Another guy that can't field, run, throw, or do anything else besides hit: David Ortiz.

Not comparing J.R. House to Big Papi right now but i think one baserunning mistake isn't worth giving up on the guy yet. He pulled one heck of a dinger into left field and then came back the next day and lined a solid hit one into right, while PINCH HITTING. Everyone knows that very few guys can pinch hit well, especially in the AL. Got the makings of a hitter to me. Not ready to give up yet and it would be asinine for Trembley to give up on him.

If base running errors could be excuses for banishing someone to the bench, there wouldn't be too many players left on the field. I'd consider nerves a factor in taking too wide of a turn around first. I'll assume in AAA, fringe players are still trying to gun out the lead runner. But I obviously don't know. On a team that does make base running errors (most prevelant being Tejada going for the extra base, or someone trying to a SB at the wrong time), this team must also find offense elsewhere when it can. That mistake wasn't the biggest blunder in the world. It happens. Chances are if it had been 1st and 3rd and one down, they'd either walk Markakis to pitch to Tejada (who is prone to the inning ending DP) or they would've stayed down to Markakis in the hopes of contact leading to a DP...or in being so careful he walks. Don't forget that House has been trying to prove himself for a long time and perhaps the big turn was the result of him just thinking a bit too much (although maybe if he had kept going, Roberts could've scored during the rundown)

Roch--How can Fahey stay up? he cannot hit and if Bynum comes back, he is much better than Fahey....don't kill House for one mistake...at least he was running hard, which some much higher priced players seem to forget from time to time...also any thoughts on moving Tejada to third, Hernandez at short, and Mora in left for the last month, sub in Payton (better if we could trade him) and Redman...

Hopefully, House’s baserunning miscue yesterday doesn’t spell the end of his “extended look.” I’m going to take a guess and say that, like Jack Cust, baserunning isn’t one of House’s strong areas, and, as we all know (or should), no one will confuse House with being a complete player. But at this point I would just chalk it up to inexperience at the major league level and maybe even being a bit too eager, talk to him about it and have him work on his game, and keep giving him his chances to play. It was a big blunder, sure, but he should be given a reasonable chance to make blunders. We all know that even the seasoned veterans on this team make some serious blunders now and then.

As for House and Tike Redman, the best you can expect from both is that they are role players, with the occasional start and some pinch hitting duties. House hit his first career home run on Saturday, and, given the team’s overall lack of power, it puts him in the running for team leader already. He’s got Jay Payton and Ramon Hernandez in his sights. The thing the club needs to keep in mind is why House is even getting a look: it’s because he can hit.

As for Cust, has he corrected the obvious holes in his game, or is he still the same Jack Cust that stumbled around the bases a few years back but, having played significantly, is showing what his true skill is? Whatever he’s done, he’s been highly productive for the A’s at the plate. I don’t fault the O’s for not hanging on to him. I do think, though, the O’s need to have reasonable expectations for certain players. Clearly, House hasn’t been fooling teams over the years into thinking he’s a great baserunner. It might be nice to hope that everyone can hit, work the count, field, run the bases, be jolly to their teammates, and sit on the bench without sighing, it’s just not the case for everybody.

We should keep House up in Baltimore. Fahey and Bynum are too similar; they're all speed and defense. We need a real bat on our bench, and House should be the guy.

We are making progress, almost every loss is close. Bradford seems to always ge be on a nub hit, or a blooper or something...his games have killed us, but they rarely hit the ball hard off him.

Different situations definitely produce different outcomes. With less than 2 outs, Markakis would have been looking for a ball to drive. If he got an out, big deal, the go ahead run would score. If he got a hit, great, that run would have scored then, too. However, with 2 outs, the hitter can't just be looking for something to hit deep, but rather something to get a hit on. Could he have grounded out? Certainly, but it seems like the majority of the time, when a hitter tries to hit a flyball, he hits a flyball.

Hopefully the Cust example is a warning - don't give up on the guy for a baserunning mistake.

