Why is Wiggs starting at 1st over Aubrey? He is a backup and Aubrey "could" be our future starter. We need to find out what Aubrey can do not Wiggs! We should only be starting Aubrey and/or Scott at first base for the rest of the season....until the roster expansion but quit wasting time with W at 1st.

The Orioles need to get serious and stop putting players on the field like Luke Scott and Wiggy aka Crash test Dummy. We need to just trade all that BS for a legitimate 1st or 3rd and promote more rookies.

Pete,
I want to be put on record that I WAS WRONG about Pie. I said that he should be cut and run out of town. I like this kid. If he can just learn how to run the bases, we have a legitimate 30 steal guy. I LOVE his exuberance the other day when he hit for the cycle. You need someone like that on your team that the others can chuckle at.

Maybe with the heat off of him playing everyday, he has had time to let the game absorb and he can not feel presured to perform.

Adam Jones and Luke Scott have not been producing at the plate since the all-star break which is now far in the distance of the rear view mirror. I see they are starting to move Scott out of there, he has no position anyway, but why continue to bat Jones near the top of the lineup? If you count last year and this year together, Jones has had over 700 at bats so how much longer are we supposed to wait for his potential before we can call him a bust? I mean he is overmatched virtually every game. What will the Orioles do if next year at this time Jones has not improved at the plate at all? In my mind, his stock has dropped considerably.

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Pete's reply: I think he'll be okay. If he isn't, then he's a 20-homer, 80 RBI speedy center fielder. If that's the worst-case scenario, I'll take it, but I think he's going to be a big star.

jongermany is right. Michael Aubrey should be playing first base instead of Wiggington. I like Wigginton because it's inspiring to see a professional athlete with a beer belly. But, for the sake of the O's future, I would selflessly give up watching W.

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Pete's reply: Wigginton is a stocky guy, but he doesn't have a beer belly. He's in pretty good shape, actually.

Donald,

Are you serious? I thought at first that was a sarcastic post making fun of all the unrealistic bashers, but I can see you're just another one of them. I admit, it's frustrating to see Adam swing through as many pitches as he does, it seems to me that he, like Reimold, is trying too hard. They need a more patient approach, but AJ is what, 23? And this is his second year in the bigs. He's raised the BA, more than doubled the homers, is in the top 10 in runs, and excelled in CF. If he's not a .300, 25 HR guy next year I'll eat my shorts. If you ask me, the problem is Crowley, This really should be a decent line-up, but there is not that much discipline right now as a whole, and guys like Reimold and Jones have great pop the opposite way, but rarely do it. I like the Crow, and I think he had a nice run here, but maybe the message has gotten stale. I will apologize on behalf of Adam Jones for his failing to transform himself into Willie Mays in his first two years in the league, clearly this is a sign that he's a miserable ballplayer and would be better served pursuing whittling or other assorted hobbies.

Geez you guys are sure quick to turn on your team and players

Yes, Wiggy has done little of value in BAL and man, I HOPE he won't be your 3B or 1B next year ... now you know why they called him "FENCE POST" down here in Houston !

But to trash Luke Scott too ??

Man, how quick you guys forget about all the offense Scott has provided for BAL ... wasn't it about HALF of your offense in the 1st half of the season ??

Yeah Luke's streaky but no more than anyone else and that includes Markakis, Jones, Roberts and others

Pete,

What are your thoughts on the constant lineup changes Trembley keeps throwing out there. I personally liked the lineup he put out there Friday night, and apparently it was able to produce. Each spot of the batting order has a different approach, but constantly changing their spot would seem to affect the way a batter approaches a game day by day. But, with all these young guys, shouldn't the manager be trying to simplify the game for them?

I try to avoid questioning a manager on a rebuilding club because I've always felt a manager would manage differently on a contending team, but why put Wiggy in the 9 spot a night after Pie had 3 hits in the same spot the night before?

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Pete's reply: It's a fair question that I can only speculate about. Dave plays matchup baseball, and he's not alone. So do guys like Tony La Russa. They order the lineup based on the opposing pitcher as well as what players are currently doing, so you get situations like that. I don't really have a problem with it, since you've got to experiment with various combinations in ayear when the games aren't crucial to your postseason possibilities.

RE: Adam LaMarque Jones

I've taken the pleasure to do some research for those among us who think Mr. Jones is a bust. Below are his stats from last year and this year.

SEASON TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS

2008 Bal 132 477 61 129 21 7 9 57 23 108 10 3 .270 .311 .400 .711
2009 Bal 113 455 81 129 22 3 19 69 32 90 9 4 .284 .338 .470 .808

Couple of things to point out: He's had 22 fewer AB's this year than he had all of last year but he's already scored 20 more runs, gotten the exact same number of hits, has one more double, 10 more homers, 12 more RBI's, 9 more BBs, .014 higher BA, .027 higher OBP, .070 higher Slugging, .097 higher OPS, AND he made the All-Star team PLUS he drove in the winning run in the All-Star game. I won't even mention that his defensive zone rating is much higher than last year, and he already has more assists.

But he must be a bust because he's got 4 fewer triples, one fewer stolen base, one more CS, and he's on pace for many more strikeouts. Oh, and he's made a couple more errors in more total chances too!

Give me a stinking break. All you impatient people who can't suck up the stink we're going through right now for an obviously brighter future. MacPhail has a plan. Just let him stick to it instead of being an arm-chair GM. I praise God everyday that most of you aren't running this team, because you have no clue what is going on.

Mr. Schmuck, thank you for the opportunity to rant on your blog. Thank you for keeping it real.

Never fear shadows, because they surely mean that there is a light shining somewhere nearby.

I don't know where else to ask this question, so...

...what's this about Reimold playing with a 25% achilles tendon tear? Why on Earth is he playing...at all...if that's actually the case?

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Pete's reply: I was interested to hear that, too, but I don't really know the whole story. They're saying he has an Achilles injury that is causing him some pain, but I'm sure he would not be playing if they thought he would sever it by going out there. The O's have outstanding orthopedic people.

TxOFan,

If your name is Hendrickson, Baez, Albers, Bass or your over 30, your names not Roberts, and your not a pitcher then ......................... YOU’RE TRADE BAIT! Also if we can deal Guthrie w/ Luke scott and the W that would be awesome.

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Pete's reply: Few of those guys are tradable.

I like Luke Scott but he doesn’t fit the Orioles rebuilding plan in any way now that we know he’s not a DH or a 1st basemen and we have 2 other guys that play left. Its nothing personal but he’s gotta go! We need a real cleanup DH.

Frank -

How is it you say "now that we know he's (Scott's) not a DH or a 1st baseman" ??

Scott has done a DAMN GOOD job as your DH ... it's not the job he wanted but he's done well at it until the last few weeks

And you base the 1B statement on what exactly ? ... HOW many games has he played at 1st ?? I haven't SEEN the games like you - but he's done what wrong? Failed how? How many errors?

Frank,

How is it you say " now we know he's (Scott) not a DH or a 1B ..."

I think most fans would say Scott has been a DAMN good DH for BAL this season ... it's not a job he wanted - but he's done well at it - until the last few weeks slump

and HOW MANY games has Scott played at 1B so far?? He's failed how exactly? How many errors?

Man, you people are quick to forget and quick to give someone the axe

I'd say about 3/4 of your current roster oughtta go before Scott does !!

Ty Wigginton runs like a slug and Trembley is calling a hit and run with him? He is freakin nuts! Whatever doubts I had about this guy NOT being right for this club they are GONE! He can stick his low pct hit and run play where the sun don't shine! Let him go back to the minor leagues where he belongs!

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Pete's reply: Actually, it's not stupid to call a hit and run with a slow runner. No matter how fast the guy is, if the batter doesn't make contact, he's got a chance to be thrown out. I believe the hit and run is wasted on the really speedy runners. I'd rather have them stealing, so they don't handcuff the hitter.

I am happy to see Wiggy get playing time because the more the O's see of him, no way can he be penciled in as a starter at 1B, 3B or DH. Wiggy, has a small salary so no doubt if the O's want him gone, there will be takers because it's obvious why he would be valuable to a NL team.

Pete, I think the O's will trade Baez and free up a spot for Sarfate. I am not sure Dennis, will ever be as good as he can be. He has great stuff, but he seems to be too wild, but he is a guy like Bruce Chen that someone will think they can fix.

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Pete's reply: You may be right. I don't know if anyone is in pursuit of Baez right now.

Aubrey has zero power and thus no future as a ML 1B.
What was Wieters doing on the wild pitch? Sleeping? Complete lack of effort with him waving at it with his glove. Make an effort, drop down to your knees and keep it in front of you. There were runners on base, in this case one on 3B.
It was pretty embarrassing. Of course with DT in charge it will get ignored like most things.

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Pete's reply: That wild pitch was a cross-up. He was leaning the wrong way on it.

Pete every oriole at some time this season has been scrutized to death. I will admit that i was on roberts more then what i should have been,but had stopped before the all star game. What bothers me is how can a player like Adam Jones be totally unproductive since june 1st batting just 240 and nobody say's one single word about it. I don't care if he made the all star team or not if the rest of the team gets called out and put under the mircoscope then whay doesn't he. In my estimation he is already showing glimpes of being to cocky for his own good and his body language is terrible at times. The orioles better reighn him in before its to late. The lack of veteran presence on this team really shows in cases like adam , because if there was a proven veteran on here all that stuff between him and pie in the outfield would be addressed behind closed doors. There is no question that the talent he has shown is enormous , but by no means should he be treated like a prima donna.If any other player was batting that low for that extended period of time he would have beeen called on the carpet long ago.

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Pete's reply: Probably because he's such a young player and he's having trouble making a certain adjustment. I suspect he'll have that straightened out by next year. Remember, the guy has made big progress from a power standpoint, but now pitchers have found a hole in his swing and are exploiting it. Now, the ball is in his court. He needs to adjust back by next season to keep his numbers moving upward -- which they have this year.

This team leaves more men behind than Madonna. Come to think of it, she has shown that she can handle the wood...in "A League of their Own," I mean. I wonder if we could get her to bat cleanup?

"but why put Wiggy in the 9 spot a night after Pie had 3 hits in the same spot the night before"

Because pie is 6 for 60 against lefties. Tho I suspect DT will throw pie out there today anyhow, so we may see if pie has improved his ability to handle lefties.

Madonna was a lead-off hitter for Rockford, playing CF. Of course, we could use Marla Hooch, but we have a second baseman.

The game was on WGN last night, and it was refreshing to hear a different take on the Orioles. On the wild pitch, Steve Stone pointed out that that was no way to go after a pitch in the dirt and that Wieters would learn to do better, and if you noticed, later in the inning, on another pitch in the dirt, Wieters blocked it perfectly.

Stone and Ken Harrelson do a great job, if a little "homerish". After listening to Hunter, it was a real treat to hear those guys talk about the Orioles. They talked about Brad Bergeson, and how impressed they were after his first big league start, which was against the Sox. They made many a good point and I would love to see Stoney and Palmer in the same booth, without a play-by-play guy. We would learn so much and also be entertained, both have dry senses of humor and aren't shy about making a point.

Maybe if Hunter isn't doing anything today, he can watch WGN and learn how to call a baseball game. Oh, I forgot, he's working the MASN broadcast. Thank the Lord for Palmer, he's the only reason to watch, Hunter is a disgrace. Will someone please tell him(and Ron, too), that it is a physical impossibility to swing "through" a pitch? Either the swing was too early or too late, above the ball or below it, but never "through" it. That's just lazy announcing.

He got burned last night, on a check swing, he again said, "He swings through it," but the appeal to first was called no-swing, so our man Hunter had a "swing through it" on a ball. Oh, and will someone else remind him that he's not the only person who knows something about baseball? He acts like he's the only person in the world who knows the game. His arrogance is astounding for someone so mediocre.

What an &$%#(*.

Hey Pete-
Just read your article about Roberts' leadership... A little premature don't you think? One week of hot hitting does not make you a leader. Constant hustle, heads up base running, and overall consistent play are all marks of a leader. One week, and an article full of EXCUSES (c'mon Pete), doesn't necessarily convince me he has turned it around.

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Pete's reply: One week? The guy has a chance to break the all-time single-season doubles record. Also, reasons are not excuses. You might be that rare guy who still is all upbeat all day at work when you've got the flu, but I'm guessing not.

Pete,

I believe DT is truly managing for his job! Why else would you continue to play Mora and Wiggy, he knows what they can and can't do, he should be exploring what the kid can do at 1B. But DT is trying to get a late surge and save his job, I'm sorry for him but that opportunity was lost BEFORE the All-star break!

He seems like a good man and I wish him well in all future endeavors!

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Pete's reply: If he isn't managing for his job, he's not very smart.

John the Blowhard,

Who died and left you king of the opinion heap! Whether I agree with you, Pete or others on this blog, that's why it's a blog to voice your opinion. On Adam Jones, I tend to agree with you to a point, however a better manager would have him more focused as he has severely tailed off the last 35 games. He may be our best player (long term potential) but he's not bigger than the franchise!

Many have bashed BROB and most through PIE on the waiver wire, and look at those comments and chuckle, but discussion is a good thing, as Pete says, some people keep their stupidity hidden by not saying anything, other show it quite well by what they put on this blog!

Pete,
How can Trembly bench Pie when he has just batted 5 for his last 10?

Because he cant hit lefties.

he is out of the lineup again today against Buehrle. why bat andino second (.272OBP), i have no idea, maybe he will treat blog fans to their favorite play, the bunt.

B. Roberts 2b
R. Andino ss
A. Jones cf
N. Markakis rf
N. Reimold lf
M. Mora 3b
M. Wieters dh
T. Wigginton 1b
C. Moeller c

Nick is 6 for 13 lifetime against buehrle. wiggington, reimold and nick all doubled against buehrle when we faced him earlier this year, a 4-3 loss, tho we only got one run off buehrle.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=290718104

WGN is 100% better quality than the MASN cast. The HD looks clearer, No hunter, no MASN commercials. Only thing its missing is Amber.
Anyone see that MASN Fantasy Challenge advertisement today? You can win a lunch with Dave Trembley! Oh man that would be awesome he would take you to the Golden Coral to get eat a bunch of @hit then and get wasted. He might ask the winner to help point him the direction of the dugout!

Trembley, for some reason, is addicted to the hit and run on 3-1. Instead of giving the hitter the chance to draw a walk, he sends the slowest runners on the team (Wigginton, Huff, Scott, etc.), and forces the hitter to swing to protect him (even if Roberts had swung and missed yesterday, Wigginton is out by 10 feet.) Trembley's "strategy" has given away numerous outs, cost us a bunch of walks, and short-circuited possible rallies,, but he never learns. Same foolishness, different day. Trembley is the opposite of Earl Weaver - Weaver got the maximum out of his players by valuing outs and properly utilizing statistics (including knowing that steals are bad for the offense unless the success rate is at least 75-80%), whereas Trembley's strategies cost his team outs and games.

Between Trembley, and Crowley's aggreessive approach at the plate he preaches, no wonder tthe O's again rank 10th in the AL in runs.

Keith Rowe,

You totally missed the point of my post, and the fact that you called me out on it proves it. If you go back, I didn't mention anyone by name, and just posted my opinion on this blog as a matter of discussion.

The fact that you took it as a personal attack seems to suggest you felt dethroned as "king of the opinion heap."

Thank you for your post though.

No, anon, what they're missing is Hunter, and that's no loss. There he goes again with a "he swings through it." Bleep, I hate that.

And neither is Amber. She's part of this trend of having hot girls doing sideline work. Not only does it demean the girls, it doesn't give the average sports fan any credit. The sports people think guys watching sports want to see beautiful girls, hence the Erin Andrews phenomenon. She might be good- looking, but her voice is like finger nails on a chalkboard. If I want to be titillated, I'll go to the Gold Club on Route 40. If I want baseball information and analysis, I'll listen to Palmer or Buck Martinez.

I grew up on the Northside of Chicago, listening to WGN broadcasts of Cubs games, Jack Brickhouse and Lou Boudreau. Just fantastic, just as good as Chuck Thompson and Bill O'Donnell, which means they were very, very good.
WGN knows how to do baseball, they've got the Cubs-Dodgers later today. Good day to watch baseball!

John .................the whatever or just John but I won't call you Johnson!

Huh?????????????? Like everyone here, we all have an opinion or we wouldn't be here and if they were REALLY good ideas we all would be getting paid. So knocking anothers idea for the love of anyone is your choice but say something! I find the really dumb comments amuzing, most recently the idea several have suggested to bat BROB 4th, very funny but until now refrained from commenting about it! However when folks hide behind non-names and slam others for no apparent reason its not even amusing. So suck it up and get over yourself, your one in a million and your opinion means no more than anyone elses!

Have a great evening and enjoy your blogging!

Keith Rowe,

Evidently, there's some kind of disconnect here, because until now, I also have refrained from making any comments.

Maybe you're confusing me with all the other John's on the board?

Regardless, I don't see how I was slamming anyone behind "Non-names" or for no apparent reason. Would you please explain that to me?

Point of clarification:

I'm confused about the Non-name thing because my name really is John and I really am a Baptist, hence the name.

Pete's reply: If he isn't managing for his job, he's not very smart. I hear you, but in reality, what quality manager would have taken the helm of this team when DT did and what could DT's expectations have been when he took it? Next to annonymous, I've probably called for DTs head more than most, but the reality is John McGraw couldn't have won with group from casting central! I suppose I would have expected better fundamentals, base running and motivation but until the talent level increases, in this division last place will be a familiar home regardless of the manager.