Schmucker:
While speaking of Pie's dramatic improvement, I haven't seen any concern on the Orioles part about Adam Jones inability to hit for the last 2 1/2 months. Since May 30th he is hitting .232 over his lsst 290 AB's, with only 8 home runs and 34 RBI's. Has the league caught up with him? Also, he is catching up with Mora for the face that shows the least emotion. He doesn't seem to be enjoying himself and never smiles. What are your observations about him, and what is Trembly, Crowley and the FO saying about his lack of performance? If he continues to hit at this level, and if Pie keeps improving, he might grab the Center Field job away from Jones. I know that is a long shot but I would be interested in what you are observing.

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Pete's reply: I would be shocked if Jones does not right himself. He clearly got a little power-happy when he was closing in on 20 home runs. He'll make the proper adjustments and come back next year a better player. I would seriously doubt Pie could overtake him. If Pie is for real, and reaching that conclusion is a long way off, they'll figure out a way to use both of them.

typical DT move....

i'd rather see what pie can do against pettite and learn something. i don't have all the info trembley does. i'd be curious to know his thinking.

TRADE JONES NOW! At 23 he's washed up! Start Pie until he sucks, then trade him too!

Have people ever heard of the phrase, "had an off year"? (not saying Jones is having one by any stretch of the imaginantion). Pie has been on a hot streak for a couple weeks. Jones was hot for 3 months this year.

Feel like if a guy has an 0-4 with an error he's getting packaged in a deal for AGonzo and is suddenly no longer in the future plans of the team.

As a team, they need to cut out the binge ball playing and level out, but they will with more experience. No more of this 13 runs one night, 3 hit the next. or 5 homeruns in a week, 5 over two months.

Pete in regards to Jones i am certainly glad that everybody else is starting to chime in> I have been stating the same thing for a month now. But what really gets me pete with 32 games left you stated in your response to DEKE that he will make the proper adjustments and come back better next year. I don't understand that logic, so you are telling me that a player can get over 400 ab's since May 30 and it's ok to continue to absolutely stink up the place and it's ok to just wait until next year.??? i just don't get it.

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Pete's reply: Sometimes, it takes awhile for a young player to get it together. He got off the a good start in the first half and then advance scouts found that hole in his swing. Now, he's trying to adjust back. Happens all the time. That's why you keep playing him, It's also why the O's didn't give up on Pie when he was hitting .158 on May 6. I'll have to go back and check to see if you wanted him drawn, quartered and released at that time.

This is all expansions fault Pie is out of the lineup!!

shamrock

Who do you think the Orioles should trade this offseason to get better? I am like you in fact I think we should keep our logjam of untradeable OFs and just solider on. Who needs a 3rd or 1st baseman? Totally overrated position…

blancione--You have summed it up perfectly in your own quote: "I just don't get it."

Adam Jones is a 24-year old center fielder who made the All-Star team in 2009. He is hitting .280 with 19 home runs and 70 RBI's.

Have you observed the quality of his defense? Do you like when he throws guys out at the plate, when he hustles to cut balls off in the gap, when he leaps and pulls balls back into the ball park?

Do you notice that he runs hard to first base?

Have you noticed that he has leadership qualities?

I don't believe that you lack baseball knowledge. I do believe that you are in love with misery.

If you were singing along with Bing, I think you would change the lyrics to "Accentuate the Negative."

I think we should trade Danys Baez and cash to the Phillies for Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Cliff Lee.

Dave Taylor

Angelos would never allow such a good move!!!

BLancione-

What is your point? Bench anyone who goes 0 for 4? 0 for 40? We dont have a better option. Would Cal Ripken have ever played if he got benched or sent down every time he went into a slump and started messing with diffferent stances. Would you have cut Big Papi earlier when he was slumping? Pie coming here was a question mark. Jones two seasons in is not. He belongs. How good he will be is to be seen but that he is our CF is not. You keep talking in the same terms. That the whole world except you thinks it is ok for the team suck and for players to suck. No, it isnt ok. But what is your point? Are you saying Pie should start over Jones? It isnt ok for people to jaywalk. Should we execute them? People get 3 or 4 DWIs and we dont execute them either. Just what are you saying about Jones? Or do you just want everyone to listen and applaud when you say "Jones Sucks"? Is your point that we need to count on replacing him for next year? That he isnt the future CF for this team? He IS our CF. He is still a potential all star caliber player. We have no one better to play when he is cold. What do you want us to do? Light torches and assemble in the town square to follow you to the Yard and slay the monster? Just what is it you want??? Besides attention

It's not even funny to say Jones had 400 ABs since may 30....less than 300 ABs. Give him an extra 100 ABs and he'll adjust.
Look at his stats before firing off...
He had great April/May, poor June, productive July, and terrible August. He is still hitting 280, 19 HR, 70 RBI, an all-star appearance, and it's only his second full season. Believe it or not, he had a great year. He'll adjust, just like he did this year, and become a better player next year when he is about to start his third full season.