I gotta agree with the other posters. They are probably as sick as I am about the club's fickle responses to one poor outing or one baserunning blunder. They are called "rookie mistakes" for a reason. Basically, you are insinuating that in that circumstance he would have been better off striking out because then he would have not had the opportunity to get thrown out. My guess is that he is a little raw and has been listening to Trembley and others preach aggressiveness on the basepaths. This is the time and the place to see if these mistakes reflect one poor decision or part of a bigger, uncorrectable flaw in players like House, Hoey, Redman, Doyne, Fahey, Knott. i like House because of his athleticism and power. You will neverr be able to teach that in Fahey so why not see if you can correct these baserunning errors. What are coaches here for if they can't correct baserunning???

I'm glad we got rid of Cust too. He'd only be in the HR lead by about 7 at this point. I'm not saying i thought Cust would be any good, but it's just unprofessional how this team allows players to fall in and out of favor based on certain plays or confrontations. Sometimes a mistake is just a mistake and young guys have to learn from them.

Roch, we're in agreement that different situations produce different results. With runners on the corners and one out, Markakis would have likely seen different pitches than he did with Roberts on third and two out. There are two many variables to say, "Oh, that would've been a double play anyway."

House is getting plenty of unwanted attention for his blunder, but getting lost in the shuffle is Miggy's caught stealing to end the eighth inning. What the hell was he thinking? Did they actually give him a green light in that situation? Was it a missed hit and run? This loss was awfully similar to last Monday's result.

If baserunning blunders were reasons to banish a player why in the world is Tejada still with the club? It is a common trait of his to think he can go from second home on a short fly or liner into the outfield. Oh yes, and let's overlook that attempted steal the other day.

Can we please remember the fact that House only had the opportunity to blunder on the bases because HE GOT A HIT. I'm absolutely sick of this team saying "he can hit, but not much else".

That's the objective of the game! Get hits! Score runs! Meanwhile they continue to trot out Bako who has 7 RBIs in 49 games. Why can House successfully catch Olson in Norfolk, but not Baltimore? Has anyone associated with the O's answered that question?

Jack Cust is pretty much the exact same player as he was with the O's, except he's finally getting a chance. Multiply his 2003 O's stats by 4, and you get something very close to his 2007 stats.

I know the O's thought he took too many pitches, but he's actually walking and striking out more often now than he did back then. Besides, only lousy organizations think walks are bad. He could always hit.

And of course, hitting is the most important skill in baseball. If someone can do that, you need to find a way to keep him around. JR House should continue to get playing time - maybe he's not the next Jack Cust, but there's at least a chance he'll be, which is more than you can say for Aubrey Huff or Brandon Fahey.

There's a reason guys like House and Cust wind up playing for the A's. They're valuable even with deficiencies in the field. Tell House to stop being aggressive on the bases and take grounders at first (maybe even fly balls in left, he can't be much slower than Gibbons and certainly hits better than Payton). See what happens. Don't write him off just because he's slow.

Demote House for overrunning first? At least he got to first! We currently have ZERO players on pace to hit 20 or more homers this season (Has that ever happened in a full season in franchise history?). House is as close to a big bopper as we have on this club. If we're going to continue to give Olson an extended look (not to mention D-Cab), then keep House and play him! There are plenty of underhitting, so-so running & fielding players on this team; give this kid a chance!

I was worried that a lot of people here were going to call for House’s banishment but it seems that reason has prevailed. Good work, everyone. It’s much more infuriating for me and probably most here to see seasoned players like Tejada and Mora make mistakes than it is seeing inexperienced guys like House (with his 25 major league at bats) do it. I hope the club sees it the same way.

If House gets banished because of the blunder, then that to me sends the wrong message to young inexperienced players. The message would be, you must be absolutely perfect if you want to get a chance around here, and any mistake you make will cost you dearly (basically, our evaluation of you is that we’re looking for you to screw up). This seems a great way to impede a player’s development by making him overly cautious. It also would also reveal a franchise that is too shortsighted and is willing to focus more on one blunder than on the big picture.

The club should demand that its players strive toward perfection. But they should also realize that this is a difficult game and that you only get closer to perfection with experience (and that experience includes making your share of mistakes), and no matter how great you are, you’re still going to make mistakes.

there are reasons these guys don't consistently play in the majors. If he started every day for a year next year when the league adjusted and he doesn't you all would be calling for his job and saying how stupid orioles management is for bringing him back. Hitting isn't everything in baseball sure it helps but if you can save a run with your glove or run the bases intelligently and save the team a run here and there you can win a few more games. HOUSE= Aubrey HUff if hes lucky without any D

No less than (the real) Earl Weaver said, "everything affects everything".

The pitcher would have been pitching while holding the runner, definitely from the stretch, with the first base hole open. He would have thrown pitches to induce a double-play ball or strikeout so his pitch selection would have been different. We may have pinch run for House which would have caused an entire set of throws to first, etc etc. Markakis' goal and selection of pitch to hit would have been completely different (but i doubt they would have walked him with the DP already in order and not wanting to get too far behind.) They likely would have been at DP depth which is different than normal positioning.

You can never validate the cost of an error or the wisdom of a choice retrospectively by assuming the next batter would have done the same thing. And you don't need to anyway - the idiocy level of the mistake is measured by the potential harm it causes, not by the actual harm that does or not ensue. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with a stupid baserunning mistake if the next three hitters strike out anyway. But there is. A mistake is a mistake.

And House's was a big and ugly one.

BUT not as big a Tejada getting thown out at second earlier (although I thought the last replay showed him safe and no replay showed him actually getting tagged)

Jack Cust had to be sacrificed to the PR gods. His belly-flop was so monumentally unathletic, and at such a monumentally bad time (would have been the winning run against the damn yankees), that it hardly mattered that it was actually not a particularly bad play for him. He followed the coach's instructions which were to stop, no wait, go, no wait maybe stop after all, ok go. If I recall correctly, he had just come all the way from first and maybe had to hold up or retreat en route to see how a ball fell in, etc. He did pretty damn well in the rundown that the coach stuck him in, avoiding a tag and creating the chance to score. And then he tripped ( a physical error, not a mental goof) and was tagged out.

They crucified him, as they always will when a huge PR gaffe happens like that. But he deserved better and I am glad to see him getting it.

We really ought to see how House does at catcher, especially with Hernandez so cold right now. Give Ramon 3 days off to recover his stroke and his desire.

TS - Are you suggesting that Jack Cust is a more serviceable Major Leaguer than Aubrey Huff?

Because let's not get crazy with ourselves. Sure we let go of Cust and now, a few years later, he resurfaced and is doing well with the A's (275 ABs, 20 HRs, .273 Avg.). But Huff is a bonafide Major League power hitter, regardless of his stats this season. While Cust, three years younger than Huff, just now reached 20 homers for the first - and im betting only - time in his career, Huff has already had six seasons in a row with over 20 dingers.

Let's stop concentrating so much on the here and now and take into consideration that baseball is a game where final consideration of a player's accolades is made on their entire careers and not just one season of playing above their talent level.

They should have House catch for Olson the rest of the season. He can DH the other games. This way you can unload Bako along with Payton. If he doesn't work out, you can always find another backup catcher for next year in the offseason. They're a dime a dozen. We need the bat way more than we need the glove.

Oh and by the way...if baserunning blunders and let's say horrific defensive plays and mental errors could be factored into playing time...perhaps that means we can send Jay Payton BACK to Oakland? This guy has the facade of hustle, but when you swing at everything and the only chance you have at a hit is to beat out that 40 foot grounder he seems to hit 2 times a game, you'd hustle too. His defensive game is equally as ugly. Terrible breaks on fly balls, terrible reads on balls in the gap, a nothing arm...let's get rid of him. At least with gibbons, he could hit a ball PAST the infield every now and then. Payton should NOT be on this roster next season...

Oh, this is regarding errors so it relates to the baserunning mistake yesterday. (I had forgotten why I was typing this)

I just saw on another site that Wild Bill Hagy has passed. Any news on this?

roch,

are you gonna ask us for opinions on the "face of the orioles" thing on espn.

