Nolan Reimold Continues to Press the Issue

by Stacey on May 1, 2009 10:08 AM EDT in Minor Leagues Comment 35 comments

The Tides lost last night, but Nolan Reimold hit another home run, his 7th on the year. Remold is now batting .408 (29 for 71) with 5 2B, 7 HR, and 9 BB. His OPS is just lovely at 1.257.

I know the Felix Pie experiment is ongoing. My head understands this. My head even agrees with it. But if Reimold continues to put up good numbers at Norfolk and Pie continues to struggle it'll be harder and harder to watch Pie out there every day.

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definitely

I know Pie hasn’t really gotten a shot to make adjustments and improve and show us what he’s worth but it just makes me so sad when we get a rally going and then oh wait, here’s Izturis, Pie and Zaun to save the pitcher’s ass.

by Steve. on May 1, 2009 10:50 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Here's my take on the Pie experiment

He’s given April and May, regardless. At the end, his value is assessed. If he’s still below the Mendoza line, killing our fragile pitching staff with his inability to track down what’s hit his way, he’s gone (or they try to waiver him). If he keeps sucking they may be able to get him onto the Tides without being claimed. Probably not, but it’s worth a try.

Reimold just got to AAA, so while one month of raking is great, he needs to keep doing it to prove his worth. (I feel the same about Wieters too, he needs half a season there and half a season as backup on the main club, from a development standpoint, esp while he’s got a K rate of 30%)

I actually miss Luke in LF.

"Honestly, I get tired driving 26 miles. I couldn’t imagine running it." -- Huffy

by CoachOfEarl on May 1, 2009 10:52 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

+1

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

I’m doubting Pie more and more every day, but it’s only fair to give the guy 2 months. And Reimold has always been a streaky hitter, so I’d like to see him keep this up for another month as well. Reimold will probably be called up along with Wieters by the end of the month, so it will be an interesting story to watch the O’s make room for him.

If Pie is still hitting .150 at the end of May, he’ll probably pass through waivers and can play every day at AAA. If he finds his stroke somewhat, Freel can be dumped and Pie kept around as the 4th OFer.

If Pie starts to look like an actual baseball player, we’ll have a problem on our hands, but it’s certainly not a bad problem to have.

by dkdc on May 1, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+2

I love that Reimold is making this a topic of discussion. LOVE IT. But you still have to give Pie his AB’s. If he is still tanking in 30 days, awesome. Reimold clearly wants to be up here & it’s hard to imagine he couldn’t improve on Pie’s production. If he’s picked it up & turned it around, awesomer. That’s a nice problem to have. But we can’t arrive at either conclusion without giving Pie the time to either prove us right or wrong.

Besides, I would love to see what kind of offense we’d have by swapping out Zaun & Pie at exactly the same time for Wieters & Reimold. I just think that kind of “flip the switch” move would be noticeable instantly.

From the Land of Pleasant Living...

by OEutaw on May 1, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he’s gone (or they try to waiver him).

I agree with everything you said except for waiving him. The O’s will need a back up CF. Send down Lou and keep Pie.

"Your wife told you to play in New York.
Well, my wife told me you look like a dork." Boo Teixeira guys.

by birdman on May 1, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why would you send down Lou?

At least he can get on base, hit the ball, and has looked good in the outfield. We want to keep those that actually help win games instead of keeping “potential”. Just my thoughts and I totally respect your comments and see what you are saying.

"They are who we thought they were"-Dennis Green

by Baysox39 on May 1, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes but

can Lou play CF?

I’m smart, not a dummy. ~Adam Jones

by Stacey on May 1, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good Question

I know he played left exclusively in Bowie and right field in Norfolk. Pie looks like he could be a good CF if he had the opportunity to play on a regular basis. I just think Pie has pressure on him no one else has. I wish this kid could play everyday with no expectations and see what he can do. This will not happen in Baltimore. The spot light is just to bright.

"They are who we thought they were"-Dennis Green

by Baysox39 on May 1, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The spotlight is too bright?

There IS no spotlight in Baltimore. If you can’t get your shit together on a last-place club with no expectations for winning, then you can’t get your shit together, period. Pie is being given the best opportunity he can be given. Where would you have him play that’s quieter? KC?

It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez

by zknower on May 1, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tangentially related...

Manny Acta made a similar point about the Nats bullpen (from the WaPo game story):

“It’s top to bottom. They just are walking themselves into trouble. Over and over and over and over. Walking guys after 0-2 counts, walking guys in the bottom of the order. You shouldn’t be afraid. You’re pitching for a last-place team in a half-empty stadium. What can be intimidating right now?”

by Joltin Joe Orsulak on May 1, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I'd like to see Trembley be that blunt

Montanez sucks and Pie is not much better. If neither of these bums can prove themselves in the next couple of months, maybe we try out Reimold.