Barry He is batting 232 since may 30 if it was any other player you would be trying to run him out of town. You see leader ship qualities i see bad body language a lot of the times. See barry it's all in what you wnat to see. Making the all start team was the worst thinh that could have happened to him. I am not denying that he has played fantastic defense, on the nights when he doesn't throw to the wrong base or nonchalent throwing the ball back to the infield. Look he has had over 900 ab's so far in his career so it's not like he has just been brought up. What makes a ball player good or great is to be consistent day in and day out.That is my main gripe with fans they have selective reasoning on things when it suits the situation.

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Pete's reply: Finally, Bob, we agree on something. It's all in what you want to see...but that's a two-edged sword. You seem to want to see the worst in Adam and others want to see the best. I'm guessing neither view is completely accurate, but if I had to choose, I'd choose life.

Anonymous my point was by the end of the year he will have over 400 ab since may 30 and what i said to pete was why should he have to wait until next year to adjust instead of adjusting this year. You don't go 400 ab and don't amke adjustments.

blancione -

In 2004, his second full season, Brian Roberts hit .235 from May 1st through about the middle of June.

Through mid-June in 2007, Nick Markakis was hitting .263.

Players go into slumps. Some last longer than others, but when you're talking about ridiculously talented 20somethings like Roberts, Markakis and Adam Jones, you don't hit the panic button.

Unless you just started watching baseball yesterday, you should know that, 99% of the time, young players are impatient and inconsistent. Patience and consistency are the final tools that a young player adds to his game.

So while you see that Jones is hitting .230 since the break and that he should be run out of town. I see a young player who got homer happy, got himself way off track and starting swinging at bad pitches which resulted in 41 strikeouts and 13 walks in June and July. And while you see Jones failing to live up to his pedigree, I see hope in the fact that he struck out just 12 times and walked 10 in August.

Jones may not get completely back on track this season, as he only has a month to do so, but he's a damn good player. And, as Pete said, he's going to "make adjustments and come back next year a better player."

Continue to accentuate the negative and you'll continue to fail to see the signs of hope on this team.

blancione -

I'm starting to truly believe that you just watched your first ballgame yesterday...

Sometimes a young player digs himself into such a big hole that he can't get out of it until he's outside of the pressure of a big league game. Ever heard of a "sophomore slump"?

DT has been doing this all year.
For some reason when a player is going well and has a good night, he likes to sit them down the next day...He's done this with weiters a couple times....

well, at least Mora is in there...he's happy, I'm happy, we are all happy,

Hey shamrock, CB etc ...to echo an earlier post.... we should just keep adding to our strengths so we have like 6 really good outfielders, and 10 top pitchers and no power hitting corner infielders...
the whole idea of trading with someone is to trade from your strength to help where you are week.

and JONES IS NO SURE THING

If Andy thinks we are a power hitting infielder and a top starter from the playoffs I can guaantee you we will be saying adios to someone many people like.

But I trust his judgement so we will just have to see

Fire Pie.

Anyone that thinks either AJ or Nolan are going anywhere...you're just delusional.

You don't trade a leading ROY candidate who is the epitomy of a ballplayer and a cornerstone in CF.

Get well soon.

Felix Pie, should be in the game tonight, but when a hitter is hot or a reliever is on fire, Dave, goes with someone else. Honestly, Dave, needs to realize when guys are on fire, play them till they cool off. Dave, will be gone soon and when he wonders why, he should remember the old saying "pride comes before the fall."

tremblow sucks

The Orioles have an amazing ability to make pitchers with average numbers look like Cy Young winners.

I realize Petite is dealing pretty well tonight. No hitter through 4 though? Come on, guys.

I'm waiting to see if anybody is gonna jump on that first pitch curve on the outside corner to righties, inside to lefties that he's started almost every single batter of with tonight. Even though I know the answer will probably be no, because these Oriole hitters don't make adjustments and probably don't care enough to go up there with some sort of gameplan.

I just read the article on the Orioles' plan to shut down Tillman and Matusz after 2-3 more starts. It makes good sense, but with Tillman at 40.1 innings and Matusz at 30.2, why not end their seasons before they get to 50 and keep their ROY eligibility for next year? It would be exciting for Orioles fans to have two legitimate candidates for the award.

