Keeping it short
When I'm not writing the game story for The Sun, my duties after the final out usually including typing up manager Dave Trembley's quotes for my partner in crime, Jeff Zrebiec.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Trembley for making my job so much easier last night.
He warned us that he was going to be brief. And boy, was he brief.
In case you missed it on the MASN feed, here's the entire post-game press conference:
“We played our hearts out and the guys earned a lot of respect tonight. Mistakes are part of the game.”
(On saying before the game that Danys Baez would get the save opportunity): “He was one pitch away from doing it.”
“They stranded 16. We had some chances, also, to get a big hit and we didn’t. That’s baseball.”
And that, folks, is the entire transcript.
Easy night for me. Not so easy for the man still waiting to get his first win since being named manager in 2008.
Will he have to wait that long?
The Orioles have been outscored 112-61 in the eighth inning.
And that's just in the last week.
I saw the fan who was wearing a brown bag over his head, but I didn't see anyone escort him out of the ballpark.
At least he wasn't wearing a plastic bag tied at the neck. It hasn't gotten THAT bad yet.
The ball that shortstop Miguel Tejada misplayed in the eighth took a nasty hop, but I don't see how you can score it a hit when it bounces off his chest and rolls away. It's a tough error, for sure, but I believe the play was scored correctly.
Next time, try charging the ball instead of letting it play you. That's what Luis Hernandez does, and it seems to work for him.
I sure wish the Orioles would announce when Matt Wieters is making his debut at Aberdeen. Try distracting the fans with some good news. Dangling shiny objects in front of them won't work (well most of them, anyway). Better to use a switch-hitting catcher.
I'm heading to Camden Yards because nobody has been able to talk me out of it.
More to come.
Comments
schmuck sucks
Posted by: sam | August 30, 2007 2:45 PM
You mentioned Luis Hernandez - he was sent to Bowie to "make room" for Fahey.
I know the O's say there is not a lot of difference between AA and AAA, but we all know that is bunk.
Why disrespect Hernandez like this?
They cannot consider Fahey a legitimate major league prospect at this point, I do not care how versitile he is. And they surely cannot consider him superior to Hernandez in any way - defensively or offensively.
Can they?
Any idea if they have any idea about what to do with Hernandez?
Is he going to play for the O's again? Or is he going to become a minor league free agent after the season and win a gold glove for some other team?
Posted by: TOM D | August 30, 2007 2:52 PM
They have has such a losing mentality for so long that it will take something drastic to ge them going. The problem is that no free agent will come here because of our record and we have to settle for the Paytons and Huffs of the league.
A bullpen is only as good or as bad as the starting rotation. Our starters simply don't pitch enough innings to take the strain off our relievers. Randy Johnson was known to throw 200 pitches in a game. Danny Cabrera may suck, but he can throw 150 pitches if they let him. I would also take a tired Bedard than any "fresh" bullpen arm they have. The starters need to "Cowboy up" (to quote Millar) to get the ship righted. After tomorrow, we can have a 30 man bullpen, so that might help a lilttle.
Next year. 10 starters and a closer. Two starters for each game, pitching on normal rest. Pair Bedard with Traschel, Guthrie with Olson, Lowen with Penn, Cabrera with Burres and Liz with Birkins. Notice I paired righties with lefties and hard throwers with soft tossers. That should keep the opposing hitters off balance. In a pinch Markakis or Wieters can pitch an inning of relief. This is a much better plan than any bullpen they put together in the offseason.
Posted by: Anthony | August 30, 2007 3:25 PM
Forget Aberdeen. I want to hear them announce that he'll be playing in Baltimore next month. That's what matters.
It's not like the Orioles are in the midst of a pennant race, where they would need to see that it had the players on the bench giving them the best chance to win. So there's no pressure on him. That being the case, it doesn't hurt to give him a taste of what the Big Show is all about.
There is every indication that he's mature beyond his years and would enjoy both the challenge and the excitment of playing in the majors. I can't see him being intimidated by it. Down the road the experience should help him when he finally come up for good. (Frankly, I'd like to see him on the 25 man roster next year, but that may be rushing it a bit.)
Let's face it, Matt Weiters is supposed to be The Natural, the future of this team (if, in fact, it has one, which right now seems problematic to say the least) and his presence may give the team and fans a much needed jolt of energy down the stretch.
Posted by: Ken Francis | August 30, 2007 3:38 PM
Hey Roch. Those quotes from Trembley suggest that he may be too soft to manage in the bigs.
For example, mistakes are part of the game....Yes, but do we have to make so many EVERY game!!!
There doesn't seem to be any consequences as the same guys are sent out there..
The proverbial pat on the back/handholding/go get'em/better luck next time....isn't working. This 8 game stretch represents Trembley's first 'test'/rough spot and it will be interesting to see how(or if) he responds.
Personally, I'd like to see some benching/clubhouse tantrum or maybe even an Earl Weaver-like ump ejection.
Posted by: TerryP | August 30, 2007 3:41 PM
Ship be sinking (again)
Posted by: Michael Ray Richardson | August 30, 2007 3:57 PM
I would love to know what Trembley was saying to Tejada after his baserunning gaffe last night. Really, I don't think it's a good idea to lay into players through the media. That will blow apart a team quickly. We don't know how Trembley handles things with players internally, so I don't think I'd go so far as to call him soft on them.
Posted by: TOM C | August 30, 2007 3:58 PM
Its time to start putting in a defensive replacement for Miggy. He needs to switch to another position. He's killing us at short.
Posted by: My Name is Earl | August 30, 2007 4:00 PM
Kai, I saw that non-play by Jay Payton too. Its because Jay Payton is a primadonna who has no business playing in the majors. He's proven that time and time again this year. That thing that looks like his head, with a ball cap on it, is actually his middle back, because his head is always stuck up his a**.
Posted by: Almost Former | August 30, 2007 4:03 PM
Ok, me and my chisox fan buddy just put a lunch on the line...who will have the WORSE record, the O's or the Chisox?
Posted by: Dean in Hawaii | August 30, 2007 4:15 PM
is that true? 112 runs allowed in the 8th inning over 131 games? truly embarassing. well you know the old saying... you get what you pay for. signing "has been" or "never were" players because they are cheap is not a good strategy for building a ballclub. 'Potter' may deserve this kind of performance from his players, but the fans do not.
Posted by: MiracleOn33rd | August 30, 2007 4:24 PM
in the misey loves company category: Phillies take a 3-run lead into the eight.The bullpen surrenders 5 runs on 5 walks and two hits.Jose Mesa is in the game for Phillies.
Posted by: harfordnits | August 30, 2007 4:57 PM
shiny objects like..... SHARP shiny objects??
Posted by: Alan in VA | August 30, 2007 5:17 PM