Friday Bird Droppings
by Camden Chat on Mar 12, 2010 7:00 AM EST
in Open Threads
120 comments
Twins looks sharp; O's, not so much - baltimoresun.com
Yes, the Orioles lost another SPRING TRAINING game yesterday. :: Yaaaaaawn :: At least KOJI! looked good. -zk
Roberts hopeful of recovery by opener | MLB.com: News
Roberts Watch 2010 (cue ominous music)—BriBob worked out yesterday, and hopes to do some hitting today. Also of note is that before his meds made him sick, he was actually past his back issues enough to be a "full go" in practice: turning DPs and taking BP. Sounds like he's turned the corner. -zk
Millwood not concerned by another rough outing
Millwood to coaches and O's fans: "No really, really, really! I don't suck. Promise." Maybe I'm paraphrasing a bit. -zk
Welcome to Birdland South
Heath at Dempsey's Army gives a great account of his ST game and makes me jealous. Gotta love his reaction to the ticket taker welcoming him to Birdland South, "And he was right. The place was overrun with Red Sox fans, they played "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" during the 7th inning stretch and the O's lost in heartbreaking fashion." -Stacey
Bergesen 'disappointed' with exhibition debut - baltimoresun.com
Dude, you haven't pitched a game in nearly 8 months. Relax! (Actually, I'm happy to hear he's so focused on returning to form.) -zk
Looking to the future, Coffey makes changes in his mechanics - MASNsports.com
Melewski has an in-depth conversation with O's prospect Cameron Coffey about the changes in his delivery. -zk
Chat wrap: Orioles Q&A with Jeff Zrebiec
You have to hit the video putton to see the transcript. Jeff answers questions of all kinds, such as this one:
"I remember a few years back when guys like Bigbie, Loewen and company were going to compliment our veteran leadership to put us into the playoffs. Based on what you've seen, what's the biggest difference this time around with this young group of guys?"
I picture Jeff rolling his eyes and wanting to type THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS THAT BIGBIE AND LOEWEN ALWAYS SUCKED. -zk
Baseball doesn't need radical realignment - St. Petersburg Times
How refreshing! John Romano echos what we've been saying here all along—realignment is stupid, and a balanced schedule is the logical next step. -zk
hotstove.com» Do the Orioles Need Tejada, When They Have Josh Bell?
Dear hotstove.com: Because he hasn't played an inning of AAA yet. That's why. -duck
Orioles relievers sizing up the competition in camp - baltimoresun.com
The candidates for the Orioles' two or three bullpen vacancies have certainly gotten a close look at their competition, and Kranitz hopes that they're all paying attention. -duck
On hockey and national anthem etiquette for fans - Puck Daddy - NHL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
A fascinating blog entry about various Anthem traditions, complete with comments from indignant Caps fans who hate the Baltimore "O!" which is invariably heard at the Verizon Center. -zk
On This Date in Camden Chat History:
2005: SC writes 12 paragraphs about a ST loss to the Marlins. Man, do I feel like a slacker.
2006: SC's 40 Greatest Orioles of All Time Series write-ups of #10 Ken Singleton and #9 Brady Anderson
2007: Okay, this one was fun (remember to expand the comments if they're collapsed). SC posts about the O's destroying Dice-K in a ST game. Then Jonnypops talks trash about OTM's response to the game. Then someone from OTM who's lurking at CC calls out JP on their boards and a blog war erupts. In the middle of it all, I give the folks at OTM lessons in SBN formatting, which is sort of classic me.
2009: Nicky becomes a papa.
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ahahhaah Jonny Pops
He may be a jerk, but he’s our jerk :-)
I like this quote by him: Now if, as your “translator” contends, Matsuzaka needs a Spring Training game to learn that you do not leave pitches up in the strike zone then you guys might be in worse shape than simply going a game back in the Ol’ Grapefruit League.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
And then they won the world series
I think it probably worked out okay in the end.
I love the douchey response by the “translator” in the OTM response post: he doesn’t like trash-talking when it becomes personal, which is “why he left Wall Street.”
hahahaha
sweet.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
OK, I find of feel like trash-talking at OTM RIGHT NOW
This is the first comment in their response to JP:
Matsuzaka is going to own the O’s. Then we’ll all get to laugh at the idiot.
Guess what dooood? Three years later, Dice-K has a 4.78 ERA and a 1.688 WHIP against the Orioles. He has also barely averaged 5 IP per start.
Wow, the O’s have been schooled by Dice K! How much did he cost Theo again? Yeah, there’s a genius GM for you.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
oh and also
Dear hotstove.com,
When you sent out that email request for bloggers to respond, Josh Bell was 2 for 7 with 3 strikeouts and two errors. That’s 1) not red hot and 2) 7 freaking at bats. That is why I didn’t respond.
Regards,
Stacey
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
PS Hotstove,
Write your own content. we already have a place to write ours. kthxbye.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
I guess I don’t understand how balanced schedule with the same divisions as today answers anything. Seems like a rote response to me. Nothing is going to change the fact that the Red Sox and Yankees have a revenue and payroll advantage. As long as it continues and they invest well, they’ll tend to remain at the top of the AL East despite their schedule. The other teams in the division will still struggle to stay abreast and sneak into the playoffs.
If you split the Yankees and Red Sox into separate divisions, it opens up an opportunity for another team that was buried behind the two of them in the same division. However, the Yankees and Red Sox will still be near or at the top of their new divisions. So splitting them is probably advantageous for three teams (O’s, Rays, Blue Jays). It’s also advantageous for the Red Sox and Yankees, as one of them is probably less likely to make the playoffs if they battle one another in the same division. It’s still a zero sum game, so whichever division receives the Red Sox or Yankees now has a new challenge. You’ve reduced chances in another division while trying to help the O’s, Rays, or Blue Jays. Why would another division get behind that? You could argue it spreads the pain a little, but the division that doesn’t get one of the two rich guys still has an advantage. The top spot there always gets a playoff spot and they don’t need to battle one of the rich guys. At the same time you’ve likely increased the chances of seeing both the Red Sox and Yankees in the playoffs.
Balanced schedule helps the O's
because instead of 38 total games against PHN and MFY, we’d have about 16. And the remaining 22 games would be spread out over the entire American League.
I can’t see how balanced schedule DOESN’T help.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
If the O’s remain in the same division with the Yankees and Red Sox, the Yankees and Red Sox still win lot of games regardless of schedule and the O’s need to stay abreast. It’s not an obvious advantage for the Orioles. The odds (and talent on the teams) still say the Red Sox and Yankees battle for the top two spots in the division.
it would draw the division closer.
They would have to play more good teams than they have been. We would play fewer good teams than we have been.
It would absolutely help. It’s not a solution, but it’s a place to start.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
We're both going on intuition.
I’m skeptical of the argument “we don’t play the big guys as much so we’ll have a better chance” argument. The big guys just replace “us” with other teams to beat up on. And with the O’s getting better, maybe that’s good for the Red Sox and Yankees.
So I guess someone needs to look at the historical records of AL East teams, by winning percentage, against the other divisions, factor in the schedule changes, and see how many more wins losses a team with a certain winning percentage might expect. I’m thinking such an exercise will not show any great gains for the O’s.
The real curveball is interleague play. That’s where MLB can skew the results a little by choosing how to pair teams. Maybe by a game or two… which may be enough in some years.
if a game or two is enough...
….then realignment would make a difference.
You say
The big guys just replace "us" with other teams to beat up on.
But they don’t. Some of those games would be against the Angels and Mariners. Yes, some of them are against the Royals as well, but the point is, NY and Boston have had a schedule tilted in their favor by playing over 1/3 of their schedule against the rest of the AL East, which only contains mid-market teams. And we have had a schedule tilted away from us by having 1/4 of our schedule played against the two biggest behemoths in all of baseball. Remove those inequities, and the numbers logically have to improve.
Or to put it in more quantifiable terms, a balanced schedule means we would immediately play 12 of our games (6 each from the yankees and sox) against teams that are not as competitively advantaged as they are. That would be a net gain of at least 3-4 wins right there for the Os, probably more. At the same time, each of NY and BOS would take 18 games against the Os/Rays/Jays and spread them out against some teams that are just as bad, but some that are much, much better, leading to a net loss of at least 2-3 games for them.
That’s not intuition talking, it’s facts. A balanced schedule means everyone plays good teams and bad teams equally.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
You're pulling numbers out of thin air (or elsehwhere ;) )
3-4 more wins for team X, 2-3 less for team Y, etc. Those aren’t facts, they are guesses, i.e., intuition.
Take a team with winning percentage X in the AL East. Look at their historical record within and against the other divisions. Factor out their expected wins/losses in AL East, factor in their wins/losses against other divisions as dictated by the change in the schedule. You are guessing a 5-7 game swing. I bet you it is closer to 1-2 games. that’s to the point where inter-league skew wouldn’t make a huge difference.
Logical fallacy
Our winning percentage is what it is because we have 19 games each against the MFY and PHN and TB.
So, to use that % to theorize that our winning % would not improve if we exchanged 70% of our MFY, PHN and Rays games for games against the rest of the AL is a bit of a logical fallacy.
I believe it is a logical assumption to guess the O’s would fair better with about 70% of 57 games among PHN, MFY and TB distributed among the rest of the AL, since the rest of the AL isn’t as good as TB, MFY and PHN.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
Not really. Look at it another way taking the O’s out of the equation. Look at at team that historically plays at 95 wins in the AL East and see how many games they’ll win in a balanced schedule. Do it for a 90 win/85 win/80 win/etc team. I’m betting the relative position of the teams stays the same without much of change. My suspicion is it will occur without seeing any team pick up a large number of games (esp not 5-7 games). The top teams will continue to come out on top regardless of schedule. I’m surmising the O’s will need to be as good as the Yankees or Red Sox no matter what the schedule. Bottom line is there is only one wild card and the O’s will need to beat out one of the Yankees or Red Sox to claim it.
The argument IS specific to the AL East
That’s the whole point – the AL as a whole doesn’t have a problem, the AL East does.
Three of the teams are feasting on the other two 19 times a year. TWO of those teams are at a distinct economic advantage of geometric proporations, spending multiples of what the other three teams are spending.
It may be that the MFY and PHN are destined to occupy the top two spots. But why not have everyone play everyone an equitible amount of times and find out?
I’m sure the Angels and Mariners would love to have a shot at proving themselves worthy of the wild card instead of PHN going 16-3 against the O’s to win it.
I cannot see any upside to the current unbalanced schedule, aside from ESPn getting more oppotunities to show teh Red Sox play the Yankees, what need is there FOR an unbalanced schedule?
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
One more thing
Again, you are taking a hypothetical “90 win team” and assuming its record wouldn’t change by changing its schedule. But that 90-win team IS a 90-win team BECAUSE they play in the AL East.
Let’s face that hypothetical 90-win team is MFY or PHN. TB in ’08 was a fluke and everyone knows it. MFY and PHN are 90+ win teams in part BECAUSE they play in a division where they have a huge money advantage over the other three teams.
Why not have the unfairness of their economic position evened out across the entire American league rather than concentrated on three teams?
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
They have a huge money advantage over most of the other teams too.
It just spreads the misery around some more, it doesn’t really make the leage more competitive.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
I would say it does both
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
Also, it DOES make the O's more competitive
If you balance the schedule for the AL, it has a great effect on BAL and TOR. You’re eliminating 33% fewer games against bad teams than you are eliminating against good teams. For every 1 game I’m eliminating against the Rays, Yanks and Red Sox, I’m eliminating 1 against the Jays. That’s a 3 for 1 trade. I’ll take that.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
Sure but
You’re also doubling the amount of games you play against the Angels, Rangers, and any other good teams. You’re also eliminating the time that the Yankees have to play the Red Sox and Rays in favor of the Royals, Indians, whoever.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favor of a balanced schedule. I think that’s the way it should be. It’s the most fair to all teams in baseball. But I don’t think it’d offer much consolation to the Orioles.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
Daniel Moroz wrote an article about this yesterday on BtB
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2010/3/11/1366835/how-unfair-is-the-unbalanced
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
And I think he's wrong, too
I’m trading 19 against MFY and 19 against PHN and 19 against the Rays for 8 against LAA, 8 against SEA, but also 8 against KC, CLE and CHI and TEX. I’ll take that trade.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
You're trading 6 against the NYY, BOS, and TBR, not 19
You’d still have to to play them each 12 times per year. And the Yankees will also be trading 6 each from the Rays and Red Sox for other teams.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
it still adds up to an O's advantage
or rather, lack of disadvantage
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
Of course you don't
Because we have a few calculations that contradict your argument. Pretty funny that article exists and is recent. He only did the calculation for a 70-76 win team. It’s highly likely the result is similar for the 80-95 win teams. Bottom line is to compete with the Yankess and Red Sox stacked in the same division, you have to be as good as them.
and the bottomer line is,
they wouldn’t BE as good if they had to face better teams, and we got to face worse teams
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
??
So the Yankees/Red Sox relative talent level will drop compared to the Orioles/Rays/Blue Jays talent level because they now play a balanced schedule? The teams will still win and lose games pretty much in the order they do in the AL East today. That’s really the heart of the argument (which is what the BtB article is saying for the 70-76 win teams).
i'm at work, can't extended comment
the whole BtB article’s analysis is flawed because it starts from a premise that the AL East is historically 95-92-87-76-70.
The AL East did not historically have those win totals with a balanced schedule. The win totals were varied; closer in some years, further in others, depending on the relative strength of the rest of the league. There are intangibles at work here too: the Yankees’ vastly superior firepower isn’t as much of an advantage when they face teams for 13 games instead of 5 or 6, as those teams get a better sense of how to play them well, etc.
Everything in the article, all the maths, stem from that initial 95-92-87-76-70 assumption, which is a crap assumption.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
THANK YOU!!!!!
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
You guys just want to believe that the effect of inter-league play will can cause a realignment of the standings in the AL East. Better teams will still percolate to the top. When the O’s are one of them, they will percolate to the top.
The degree of the relative change in the AL East due to balanced schedule is conjecture, with one data point indicating there is likely no effect for the weaker teams (no surprise there). I’m surmising it will remain similar for the others. Get BP to run the simulation. It will be another data point.
And my argument is
that existing data point is built on flawed logic. We don’t know that the Yankees are a 94-win team in the AL. We know they are a 94-win team in the AL East. We can’t use that winning % to extrapolate their success across the whole league, which is the basis of that data point.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
I can't say much else
They are really arguing that the relative positioning of the 70-76 win team (no matter who it is, will not change). If the historical number were 91, 87, 81, 70, whatever, the analysis would likely show the same result.
They are really arguing that the relative positioning of the 70-76 win team (no matter who it is, will not change).
Again, not true. Sometimes it’s two teams at 76 wins. Sometimes it’s a team at 53 and no one else until the 80s.
It’s all wild speculation with no real sound numbers underneath.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
You guys just want to believe that the effect of inter-league play will can cause a realignment of the standings in the AL East.
This is crap. I am really tired of people putting words in my mouth.
As said above, I think this will bring the AL East closer, not realign it.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
Even that ‘closer’ comment remains subject to some skepticism.
And so sorry about the ‘crap’. I didn’t realize you had thin skin.
I don't really think I have thin skin.
It’s just the 4th or 5th time on this issue that someone has reframed my argument into saying something beyond what I’m saying. Since you were the latest person to do it, you caught the brunt of my frustration.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
They'd be just as good
My increasing thought as I read this thread and these comments is, “If the Orioles would just GET BETTER this argument would go out the window.” If the Orioles get as good as the White Sox and the Twins and the Rangers and whoever, suddenly the better team the Yankees are playing are the Orioles. That’s what I want.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
Here's my problem
I really think we’re AS GOOD as the entire NL West right NOW.
Put us in the AL Central or AL West and let us play those teams 19 times a year, we’re not a 100-loss team. We’re darn near .500 this year if not over.
But we’re stuck with those 19 games against the big two + TB, while LAA and SEA in teh AL West and DET and MIN in the AL Central have one quality opponent each – each other.
I’d much rather have 19 games each against the entire AL Central or Al West. Sign me up for an AL West or AL Central schedule right now.
And that means the schedule is unequal as well as being unbalanced.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
And who's to say we're NOT better than them?
This year, we will play PHN, MFY and TB a total of 57 times. The AL Central will play those 3 teams 18 times.
Give us Chicago White Sox’s schedule – hell, even the Indians, expected to finish last – and I’d sign up for it in a heartbeat. And I would bet we’d end up within 5 games of the division lead this year.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
So you want to be moved to another division?
Because that’s not a balanced schedule.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
If the argument is a balanced schedule doesn't solve the problem
then sign me up.
Because I think my argument DOES show that an unbalanced schedule has an unfair effect on teams.
Does anyone really want to argue the Orioles have as good a chance at the playoffs as the Twins and the Tigers?
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
I'm not arguing that at all
I’m arguing that a balanced schedule doesn’t make the Orioles anymore likely to overtake the Yankees even if it gives them a few more wins.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
But does it give us a better chance at the WC?
And does it give a clearer picture of the relative strength of teams across the whole league?
No other sport is as exclusionary in the oplayoffs as MLB.
NFL: 4 division winners + 2 WCs each conference
NHL: 3 division winners + 5 others each conference
NBA: 3 division winners + 5 others each conference
MLB: 3 division winners + 1 WC
Maybe it is time to expand the playoffs and return to a 154-game schedule.
That, I realize, will never happen.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
It definitely gives a better picture of relative strength
I said that in some comment on here. As for a wild card, if there are still three teams better than the O’s in the division then no.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
I don't think anyone is arguing the balanced schedule would solve everything
I think people ARE arguing that it would draw the AL East closer, whcih means in a GOOD year, we’d have a better shot to overtake them than we would with the current unfair system
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
Well like I've said
I’m in favor of a balanced schedule, no doubt. I just think that sometimes some people put more focus on it than is warranted given its potential impact.
But for real, sign me up for 6 more games against the Royals. I am all about that.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
Also
And I don’t think it can be emphasized enough, the Orioles just need to get better. It’s hard for me to focus on a balanced schedule when the Orioles suck so bad that they could be playing in the Pacific Coast League and still have a losing record.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
I disagree with the end of that comment
Put us in the NL West, and we’re a division contender. I firmly believe that.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
Well obvi I am a fan of hyperbole
But it’s just speculation to say how the Orioles would do in the NL West. I do know that they would have sucked in every single division in the AL over the past decade. They have been a horrible, horrible team.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
Our pitchers get hurt
filming commercials. If they actually had to bat….
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
Balanced schedule is not fair to all teams as long as there remain divisions. If they keep the format where division winner is in the playoffs and one wild card, this still penalizes the teams that play in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox.
Given that the MLB will not change the economic climate that favors a few teams, about the only thing I can imagine that puts the rest of teams on equal footing is a balanced schedule and no divisions. Just rank them top to bottom. Then they can all fight for the last two spots. No slipping in by just winning a division.
I agree with that's the MOST fair
but it’ll never happen, in my opinion. It’s unlikely a balanced schedule will either, but I think more likely than getting rid of divisions altogether. I don’t even think it should, necessarily. With the divisions there are more races, more excitement, more chances to compete for each team. That’s good for baseball.
And I know that knee jerk is, “more chances for everyone but the Orioles,” maybe, but the Orioles can still compete. People (not necessarily you, drj, but based on observations over the years) like to point at the rich Yankees and Red Sox and say, “The Orioles can’t compete with that.” But the Rays did/do, and the Orioles would have sucked no matter what division you stuck them in. Maybe the Orioles develop a good team that actually would compete in the AL Central and AL West and they still finish 10-15 games out, then we’ll have a leg to stand on.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
that works for me.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
You’re also doubling the amount of games you play against the Angels, Rangers, and any other good teams.
But not just the good teams. you’re also doubling the games you play against the mediocee and bad teams like the royals
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
Yes but so are the Yankees
The Orioles goal is to improve. If the Orioles get good, let’s say to a point to where they are competing/on the brink of competing with the top three teams, suddenly all the teams in the AL East are trading away games against good teams for games against teams in the other divisions, whether they be good or bad. For every extra game the Orioles have against the Royals, so do the Yankees.
Like I said, I’m in favor of a balanced schedule, a large part being because shut up about winning the AL Central, Twins. Good job beating up on the Royals and Indians or whoever. It’d do a lot to show the true talent level across the league, but it would do little to affect the standings, IMO.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
The ‘unfairness’ is not spread out. Only three other teams compete against the Yankees and Red Sox money, no matter how you re-allocate the games. Those team will have to be as good as or better than the Yankees and Red Sox to beat them.
Your really not getting the point of relative comparison of the AL East teams. I don’t care about the exact number of wins. I am surmising that the relative rank (regardless of exact number of wins) will remain the same and there will not be a significant swing in games won by any of the mid-tier teams while the upper tier teams decline. In that case, the O’s need to be on par with the other guys (you know who) in the division in order to get into the playoffs.
BaseballProspectus ought to run a balanced schedule standings simulatrion. They are not perfect. No simulator is, but I bet you we won’t be surprised and see the Yankees and Red Sox all the sudden being bypassed by the Orioles or the Rays.
Funny story from Britt Ghiroli:
From her blog:
Also, Jeremy Guthrie brought in a small clipping of his bio today to remind me that he’s not 31. I aged him in my last article and had it fixed, but the ribbing continues. He won’t turn 31 until April 8. Maybe he’ll get some cupcakes.
Then, from her Twitter feed:
I tried the “its Spring Training 4 the writers line” Bergesen reminds me that sum players come 2 spring in the best shape of their lives lol
Weaver's Fourth Law: Your most precious possessions on offense are your twenty-seven outs.
Someone needs to tell her to use actual words when updating her twitter feed
Holy moly. Is she updating twitter using T9? Someone get her a blackberry.
I think she hit the 140-character limit there.
But yeah, that kind of thing drives me crazy, too.
Weaver's Fourth Law: Your most precious possessions on offense are your twenty-seven outs.
Generally that drives me crazy also
But I give a little bit of slack on twitter. When I hit the 140 mark and haven’t said all I need I generally restructure the sentence over and over again until it is short enough and still looks good, but I get that’s not for everyone.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
Haha, yeah.
On the one hand, I’m inclined to cut people a little slack if it’s on Twitter or a text message. On the other, there are too many kids who text and tweet like maniacs and can’t write a coherent sentence, let alone a paragraph or essay. It scares me.
Weaver's Fourth Law: Your most precious possessions on offense are your twenty-seven outs.
Kids can when they're forced,
with proper instruction, as my studenst are finding out this week.
“Using the attachment documents, argue the necessity of the United States’ use of atomic bombs against Japan to end World War II.”
Oh yeah, 5 paragraphs, with parenthetical citation of the original documents. They can write coherently when the have no choice. :)
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
I hope their typing is better than yours.
OOOO, Burn!
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
haha
Hey, Teach, what’s a studenst? ;)
Digressing, but smiley faces have taken away from literary prowess as well. When I write something sarcastic, out of fear that it will be misinterpreted, I find myself using a smiley to put the statement in the right context.
The smiley looks really weird with paper and pencil.
I think pencil and paper
demands properly orientated vertical smileys. kids these days can’t doodle anymore with their fancy laptops and their microsofts and their internets.
cxcxcxcxzzzzzzzzz
if they have paint, they can doodle.
In one game as a freshman at Miami, Wieters hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to put the Yellow Jackets ahead, then pitched the bottom of the ninth for the save. On that day, the God nickname was bestowed. - Sports Illustrated
by BaltimoreSportsFan on Mar 12, 2010 3:02 PM EST up reply actions
as in the program
In one game as a freshman at Miami, Wieters hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to put the Yellow Jackets ahead, then pitched the bottom of the ninth for the save. On that day, the God nickname was bestowed. - Sports Illustrated
by BaltimoreSportsFan on Mar 12, 2010 3:30 PM EST up reply actions
I DON'T TEACH TYPING, OK???????
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
If I remember
that sounds like APUSH test prep. I was great at that class, but the teacher was insane about those things. You’d get like two documents, a picture, and a political cartoon and turn it into an Extrended Constructed Response.
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 Mar 12, 2010 1:35 PM EST up reply actions
I don't even mind it when kids do it
But when your twitter feed becomes a part of your job (reporting), it’s probably best to try to look professional by spelling words correctly and completely.
dont B h8ing teh kidz, gramps!!1!
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
What exactly is the point
of spelling “the” as “teh”? I never understood that, you still have to type the same amount of letters. Now if you’ll excuse me, some kids are on my lawn, I have to go shake a broom at them.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
its not an abbreviation, its just slang
like pwned, its just a common typo of people typing to fast during online computer games that, for some reason i’ll never understand, stuck.
Of, in my case....
how my fat, uncoordinated fingers type the word EVERY STUPID TIME.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
Like OF instead of OR?
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
Yeah. That, too.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
i think i've done form instead of from at least 50 times on here.
In one game as a freshman at Miami, Wieters hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to put the Yellow Jackets ahead, then pitched the bottom of the ninth for the save. On that day, the God nickname was bestowed. - Sports Illustrated
by BaltimoreSportsFan on Mar 12, 2010 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
THAT is a very good point
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
I hate Twitter and all that Social-networking stuff....
No offsense to the people who like, just not for me. I don’t need to be connected every moment, I don’t care what my friends are having for breakfast, and I don’t need my ego fed by the amount of people I can ‘friend’ on Facebook.
Jeez, I’m only 25 and I’m already a crotchety old Neo-Luddite…..
"Real Orioles don't pout. Real Orioles don't gloat. Real Orioles just win."
by NewYorkOriole on Mar 12, 2010 3:35 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Twitter isn't just about what people had for breakfast
Those people exist, I do not follow them. Sports writers and news makers and a great number of other people are on there who provide valuable information, developing news, and the like. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you, but it’s short sighted to write it off as that.
This just in: adorableness on the rise, family copes with child getting schooled. Film at 11. -daveh873
Yeah I understand that....
I’m just saying, I have no interest in it, is all. It’s more about I just don’t care about being connected that much. I’m not trying to diss anyone who uses it – it was meant in a more tounge-in-cheek way….
"Real Orioles don't pout. Real Orioles don't gloat. Real Orioles just win."
by NewYorkOriole on Mar 12, 2010 3:44 PM EST up reply actions
Twitter might not be
but that’s pretty much the only reason for Facebook’s existance. I signed up to keep in touch with some friend from college, the next thing I know some girl I might or might not ever have spoken to back in 2001 is telling me that she saw a really big bug on the way from her house to her car that morning. With pictures.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
friend = friends
I had more than one. At least two.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
I actually don’t use twitter at all for social networking. I use it as a news feed.
Bruce Springsteen rules.
That makes 2 of us
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
I thought "best of of my life"
was a CC observation/joke? This not so?
i like to think so.
i mean, it’s a ST cliché, but I feel like we popularized that specific wording. Maybe our gospel has spread.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
damn it. we should have had an equivalent to the registered or trademark symbol:
“I’m in the best shape of my life”™ =
“I’m in the best shape of my life”(CC)
Almost everything would be (CC)’d. Deal with it.
Hey, I was right next to the dude from Dempsey's Army at ST
I have the exact same pic of Amber and Guts
this whole baseball reallignment crap is really stupid
it doesn’t even merit top-tier vocabulary to insult. f’n idiots.
Realignment
I enjoyed watching the Orioles segment on MLB’s 30 teams in 30 days. Hearing the “experts’” positive assessment of the O’s young talent gave me hope.
Then, I made the mistake of watching the NYY and Sox segments. It is depressing to see how loaded both teams are. For example, we signed Millwood for one year to be our “ace.” The Sox signed John Lackey for 5 years/$80million, and he is their number three starter.
In my opinion, a balanced schedule would be a logical, positive first step. An unbalanced schedule simply compounds the problem for the Os, Jays, and Rays. Putting the Yanks and the Sox in different divisions would be a good second step.
The Os have hope because we now have a crop of good young prospects. The Sox and Yanks also have their own fine young prospects. The only difference is that we are absolutely dependent on ours to compete successfully. The other two teams need only look to their farm systems to produce a few good players to supplement their free agent signings.
I don’t mind being in the same division as either the Yanks or the Sox, but not both of them.
just to pick a bone
Millwood was never signed to be our ace. He was signed (traded for, actually) to competently eat innings in a non-contending year.
"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic
I don't think a balanced schedule is the logical first step.
The first step has to be a salary cap. The schedule doesn’t matter when the Sox can spend $16 million a year on their #3 pitcher. Without a salary cap, baseball will always have the large market teams competing for the playoffs every year, and the small market teams spending years rebuilding to complete for three years or so. Then they’ll lose all their players to the large market teams, and have to start over. A balanced schedule only helps us, Toronto, and Tampa Bay, it doesn’t fix the underlying problem. Seems to me that a balanced schedule is just MLB’s way of looking like they’re doing something to fix the problem, without interfering in any way with the boatloads of cash they’re making off the current system.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
I think the logical first step
is for the Orioles to get better. As much as I’ve wanted to blame a lot if not all of our woes on the division, the unbalanced schedule, the Yankees’ spending sprees, and so on, the fact of the matter is the Orioles made their own fate by being run about as poorly as it is possible to run a team. For a long time, too. Fixing the schedule, or moving the Orioles out of division, or instituting a salary cap would hurt the great teams, but it wouldn’t help the Orioles, who would continue to be just as bad as ever.
If MacPhail’s plan works, then we can complain in two years. And we can complain loudly. But right now I don’t think any number of fixes could elevate the Orioles to contenders.
Bedard says he doesn't care and thinks goals are pointless.
I agree completely.
I’m not saying the Orioles have been well managed, and would have been able to compete in the past decade if Boston and New York couldn’t spend the money that they have been able to spend. I’m saying that even though we have a plan now, and it seems to be working (I’ve been a fan too long to give into rampant optimism just yet), we will only have a few years to reap the benefits of that plan, because of the basic flaws in the system. A balanced schedule is part of fixing the system, I just don’t think it’s the first step.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
Agree w/ most points
Re Millwood. I agree that he was not hired to be our ace. The point I was trying to make is that Millwood is slotted as the best pitcher on our staff while Lackey, who is much better than Millwood, is a middle of the rotation guy for Boston.
Re Salary Cap. I agree that the best solution for baseball is a salary cap. Failing that, a balanced schedule plus moving either Boston or NYY out of our division is a sensible semi-solution.
Re The Orioles long nightmare. I agree that the Orioles brought their present ineptitude on themselves by years of mismanagement. See the Orioles first round draft choices for the past 15 years. No combination of salary cap and realignment would have spared the mess the Os became. Going forward, the fans need hope that a well managed team can be competitive.
Bottom line: a salary cap is the best solution. But, I can’t see it happening.
Me either,
but then, I don’t see the balanced schedule actually happening either. By talking about it MLB makes it look like they care while actually doing nothing at all.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
SOCIALIST!
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 Mar 12, 2010 1:36 PM EST up reply actions
In a free market economy,
companies are not allowed to restrict their competition the way the Yankees and Red Sox are doing. Think about all the times Microsoft has been to court for restraint of competition. A salary cap isn’t an example of socialism, it’s the same as the laws that allow a level playing field in a free market environment. When companies can compete with each other, it’s better for everyone. Salary caps are not an example of socialism, revenue sharing is.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
As a gun totin' socialist wannabe
true socialism is the government control of all forms of production. That’s not what we’re talking about.
We’re talking about an industry self-regulating so that all producers of the product may achieve a more equitable product. We can have an argument over wthere that is a desried outcome, but we’re not arguing about socialism. We’re talking about the value of more strict self-regulation by an industry itself.
That’s what the NFL does. For all the ballyhoo about scheduling, only two games out of 16 are determined by previous year’s performance:
6 divisional games
4 games against a pre-selected NFC division (shared by all divisional opponents)
4 games against a pre-selected AFC division (shared by all divisional opponents)
2 games selected due to previous year’s finishing position.
The NFL achieves its parity through 2 ways:
1) A hard salary cap
2) The inevitable attrition by injury that occurs during a season.
Neither of which are truly applicable to MLB. a hard salary cap would requrie a strike, I believe, longer than one season to implement. And while injuries take place, they do not have the same impact on an MLB team as a NFL team. A few years ago, teh Ravens finished the year with more than 10 players on season-ending IR off an active roster of 45. That many injuries simply don’t happen to MLB teams very often, yet it’s commonplace in the NFL.
I think baseball CAN cure some of its ills by returning to a more balanced schedule than used currently. Nineteen games against divisional opponents is simply too many.
But, like everything else in MLB, they will find a complicated solution that deosn’t actually solve the problem, just like baseline drug testing in 2003 and having teh All-Star game determine WS home field advantage.
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
DAMMIT
Of all weeks for my copy of SI to come 2 days late (and counting…)
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
You can
stare at my profile pic if it makes you feel better.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
Finally broke down and am reading the article online
NOT a happy camper at the moment. Too many kids today where I just wanted to look at them and scream “WILL YOU SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE -- UP!”
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
That why I'm not a teacher.
I have that urge all the time. And not only with kids, either.
"I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays" - Brooks
Any body use this facebook thingmabob? Does it actually work? Looks like spyware…
Bruce Springsteen rules.
i think so
notice that none of the ppl who have “added” this thing have last names. facebook is getting so myspacey these days.
by twistedlogic on Mar 12, 2010 5:55 PM EST up reply actions
Try this to find out more
http://www.aclunc.org/issues/technology/blog/quiz_what_do_facebook_quizzes_know_about_you.shtml
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
Theres been things like this before, and Facebook has said publicly that they'll never allow it
The best an app can do is record visits by people who have installed the same application. If that does actually work, facebook will pull it pretty quickly
Am I the only one who cracks up at the thread photo?
Guts’s expression is priceless; he just needs a thought bubble to the effect of “What the heck is this guy talking about?”
Weaver's Fourth Law: Your most precious possessions on offense are your twenty-seven outs.
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