Wednesday Bird Droppings

by Camden Chat on Oct 7, 2009 7:15 AM EDT in Open Threads Comment 36 comments

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Your Off-Season O of the Day: Cesar Izturis (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Carroll County Times: Orioles Know They Have Work to do
Andy MacPhail: We will be bat shoppers. -Stacey

BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Rankings: League Top 20 Prospects: Carolina League Top 20 Prospects
Baseball American named Brian Matusz the #2 prospect in the Carolina League in 2009 -Stacey

Jeff Zrebiec's 2009 O's player grades
It's the final report card on the 2009 season. - duck

Orioles offseason story lines to watch
"It can be argued that the Orioles have fewer holes to fill for 2010 than they have had entering an offseason in recent memory. What can't be argued is that those holes are monstrous, and any chance the Orioles have of not repeating as the residents of the American League East basement hinges on what personnel moves are made this winter." - duck

The best and worst of the 2009 Orioles season - baltimoresun.com
"A look at some of the best and worst of the Orioles' otherwise forgettable 2009 season." -duck

Wieters showed poise, persistence in rookie season
"He settled into a groove as the season progressed. In 29 games in September and October, he batted .333 with four homers, 17 RBIs and an .882 on-base-plus-slugging average." I'd say the kid did good this year. Eventually. -duck

The Schmuck Stops Here: Orioles: Let the offseason begin
"I'm sure there are some people here who think that Juan Samuel should be on the chopping block, too, but I don't see him leaving unless he's offered something better elsewhere. He could, however, end up moving onto the bench beside manager Dave Trembley and being replaced at third base by a new face on the coaching staff. Just a hunch." So Samuel is respected for telling it like it is, but he sucks at what his job actually entails. This is not a good sign. - duck

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to Open Thread. I sense much fear in you.

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I was very happy to read this

“He knows the team can’t compete in the AL East with the roster as it is, even with everyone healthy.”

by yurizanow on Oct 7, 2009 8:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I believe we all can agree on that

"I would approve signing a pitcher that ate kitten tacos if he won 20 games a year." -BPinOK

by duck on Oct 7, 2009 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i still don't understand why that makes you happy

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because it indicates MacPhail is realistic and plans to get better

And Angelos is letting him (mostly) drive. Previous to MacPhail, we were treated to ridiculous BS from the front office lackeys who were taking the team nowhere.

by drj on Oct 7, 2009 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yea i realized what that was referring to right after i posted

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes. And here's another MacPhail quote

“I always felt that Dave Trembley did exactly what this franchise asked him to do: He was charged with nurturing and developing young talent,’’ MacPhail said…..”It would be unreasonable … to suggest that over the course of those two seasons, we could expect a record better than they had."

- SI.com

"I think my motivation is to see the other guys in the clubhouse. They’re contending for the playoffs, and when I see that it gets into my body. I play like it’s the playoffs too" —Memlo

by zknower on Oct 7, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

we need us some hitters. and we need us some pitchers.

discuss.

you like money. he likes money.

by thewaywardO on Oct 7, 2009 8:27 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Do we really need pitchers, plural?

I’m down for one big arm (no I don’t know who it would be) and continuing to develop our young awesome arms.

by O Nina on Oct 7, 2009 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

bullpen

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh

I thought wayward meant starting pitchers.

Yes… bullpen. Must be fixed.

by O Nina on Oct 7, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

what?

you’re not happy with fat albers and chris ray? :-)

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i think with henderson, koji, berken, hernandez, JJ, Ray, and Meredith

plus whomever else signs in spring training?

we don’t really need to spend a lot on the bullpen.

"I think my motivation is to see the other guys in the clubhouse. They’re contending for the playoffs, and when I see that it gets into my body. I play like it’s the playoffs too" —Memlo

by zknower on Oct 7, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I tend to agree with this.

Particularly if Ray shows improvement with greater distance from reconstructive surgery. He’s shown he has the makeup to close. Now all we need to see is if the pitching ability has returned.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Oct 7, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah... I can't imagine we will spend a lot on the bullpen especially with all the other holes

but we’re putting a lot of faith in people who this past season ranged from mediocre to awful (or both, depending on which point in the season… JJ).

By “fixed” I just meant it, as a unit, needs to… stop… sucking.

Also you forgot Kam!

by O Nina on Oct 7, 2009 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i think it really depends on who's in the rotation

berken and hernandez will likely be among the early candidates for a starting job

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

forgot to add

assuming there is no free agent added

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i would need to see more from kam before i include him in that list

"I think my motivation is to see the other guys in the clubhouse. They’re contending for the playoffs, and when I see that it gets into my body. I play like it’s the playoffs too" —Memlo

by zknower on Oct 7, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What does the bullpen even look like next year?