Its Cal Ripken, even though he wasn't a choice.

Today's Orioles aside - let's take a moment to remember our friend Wild Bill Hagy. I guess heaven has an upper deck after all.

Roch, what you're getting it is what Jon Miller used to call "the fallacy of the predestined hit." Who knows what happens with 1st and 3rd, one out? Different pitches, different positioning etc. But I say, give House a chance to learn from his mistakes. He knows he screwed up.

Good luck with picking the "Face of the Franchise" - I'd vote for Danys Baez. He really symbolizes what the Orioles are all about these days. Futility and a lack of talent.

Hey Roch,
I saw that you get to do some work for ESPN by picking who you think is the face of the Franchise:

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/face/mlb/index

Any chance of letting us know who you picked in advance?

Is this how the other clubs go about choosing who plays and who does not? I know that the Oakland Athletics are willing to stick anyone out there for a bat, as illustrated in Jack Cust and the book Moneyball, but shouldn't the O's try to keep House in the lineup for his bat, esp. if your weakness is... the bat???

In regards to the obvious comparison to Jack Cust...last time I looked he wasn't doing so bad in Oakland. Hey, this team isn't challenging for anything right now and House CAN hit (it seems...) so why not leave him up and have him work on his glove in the process? It's not like this team has no need whatsoever for another few long balls...

Trembely has known and followed House since HS. I dont think one mistake in his 2nd(?) major league game will dicate his future playing time, at least I hope not. Trem. knows what he can do and knows his potential and I think, hope, he will keep playing him.

I agree with all of the post's above! Especially with letting Hernandez sit for a couple of days to get his DRIVE back. I think my 6 year old son could have shown more hustle getting to first base on Ramon's ball hit to McDonald. I mean McDonald dove in the 6 hole got up to his feet threw and still beat Hernandez by 5 steps. If he wasnt loafing I dont know does!

As for Tejda, making the last out at second is nothing other than being aggressive. Should he have stolen? No! Was it a good idea? Yes! Why you ask? Look at Millar's #'s with RISP and 2 outs. One of the tops in the majors. This is how we have won more than we have lost since the All Star break.

The big thing with House on this one was that he and everyone else should have know that Patterson was going to come in and run for House. That is something that should have been drilled in his head before he walked out of the dug-out. Do what you do best, HIT! We will take care of the rest. Although I think the pitcher only had 2 steal attempts on him all year and one was caught. So you flip the coin. We are all GREAT armchair quarterbacks and that is it!

Would the O's trade Huff for Cust? Yes.

Would the A's trade Cust for Huff. No.

I rest my case.

House is the only Oriole to homer this year, let's keep him at DH. Huff is killing me.

I hope Roberts ends up leading the team in homers - only 4 to go.

Roch,

I believe you're referring to the "Fallacy of the predetermined play" when you correctly state that we don't know what Markakis would have donee with runners on first and third and one out. He did have a terrible at-bat earlier in the game (second and third, none out, needed at least a grounder to the right side, but he hit the second pitch the other way to shortstop, so no rbi and no advance from second. That was a key mistake, as was Huff's first pitch groundout to end that inning.) Nick might have had a smarter at-bat in a second sac fly situation - he usually shows good discipline (though Crowley's influence has him swinging at more bad pitches when ahead in the count this season. We need a hitting coach who stresses plate discipline - to hope to compete with the Yankees, we need a strong, disciplined offense along with strong pitching.)

House should be tried behind the plate. He can't be much worse than Bako defensively, and he's much better offensively.

Payton should be dealt - he's another undisciplined hitter with an OBP barely above his average. And someone has to convince Corey Patterson that he's costing himself millions with his undisciplined approach at the plate - if he drew enough walks to post a .375 OBP, rather than swing at so many balls, he'd be one of the top center fielders in baseball, and he'd improve his average and power numbers because he'd be swinging at more hittable pitches. If we could re-sign him, and the contract included OBP incentives (500,000 for .350, 600,000 for .360, etc., that might work.