Rant: Front Office Derelict in Duties

by RobG on Jul 6, 2007 5:56 PM EDT

It eats at me everytime John Maine wins another game. He now sits at 10-4 w/2.71 ERA. Now, i'm no scout, and perhaps he was lightly regarded in our system, but with the lack of pitching talent we have/had, doesn't it make sense that the O's should have given this guy more then the token chance he received?

Our ownership/front office always needs to give the appearance of contending, thus Maine is traded for a "top of the rotation veteran", thereby giving the ownership the ability to say that they're making big league moves.

The Orioles of the 60s and 70s would have brought him and he would have pitched out of the pen for a season. Is there a reason we've stopped doing this? Bring these guys up. Brandon Erbe, come on down! Beato, Liz...c'mon down!

Poll

Bring 'em up to pitch out of the 'pen?

Yup

13 votes

Nope

2 votes

15 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Maine

"doesn't it make sense that the O's should have given this guy more then the token chance he received?"

In retrospect of course. Since the O's didn't want to do a complete resale, I don't blame the team for trading him for Benson. At the time of the trade he was a fringy prospect because he had just put up a so so year at AAA after repeating the league. And he stunk in 8 ML starts in 2005. He was, at best, a Garret Olson type prospect, maybe even a C prospect. Now he's matured into an ace or a solid #2 starter. Maybe his success is almost entirely tied to Rick Peterson. If so, it wouldn't have mattered if the O's kept him. In any case, he's surprised the hell out of me. I mistakely chalked up his success last year to weak opponents and Shea Stadium. But I think he's real deal now. His case is exactly why I get excited when a Rodrigo Lopez or Javy Lopez gets traded for a C prospect. Hopefully the O's will get lucky when they trade Traschel this month. It's very unlikely but who knows.

by birdman on Jul 6, 2007 6:51 PM EDT reply actions

oops

"Since the O's didn't want to do a complete resale"

That's firesale.

by birdman on Jul 6, 2007 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions

and yeah

it eats away at me too with each of Maine's starts.

by birdman on Jul 6, 2007 6:58 PM EDT reply actions

re:

It really doesn't bother me. Good for John Maine. He came out of the draft a B or B- prospect and had slipped to being a C+/C prospect. Scouts and statistical analysis aren't always right, but there was no indication that John Maine was going to be an ace-level starting pitcher or even more than a fourth starter in the majors.

The deal also rid us of Jorge Julio. Maine was an afterthought who has done great for himself. I don't blame anyone for this one, I just credit John Maine and Rick Peterson.

by Scott Christ on Jul 6, 2007 7:30 PM EDT reply actions

True...

Both of you a correct. I was hysterically responding to another fine John Maine outing. In fact, somewhere there is a Cleveland Indian fan griping about the Indians FO and Jeremy Guthrie.

by RobG on Jul 6, 2007 7:47 PM EDT reply actions

Indian fans

Oh that's even worse because they gave away Guthrie. But I wish Maine the best. I'm just pissed that he's not putting up a 2. whatever ERA for the O's. Bedard, Guthrie, Maine, Loewen, Cabs/Burres next year would have been tight.

by birdman on Jul 6, 2007 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Dumb thread

Sorry but this is a stupid thread. John Maine was a mediocre throw in who was a 1 pitch pitcher in a system LOADED with young arms. Put him in the AL EAST and this ballpark his ERA would be Cabrera's equal and you'd be bitching "Why didn't we trade him sooner?" Credit to the Mets for teaching him a changeup and slider. But the fact remains he's pitching in a pitcher's park, a pitcher's league on a VERY GOOD team with good run support. This is exactly the type of trade the O's need to make MORE of. You trade a pitcher who had been passed by Cabrera,Penn,Loewen and Bedard. You want to keep them all?! The only criticism I have of the trade was that he wasn't traded for OFFENSE. You judge trades by whether they made sense at the time and this one certainly did.

Please Angelos just die

by Gregg Olson on Jul 6, 2007 8:31 PM EDT reply actions

Maine

"But the fact remains he's pitching in a pitcher's park, a pitcher's league on a VERY GOOD team with good run support."

Yeah, I brought to this up to other people. Even when you adjust ballparks and league, Maine is still damn good. Whether you trust those adjustments is up to you.

by birdman on Jul 6, 2007 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah...

his peripherals are solid and his era is such that he'd probably still have a decent record w/ o's caliber run support.

by jq higgins on Jul 6, 2007 9:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Erickson

You want to name the young prospect we traded for him??? Was that deriliction of duty giving up the highly regarded Scott Klingenbeck? You laugh but he was as highly regarded as Maine was.

Please Angelos just die

by Gregg Olson on Jul 6, 2007 8:33 PM EDT reply actions