Diamond Dave does NOT get it...

by KenDixonFanClub on May 7, 2008 10:52 PM EDT

...B-Rob sorta does, T-Bone Shelby doesn't even know what shape "it" is.

Link here , at everyone's favorite paper's website.

The relevant material:

"Trembley said that he has had no problems with the Orioles' aggressive base running.

"That's part of it," Trembley said. "You can't think negative. You have to think positive. You take the extra base. You go first to third when they allow you to do it. I don't think you play defensive. You play defensive now, you're looking to make mistakes. I don't like that."

Gee Dave. Know what I don't like? MAKING AN ENTIRE INNING'S WORTH OF OUTS ON THE BASEPATHS IN ONE GAME. Being aggressive is, for this team, apparently being stupid and running into outs in the name of "trying to create runs." Gotta have men on base to create runs, Dave.

Shelby weighs in: "I got guys taking bigger leads than they'd normally get," Shelby said. "It's not about getting picked off at first. They have more bang-bang plays at second and it's because they don't go take that extra step."

Actually John, what seems to happen is, they get picked off and we lose runners in crucial innings. Like the 9th.

B-Rob: "Being aggressive doesn't mean you give away easy outs. We need all 27 outs, and we need to use them all wisely."

Yes, true. So stop being aggressive. Geez.

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Diamond Dave should read this

http://www.baseball-analysis.com/article.php?articleid=2666

What we do know, though, is that the cost of an out usually swamps the benefit of an extra base. There are exceptions (sending a runner home with two outs, for instance), but in most situations making an out costs you two to ten times the benefit of successfully stretching. The mantra we’ve repeated often throughout the years: “Outs are precious. Extra bases are not.” So it’s reasonable to speculate that outs by themselves are telling a good portion of the baserunning story, even if they don’t cover all of it.

The Orioles just suck.

by drj on May 8, 2008 12:09 AM EDT 0 recs

crazy, ridiculous

I can understand allowing some of the faster players on the team a little leeway in stealing second even if stealing has been shown to be largely ineffective. To me, it’s a just matter of how you want to lose since we have guys with no power, guys running or not running. I don’t particularly care either way. But the aggressiveness on the base paths is getting out of hand. Stealing third doesn’t make much sense. And come on, once you’re on first, can’t you dipshits stay on base w/o getting picked off.

Wolf, wolf, wolf.

by birdman on May 8, 2008 12:40 AM EDT 0 recs

Perlozzo flat out said it

And I think the thinking probably still holds sway. Perlozzo said that he felt handicapped because the O’s had to string together three hits (mix in walks however you want) in order to score a run. I suspect this current emphasis on being aggressive springs from a similar line of reasoning. The team has little power and a low OBP (.318 as of this writing). So the solution is to be aggressive and try to take an extra base. Too bad the O’s don’t have the players to execute that style of play either. Roberts has qualified, but who else really has the wheels? The O’s just don’t have the bats nor the team speed to execute either strategy. They’re an embarrassment. Maybe it will get better with time, but they sure better draft or trade for some sticks. In the meanwhile, I guess they can do whatever they want to lose games. It will be frustrating to watch either way.

It is interesting to note that although Weaver played for the big inning, he wasn’t adverse to using team speed. With Coggins, Bumbry, Blair, Baylor the O’s were near the top of the AL in stolen bases in ‘73 and ‘74. They were around average in the surrounding years.

by drj on May 8, 2008 9:35 AM EDT up 0 recs

Hernandez started his sixth straight game at shortstop Wednesday, and Trembley said that he has been pleased with how the 23-year-old has handled the position of late.

Pleased with??? What, the circular paths to routine grounders? The Laser Rocket Arm, that just isn’t a laser or rocket? Or maybe it’s the bloop singles that fall in over his head that almost any actual Major League SS would be able to make some kind of play on? You tell me what DD might be pleased with.

Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008

by dayzd toe on May 8, 2008 9:18 AM EDT 0 recs

what's he going to say?

I think everyone knows the guy doesn’t belong on a MLB roster. Probably even DD (who has seemed to have liked Louie since before spring training). They are on a road trip. The papers are openly talking about Cintron and Bynum taking reps (who feels positive about that?). Changes will occur once they get back. At least you’d think so.

by drj on May 8, 2008 9:44 AM EDT up 0 recs

I mean to outright say he PLEASED?

Just say he’s the man right now. Or don’t say anything about it at all. But, seriously, pleased?

Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008

by dayzd toe on May 8, 2008 10:02 AM EDT up 0 recs

of coruse...

he also said…

“Obviously, there are people we have that we want to take a look at: Cintron is one, Bynum is two,” Trembley said. “But right now, we’ve went on this road trip and Luis Hernandez is the guy that is playing. ... But it’s like any other position. We’re always looking to improve, we’re always looking to upgrade, we’re always looking to do what we can to help the team.”

which sounds like, to me, barring a sudden conversion into a-rod, hernandez is finished when the team gets back to b’more.

ronnie's a dillweed.

by j.q. higgins on May 8, 2008 10:19 AM EDT up 0 recs

true.

Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008

by dayzd toe on May 8, 2008 10:54 AM EDT up 0 recs

Aggressive baserunning is fine

We just need to get better at it. And the only way to get better is to keep doing it.

Isn’t that what rebuilding years are about – improving our skills?

TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC

by spike2131 on May 8, 2008 9:19 AM EDT 0 recs

I thought the only way to get better at it was to practice

as in, not in a real life game that counts. When a pitcher who doesn’t have a changeup wants to develop one he doesn’t just decide to throw it in a game. He works on it in side sessions, when warming up, batting practice, etc., How about we work on aggressive baserunning elsewhere until we actually learn how to correctly perform it.

Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008

by dayzd toe on May 8, 2008 9:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

This whole season is practice

TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC

by spike2131 on May 8, 2008 10:46 AM EDT up 0 recs

again...

true.

Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008

by dayzd toe on May 8, 2008 10:55 AM EDT up 0 recs

BTW Ladies & Gents...

Welcome to the Cellar! Get your glasses cleaned ‘cause there’e going to be a lot whine down here.

Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008

by dayzd toe on May 8, 2008 9:27 AM EDT 0 recs

Tom Davis Just Can't Believe It

Do you think anyone on this club has read Moneyball?! (I know Jim Palmer has, that’s all that guy would talk about a few years ago). Last night after the game, Tom Davis just couldn’t believe how many runs the A’s scored via groundouts. Well, if you get baserunners, and don’t get thrown out on the basepaths, you get more runs via groundouts. More baserunners equals more runs, just ask Earl Weaver why he didn’t steal bases. We’ve taken such a huge step backwards.

The guy managing this club is the kind that doesn’t read the track sheet when he bets on horses. He just picks the color he likes best, or the prettiest horse, ‘cause he just has a hunch. Suprise, suprise, you end up losing quite a bit of money when you do that.

At least we didn’t get MacPhail’s buddy Dusty Baker!

by Peter's Wolf on May 8, 2008 9:28 AM EDT 0 recs

One of the points from Moneyball was that speed was overrated

Now that everyone has read it, speed is underrated. Managing secrets of the 1990s have become the convention wisdom of the 2000s.

Another point of Moneyball is that you can succeed by exploiting the blind spots of conventional wisdom. And I think that lesson is timeless.

TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC

by spike2131 on May 8, 2008 10:59 AM EDT up 0 recs

Now that everyone has read it, speed is underrated.

There’s a reason for that.

Wolf, wolf, wolf.

by birdman on May 8, 2008 4:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

That wasn’t one of the points of Moneyball.

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on May 9, 2008 1:46 AM EDT up 0 recs

We've had 29 SB's, 12 CS's and 211 SO's this year

Focusing on changing those SO’s into BB’s will go a lot farther than reducing CS’s and SB’s.

TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC

by spike2131 on May 8, 2008 10:55 AM EDT 0 recs

does cs include pickoffs?

b/c i think the two are intrinsically linked, though technically separate stats.

ronnie's a dillweed.

by j.q. higgins on May 8, 2008 11:20 AM EDT up 0 recs

I don't know

I’m going by this – http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/08team2.htm

Normally I use baseball reference, but I can’t find good team stats rankings there…

TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC TRAGIC

by spike2131 on May 8, 2008 11:34 AM EDT up 0 recs

while we're on team stats

here’s today’s inspirational thought: We don’t suck QUITE as badly as the neighbor down the street:

O’s
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG
35 1160 139 285 58 4 32 131 447 120 211 29 12 .318 .385 .246
Nats
34 1142 133 273 58 3 23 127 406 115 212 8 7 .316 .356 .239

...one more dying quail a week and you're playing in Yankee Stadium...

by 33 on May 8, 2008 1:27 PM EDT 0 recs