Wrapping up Orioles' first half
With the Orioles’ second half set to begin tonight, here’s one final look at the best and worst of the first half:
MVP: You could probably make a decent case for All-Star catcher Matt Wieters and shortstop J.J. Hardy, but the vote here goes to center fielder Adam Jones because he didn’t miss a month like Hardy and he has contributed more offensively than Wieters. Jones is second among Orioles regulars in batting average (.286), tied for second in homers (13) and tied for first in RBIs (49). He has also played with great effort and focus since Day One of spring training.
Most disappointing player: Most expected Brian Matusz to emerge as the Orioles' top starter this season. Instead, he missed the first two months of the season with a strained intercostal muscle and is now pitching for Triple-A Norfolk. He went 1-4 with an 8.76 ERA in six starts for the Orioles, allowing an astonishing 40 hits, nine home runs and 11 walks in 25 2/3 innings. There is no bigger concern in the organization than the 24-year-old’s regression.
Best win: On May 10 against the Seattle Mariners at Camden Yards, the Orioles trailed by a run in the bottom of the eighth inning before Adam Jones’ RBI single gave them the lead. Kevin Gregg blew the save in the ninth, and the Mariners took the lead in the top of the 13th. However, the Orioles got four singles in the bottom of the inning, the final one by Matt Wieters, to beat All-Star closer Brandon League and win, 7-6.
Worst loss: There are plenty to choose from, but it’s hard to beat May 16 in Boston, when the Orioles blew a 6-0 sixth-inning lead, with Kevin Gregg allowing two ninth-inning runs on Adrian Gonzalez’s game-ending double off the Green Monster. Adding injury to insult, second baseman Brian Roberts sustained a concussion and first baseman Derrek Lee suffered an oblique injury. Both headed to the disabled list.
Best defensive play: The best of the first half -- and one of the best in all of baseball -- was clearly Adam Jones’ daring back-to-home plate jump into the center-field wall at Safeco Field to rob the Mariners’ Miguel Olivo of an extra-base hit June 1. However, the most impactful defensive play may have occurred in the second game of the season, when Nick Markakis scaled the wall to take away a likely game-tying hit by Ben Zobrist for the final out of the Orioles’ 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Worst case of deja vu: Everybody was reminded of how important Brian Roberts was to the team last season when he played in only 59 games because of a herniated disk in his back and the offense struggled mightily without him. This year, it has been a concussion that has kept Roberts on the sideline for all but 39 games. J.J. Hardy has done a nice job in the leadoff role, but Roberts’ combination of speed, patience and power is very much missed in the lineup.
Most pleasant surprise: Reliever Koji Uehara had two stints on the disabled list in each of his first two seasons with the club, and there was nothing to suggest that trend wouldn’t continue as he was shut down during spring training with a balky elbow. But Uehara has been ready since Opening Day, and he has emerged as of the game’s top setup men, pitching to a 2.03 ERA and allowing just 22 hits and eight walks while striking out 52 in 40 innings.
Most disappointing development: Mark Connor, a baseball lifer, had been Orioles manager Buck Showalter’s pitching coach at his other managerial stops, so it made sense when he joined the Orioles’ overhauled coaching staff this season. However, Connor abruptly resigned June 14, and the Orioles’ pitching staff has been getting progressively worse since. That’s not necessarily the fault of current pitching coach Rick Adair, but it can’t help that the Orioles' young pitchers are working with a third pitching coach over the last season and a half.
Best newcomer/front office decision: The Orioles nearly acquired shortstop Jason Bartlett from the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Nolan Reimold and reliever Alfredo Simon, but that trade fell through and they instead turned their attention to J.J. Hardy, whom they got from the Minnesota Twins for minor league relievers Brett Jacobson and Jim Hoey. Hardy has made just two errors this season, and he has been one of the most productive offensive shortstops in the American League.
Least impactful newcomer: The signings of veteran sluggers Vladimir Guerrero and Derrek Lee certainly haven’t worked out for the Orioles, but they have at least gotten onto the field. Justin Duchscherer, the oft-injured former All-Star pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, still hasn’t been able to pitch outside Florida, and it appears hat he won’t pitch for the Orioles this season because of hip issues. Sure, the Orioles paid him only a guaranteed $700,000. However, during a season in which their starting pitching depth has been absolutely depleted, Duchscherer’s inability to give them anything has hurt.
Best individual performance: In just his eighth major league start, young left-hander Zach Britton pitched nine shutout and three-hit innings May 12 against the Mariners. The only problem was Seattle left-hander Jason Vargas did the same and Britton got a no-decision. The Orioles eventually won, 2-1, in 12 innings, but the biggest story of the game was a masterful performance by the talented rookie.
Worst individual performance: Several Orioles starts over the past three weeks could probably qualify, but the one that sticks out is Brian Matusz’s performance against the Rays on June 12 at Camden Yards. The young lefty allowed four earned runs on five hits, including a homer, and four walks over just 1 1/3 innings. He needed 52 pitches to get just four outs, and one of the outs came courtesy of catcher Craig Tatum's throwing out Johnny Damon, who was actually safe in stealing second. Matusz also allowed four stolen bases that day, drawing the ire of manager Buck Showalter.
A Baltimore native, 
Comments
I know you have to do these evaluation stories at the break each year Jeff, and I think you do a fine job, but referring to Dan Connolly's article, the O's are not interesting. There is nothing fun or interesting about going into each game wondering just how they are going to lose this time. The number of games that I abandon in the middle innings gets larger each year, because they just aren't any fun anymore. When they're down by 4 or 5 runs in the 3rd inning, how many O's fans actually think they have any chance to pull it out?
Even when they're up by 2 or 3 runs in the 3rd inning, how many O's fans are wondering if they will be able to score another run in the game, and are just waiting for the inevitable meltdown inning when either the starter or a reliever gives up 5 or 6 straight hits and the game is effectively over.
The only interest anymore is guessing whether they'll lose by giving up a lot of home runs, or if they'll lose by making a bunch of critical fielding errors, or lose because even though they got good pitching, and are putting runners on base every inning, they just can't get anybody past 3rd base.
That isn't much motivation to keep tuning in.
There has to be a reason why their highly touted prospects, both pitchers and position players, so very often just seem to fizzle when they hit the big leagues.
Why can Boston for example, seem to add a new, talented, impact rookie or two to their lineup every year, while ours, with very few exceptions, have a few good games and then end up back in the minors where they don't ever seem to improve?
I'd love to see a detailed examination of the O's player development system, with an eye to pointing out what might be done to improve it. You obviously can't expect every rookie to make a big impact right away, but you have a right to expect the minor league system to produce a steady stream of at least decent, middle of the road major league players, with a few gems here and there. The O's instead produce a steady stream of guys who just don't seem to belong in the big leagues with the decent, average ability major league players coming along every now and then. There have to be reasons for this, and I'd love you guys to dig down and show them to us.
Posted by: Roy | July 14, 2011 8:45 AM
I noticed no mention of the worst defensive play, which was clearly Jones's misplayed liner that gave Longoria an inside the park home run.
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Jeff Z's reply: I thought of that and couldn't think of one that really cost them a game. The Orioles were already trailing when Jones misplayed that ball into an inside-the-park homer. It would also be tough to give worst defensive play on a play that wasn't even called an error. I would have to think Mark Reynolds would have to be in the discussion with one of his 20 errors.
Posted by: Ben | July 14, 2011 9:56 AM
Great picks for these categories.
I was at that June 12 game. I had been looking forward to seeing Matusz pitch the whole week. But on that day Matusz didn't look like he belonged in professional baseball, let alone the big leagues, that day. Wow that was depressing.
Got to give the good teams credit: they try to bury you when you're down. The Rays were relentless that day. I also think the Red Sox hijinks last weekend were an effort to intimidate and psychologically destroy our weakened team. I wish we could do that to somebody.
Posted by: Orsulakfan | July 14, 2011 10:23 AM
When, oh when, will this all end? How is it that many other organizations rebuild and retool over and over again, develop good pitching and offenses that click and work together, and we can't do this once in 15 years?
Perhaps this is an organizational problem? Perhaps the development of these players needs to be upgraded?
This team would be in last or near last place no matter what division they played in.
Posted by: Jasphil | July 14, 2011 11:00 AM
Jeff,
Two questions. Sunday it was reported that the Orioles and JJ Hardy hoped to make progress on a new contract during the All Star break. Are there any new developments to report? I think the Orioles need to keep him!
What is your opinion on the odds McPhail will be in his current position with the Orioles in 2012? Can the team do better or do all good baseball men stay away from the Orioles because of their ownership?
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Jeff Z's reply: I checked into the Hardy deal yesterday and was told that there was nothing new to report. As for MacPhail, it's my gut feeling that he won't be back in his current capacity next season. There are only so many GM jobs available so I'm sure there would be plenty of interest in the position. Obviously, John Hart is the name you hear most, and he has a very good relationship with Showalter.
Posted by: Mike | July 14, 2011 11:20 AM
Hi Jeff,
I am going to add a few:
WORST PERFORMANCE BY AN MLB FRONT OFFICE: None other than the Baltimore Orioles, led by the GM who last had fleeting success in the dead ball era, Andy Macphail. This group is so bad that the minor league system has less talent than the York County semi pro Central League.
WORST PERFORMANCE BY A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS OWNER: Of course it's our own Peter Angelos, who was recognized as the worst owner in baseball two years ago by S.I. He won't spend the money to scout the Caribbean becuase...well he just won't
BEST A** KISSING JOB BY A SPORTS NETWORK: Of course it's Angelos' owned MASN, whose announcers and analysts regularly break out the knee pads and blistik for the boss's team.
Posted by: Gil | July 14, 2011 11:25 AM
Not a bad write up, nice choices overall.
Posted by: DSC | July 14, 2011 11:49 AM
I think it was Jim Palmer who cited one of the main reasons of our long decline, is the lack of doing things the "Orioles Way". where all of the small ball, technical aspects of our game, is taught over and over beginning with, and carried through, the entire minor league system. Where everybody does the same drill, such as learning how to bunt, how to move guys over, how to hit the damn cutoff man, etc etc. i think it's an organizational letdown that needs addressing. I know that Bobby Andino did not come through our system, but the guy looks like he's never bunted before, just as an example, of being a Major League ball player and not being able to do the most elementary things when it counts. When we played the Cards, I saw Lohse who is an average pitcher in my book, just slice us up. He had a plan. He would get strike one, then hit the corners, inside, outside. up in the zone, down in the zone and he looked like Cy frickin Young. there are no quick fixes here, but we have to get back to basics and hustle on EVERY play and have a plan.
Posted by: bii the lifer o's fan | July 14, 2011 2:08 PM
Terrific stuff Gil,
Well, it looks like we were correct all along going into this season, as we were in 2010, as we were in 2009, etc......
Hmmmm, I take that back..... Even I didn't think they'd be this bad this season. In fact, when you said they would be 20 games out by the end of August, I thought Smitty may actually win that one (i know - crazy of me). Even I though, didn't think they'd be 20+ out by the end of July.
What a mess this team is. Yes, they have a few good players, as all bad teams do. But wow.... looking at the current roster, combined with the horrid minor league talent, combined with continued no action on the international front....... there is simply no end to this disaster in sight - literally.
Can you imagine what the attendance is going to be in a month? Can you imagine how ticked off Red Sox fans are going to take over the Yard like they never have before?
2nd worst record in the AL... Series losses to the Nats and Pirates.... A pitching staff that has completely fallen apart by the all star break.... the worst middle of the line up in baseball.... zero speed.... poor fielding..... dwindling attendance.....
Thanks to AM for summing this organization up best when he claimed "we're better". That was perfect!
Thanks for the wrap up Z.... You've got a tough gig, even if you do get to cover the great game of baseball
Posted by: wayne | July 14, 2011 2:12 PM
Roy and others bring up some very interesting questions that should be addressed by the media that follows the O's.
Why can't the O's do once in 15 years what other teams seem to do on a regular basis, namely rebuild?
Why is it that other teams seem to have at least one truly outstanding rookie each year, while the O's can't seem to get even one per decade, let alone each year?
What is wrong with the O's player development system that results in the above?
How about a story on major league ownership which, if presented honestly, would surely place Peter Angelos in the bottom three, if not in last place?
Why are the O's so unwatchable now? Why do we fans know that, once the O's are down a few runs, their chances of coming back are virtually nil? And why, when they're up several runs early, do we just wait for the other shoe to drop and the O's to find yet another way to lose?
I would be interested in some in depth reporting that addresses these questions and others.
Posted by: stretch | July 14, 2011 2:28 PM
Now that all the Buck Showalter hope has faded, it's time to get back to the familiar strain that is true: it's the owner's fault.
As Peter Schmuck has finally admitted, this organization is completely dysfunctional. There is simply no other excuse or reason that can explain 14 straight losing seasons. There really is no hope. The few bright spots for the future-- Weiters, Jones (and that is it) will be long gone when contract time comes, leaving for an organization that doesn't suck at every level. The only possible way for this organization to change is for the ownership to change. Period.
It's no use going into all the different ways the organization is inept. There is only ONE common denominator throughout these 14 years: Peter Angelos. No one else of import has been here throughout the losing. He is the ONLY one to blame. There is simply no other excuse.
Mr. Angelos, please sell the team!
Posted by: Hopeless Fan | July 14, 2011 4:34 PM
the Orioles draft 2011--- 0 players on roster 2010-----0 players on roster 2009-----0 players on roster 2008-----0 players on roster 2007-----# 5 pick M. Wieters and # 159 J. Arrieta on roster 2006-----# 115 B. Davis and # 175 J. Berken on roster 2005-----# 61 N. Reimold on roster 2004-----# 109 B. Bergesen and # 198 J. Johnson on roster 2003------# 7 N. Markakis on roster 2002------- 0 player on roster. This is whats wrong with the Orioles. Poor drafting means that you can't build.
Posted by: Doc in baltimore | July 14, 2011 6:11 PM