Gameday Thread: Royals at O's, 04/12



Gil Meche, RH Steve Trachsel, RH (1-1, 4.40) (0-0, 4.05) CF D DeJesus 2B B Roberts 2B M Grudzielanek 3B M Mora RF M Teahen RF N Markakis DH M Sweeney SS M Tejada 1B R Gload 1B A Huff 3B A Gordon LF J Gibbons LF E German DH K Millar C J Buck CF C Patterson SS T Pena, Jr. C P Bako
Whenever I need to know anything about the Royals, I go to SBN's Royals Review, which is just a brilliant blog. Like me, the esteemed author of RR.com enjoys the finer things in life, like writing feature articles about Paul Bako.
The O's are batting a hefty .213 this season, second-worst in the majors. Here's some knowledge-dropping: That's got to improve. Brian Roberts has been stomach-turning in the leadoff spot outside of drawing some walks, hitting .139 through the first nine games. He torches Meche for his career (.522, 4 2B, HR, 4 RBI). Tejada has been no prize himself, since it's tough to win when your team's best player is hitting .250 with one extra-base hit. In fact, this team is pretty awful at the plate. The amazing thing is the pitching has mostly been fine and we still suck. How do you like them apples?
Last year, the O's played the Royals in May at Camden Yards and swept the chumps, but that was a Royals team that started Runelvys Hernandez (Red Sox), Mark Redman (Braves) and Denny Bautista (Rockies), so clearly this is a much different outfit. In fact, only Redman is even in the major leagues right now.
I mean, it's easy to make fun of the Royals for overpaying for Gil Meche, but someone had to, and my God, when you've had the disastrous pitching they've had, Gil Meche looks like freaking Roger Clemens. Not that we have any room to talk, necessarily. At least these dudes got over .500 once in the last mother humping decade.
Sometimes I lie awake at night and I think of games like these. Steve Trachsel pitting his wiles against Gil Meche, who may someday be exactly like Steve Trachsel, trying desperately to hang on at age 36. Or Friday's Bedard/Duckworth duel, or Sunday's Greinke/somebody affair. I think about watching 23-year old Alex Gordon flail away with a 2-for-26 start to his big league career, one home run, no walks, and 10 strikeouts. I think, "Wow, this guy was supposed to be so awesome." And then I remember Hank Blalock in 2002 and how awful he was, just up too soon and totally overmatched. And then I think, "Well, gosh, Blalock turned it around." But then I remember that Blalock had two pretty good seasons and now kinda stinks, and that he was definitely not The Next George Brett.
It brings me back to Alex Gordon, because like George Brett, he's a Royal. Is Gordon simply The Next Hank Blalock? Maybe. I feel for the super prospects and the fans who need them to be everything they're supposed to be. What an incredible burden, to have all two or three thousand remaining diehard Royals fans praying that you save their team. I find it hard to identify, as the Orioles haven't had a super prospect in a very, very long time.
I love when we play the Royals. It feels so good to match up with a team that I feel like I understand.
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Comments
From today's sun
Are we really THAT bad? By winningest I hope he means just total wins and not winning pct. But even that... 12 wins per season... are we really THAT bad?
by dayzd toe on Apr 12, 2007 9:36 AM EDT 0 recs
Stupid stat
Sidney may have been here for 3 and a half. oooohhhhhh.
by CStoneNo37 on
Apr 12, 2007 10:03 AM EDT
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Is it just me or...
I know the bullpen was toast, but geez, couldn't he have used Guthrie and just brought up Olsen to start the game if Wright couldn't go and Penn's forearm was troubling him?
Can't we focus on winning the one we're playing?
by Baseball Savant on Apr 12, 2007 10:23 AM EDT 0 recs
Subject is too long (max is 50 characters).
No. That's why we have to run Gibbons and Huff and Gomez whoever else out there to 1B until Tex comes available. Don't you know that this team is always a few steps ahead of the rest of the league. We playing to win the 2011 World Series this year. Way to go FO!!!
by dayzd toe on
Apr 12, 2007 10:32 AM EDT
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OK that makes sense
by Baseball Savant on
Apr 12, 2007 10:51 AM EDT
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Oriole Magic
by dayzd toe on Apr 12, 2007 10:42 AM EDT 0 recs
Also...
by dayzd toe on
Apr 12, 2007 11:15 AM EDT
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re:
by SC on
Apr 12, 2007 1:51 PM EDT
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Can you bring the AVP chicks back?
by BrianS on
Apr 12, 2007 6:43 PM EDT
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I second this notion, too!
"Mess with me, you're messing with the whole trailer park." - Jamie Walker
by duck on
Apr 12, 2007 7:09 PM EDT
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2007 O's!
BA OBP SLG OPS
.213 .294 .352 .646
29th 25th 17th 25th
Sometimes I lie awake at night and I think of games like these
Damn. I feel for you. All the losing is one jumbled vague memory for me, and I certainly don't lose sleep over them. The only loss that still occasionally pops to mind and bothers me is &@#*^@ Don Stanhouse and game 2 of the '79 series.
by drj on Apr 12, 2007 10:51 AM EDT 0 recs
for me?
by jq higgins on
Apr 12, 2007 10:57 AM EDT
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For me....
by elktonfan on
Apr 12, 2007 5:05 PM EDT
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For me...
by BrianS on
Apr 12, 2007 6:44 PM EDT
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Games
The final game of a four game series with Boston at Fenway sometime in May. The Orioles were leading in the ninth, ready to take 3 of 4 from Boston and Ortiz hits a walk-off off of Bj Ryan
Also on the 4th of July at Yankee Stadium Bruce Chen had a horrible start and the Orioles were down big from the beginning. We battled back to take the lead, only to have Steve Kline blow the lead for us.
Maybe the fall didnt happen until weeks after these games, but they are two I feel could have provided big emotional boosts and maybe have prevented the dreadful end to that season.
by nittany lion on
Apr 12, 2007 9:23 PM EDT
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Royals and Rays
by Mike Boehm on Apr 12, 2007 10:58 AM EDT 0 recs
Sammy PerLOSEo and The Ghost of Rich Garcia
by jeremy52 on Apr 12, 2007 11:32 AM EDT 0 recs
I can't wait...
by pipkin on Apr 12, 2007 12:11 PM EDT 0 recs
ugh
i can't believe i made that mistake
by pipkin on
Apr 12, 2007 12:11 PM EDT
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maybe sammy just needs to delegate...
by jq higgins on
Apr 12, 2007 12:12 PM EDT
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O's Offense
by timg56 on Apr 12, 2007 12:15 PM EDT 0 recs
i cant
by westcoastOfan on Apr 12, 2007 12:33 PM EDT 0 recs
O's
by westcoastOfan on Apr 12, 2007 12:39 PM EDT 0 recs
And if my aunt had balls....
Ballin'!
"Mess with me, you're messing with the whole trailer park." - Jamie Walker
by duck on
Apr 12, 2007 1:40 PM EDT
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what?
by westcoastOfan on
Apr 12, 2007 1:44 PM EDT
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Actually...
"Mess with me, you're messing with the whole trailer park." - Jamie Walker
by duck on
Apr 12, 2007 1:48 PM EDT
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all
by westcoastOfan on
Apr 12, 2007 1:51 PM EDT
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accuscore at ESPN
by westcoastOfan on Apr 12, 2007 1:33 PM EDT 0 recs
60%?
That's an insult!!!!
....to the Royals.
haha
Seriously though. 60% against the Royals? We've go this tonight. Another gem from Trachsel! (I believe in the impossible because reality is boring)
by Mike Boehm on Apr 12, 2007 1:52 PM EDT 0 recs
You're right.
by 2632 on
Apr 12, 2007 3:03 PM EDT
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unless
by dayzd toe on
Apr 12, 2007 3:25 PM EDT
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5
by westcoastOfan on Apr 12, 2007 1:53 PM EDT 0 recs
looks
boston and m's looking at a rain out.
by westcoastOfan on Apr 12, 2007 2:22 PM EDT 0 recs
oh, yeah.
by 2632 on
Apr 12, 2007 3:01 PM EDT
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did
17 straight scoreless this season
by westcoastOfan on
Apr 12, 2007 3:18 PM EDT
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slightly impressive...
...though greinke gonna be rough on sunday.
12K/0BB in 12 or 14 innings!
by jq higgins on
Apr 12, 2007 3:32 PM EDT
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how about this
by westcoastOfan on Apr 12, 2007 3:38 PM EDT 0 recs
3
by westcoastOfan on Apr 12, 2007 3:41 PM EDT 0 recs
Hey westcoast
by Stacey on
Apr 12, 2007 5:01 PM EDT
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Somebody
by elktonfan on
Apr 12, 2007 5:06 PM EDT
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school off
i do have a hobby: baseball, gutair, and other stuff. but all of my freinds are doing stuff
by westcoastOfan on
Apr 12, 2007 5:10 PM EDT
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what the shit
is it just me?
by 2632 on Apr 12, 2007 7:11 PM EDT 0 recs
Is it worth it with DSL?
"Mess with me, you're messing with the whole trailer park." - Jamie Walker
by duck on
Apr 12, 2007 7:12 PM EDT
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I've got it
by Stacey on
Apr 12, 2007 7:16 PM EDT
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I go it to work
by 2632 on
Apr 12, 2007 7:18 PM EDT
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I've got a good feeling about this game...
Go O's
I really helps being borderline bi-polar with this team. And having ADD for the short-term memory loss.
"Mess with me, you're messing with the whole trailer park." - Jamie Walker
by duck on Apr 12, 2007 7:11 PM EDT 0 recs
Quicksand
by Dr Orpheus on
Apr 12, 2007 7:24 PM EDT
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Actually, both
"Mess with me, you're messing with the whole trailer park." - Jamie Walker
by duck on
Apr 12, 2007 7:25 PM EDT
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I'm a fan of...
by Dr Orpheus on
Apr 12, 2007 7:29 PM EDT
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Don't have the EP
Is it available commercially?
Otherwise, if you know of a way for me to procure a copy, use my e-mail in my profile.
"Mess with me, you're messing with the whole trailer park." - Jamie Walker
by duck on
Apr 12, 2007 7:35 PM EDT
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I forgot the greatness that iss...
"Mess with me, you're messing with the whole trailer park." - Jamie Walker
by duck on
Apr 12, 2007 7:39 PM EDT
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is it just me, or
Not to mention Palmer trotting out the old fallacy that he "just wins" or whatever nonsense. He actually somehow dismisses the fact that Trachsel got like the second best run support in the NL last year. He also fails to mention his bloated ERA.
Also, I hate the term "gamer."
by pipkin on Apr 12, 2007 7:15 PM EDT 0 recs
yaaay
I do like Gary Thorne.
by SC on Apr 12, 2007 7:21 PM EDT 0 recs
I freaking hate Aubrey Huff
by SC on Apr 12, 2007 7:22 PM EDT 0 recs
I want to like him, I do.
by Stacey on
Apr 12, 2007 7:25 PM EDT
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this isn't a nice thing to say about my team
by SC on
Apr 12, 2007 7:27 PM EDT
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I don't know what he expected
by Stacey on
Apr 12, 2007 7:29 PM EDT
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I don't hate him YET
by 2632 on
Apr 12, 2007 7:28 PM EDT
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baha
by SC on Apr 12, 2007 7:28 PM EDT 0 recs
by the way
by SC on Apr 12, 2007 7:28 PM EDT 0 recs
i DO hate Ross Gload, however.
by 2632 on Apr 12, 2007 7:29 PM EDT 0 recs
NOT ME. NOT ME.
by SC on
Apr 12, 2007 7:31 PM EDT
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OK
by SC on Apr 12, 2007 7:30 PM EDT 0 recs
ooh!
by SC on Apr 12, 2007 7:31 PM EDT 0 recs
On nights like this
by Stacey on Apr 12, 2007 7:31 PM EDT 0 recs
why
by westcoastOfan on Apr 12, 2007 7:32 PM EDT 0 recs
oh, man
by SC on Apr 12, 2007 7:34 PM EDT 0 recs
Gibbons is horrible
by SC on Apr 12, 2007 7:34 PM EDT 0 recs
hallelujuh
by westcoastOfan on
Apr 12, 2007 7:37 PM EDT
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re:
by SC on
Apr 12, 2007 7:38 PM EDT
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gibbons and birkins
by westcoastOfan on
Apr 12, 2007 7:39 PM EDT
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well, OK
by SC on
Apr 12, 2007 7:42 PM EDT
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dude
by westcoastOfan on
Apr 12, 2007 7:39 PM EDT
up