I don’t think we need a ton of arms do we? I think we have to move DH there and we have Koji, Kam, Johnson, Castillo? Claw? Hendo? It has at least more potential than at the start of 09.

" I’m glad we play Pitt twice, and not Tenn this year." - Salty Browns Fan.

by Johnny_S on Oct 7, 2009 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Our bullpen will get a lot better

hen they aren’t going 3.1 IP a night, every night.

"I would approve signing a pitcher that ate kitten tacos if he won 20 games a year." -BPinOK

by duck on Oct 7, 2009 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

honestly

i think only having to pitch 2 or so innings everyday would have made even our shitty bullpen better.

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Better starters = better bullpen

With the kid gloves off Bergesen, Matusz, Tillman et.al next year, I think we’ll see the bullpen improve just due to the fact they;re not overworked by two weeks after the ASG.

"I would approve signing a pitcher that ate kitten tacos if he won 20 games a year." -BPinOK

by duck on Oct 7, 2009 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hopefully.

adding another starter would be great too cuz then we can assure ourselves of having several guys (berken, hendrickson, uehara, and hernandez) that are capable of pitching multiple innings and can make a start if needed

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm really kind of done watching Jason Berken

I just get a Brian Burres/Garret Olson vibe every time he pitches. I’d just as soon see him in AAA or jettisoned altogether.

"I would approve signing a pitcher that ate kitten tacos if he won 20 games a year." -BPinOK

by duck on Oct 7, 2009 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

as far as starting goes, i agree with you

but i think he could be decent from the pen.

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

not that it matters

but berken is a nice guy

Ray Rice is so agile. He's a whole new breed for agile you need a new word to describe his agility... UBER-AGILITY!

by BaltimoreSportsFan on Oct 7, 2009 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're right

It doesn’t matter

"I would approve signing a pitcher that ate kitten tacos if he won 20 games a year." -BPinOK

by duck on Oct 8, 2009 6:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

But Brian Burress and Garrett Olsen

looked like douches though, so at least Berken has that.

The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST

by the fix is in on Oct 8, 2009 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They shouldn't prioritize pitchers

Obviously they’ll need to bring in some relievers, but I don’t think they need to prioritize starters next year. If there is someone good that they think they realistically have a shot at, fine, otherwise I don’t have a problem with seeing what they have with their young pitchers, even if it gets a little ugly.

Having some more offense would probably make life easier on the young pitchers and aid in their development a little bit. I would like to see some hitters with power, although they’ll probably have to get creative or lucky in acquiring them since there aren’t any guys that jump out at you available on the free agent market.

by yurizanow on Oct 7, 2009 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

otherwise I don’t have a problem with seeing what they have with their young pitchers, even if it gets a little ugly.

but then you’ll just want to fire the manager again.

by kba26 on Oct 7, 2009 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I want to fire the manager . . .

because he hit and runs, bunts, mishandles the bullpen, and his players play stupid and sloppy.

If playing the young pitchers gives me a pretext to get rid of a manager with a .413 winning percentage (lowest of any manager ever except for Jimmy Dykes and Cal Ripken Sr., who managed less than two seasons) , all the better.

by yurizanow on Oct 8, 2009 8:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

wow....that guy with the grades is a tough customer

with those grades, i’d be on ac pro

by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 9:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Go Twins

I pick a team, usually the biggest underdog/lowest payroll, and pull for them. Theirs are the only games I’ll listen to. Once they are eliminated, I’m free to ignore baseball until we hear word about what Andy MacPhail is up to during the off season.

by drj on Oct 7, 2009 10:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

We need...

…a hitter, preferably of the middle-o’-the-order sort, and lots of pitching.

by sabertooth5185 on Oct 7, 2009 10:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Are comments not marking as read for anyone else?

It’s driving me crazy

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Oct 7, 2009 1:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not marking for me either

good to know that its a SBN issue, not with my computer

by kba26 on Oct 7, 2009 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't see much in the way of options ...

… for Baltimore to fix what they need most over this off season.

I think it’s pretty clear to all of us that 1b and 3b are easily the two gaping holes in the roster, with no one really standing out in the FA market to fill either position. The only name that is even remotely attractive is Branyan. His BA tailed off the second half of the season, but he is a bonified HR hitter. A two or three year deal sounds reasonable.

I have been a big Jason Bay fan for some time (it doesn’t hurt that he’s from the NW). But he plays a position that is arguably one of the O’s strengths. Still, he’s the only guy I would be willing to give big money to.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Oct 7, 2009 5:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs