Is there a baserunning coach? What is going on here?

Well at least they didn't do something REALLY stupid, like getting picked off at third for the third out of the inning.

I guess they didn't do a complete purge. Huff just got picked off 3rd base to end the rally in the 6th

Pete,

BBTN just showed Huffs 2 run homer called foul WTF is up with that? I hate safeco... 10pm games loopy MASN commentaty.. it just seems everybody is a bit off.

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Pete's reply: Well, I can't fault them on the game time. Don't think the O's would want to be batting at 4 p.m. out there.

Seriously? That's twice now...

Pete--The Orioles' Kangaroo Court of 1966, with Frank Robinson presiding, used to give out the John O'Donoghue Base Running Award--a dirty baseball shoe spray painted orange--after a game where a player did something stupid on the base paths.

So, let's see who should get the shoe tonight? Reimold or Huff? I think the shoe might also find it's way into the locker of Shelby and Samuel, or the desk of Trembley.

I recall some horrendous base running gaffes occurring when Dave Cash coached first base. Can't blame Cash anymore.

There is a crying need for this team to shape up on the base paths. The Orioles are wasting opportunities through their sloppiness at an alarming rate.

Completely ridiculous, Pete, I agree with you. What are these guys thinking, especially Huff? Where in the world did he think he was going? Is this a coaching thing? It's hard to imagine guys who have played baseball for the better parts of their lives can be that stupid about a fundamental thing like baserunning.

We must be the worst base running team in teh history of baseball. We give runs away every game!!!

Have the Orioles been watching the Mariners utilize something call a sacrifice bunt? Why would we not want Melvin Mora, an excellent bunter, try to bunt Huff into scoring position for Scott? Oh wait, that's because we would rather try another hit and run in a 3-1 count and again in the 3-2 count. Awesome!

Pete,

I'm not second guessing after the fact here. As soon as Huff got on I said Mora should be bunting with the only guy who is hitting well behind him. Instead not only does he not bunt but you have Huff stealing on the full count and we know how that turned out. Unbelievable, wasted opportunity, it is a shame Brad won't get a win tonight as well.

Pete,
Did you happen to notice that on Baseball Tonight there's a segment with Buck Showalter called "The Buck Stops Here"? They must have seen your blog, of course.

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Pete's reply: Or else Buck is a Harry Truman fan.

Mistakes like Reimold's and Huff's last night are typical when a team has gone flat. It happens to all teams. But one of the O's fundamental problems is that they don't seem to have any leadership in the clubhouse or on the field. There isn't anyone to get the team fired up. Mistakes like Huff's and Reimold's take more air out of the tires. That said, it's good to see Huff be a stand-up guy about his sleepwalking on third base.

Like I said in an earlier post, it isn't just the O's making dumb mistakes. BBTN showed a Tigers game from a couple nights ago where Granderson was on 1st and the batter hit the ball to deep right. Granderson never bothered to check whether the ball was caught and assumed it would fall in, running all the way to 3rd as fast as he could. Well, the ball was caught and by the time Granderson realized that, he had been doubled-off and the pitcher was ready to throw the next pitch. Buck even did a segment picking apart the Yankees' baserunning mistakes, of which there were many.

All of these base-running and fielding mistakes have to be a reflection on both field management and coaching. With Dave extensive minor league experience you would think he would have them schooled in the basics.