing deeper). There has not been any real improvement to his game over '09, but it would be hard for someone to make the case he has regressed.
Questions for Jones:
1) Jones has 23 walks to 107 k's entering tonight. Is that plate discipline going to improve, or is this who he is going to be?
2) I think the defense has improved for Jones over the course of the year, but he has still been prone to mental letdowns at-times. As I am writing this, I am watching Jones run hard after a Brett Gardner liner to center. His effort was fine, his route to the ball was poor. If Jones wants to stay at CF long-term, he is going to have spend further time at his craft. He can not rely on his athleticism alone. Besides, there are those that believe his weight/muscle gain has sapped some of that athleticism and speed.
Matt Wieters - By all accounts he has improved at calling a game, and has grown more comfortable within the clubhouse since Showalter took over. With a .357 batting average, and .944 OPS in September; Wieters is raising his overall numbers to a level approaching respectable.
Questions for Wieters:
1) In 110 at-bats during 2010, Wieters has a horrific .558 OPS as a right-handed hitter against LHP. (Compared to .779 vs RHP). Wieters is regularly described as a player that is analytical and inquisitive. Will he determine on his own something that is limiting him from the right side?
2) When Wieters was drafted the comparisons were to his fellow former Georgia Tech Catcher Jason Varitek. When Wieters dominated the Minors, the description became 'Mauer with Power.' Varitek has had a great career by any measure, but Mauer he is not. Which Catcher does Wieters compare better to now?
Nick Markakis - In '08 Markakis had a Ultimate Zone Rating of 11.1. In '09 the UZR was -5.7, and is -4.8 here in '10.
UZR can have such a variance year to year, that I question the value of the statistic. I value the opinions of Jim Palmer as much as any analyst in this game, and he regularly raves about Markakis in RF. You do not need advanced metrics to see the impact his arm has on the running habits of opposing teams, or how quickly Markakis gets to the line.
Whatever you think about his glove, the primary reason Markakis received a 6 year $66M extension after the '08 season was his production with the bat. His '08 OPS was .897. In '09 that dropped to .801, in '10 it stands at .788 entering tonight.
Question for Markakis:
1) 2010 was his 4th consecutive season with 40+ doubles, but his slugging % has dropped dramatically the past two years. Will he have to sacrifice some average going forward, to provide this lineup with some additional pop?
Adam Jones - By late May, Jones was symbolic of all that was wrong with the Orioles by many in Baltimore. His approach was horrible at the plate, and he did not look like deserving of his Gold Glove. Since then he has had two full months of an OPS above .850, and has made some adjustments in the OF (noticeably playing deeper). There has not been any real improvement to his game over '09, but it would be hard for someone to make the case he has regressed.
Questions for Jones:
1) Jones has 23 walks to 107 k's entering tonight. Is that plate discipline going to improve, or is this who he is going to be?
2) I think the defense has improved for Jones over the course of the year, but he has still been prone to mental letdowns at-times. As I am writing this, I am watching Jones run hard after a Brett Gardner liner to center. His effort was fine, his route to the ball was poor. If Jones wants to stay at CF long-term, he is going to have spend further time at his craft. He can not rely on his athleticism alone. Besides, there are those that believe his weight/muscle gain has sapped some of that athleticism and speed.
After further examination, who are the O's?
After further examination, who are the Baltimore Orioles?
When Showalter took over the team August 2nd, the Orioles were 32-73. Since that point, the O's have gone 26-16. Neither one of those records can be discounted, because there is something to be learned from both extremes.
I like Bill Parcells' quote that you are what your record says you are, but that does not tell the whole story. The O's were never as bad as they played during those initial 105 games (65% of the season). The O's are also not as good as they looked the past six-weeks either. I do not know anyone that believes this team as assembled is capable of playing .619 ball over an entire season. (For comparison the Yankees enter tonight having a .605 winning percentage for the year).
The old axiom that you are never as good as you look when things are going well, nor as bad as you look when things are going bad remains correct. The O's did lose those 73 games by accident, but they have not won these 26 games through luck either.
Here is the reality for the Baltimore Orioles as they stare at their immediate future. They remain a team of question marks. The roster is full of players who might be answers. Those potential answers remain full of questions.
The O's did not end 2010 flirting with a .500 season like I thought they would. They have however gone 29-30 since the All-Star break showing they are capable of .500 ball over a pro-longed stretch of play. When I look at the existing roster, and project towards next-year I have no problem believing this team in 2011 will be the .500 level team I thought they would be in '10.
What is hard to imagine at this point, is the O's being able to contend next-year. The reason why contention is currently hard to imagine has very little to do with the overall 58-89 record for this team. It has everything to do with the questions the remain with the players you are counting on going forward. Pick any of those players you want, they all have questions. (Obviously the questions vary from player to player and of importance issue to issue)
I would caution anyone from thinking that those 'questions' equate to the O's definitively not being able to drastically improve from within next-year. That would be an inaccurate representation. There is legitimate talent here. Over the past six-weeks we have seen those players flash their talent on a more consistent basis. The core players you are going to rely on, have yet to reach the ceiling their abilities say they are capable of.
The O's are a team of questions, but those questions beat the definitive answers everyone had about this team six-weeks ago.
When Showalter took over the team August 2nd, the Orioles were 32-73. Since that point, the O's have gone 26-16. Neither one of those records can be discounted, because there is something to be learned from both extremes.
I like Bill Parcells' quote that you are what your record says you are, but that does not tell the whole story. The O's were never as bad as they played during those initial 105 games (65% of the season). The O's are also not as good as they looked the past six-weeks either. I do not know anyone that believes this team as assembled is capable of playing .619 ball over an entire season. (For comparison the Yankees enter tonight having a .605 winning percentage for the year).
The old axiom that you are never as good as you look when things are going well, nor as bad as you look when things are going bad remains correct. The O's did lose those 73 games by accident, but they have not won these 26 games through luck either.
Here is the reality for the Baltimore Orioles as they stare at their immediate future. They remain a team of question marks. The roster is full of players who might be answers. Those potential answers remain full of questions.
The O's did not end 2010 flirting with a .500 season like I thought they would. They have however gone 29-30 since the All-Star break showing they are capable of .500 ball over a pro-longed stretch of play. When I look at the existing roster, and project towards next-year I have no problem believing this team in 2011 will be the .500 level team I thought they would be in '10.
What is hard to imagine at this point, is the O's being able to contend next-year. The reason why contention is currently hard to imagine has very little to do with the overall 58-89 record for this team. It has everything to do with the questions the remain with the players you are counting on going forward. Pick any of those players you want, they all have questions. (Obviously the questions vary from player to player and of importance issue to issue)
I would caution anyone from thinking that those 'questions' equate to the O's definitively not being able to drastically improve from within next-year. That would be an inaccurate representation. There is legitimate talent here. Over the past six-weeks we have seen those players flash their talent on a more consistent basis. The core players you are going to rely on, have yet to reach the ceiling their abilities say they are capable of.
The O's are a team of questions, but those questions beat the definitive answers everyone had about this team six-weeks ago.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
O's win 3rd consecutive September series
With the Orioles 5-3 victory in Detroit last-night, they have won their 3rd consecutive series here in September.
If you are like me, you went into this 6 game road trip to New York and Detroit wondering how the Orioles would respond. They came within an inning of a sweep against the Yankees, and have taken the first two games against the Tigers.
After Swisher's homer to beat the O's Wednesday, I thought Friday's game in Detroit would be interesting. It was an emotional loss, and several times during this year when the O's have experienced similar losses - a fog has hung over the team for several games. Maybe the day off Thursday helped, maybe Showalter deserves credit. Whatever the reason, the Orioles are showing some emotional growth as the season winds down.
More importantly, the starting pitching just continues to be outstanding. Showalter was quoted after the game last-night as saying Guthrie is the type of pitcher you need if you want to compete in the American League East. Not to read too much into those comments, but hard to imagine Guthrie being used as a trade commodity this Winter.
If you are like me, you went into this 6 game road trip to New York and Detroit wondering how the Orioles would respond. They came within an inning of a sweep against the Yankees, and have taken the first two games against the Tigers.
After Swisher's homer to beat the O's Wednesday, I thought Friday's game in Detroit would be interesting. It was an emotional loss, and several times during this year when the O's have experienced similar losses - a fog has hung over the team for several games. Maybe the day off Thursday helped, maybe Showalter deserves credit. Whatever the reason, the Orioles are showing some emotional growth as the season winds down.
More importantly, the starting pitching just continues to be outstanding. Showalter was quoted after the game last-night as saying Guthrie is the type of pitcher you need if you want to compete in the American League East. Not to read too much into those comments, but hard to imagine Guthrie being used as a trade commodity this Winter.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Most Valuable Oriole? Scott or Guthrie?
With the 2nd-half struggles of Markakis, I have to believe the discussion of the 2010 Most Valuable Oriole begins and ends with Luke Scott, and Jeremy Guthrie.
Scott entered action today with a .290 average, 26 homers, 63 rbi, and a .925 OPS. After posting an OPS under .700 in April, Scott has been above .900 in every successive month, including over 1.000 since the All-Star break.
After grabbing the win with 7 strong innings last night, Guthrie is 9-13, with a 3.89 era. He has pitched 183 innings, allowed 172 hits, 21 homers, 46 walks, with 99 k's. He has held opposing hitters to a .247 batting average against, and an OPS against of .727. He has a Grounder to Fly-ball ratio of 0.75.
Since the All-Star break, Guthrie is 6-3 with a 2.51 era.
Interestingly, both Guthrie and Scott are Arbitration Eligible through the 2012 season, and Free Agents heading into 2013. Guthrie turned 31 in April, Scott turned 32 in June.
Neither player is overly expensive, and both figure to have several more productive Major League seasons. However, they are several years older than the rest (aside from Roberts) core of players that comprise this team. The same reasons they are attractive to the team (productive, somewhat cheap) are why they would be attractive to others. It will be interesting to see how much MacPhail and Showalter value these two in the off-season. Do the O's attempt to move Guthrie and Scott with their value at a perceived 'high', or do the two players return for another season as part of the Orange & Black?
Scott entered action today with a .290 average, 26 homers, 63 rbi, and a .925 OPS. After posting an OPS under .700 in April, Scott has been above .900 in every successive month, including over 1.000 since the All-Star break.
After grabbing the win with 7 strong innings last night, Guthrie is 9-13, with a 3.89 era. He has pitched 183 innings, allowed 172 hits, 21 homers, 46 walks, with 99 k's. He has held opposing hitters to a .247 batting average against, and an OPS against of .727. He has a Grounder to Fly-ball ratio of 0.75.
Since the All-Star break, Guthrie is 6-3 with a 2.51 era.
Interestingly, both Guthrie and Scott are Arbitration Eligible through the 2012 season, and Free Agents heading into 2013. Guthrie turned 31 in April, Scott turned 32 in June.
Neither player is overly expensive, and both figure to have several more productive Major League seasons. However, they are several years older than the rest (aside from Roberts) core of players that comprise this team. The same reasons they are attractive to the team (productive, somewhat cheap) are why they would be attractive to others. It will be interesting to see how much MacPhail and Showalter value these two in the off-season. Do the O's attempt to move Guthrie and Scott with their value at a perceived 'high', or do the two players return for another season as part of the Orange & Black?
A view from the Press Box; Kudos to the O's
For the 4th time in the past two-months I am watching the O's game from the confines of the Press Box at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Kudos goes to the O's for reaching out not just to me, but other Baltimore bloggers such as Stacey Long from Camden Chat, Matt Taylor from Roar from 34, and James Baker from Oriole Post among others.
Deciding how to treat bloggers is something that every professional sports organization, and every University that plays high-level Collegiate sports is dealing with.
The biggest issues in deciding how to treat bloggers are:
1) Do you provide Media Credentials to an entity that is outside of accepted traditional Main-stream Media? (i.e. Print (Newspapers, National Magazines), TV, and Radio)?
2) If you decide you are willing to provide Credentials to bloggers, what type of validation process do you install? After all, anyone can start a blog - how do you determine the blog is 'worthy' of sitting among the established press?
If I were sitting in a leadership position with the O's, would I have provided Press Box access to a blog such as mine? I would have to say honestly, I probably would not. With traditional Media, you have a known quantity and a certain established journalistic credibility. When the Washington Post's Mike Wise produced an inaccurate report on Twitter (as part of his social experiment), this was a National story because numerous Media outlets accepted the reporting of Wise as-fact, solely because of his stature of working for the Post.
The Post had to react swiftly to the growing outrage, by placing Wise on suspension. They did this to protect their 'brand' of quality reporting.
The reason that many organizations and Universities would be hesitant to provide unknown bloggers with full-time credentials is because they worry the bloggers would not police themselves. Essentially the idea being I could go on the Baltimore Sports and Life Twitter page this afternoon, and post inaccurate information about the O's, with little ramifications.
As I said above, if I was in a leadership position with the O's, I probably would not have provided access to a blog such as mine. Mainly because you would like to avoid having to validate every blog that comes along. That said, I think those that hold the opinion that blogs would not police themselves are missing the bigger point.
If you run a blog, and are attempting to build a following, you can only do so by being consistent and credible over-time. If I were posting here, or on Twitter, or Facebook inaccurate information - the policing that would occur, would be a corresponding loss of credibility from the readers I am attempting to attract. Again, I think the O's deserve kudos for understanding this. Some will argue the O's had Machiavellian type motives with providing these credentials. That the O's gave us the Press passes with a tacit understanding that criticism of the organization would not be allowed. To that, I can whole-heartily confirm that would be an inaccurate representation of facts. If anything, I have been encouraged to continue to criticize the organization when I think it is deserved.
This past Wednesday night I traveled to Washington D.C. to be part of meeting of Washington and Baltimore bloggers hosted by Comcast SportsNet. It was interesting sharing stories and similar experiences with a number of like minded bloggers. Part of what was discussed, was the formation of a 'Bloggers' group. The initial idea being more of a group for meeting, but I can picture it progressing to a point where ethical standards and criteria for membership are established.
P.S. Cal Ripken threw out the first-ball today in honor of the 15th anniversary of tying Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak. I was here on 9/6/95 for 2131 (& 9/6/96 for Eddie's 500th). It is hard to believe so much time has passed. Before Ripken threw out the pitch, he was warming-up with Roberts in-front of the O's dugout. Apparently even for a warm-up pitch Ripken wants to do things the right way.
P.S.S. I worked for the O's during the 2001-03 season in a variety of gopher rolls inclusive of being a Ballpark Tour Guide. When I gave the tours, my favorite spot was always the Press Box. All these years later, it has been great personally to return.
Kudos goes to the O's for reaching out not just to me, but other Baltimore bloggers such as Stacey Long from Camden Chat, Matt Taylor from Roar from 34, and James Baker from Oriole Post among others.
Deciding how to treat bloggers is something that every professional sports organization, and every University that plays high-level Collegiate sports is dealing with.
The biggest issues in deciding how to treat bloggers are:
1) Do you provide Media Credentials to an entity that is outside of accepted traditional Main-stream Media? (i.e. Print (Newspapers, National Magazines), TV, and Radio)?
2) If you decide you are willing to provide Credentials to bloggers, what type of validation process do you install? After all, anyone can start a blog - how do you determine the blog is 'worthy' of sitting among the established press?
If I were sitting in a leadership position with the O's, would I have provided Press Box access to a blog such as mine? I would have to say honestly, I probably would not. With traditional Media, you have a known quantity and a certain established journalistic credibility. When the Washington Post's Mike Wise produced an inaccurate report on Twitter (as part of his social experiment), this was a National story because numerous Media outlets accepted the reporting of Wise as-fact, solely because of his stature of working for the Post.
The Post had to react swiftly to the growing outrage, by placing Wise on suspension. They did this to protect their 'brand' of quality reporting.
The reason that many organizations and Universities would be hesitant to provide unknown bloggers with full-time credentials is because they worry the bloggers would not police themselves. Essentially the idea being I could go on the Baltimore Sports and Life Twitter page this afternoon, and post inaccurate information about the O's, with little ramifications.
As I said above, if I was in a leadership position with the O's, I probably would not have provided access to a blog such as mine. Mainly because you would like to avoid having to validate every blog that comes along. That said, I think those that hold the opinion that blogs would not police themselves are missing the bigger point.
If you run a blog, and are attempting to build a following, you can only do so by being consistent and credible over-time. If I were posting here, or on Twitter, or Facebook inaccurate information - the policing that would occur, would be a corresponding loss of credibility from the readers I am attempting to attract. Again, I think the O's deserve kudos for understanding this. Some will argue the O's had Machiavellian type motives with providing these credentials. That the O's gave us the Press passes with a tacit understanding that criticism of the organization would not be allowed. To that, I can whole-heartily confirm that would be an inaccurate representation of facts. If anything, I have been encouraged to continue to criticize the organization when I think it is deserved.
This past Wednesday night I traveled to Washington D.C. to be part of meeting of Washington and Baltimore bloggers hosted by Comcast SportsNet. It was interesting sharing stories and similar experiences with a number of like minded bloggers. Part of what was discussed, was the formation of a 'Bloggers' group. The initial idea being more of a group for meeting, but I can picture it progressing to a point where ethical standards and criteria for membership are established.
P.S. Cal Ripken threw out the first-ball today in honor of the 15th anniversary of tying Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak. I was here on 9/6/95 for 2131 (& 9/6/96 for Eddie's 500th). It is hard to believe so much time has passed. Before Ripken threw out the pitch, he was warming-up with Roberts in-front of the O's dugout. Apparently even for a warm-up pitch Ripken wants to do things the right way.
P.S.S. I worked for the O's during the 2001-03 season in a variety of gopher rolls inclusive of being a Ballpark Tour Guide. When I gave the tours, my favorite spot was always the Press Box. All these years later, it has been great personally to return.
Important game for O's and Tillman
If the O's want to end the year gaining some momentum as an organization, you have to build off of the 17-11 August.
Including today there are 26 games remaining this year:
9/5 vs Tampa (1)
9/6 - 9/8 @ New York (3)
9/9 - Off
9/10 - 9/12 @ Detroit (3)
9/13 - 9/15 vs Toronto (3)
9/16 - Off
9/17 - 9/19 vs New York (3)
9/20 - 9/22 @ Boston (3)
9/23 - Off
9/24 - 9/26 @ Toronto (3)
9/27 - 9/29 @ Tampa (3)
9/30 - 10/3 vs Detroit (4)
If the O's play .500 ball the remainder of the year, they will avoid 100 losses.
If the O's play .500 ball the rest of the way, that will mean they ended the year winning 31 of their last 58 games (a .534 winning % over the last 36% of the season). That would be an accomplishment, and would be cause for legitimate optimism heading into the off-season and 2011.
Winning today means you are 2-3 for the month, and have split home series with Boston and Tampa. A loss means you are 1-4 for the month, have lost both series and will head to NY in a less positive state of mind.
You do not play many important games in September when you have 50 wins, but today is one of those games.
The O's will be sending Chris Tillman to the mound. In Tillman's last 5 AAA starts his numbers were: 3-0, 2.17 era, 29 innings, 29 hits, 7 er, 1 hr, 6 walks, with 25 k's.
This will be Tillman's 7th Major League start of 2010. In his last two starts, he had that impressive outing at Texas, and 9 days later had the disaster at home against Tampa which sent him back to AAA. This is an opportunity at some redemption for Tillman, and a chance to position himself this September to be part of the Opening Day rotation next April.
Tillman has pitched a total of 146.1 innings at the AAA/ML level in 2010, after pitching a combined 161.2 innings in 2009. He should have more than enough in the tank to get through the remainder of the year.
Including today there are 26 games remaining this year:
9/5 vs Tampa (1)
9/6 - 9/8 @ New York (3)
9/9 - Off
9/10 - 9/12 @ Detroit (3)
9/13 - 9/15 vs Toronto (3)
9/16 - Off
9/17 - 9/19 vs New York (3)
9/20 - 9/22 @ Boston (3)
9/23 - Off
9/24 - 9/26 @ Toronto (3)
9/27 - 9/29 @ Tampa (3)
9/30 - 10/3 vs Detroit (4)
If the O's play .500 ball the remainder of the year, they will avoid 100 losses.
If the O's play .500 ball the rest of the way, that will mean they ended the year winning 31 of their last 58 games (a .534 winning % over the last 36% of the season). That would be an accomplishment, and would be cause for legitimate optimism heading into the off-season and 2011.
Winning today means you are 2-3 for the month, and have split home series with Boston and Tampa. A loss means you are 1-4 for the month, have lost both series and will head to NY in a less positive state of mind.
You do not play many important games in September when you have 50 wins, but today is one of those games.
The O's will be sending Chris Tillman to the mound. In Tillman's last 5 AAA starts his numbers were: 3-0, 2.17 era, 29 innings, 29 hits, 7 er, 1 hr, 6 walks, with 25 k's.
This will be Tillman's 7th Major League start of 2010. In his last two starts, he had that impressive outing at Texas, and 9 days later had the disaster at home against Tampa which sent him back to AAA. This is an opportunity at some redemption for Tillman, and a chance to position himself this September to be part of the Opening Day rotation next April.
Tillman has pitched a total of 146.1 innings at the AAA/ML level in 2010, after pitching a combined 161.2 innings in 2009. He should have more than enough in the tank to get through the remainder of the year.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
O's 9th inning in 6-4 loss to Boston
The Baltimore Orioles trailed the Boston by two runs entering the bottom of the 9th against the Red Sox's All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon.
After falling behind in the count, Felix Pie led off the inning with a line-drive to left. Matt Wieters followed with his 3rd hit of the night. Julio Lugo was summoned from the bench to run for Wieters.
Corey Patterson came off the bench to pinch-hit for Reimold. As noted on the telecast, Patterson is an accomplished bunter. He showed that perfected skill with a beautiful bunt which advanced the runners. Ideally, if you were going to ask whomever was batting here to simply advance the runners, Reimold would have been able to lay the bunt down.
Since the team did not have confidence in Reimold being able to lay the bunt, that forces the use of Patterson and removes one of the options on the bench.
Adam Jones was sitting out tonight with the shoulder injury he has been dealing with. He did play last night, and doubled. If he was physically capable of batting tonight, I would have had him hitting for Izturis. Since he was not used, I have to believe he was not going to be used under any circumstance.
Another option would have been pinch hitting with Brandon Snyder. Certainly a tough spot for Snyder to make his Major League debut, but I think I still would have preferred that vs. watching Izturis bat. I certainly would have preferred Fox, Andino, or even Tatum. With Lugo already in the game, he would have simply replaced Izturis in the field if the game had been extended.
A tough inning, but overall the game was not lost here. O's have to be kicking themselves for letting this series slip away.
After falling behind in the count, Felix Pie led off the inning with a line-drive to left. Matt Wieters followed with his 3rd hit of the night. Julio Lugo was summoned from the bench to run for Wieters.
Corey Patterson came off the bench to pinch-hit for Reimold. As noted on the telecast, Patterson is an accomplished bunter. He showed that perfected skill with a beautiful bunt which advanced the runners. Ideally, if you were going to ask whomever was batting here to simply advance the runners, Reimold would have been able to lay the bunt down.
Since the team did not have confidence in Reimold being able to lay the bunt, that forces the use of Patterson and removes one of the options on the bench.
Adam Jones was sitting out tonight with the shoulder injury he has been dealing with. He did play last night, and doubled. If he was physically capable of batting tonight, I would have had him hitting for Izturis. Since he was not used, I have to believe he was not going to be used under any circumstance.
Another option would have been pinch hitting with Brandon Snyder. Certainly a tough spot for Snyder to make his Major League debut, but I think I still would have preferred that vs. watching Izturis bat. I certainly would have preferred Fox, Andino, or even Tatum. With Lugo already in the game, he would have simply replaced Izturis in the field if the game had been extended.
A tough inning, but overall the game was not lost here. O's have to be kicking themselves for letting this series slip away.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
O's win 4th straight; finish August 17-11
The Baltimore Orioles finished August at 17-11 for the month, claiming their 4th consecutive win overall as they beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2.
Brian Matusz continued his ascent, as he claimed his 4th win of the month. In Matusz's 6 August starts, he had a 2.43 era, providing 37 innings, while allowing 34 hits, 10 er, 7 walks, with 26 k's.
The homeruns in the bottom of the 8th from Scott and Pie were sweet to see. Totally eliminated any pressure the O's would have faced in the 9th. That said, credit Uehara for another impressive 1.2 innings, and his 5th save since August 21st.
It would be great to start September with a win tomorrow, and clinch this series with Boston.
Brian Matusz continued his ascent, as he claimed his 4th win of the month. In Matusz's 6 August starts, he had a 2.43 era, providing 37 innings, while allowing 34 hits, 10 er, 7 walks, with 26 k's.
The homeruns in the bottom of the 8th from Scott and Pie were sweet to see. Totally eliminated any pressure the O's would have faced in the 9th. That said, credit Uehara for another impressive 1.2 innings, and his 5th save since August 21st.
It would be great to start September with a win tomorrow, and clinch this series with Boston.
Tillman ends AAA season on high-note
Chris Tillman ended his AAA season on high-note tonight, tossing 6.2 scoreless innings for Norfolk.
Tillman allowed 5 hits, 2 walks, and had 3 k's.
Tillman's final 2010 AAA numbers are:
11-7, 3.34 era, 121.1 innings, 120 hits, 10 homers, 30 walks, with 94 k's.
Heading into tonight, he was holding hitters to a .261 batting average against, and had a Ground ball to Fly ball ratio of 0.84.
Would be nice to see him have some success over 2-4 starts with the Birds in September.
Tillman allowed 5 hits, 2 walks, and had 3 k's.
Tillman's final 2010 AAA numbers are:
11-7, 3.34 era, 121.1 innings, 120 hits, 10 homers, 30 walks, with 94 k's.
Heading into tonight, he was holding hitters to a .261 batting average against, and had a Ground ball to Fly ball ratio of 0.84.
Would be nice to see him have some success over 2-4 starts with the Birds in September.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Winning August; What about September?
With their 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last-night, the Baltimore Orioles have clinched their first winning month of August since the 1997 season.
The O's are 15-11 for the month (15-10 under Showalter), with two games to play. It has been enjoyable to watch. The starting pitching has been consistently good this month, and regularly getting deeper into games. You can improve very quickly as an organization if this continues.
Showalter has pointed out several times that unlike Trembley, or Samuel; he has received the benefit of having Pie and Roberts in his everyday lineup, and Uehara and Gonzalez in his bullpen.
Lots of positives this month overall, but it will not be remembered if it does not continue in September. Including today, and Tuesday at home against Boston; there are 32 games remaining in this 2010 season.
8/29 @LAA (1)
8/31 - 9/2 vs Boston (3)
9/3 - 9/5 vs Tampa (3)
9/6 - 9/8 @ New York (3)
9/9 - Off
9/10 - 9/12 @ Detroit (3)
9/13 - 9/15 vs Toronto (3)
9/16 - Off
9/17 - 9/19 vs New York (3)
9/20 - 9/22 @ Boston (3)
9/23 - Off
9/24 - 9/26 @ Toronto (3)
9/27 - 9/29 @ Tampa (3)
9/30 - 10/3 vs Detroit (4)
Detroit is flirting with .500. Tampa and NY are the two best teams in the game, and Boston is charging even with Youkilis on the shelf.
What I like about Showalter is that he is not going to be afraid of that schedule, he is going to embrace it. If the O's can play .500 ball the rest of the way, they will avoid a 100 loss season. If the O's play .500 ball the rest of the way, that will mean they ended the year winning 31 of their last 58 games (a .534 winning % over the last 36% of the season). That would be an accomplishment, and would be cause for legitimate optimism heading into the off-season and 2011.
Here are somethings I will be looking for:
1) Are you competitive in the remaining games against the East (as they compete for the playoffs?)
2) Arrieta had an ugly start the other day, but had an era under 5 in August. Does he finish strong?
3) Matusz had 4 starts in August where he went at-least 6 innings, and allowed 1 er or less. Can provide similar production against the division?
4) Bergesen found his form this month, does he do enough in September that you feel comfortable with him as your 4th or 5th to start '11?
5) Roberts has an .805 OPS in August, and was playing everyday before this recent hip issue. Is he able to quickly get back to the lineup, and finish the year with any further injury issues?
6) What does Wieters do in September? OPS is down considerably (57 points or so from '09), though his plate-discipline is improved.
7) Pie has a .792 OPS in August, .749 overall... can he continue to play everyday?
8) Markakis has been scuffling since the All-Star break (.661 OPS), and more is needed from him. He is due for a month of extended production.
9) Jones has a .868 OPS in August. With another strong month, he could pave his way to an off-season extension. I would keep him out today, and try and have him back for Boston on Tuesday.
10) I want to see Reimold, and Tillman get some time in September.
11) Bell hit his 3rd homer last night, and I expect he will continue to flash his talent. His plate-discipline (35 k's, 2 bb's in 98 at-bats) has to dramatically improve this month to feel comfortable handing him 3rd base to start 2011.
12) Johnson got back last night. With him, Uehara, Gonzalez, Simon, VandenHurk, and a to be returning Hernandez; the O's have a nice assortment of options in their bullpen to end the year. Unlike in many recent past seasons, the starting rotation did not wither in August. In-fact they improved, and provided more innings. This should only help the bullpen avoid a collapse this September.
The O's are 15-11 for the month (15-10 under Showalter), with two games to play. It has been enjoyable to watch. The starting pitching has been consistently good this month, and regularly getting deeper into games. You can improve very quickly as an organization if this continues.
Showalter has pointed out several times that unlike Trembley, or Samuel; he has received the benefit of having Pie and Roberts in his everyday lineup, and Uehara and Gonzalez in his bullpen.
Lots of positives this month overall, but it will not be remembered if it does not continue in September. Including today, and Tuesday at home against Boston; there are 32 games remaining in this 2010 season.
8/29 @LAA (1)
8/31 - 9/2 vs Boston (3)
9/3 - 9/5 vs Tampa (3)
9/6 - 9/8 @ New York (3)
9/9 - Off
9/10 - 9/12 @ Detroit (3)
9/13 - 9/15 vs Toronto (3)
9/16 - Off
9/17 - 9/19 vs New York (3)
9/20 - 9/22 @ Boston (3)
9/23 - Off
9/24 - 9/26 @ Toronto (3)
9/27 - 9/29 @ Tampa (3)
9/30 - 10/3 vs Detroit (4)
Detroit is flirting with .500. Tampa and NY are the two best teams in the game, and Boston is charging even with Youkilis on the shelf.
What I like about Showalter is that he is not going to be afraid of that schedule, he is going to embrace it. If the O's can play .500 ball the rest of the way, they will avoid a 100 loss season. If the O's play .500 ball the rest of the way, that will mean they ended the year winning 31 of their last 58 games (a .534 winning % over the last 36% of the season). That would be an accomplishment, and would be cause for legitimate optimism heading into the off-season and 2011.
Here are somethings I will be looking for:
1) Are you competitive in the remaining games against the East (as they compete for the playoffs?)
2) Arrieta had an ugly start the other day, but had an era under 5 in August. Does he finish strong?
3) Matusz had 4 starts in August where he went at-least 6 innings, and allowed 1 er or less. Can provide similar production against the division?
4) Bergesen found his form this month, does he do enough in September that you feel comfortable with him as your 4th or 5th to start '11?
5) Roberts has an .805 OPS in August, and was playing everyday before this recent hip issue. Is he able to quickly get back to the lineup, and finish the year with any further injury issues?
6) What does Wieters do in September? OPS is down considerably (57 points or so from '09), though his plate-discipline is improved.
7) Pie has a .792 OPS in August, .749 overall... can he continue to play everyday?
8) Markakis has been scuffling since the All-Star break (.661 OPS), and more is needed from him. He is due for a month of extended production.
9) Jones has a .868 OPS in August. With another strong month, he could pave his way to an off-season extension. I would keep him out today, and try and have him back for Boston on Tuesday.
10) I want to see Reimold, and Tillman get some time in September.
11) Bell hit his 3rd homer last night, and I expect he will continue to flash his talent. His plate-discipline (35 k's, 2 bb's in 98 at-bats) has to dramatically improve this month to feel comfortable handing him 3rd base to start 2011.
12) Johnson got back last night. With him, Uehara, Gonzalez, Simon, VandenHurk, and a to be returning Hernandez; the O's have a nice assortment of options in their bullpen to end the year. Unlike in many recent past seasons, the starting rotation did not wither in August. In-fact they improved, and provided more innings. This should only help the bullpen avoid a collapse this September.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Matusz's August run continues
Another strong performance for Brian Matusz last night, as his August success continues.
He has a 2.32 era in his 31 innings for the month. In 4 of his 5 outings, he has pitched at-least 6 innings, and allowed 1 er or less.
When he took the mound on August 4th, his era stood at 5.46. After limiting Chicago to 1 run over 7 innings yesterday, his era now stands at 4.79.
I'm excited to see if he can finish strong in September against the AL East, and really position himself to fully emerge in 2011.
He has a 2.32 era in his 31 innings for the month. In 4 of his 5 outings, he has pitched at-least 6 innings, and allowed 1 er or less.
When he took the mound on August 4th, his era stood at 5.46. After limiting Chicago to 1 run over 7 innings yesterday, his era now stands at 4.79.
I'm excited to see if he can finish strong in September against the AL East, and really position himself to fully emerge in 2011.
The return of Roberts
Brian Roberts returned to the Orioles lineup on July 23rd. He has played in 29 of the O's 32 games since that point.
In August he has a .774 OPS, with 12 walks (vs. 10 k's), 5 doubles, and 3 homers.
Roberts showing an ability to be healthy enough to play everyday, eliminates a major issue heading to this off-season. At one point this Summer, there were plenty of people around Baltimore saying Roberts might never play (or at-least be an effective regular) again.
There appears to be a tangible difference with Roberts in the lineup, starting with his ability to work counts and get the opposing starting pitcher to show more of his arsenal. Intangibly, several players (most loudly Adam Jones) have talked about the difference he makes at the top of the lineup.
With a game built mostly on speed, there are still questions of how productive Roberts will be over the duration of his contract. Those questions aside, Roberts has again claimed his status as a player that can be a piece of the next winning Orioles team.
In August he has a .774 OPS, with 12 walks (vs. 10 k's), 5 doubles, and 3 homers.
Roberts showing an ability to be healthy enough to play everyday, eliminates a major issue heading to this off-season. At one point this Summer, there were plenty of people around Baltimore saying Roberts might never play (or at-least be an effective regular) again.
There appears to be a tangible difference with Roberts in the lineup, starting with his ability to work counts and get the opposing starting pitcher to show more of his arsenal. Intangibly, several players (most loudly Adam Jones) have talked about the difference he makes at the top of the lineup.
With a game built mostly on speed, there are still questions of how productive Roberts will be over the duration of his contract. Those questions aside, Roberts has again claimed his status as a player that can be a piece of the next winning Orioles team.
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