"In a couple of weeks or a month, I'll be excited about this team," Dawkins said. "I've got to get used to saying that -- I'm a Bronco." Then he paused. "I'll tell you one thing -- I'll always be an Eagle."

by exitfare on May 1, 2009 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

half empty?

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 May 2, 2009 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

At least he can get on base, hit the ball,

So far .238 OBP, .516 OPS. DEAL WITH IT!

"Your wife told you to play in New York.
Well, my wife told me you look like a dork." Boo Teixeira guys.

by birdman on May 1, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Looks like he has Jack Elliott's numbers

by exitfare on May 1, 2009 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My take on this is the total inexperance Felix Pie has shown

His baseball skills (hitting) and the way he carries himself is suprising consider the number of times he has been up with the Cubs. The fact he has no waiver options is even more suprising because I feel he needs a season in Norfolk to growup a little and learn to hit.
I also agree with my fellow O’s fans on this chat in that Reimold needs at least a half season at Norfolk to continue his progress and confidence. I am sure all of this will work itself out and we will be a better team with better players in the long run.
Don’t forget the Baysox are home tonight. 7:05 will be first pitch. Not sure who will start because I have not looked but Brandon Snyder and the young pitchers are worth the trip down. Akron is in town and they have two players of interest. Carlos Santana, catcher and a pitcher named Rondo. Hope to see all of you out there tonight.

"They are who we thought they were"-Dennis Green

by Baysox39 on May 1, 2009 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

How can you find out in advance who's pitching for Bowie?

I’m going to be up there for a conference in a couple of weeks, and if they have an interesting starter, I may have to make it out there, since the O’s are out of town.

"Honestly, I get tired driving 26 miles. I couldn’t imagine running it." -- Huffy

by CoachOfEarl on May 1, 2009 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Go to the baysox.com

To the right of the box line is the game day notes you can print out. This is a 10 page game note information sheet printed prior to each game at 2pm. This is what most of the announcers, writers, and more knowledgable fans look at as opposed to the booklets handed out at the gate. You can go on line and get all the game day stuff and all types of player info to include the opposing players stats. Up to dayte stuff.

"They are who we thought they were"-Dennis Green

by Baysox39 on May 1, 2009 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sweet

Just what I’m looking for, thanks. I’ll check it again when I get closer to the date (5/15-20).

"Honestly, I get tired driving 26 miles. I couldn’t imagine running it." -- Huffy

by CoachOfEarl on May 1, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're going to BOWIE for a conference?

Who did you piss off?

Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.

by duck on May 1, 2009 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hahaha

No, Baltimore. I’m staying at Inner Harbor, in view of OP, and the O’s are out of town the whole time.

"Honestly, I get tired driving 26 miles. I couldn’t imagine running it." -- Huffy

by CoachOfEarl on May 1, 2009 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Felix Pie's defense has been improving

at least according to Fangraphs
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=3751&position=OF

He started out abysmal in the field (data not shown), but he’s worked his UZR up to -1 per 150, which is about average, and his total fielding runs above average above the zero mark to 0.4. He’s getting better in that department, but it won’t matter two iotas if his bat doesn’t improve dramatically.

by math_geek on May 1, 2009 1:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

intrestingly enough, even though his bat sucks

he’s actually more patient than he’s ever been in his career, as his 10.5 BB% would imply.

by math_geek on May 1, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

UZR has Pie much better than Jones

Even though Son is 2nd in MLB in RF/9. As they’ve discussed on fg, it’s way too early in the season to draw a conclusion from UZR.

"Honestly, I get tired driving 26 miles. I couldn’t imagine running it." -- Huffy

by CoachOfEarl on May 1, 2009 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, I expect AJs UZR to go up big time…. but the thing is that we’re all so frustrated with Pie that it’s going to be difficult to objectively “eyeball” whether his defense is improving. Something like UZR at least has the benefit of being unbiased.

by math_geek on May 1, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let me say this

I am an Montanez fan. No bones about that. But I pull for Pie everytime he comes to bat and when a ball is hit his way. I just want the best player on the field. I want the O’s to win. Lou is a 4th outfielder type in my opinion. The O’s are looking at Felix to be the left fielder for the next 7 years or so. Totally different expectations. So when Lou comes in he is filling his role. Now with that said where does Reimold fit in? He could push Montanez off the team but I think Reimold’s role was to be the LF for the next 7 years. MacP bringing in Pie and pushing for him to learn on the job has thrown a curve to our entire organization. How we deal with this decision going forward is what we are debating now. I don’t think Pie was brought here to be the 4th outfielder. But if that is his role so be it. They should move Lou. The wild card in all of this is Luke. He could be our everyday LF and we use Pie as an outfield back up. Pie complicates that by being totally usless at the plate. So the debate goes on. Oh, just so you know Garrett Olson threw 6 2/3 of no hit ball for the Tacoma Rainers yesterday. He is looking good for the Mariners.

"They are who we thought they were"-Dennis Green

by Baysox39 on May 1, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

olson

his pitching at AAA was never the problem!

"If they pitch to you, make them pay."

--Diamond Dave to the Phenom

by j.q. higgins on May 1, 2009 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Small sample size

UZR is a fine defensive metric, but it means almost nothing with this small of a sample size. It varies so much even year to year that you really need about 3 years of data to get an accurate measure of a player’s true defensive ability.
I agree with giving Pie another month or so, but if Riemold is still raking in mid June and Pie is still struggling, it’s time to try and get Pie through waivers. I’m hoping Pie does something like Andy LaRouche did this year. He looked clueless through the first two weeks of the season (and most of last season), but then something clicked and he’s been great the last few weeks.

by uneasy rider on May 1, 2009 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pie's BABIP

is .194! His line drive rate is 22.9%! He’s taking walks (6 in 58 PA is the best he’s ever been at that), but he is getting unlucky at the plate. I don’t think you can ignore that BABIP – Pie will get better, but the Orioles really shouldn’t just give up on him already. What is there, exactly to lose, by keeping him around?

spring breeze / the green field / tempts me to play catch

by elk on May 1, 2009 3:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

good call.

Just because you know how to read, doesn't mean you'll like the book.

by arlingtonOsFan on May 1, 2009 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

MacPhail is the final arbiter

Schmuck guesses Pie gets another month. There isn’t much to lose in another month. What the hell, we’ve seen a full season of Patterson. If Pie doesn’t turn it around, we’ll sure know when MacPhail’s patience has run its course. I’m wondering what constitutes “turning it around”. What’s an average LF? Maybe .270/.330/.420? Will Pie be able to sniff that at some point? Or how much lower it Pie’s bar?

by drj on May 1, 2009 4:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Another month would have a precedent

Markakis was said to be within a week of being sent down at the end of May 2006 when he started finding his stroke.

I think the Felix Pie Experiment goes until Memorial Day at least.

Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.

by duck on May 1, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Montanez

I,d say if they arent going to play Montanez over Pie then Montanez needs to be traded
for his sake.Maybe they could give up pie in the deal & plus have Scott & Riemold
to choose from.

by hagers on May 1, 2009 11:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Reimold hit his 8th homer against the scranton team, 2nd game in a row with a homer, i agree he is pushing the issue and in my opinion montanez has to go..

What up?

by snakethejake on May 2, 2009 1:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sweet Lou

What am I missing about Lou? I see that they recognized him before a game this past week for winning the Triple Crown of the Eastern League. He played well last September hitting .295, not to mention being only the 2nd Oriole to hit a HR in his first ML at bat. He’s 27 and a former nmber 3 overall draft choice. Why are people so set on giving Pie substantial time to prove himself but not Montanez? He’s barely been given a chance this season to play. Pie was an experiment that just hasn’t worked out. He’s become an inning killer. Well, him and everyone else at the bottom of our lineup. Give me Montanez in LF everyday for a month so a true evaluation can be made.

by YardBirds on May 2, 2009 8:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh no!

Please for the love of God don’t get the Montanez thing going again! Allow me to answer your question so that we can prevent this debate from exploding again.

There are two general opinions of Lou Montanez here at CC:

1)-He had his chance. Lou was a young up-and-coming prospect with the Cubs and treated life like it should just be given to him. His work ethic sucked, and in the end he made both Andy Mac and Dave Trembley look bad to Chicago. Because of these faults, combined with lackluster numbers until last year, Lou should be relegated to AT BEST the fourth outfielder. And many don’t even think he can handle that.

2)-True Montanez did blow his first, second, and third chances with the Cubs. However, he has hit very well since joining the Orioles organization when his playing time has been consistent. He should be given every chance to earn the LF spot regardless of his past failures.

Most here tend to lean toward opinion 1. There are a few (myself included) who would rather see Lou getting AB’s than see Pie flounder around. The situation is what it is, and no amount of debate here at CC is going to change anyone’s opinion. Therefore, no one else is allowed to take the bait and reply to this post…discussion closed!!

Mood about O's rotation: Depressed : (

by sickuvitall on May 2, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs