Nice inside story. It's easy to get apathetic as the season wears on watching the players on the team. Some info other than game statistics keeps your interest alive. Thanks.

Crowley helped him, Pie's natural talent & ability is making him the player he is becoming

It is always good to read about the developement of young players and the part coaching and the mental play in it.. Pie might still become something very special..or be replced by the next phenom or trade, only time will tell..

Yeah, that was a great story in the paper this morning: one of the more fun and informative Oriole reads I can remember. Pie has always been an intriguing, enigmatic player. He has a certain awkward style about some things (especially in the field) but at the same time you can tell he is a good athlete.

I still don't know what the Birds should do with him: they have a number of interesting dilemmas in the OF and with SPs.

Great story Jeff! No doubt Pie has turned his downward spiral into an uplifting force of nature (or at least a good player with the potential to be a real GOOD player)! Thanks for the insights and best of luck to Felix and the O's. But man...Showalter is gonna cost us about 3-6 slots in the next draft! YEAHH!!!!

Thanks Jeff. The Pie story was a good read.

It is good to read a player compliment a coach for enabling success.

Crow has taken a lot of fan criticism but the real question is: What does Buck think about him? My guess is he is likely gone next season. I think Buck will replace several of the coaching staff and believe he had that conversation as part of accepting the manager's job. I speculate that an agreement was struck where the team would allow the coaching staff to remain intact for the remainder of 2010 with all bets off for 2011.

...............................................................................................
Jeff Z's reply: Buck has been very complimentary of the hard work and professionalism the coaching staff has shown, but he's been very careful to not discuss specific coaches. I'm sure he doesn't think the daily speculation of who is staying and who is going would be too beneficial for anybody involved.

A real interesting slice of Oriole life. Congrats to the author.

I've done newspaper work, adn written many a "feel-good" story. And this is one. But now in the internet-comment era, you have to know that some [jerk] is going to write a "Yes, but I feel still bad" comment. Boomer: Go out and cut the blooms off your roses, and sharpen the thorns, then go roll in some poison ivy. You'll feel better.

It's not just Pie that has benefitted from Crow but so has Luke Scott or Adam Jone's second half and he will be essential to the development of Josh Bell and the further development of Matt Wieters.

I can not believe that Buck won't want him around next year.

But does Pie's emergance mean a luke warm attempt to get Carl Crawford?

...............................................................................................
Jeff Z's reply: I'll be honest, I don't see O's going after Crawford whether they keep Felix or trade him. Crawford is going to get paid a ton of money and as good as he is, it's my opinion that if the O's were going to spend that type of money, it would be on a middle of the order slugger.

I enjoyed the story, thanks. I do want to point out that Pie has to improve a whole lot to me a major-leaguer. Right now, he's a sub league average hitter, and you can't have guys who are below-average in corner outfiled spots.

And he's 25, it's not like he's a kid anymore. I'm glad to see his improvement - it's real and certainly welcome. But let's not pencil him in for a starting job for the next five years quite yet - he still has to improve a lot more.

Jeff

Your two-part article on Pie is one of the better pieces I've seen in The Sun for quite some time. Great background and inside info giving us some insight in how one player has gotten noticably better.

Hats off to Scott and Crowley for a job well done. Let's hope that the O's don't trade him away so he can be a Carl Crawford for someone else.

And hearing Showalter's comments on this and so many other items leads me to believe he lives, sleeps and eats 'team'.

..............................................................................................
Jeff Z's reply: Thanks Ed.

He's got amazing raw talent and a good head for the game (contrary to popular opinion of course, but its mine), but he needs to become more selective, and stop swinging so hard. I think he'll do both.

In my opinion he should bat in the top of the order; as a table setter rather than a run producer he seems to be more patient. But either way he's getting his opportunity and its up to him to seize it.

Jeff, I agree they would prefer a slugger, but the truth is, there are none. I realize Crawford will get a ton of money and will probably choose the Yankees or Angels, but there is no doubt he is THE impact player in this year's FA class. Wouldn't it be nice to think the O's had a shot.

I don't get it. It's September and they are 35 games out yet we watch a washed up starting pitcher, Wiggington batting second playing 3rd and Fox at first. Meanwhile Bell and Reimold sit and Snyder still has not seen the field. Besides wasting a chance to see these guys, Wiggington is completely burned out and offers nothing right now.

Please tell me that Millwood didn't actually pitch to Cabrera with 2 out and a guy on 3rd. Even Flanagan just said the Tigers are winning because no one pitched to Cabrera then the wise veteran throws him a strike 3 and 1 - run scores. Unbelievable - is Trembley back in the dug out for a night?

Obviously meant Tigers have NOT been winning because teams are pitching around Cabrera

Well I'm glad to see he learned from his mistake. Hmm crushed the ball in the first, then after ripping a ball foul let's throw him a fastball to hit out and tie the game.

As bad as that is, in fairness to Millwood he gets out of the first if not for the izturiz error and then there should be 1 out and no one on in the 6th if Weiters doesn't drop a foul pop up (for the second time in a week btw)

Great read Jeff, good job putting that story together.

Pie is a 5 tool player, speed, power, arm, will hit for average, good defender. Best part of that is he can get better at every one of those talents. Lotta upside with this guy, I don't see the O's trading him unless they get an offer they can't refuse.

I don't want to overly negative or sound like the guys on that other blog, but all this praise of Pie makes one realize how long it has been since the O's had real quality players. A "five tool player" - a "good head for the game". Wow - has anyone watched Carlos Gonzalez or Carl Crawford lately? He's a decent fouth outfielder and yes if he continues to work hard he has some upside. He is an awful base runner, has no clue how to steal a base and is one of the 10 worst defensive outfielders in the league. Again tonight he took the wrong angle on jacson's hit and played a double into a triple. He can improve these things, but if he doesn't there is no way he keeps a job on a Buck Showalter team. Also, the scouting report is out on him as a hitter and if he keeps rolling over on the low outside fastball his BA will be back below .250 by year end.

I'm not saying he won't improve but you can't possibly assume he is the opening day left fielder next year. Also did everyone forget before the Achilles injury Reimold had a shot at ROY. This year was a waste, but let's see how he shows up next spring.