It's time for Kranitz and Crowley to go!

I mean... hitters that hit in the minors get sent to the big leagues and under Crowley they seem to forget how. Montanez went from being a "terror" at the end of last year to not hitting his weight this year. The difference? He had a whole Winter and Spring under Crowley's tutelage. What about Reimold? He went from being a pre season contender for rookie of the year all the way back to Norfolk. Those two are the biggest examples. Come from the minors and tear up the league but after a winter and spring under Crowley and they aren't worth a damn.

Kranitz is just another in the long list of Oriole pitching coaches who have come in with these great credentials who have done nothing more than to screw up young pitchers (among others). At the end of last year everyone was salivating about the prospects for this season with Bergesson,Tillman, Matuz and Hernandez just waiting to become the terrors of the league. They all came up and impressed... fresh from the minors ( and their minor leagues coaches) they were successful. Now, after a Winter and Spring under Kranitz' coaching, they can't pitch their way out of a paper bag. Then there's Millwood. A successful career until he comes under Kranitz and now he can't get out of the first inning.

A few years ago the O's got a big name pitching coach from Atlanta (I can't remember his name) who came on the scene and changed the way Bruce Chen pitched. Chen went from an eleven game winner to being dropped from the roster. In case the O's didn't notice, he flirted with a no hitter just a few weeks ago.

The problem, a I see it, is that these big name pitching coaches come in here after reading their press notices and actually believe the tripe the flacks have written about them and how they "made" so and so a great pitcher. I watch Kranitz go out to the mound, night after night, to "advise" the pitcher and then see the pitcher do the exact same thing he was doing before the visit. It's obvious that the pitchers have no respect for what Kranitz has to say. 

I challenge anyone to point out any pitcher that Kranitz has made better than before he arrived. It's time for him to go!

Crowley's been here too long. We need some new blood and new ideas. No team with as many experienced players than the O's have can possibly be this bad unless it's a problem with the coaching. Bye bye Crow!