The Many Misadventures of Baserunning Brian

by SC on Apr 5, 2008 11:38 PM EDT in Commentary Comment 15 comments

Bottom 3: Roberts attempts to steal third, is thrown out by Johjima. To be fair, Roberts was under the tag, and was, in fact, very safe.

Bottom 6: Miguel Batista sends a pickoff attempt to second into right center field. Mike Morse throws Roberts out at home on a perfect, beautiful one-hopper to Johjima. To be fair, with one out, Roberts should not have been sent home by Samuel.

Bottom 8: On a swinging bunt off the bat of Nick Markakis, Roberts is caught in a rundown between third and home. Adrian Beltre tags him out. To be fair...well, no, this one is just something that happens. Good play by the Mariners infield.

I'm not really dissing anyone (maybe Samuel, as bad third base coaches have been a constant for the O's in recent years), it was just a pretty memorably bad night on the bases for Brian Roberts.

All photos © Gail Burton / AP

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Well I'm willing to diss Juan Samuel

if no one else is. Roberts never should've been sent. Just because we've had shitty 3rd base coaches forever (Dempsey was a f'ing nightmare) doesn't mean we should just accept it now.

And I know he was safe on that play at 3rd...but this seems that it might be indicative of Diamond Dave's "be aggressive on the basepaths" stuff. Making 3 at or around 3rd base could be a bad precedent; this team cannot afford to be giving up runs that way. It bodes ill.

by KenDixonFanClub on Apr 5, 2008 11:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

oh I'm not saying to accept it

I agree it was an idiotic decision. But hey, it happens. Maybe Juan, unlike Trebelhorn, will learn from it.

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Apr 6, 2008 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Whoooa.

I'm not going to put Samuel in Dempsey's camp after 4 games, much less Trebelhorn's. Give me at least a 30-game sampling. But someone should grab hold of his 'lobe to let him know: Trebelhorn wasn't known as "The Windmill" by any MASN viewer far & wide for nothing. That's not a moniker you want in MLB. Tighten your shiznit.

From the Land of Pleasant Living...

by OEutaw on Apr 6, 2008 1:19 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Can we trade Roberts already?

This guy is useless.

"If you're not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he'll be ready to take your job." -Brooks Robinson

by exitfare on Apr 6, 2008 2:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

FIRST!!!

Simpsons did it.

by Y Not on Apr 6, 2008 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

On the other hand...

The Mariners made 4 errors and their pitchers walked 9 Orioles. That's a baker's dozen worth of gifts from the opposition. It's kind of indicative of the Orioles' iffy offense that the score was only 6-4. But a win's a win, eh?

by Lothar on Apr 6, 2008 9:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

without the baserunning gaffes (one of which was a bum call)

They would have scored at eight or nine runs, probably. There was also that goofy play where Luke Scott was stuck in limbo between first and second and Jose Lopez dropped the ball on a diving catch attempt in mid-right field. That was another out; would've been first and second otherwise.

The really good news is that the pen looked good, and Albers continues to impress. I mean it looked good early last year, too, but what is the pen supposed to do? Look bad and then get good? If it's good, I'm calling it good.

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Apr 6, 2008 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree on Albers

How long till that guy is in the starting rotation?

by KenDixonFanClub on Apr 6, 2008 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

probably not long

Burres really has a monkey on his back now. Which might motivate him further, I suppose. Best case scenario might be that Albers is never allowed to earn his way in and has to wait for Steve Trachsel to be traded.

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Apr 6, 2008 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

whoooa... why jump on burres' back?

For all we know, burres could be a somewhat effective 5th starter for us a la scott kameineicki.. We seem to have problems so far with our 1-4 guys (so/so on trax)

by Y Not on Apr 6, 2008 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i just read below.

disregard this comment.

My bad, dawg. You know how it is around here. Aight?

by Y Not on Apr 6, 2008 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's cool, yo

Burres is a low-ceiling guy (I'm trying to be nicer, normally I would just say he's not very good) who has to make the most of a chance. Albers is clearly not going to make it easy on him.

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Apr 6, 2008 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The problem

is the same as last year though - and this wasn't the only problem of the pen last year, but it was a big one. If your bullpen needs to carry you for 4+ innings a night, they're going to become shitty no matter who you have pitching. Trembley needs to cut this Perlozzo shit with the quickness.

by Jonny Pops on Apr 6, 2008 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

right

Well, I tried saying that but "dan the man" had a hissy, and since Roch thinks it's all just peaches...

The issue is going to be the fact that these guys are, um...not the rotation to rely on.

1. Guthrie -- he'll probably be fine for 6 routinely.
2. Cabrera -- has days where he doesn't get out of the third. Has days where he goes 8. He's a toss-up, but there's a lot of bad in there.
3. Trachsel -- five innings when he's on. After 70 (was it 70? or 80?) pitches, he's toast.
4. Loewen -- consistently has had problems getting out of the fourth on the major league level. His command is awful, and it's going to haunt us until he and Rick "Kranix" figure something out.
5. Burres -- we'll see, but he probably lies in the Trachsel area if he absolutely peaks this season.

It's good that they have Albers and Bierd around, but Dave is going to have to sometimes ignore common wisdom and let these guys pitch through the seventh inning, particularly if they look as good as Albers did last night. I know Walker v. Ichiro is a lot better for us than Albers v. Ichiro, but jeez, dude, damn the torpedoes. These long men are gonna have to be really long at times this season.

For long men, Albers and Bierd have kickass potential. That deserves to be said. I hope Dave trusts Sarfate, too, and gives Bradford a break now and then. And Aquino can go screw.

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Apr 6, 2008 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs