Birds Up, O's Down: 21-27 June 2010
by Stacey on Jun 28, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
in Birds Up, O's Down
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Here’s a weekly look at players making an impact, for good and bad, for the Orioles this week. And in a week when the O's went 4-2 and scored 37 runs (that's over 6 per game), it's a lot easier to find the ups. Not a bad week for the Birds.
Birds Up
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Adam Jones (CF) - Don't look now, but Adam Jones is hitting the ball the way we all imagined he would when he got to the Orioles. In the past week, Jonesy has gone 10-for-25 with two doubles and three home runs. He's in the midst of an eight game hit streak in which he's hitting .424. The bad news is he's taken zero walks in the past week, but he's also only struck out four times. He's still having his troubles in center field, but the more trouble he has the easier it'll be to eventually move him to left field in favor of Felix Pie. |
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Matt Wieters (C) - As bad as Matt was last week, that's as good as he's been this week. He's shown patience at the plate with four walks, and that combined with seven hits on the week and Matt had an OBP of .550. And he hit a home run! Not bad for our young catcher, and hopefully it's the start of something good. |
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Nick Markakis (RF) - Nicky is the gift that keeps on giving. Five more walks this week, bringing him to 44 on the season and he's now on a pace for 95 on the year (he only had 56 in all of 2009). Add to that eight hits (including one double) and he's gotten his OBP up to .398 on the year. |
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David Hernandez (RHP) - Hernandez blew one save and lost the closer job, but if he keeps pitching like this he'll be back there in no time. He's hitting up to 98 mph on the radar gun and mowing batters down the way he did in the minors. Hernandez made three appearances this week totaling 3.1 innings, allowing one hit and striking out 7. He didn't walk any, and none of the his three inherited base runners crossed the plate. |
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Jason Berken (RHP) - Four games, 6.1 IP, no earned runs, six strike outs, two walks. Just another week for Jason Berken. |
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Honorable Mentions: Mark Hendrickson (LHP) - Thirteen batters faced, two reached base. Not bad for old Hendo. Miguel Tejada (3B) - He had thirteen hits this week, but I just can't give a spot to a guy whose batting average was higher than his on base percentage. Cesar Izturis (SS) - Izzy had six hits, including two doubles, but a guy who can't take a walk is going to have to do a little better than that to make the list. Can't argue with his defense, though. |
O's down
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Garrett Atkins (DFA) - I was "fortunate" enough to witness Garrett Atkins' final appearance as an Oriole, in which he went hitless, including a bases loaded GIDP and getting pulled for pinch hitter Scott Moore. Our prayers were finally answered Sunday morning when Atkins was given his walking papers. His final Orioles line is .214/.276/.286 with a WAR of -1.1 (only one player in the AL is worth less) |
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Matt Albers (RHP) - Overall the bullpen had a good week, but Matt Albers had nothing to do with that. Two appearances on the week that totaled one inning, five hits, four earned runs. |
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Luke Scott (DH) - Mr. Streaky has looked bad this week despite hitting a home run and two doubles. Luke had just four hits and two walks on the week, and he struck out eight times. That's....not good. |
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Ty Wigginton (1B) - Wiggy missed a few games with a sore back, but when he was in the game it wasn't pretty. Just three hits and one walk, good for an OBP of .211. For almost two months Wiggy was near the top of the league in home runs, but he hasn't hit one since 22 May. |
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Jake Arrieta (RHP) - Jake is this week's sad panda, as he had his second consecutive rough outing. He lasted just 4.1 innings against the Nationals, giving up 8 hits and 3 walks. I'm still excited when it's his turn to pitch but a few more rough outings and it'll be hard to look forward to. |
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Brad Bergesen (RHP) - It's starting to look like 3E1N just doesn't have what it takes to stick in the majors. He might get another turn or two, but when the Orioles decide it's time for Chris Tillman to get yo-yo'd back to the majors, odds are it'll be Bergy on the bus back to Norfolk. |
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Thanks
Stacey, Thanks for the analysis. It is very helpful in putting the team in perspective. Concerning Bergesen, I wish I knew if the real 3E1N was last year’s or this. If the real thing was last year, it seems to me that he should go down to Norfolk and stay there until his arm, shoulder, and let are fully healthy and he regains his form.
tejada...
BA higher than OBP? how do you figure?
At all hazards, a man must keep up appearances. Dignity, I say. Dignity above all, Governor. Hear, hear!
-Det. William "Bunk" Moreland
Thrown out stretching a single to a double helps the average and hurts the OBP.
I think. And with no walks or anything else that would make his OBP slightly lower than his average. Don’t quote me on that though.
Insert something witty here.
by Knubles and Bits on Jun 28, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
If a player has
more sac flies than walks plus hit by pitches, his BA will outdo his OBP.
Example: Player X has 40 AB and gets 0 walks, 0 HBP, but 10 hits and 2 sac flies.
His BA will be .250 (10/40), but his OBP will be .238 (10/42)
Fire Julio Lugo.
by Andrew_G on Jun 28, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Ok that makes sense.
But does my example work as well? I am unsure because I know that counts as a single but does it go against OBP since he was thrown out going to second?
Insert something witty here.
by Knubles and Bits on Jun 28, 2010 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
i was just going by PA/OB...
according to baseball reference, by that figure his OBP and BA should be identical (i.e. a sac wouldn’t count against his BA, but it would show up as a PA, right?)
oh, well.
At all hazards, a man must keep up appearances. Dignity, I say. Dignity above all, Governor. Hear, hear!
-Det. William "Bunk" Moreland
by j.q. higgins on Jun 28, 2010 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Yea I don't know.
Insert something witty here.
by Knubles and Bits on Jun 28, 2010 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
it shouldn't
Miggy had a sac fly but no walks. Getting thrown out at second was typically stupid (I call that play “The Tejada”), but he still got on base and got a hit.
Fire Julio Lugo.
Ok thanks.
Insert something witty here.
by Knubles and Bits on Jun 28, 2010 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Calling it stupid may be a little harsh from us...
…but when the TV switches the camera from the outfielder to the “runner heading to second for the slide/tag” view, and the runner’s about halfway to the base, that probably means he was better off staying at first base.
I don’t feel like it was a “outfielder made a great play” or “he made a great throw” situation – because he didn’t really make a good throw and that was all that kept Miggi from being out by 30 miles.
It’s probably not even in the top 20 worst baserunning miscues we’ve seen so far this year, though.
Baltimore is Baltimore. That's kind of what I know. - Manny Machado, 6/7/10
by Eat More Esskay on Jun 28, 2010 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Ehhhh
even with the perfect bounce to Benadina, the perfect throw, the perfect catch and tag, he was still only out by 6-8 inches. I still have no idea where this “out by 30 miles” comes from. It was a very close play – watch the replay – it took a snap tag.
With 1 out I think it’s the right baserunning play. He DEFINITELY made a great throw. A perfect low liner one hopper to the bag from the right field corner (basically touching the wall)?? That’s about as good a throw as you can make from the OF.
Rub some $100 bills on it, you sell-out. -duck
If you have no walks but do have sac flies, your BA is higher than your OBP
Isn't it almost impossible to believe that none of the perfect games this season have been thrown against us? -O'sFan21
So... since Atkins is finally gone...
Here is my curious question:
At what point of salary would the signing not have offended you?
It seemed like a WTF from the get-go. $4.5 million guaranteed to an obvious attempt at a reclamation project? Way too much, and his performance certainly bore that out.
Yet I feel like if it was along the lines of $1.5 million guaranteed, maybe with some incentives that could possibly double that, that would have been okay. That seems to me a fair price for a guy who had been in decline. He probably still would have sucked but at least the team would have $3 million more to play with next time they want to.
Maybe he would not have signed with us for that price, but that wouldn’t have been so bad either.
Baltimore is Baltimore. That's kind of what I know. - Manny Machado, 6/7/10
by Eat More Esskay on Jun 28, 2010 11:48 AM EDT reply actions
Looking at contracts, Russ Branyan only got $1.5M coming off a 31HR season.
I mean, he had a horrible 2nd half last year, but still, can’t imagine how or why they ended up giving Atkins 3 times what Branyan got on the open market. I can’t imagine what Atkins second best offer would have been, so yeah, what you bring up seems like it’d be about tops.
Branyan has carries a long histories of injuries
I think that partially explains his shitty salary.
Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns.
True.
I don’t know, looking for someone in a somewhat similar situation, Casey Kotchman got $3.5M. Hasn’t worked out well there either.
Scratch that, didn't realize he came in a trade.
The $3.5 was to avoid arbitration.
Lou (who is dl'ed anyway). B2B, and...?
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
Mata, maybe?
"If you go up there clueless, you're going to come back [to the dugout] clueless. It's that simple." - Nick Markakis
for a second i thought that said
hendo: two batters faced, two reached base. had to reread that haha
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
I think Lugo is this year's Eaton.
With the difference being that we can’t seem to get rid of him.
Eaton was a low-cost flier – someone else was paying his huge contract. You can’t exactly call Atkins low-cost, and the O’s are on the hook for that $4.5M.
Baltimore is Baltimore. That's kind of what I know. - Manny Machado, 6/7/10
by Eat More Esskay on Jun 28, 2010 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Alkins/Gonzo/Millwood
Alkins and Gonzales are worse than Eaton because the Os are paying the two of them just shy of 15million over 2 years. Eaton was free.
Actually, the Orioles are paying $4.5M with this years contract and the buyout. Gonzalez is getting $12M for the two years; assuming he doesn’t hit his incentives (probably safe on that one for this year).
For some reason, I don’t despise Gonzalez the same way I do Atkins. Maybe because he’s out of sight, out of mind. Maybe because Gonzalez hasn’t actually hurt the Orioles since the first week. And maybe it’s because I didn’t think that Gonzalez was a bad signing at the time and I thought that Atkins was horrible from the day we signed him.
"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle
by BirdFanInPhilly on Jun 28, 2010 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I hated the Gonzo signing much more than the Atkins signing
With that said, Gonzo at least is a talented player when healthy. Atkins is not.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
Nice sig
Who is next after they dump Lugo?
Isn't it almost impossible to believe that none of the perfect games this season have been thrown against us? -O'sFan21
I only go after guys
who are an affront to nature. Julio Lugo and Garret Atkins are both very, very bad at baseball, but they also just make me angry looking them donning my favorite uniform.
Fire Julio Lugo.
LOU
Sorry, I hate him. I don’t vcare if he’s not even taking a roster spot right now. Get out.
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
Yes.
And Scott, Fox and Wigginton are all available for emergency starts in the outfield. This team doesn’t need a fourth outfielder, especially not Lou.
"MONTANEZ: Alas! I cannot hit. Deal with it."
-Eat More Esskay
Pie is supposed to come back Friday
You should always have a 4th OF. If Luke isn’t it, then Corey is as of Friday. We can drop Lou at any time.
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
For some reason, I don’t despise Gonzalez the same way I do Atkins. Maybe because he’s out of sight, out of mind.
It might be because Gonzo may be legitimately injured. He shouldn’t have played injured but there’s room for improvement with Gonzo.
Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns.
True that
There is a chance that Gonzo may heal and become an effective reliever again. The same cannot be said for Lugo and Atkins. If Gonzo becomes an effective reliever for a year and change, then we will forget his struggles this year. For some reason, I have always liked Koji, despite his home away from home on the DL. Koji is quite an effective reliever when healthy.
So I'm listening to the Jays/Indians game.
This has been hinted at before, but boy, the Indians have a really good chance of ending up with the worst record. Almost the entire team is replacement level according to WAR, and they just traded away Russel Branyan, one of the three (!) players on the team with more than 1 WAR, replacing him at first base with Matt LaPorta (.211/.281/.268). Worse than—who else?—Garrett “The Teeth” Atkins.
They have two starters in the infield who they recently claimed off waivers (Jayson Nix and Jason Donald), a light-hitting DH, and an even worse pitching staff than the Orioles. The biggest advantage the Orioles have in the bad department is OBP, where we just kill the Indians for suck. They have four players over .360 to our one, 11 over .300 to our 9. (And three of our 9 are less than .310.)
I just thought I’d share, since this is the first time I’d looked at the Indians woes, and I haven’t seen them discussed much. I’d say we’re a better team, and I actually have hopes we might play close to .500 ball for the rest of the season. But maybe I’m crazy.
"MONTANEZ: Alas! I cannot hit. Deal with it."
-Eat More Esskay
Oh yeah,
And they’re fielding’s maybe a little worse than ours too.
"MONTANEZ: Alas! I cannot hit. Deal with it."
-Eat More Esskay
The Pirates are horrible too
I have a feeling we might still end up 3rd worst.
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
Yes.
But the Indians still have trade chips, so I see them as headed for a nose dive. The Pirates don’t have anybody to trade that I know of.
Also, I may not be objective about the Orioles, but I could actually see us ending higher than third from last. There are still the Astros, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Royals and Nationals.
"MONTANEZ: Alas! I cannot hit. Deal with it."
-Eat More Esskay
that was my first thought when they traded Branyan
the good news: Santana is legit, and going to produce many runs.
by Dingbat Charlie on Jun 28, 2010 9:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree.
I didn’t mention him, and I probably should have because he goes strongly against my analysis. Yes, he may turn out to be stronger than anyone on the Orioles.
"MONTANEZ: Alas! I cannot hit. Deal with it."
-Eat More Esskay
sadly
I have little doubt that he will be. Cleveland stole him from LA for Casey Blake. I wish we could’ve somehow roped him in the Sherrill deal.
by Dingbat Charlie on Jun 28, 2010 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Matt LaPorta is a top prospect
He was the centerpiece of the CC Sabathia deal. They traded Branyan intentionally to get him more at bats. Jason Donald is also not someone they claimed off waivers – he was one of the four players that Cleveland got for Cliff Lee from the Indians and is also a former quality prospect who is young and has upside.
I don’t think there is a chance in hell we play .500 ball the rest of the way, and I’m not at all concerned that the Indians will not have a better record than we will the rest of the way.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
agreed
Our pitching has been too shaky, even in this win streak. And the pirates will go back to playing their bad division and we get the AL Beast
"I have seen the future and his name is Matt Wieters." Keith Law
by Reddrummer9187 on Jun 28, 2010 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Ah.
Well that changes things. I’m not sure why I thought Jason Donald was claimed off of waivers, and I didn’t read about LaPorta beyond a sad Indians blog post contrasting his performance in the minors and the majors. Of course, that usually means “prospect” . . .
"MONTANEZ: Alas! I cannot hit. Deal with it."
-Eat More Esskay
watching the nats-braves
the jack ass in the white shirt behind home plate needs to sit his ass down
Nats Desmond sucks – he is hurting the teams golden boy. bases juiced no outs. 0-0. see what he can do.
Gawd...
watching the Nats (not)field is painful
by PBR me ASAP! on Jun 28, 2010 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions
They might have the worst defense I've ever seen at the majors. It's pathetic.
Rub some $100 bills on it, you sell-out. -duck
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