Pettitte has a perfect game through 4 innings.

how about the nitwit girardi bunting the yanks out of a big inning.
Two doubles and a hit batter, and he bunts with Melky who doubled in his first at bat.
And the Yankee announcers don't even utter a word! See, you can manage like a total fool and win the division...just gotta be talented.
I'm firmly convinced of that.

The Hudson River Moves to Maryland

Pettitte has been masterful at taking advantage of everything Marvin Hudson has given him tonight. That includes breaking balls that bend around the plate, e.g., Reimold called out on strikes the first time around. And fastballs down low that Posada has to pull up, e.g., Reimold called out on strikes a second time.

Reimold has a pretty good eye. Marvin Hudson is seeing the world in pinstripes tonight.

And, for now, Pettitte is cruising in perfect form.

Look for Reimold to take him deep.

I called Pettitte throwing a perfect game in the third. Between the umpire, the O's always being a beaten team against the Yanks and the way he was throwing, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

wow, maybe you wanna put those at-bats up for an instructional video in what not to do. a 7 pitch inning. He threw 5 pitches the Yankee hitters would have never swung at.
I can't wait until the Oriole hitters learn some plate discipline.
Peteite is throwing a heck of a game, but the O's know how to help him out...

Why is Mora playing tonight. If he is not in the Orioles plans for next year. He could have sat tonight. Ty could have played third, Luke on first and Pie could have DH. Adam Jones isn"t going anywhere no time soon. Maybe Nolan or Felix will be involved in a trade.

I feel bad for Jerry Hairston. That ground ball just ate him up. Jerry Hairston put in several good years for the O's and has proven to be a nice all around bench player in the big leagues.

However, being an Orioles fan who is married to a Yankee family, and lives in the heart of Yankee country - I am glad to see the perfect game come to a close. Who knows, maybe Reimold can knock the next pitch 7 rows into the left field stands.

Let's go O's!

I have to agree with those who think that benching Pie and batting Izturis second is a typical DT move. DT is an idiot.

Barry,

I wouldn't call Pettite's performance masterful when he is throwing junk and our impatient hitters are showing no discipline at the plate whatsoever. I've said it time and again: bad teams make opposing pitchers look good.

I like Crowley, but I put it 100% on him the hitters inability to hit Pettite for such a long period of time. Has he heard of video review sessions?

Lastly, I can't believe Pettite actually thought he was going to get a perfect game when he hasn't gotten out of the 7th yet. Arrogant SOB.

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Pete's reply: C'mon, the guy has given up two runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts. You act like he's some kind of stiff.

off topic but my girlfriend (with her very limited baseball knowledge) and some friends met dennis sarfate at a bar this weekend. My gf asked why he wasnt at the game and he said he was on the 15 day dl. My gf asked him what that was and he said its rehab. She said umm do you really think you should be drinking......gotta love her

Hey, I wasn't trying to start a range war on the Jones/Pie issue. #1, I realize that Jones isn't going to lose his job to Pie as he is far more talented. My indirect question for Oriole management was, if Jones has been "homer happy" since the start of June when his average started to go to hell, why didn't Crowley or Trembley call him in and insist that he ease up and take some balls to right field and keep his timing rather than let him continue to do his own thing by trying to blast everything out of the park? Then stay on his butt until he is doing it on a consistent basis. Instead, all we hear is that he has a problem, he is "homer happy," and then the manager and coaches let him stay "homer happy" the rest of the season which has a negative effect on the team. That doesn't do the team or his personal stats any good so nobody wins.

For all you Adam Jones fans out there he is hitting .222 since the all-star break. He is absolutely the most undisciplined hitter on the team swinging at anything and I mean anything that comes up there and here we are now with over 900 at bats in less than two full seasons with the Orioles. How long is it going to take this guy to actually get it? Right now he contributes nothing to the Orioles offense. Does that means they give up on Jones and play Pie? Of course not but Trembley should have found a way to get Pie into the starting lineup certainly ahead of Scott who is hitting less than .200 since the all-star break or Wigginton who is absolutely Mr. Utility. Wait news flash---Jones just swung at a ball over his shoulders again but got a hit this time. Maybe now the announcers will start saying he has found it.

I have to watch the Os on YES b/c just moved to Connecticut. Kenny Singleton was talking about how Jones chases too many high fastballs. On the very next pitch, AJ crisply singled an eye-high Bruney fastball through the hole.

on another note, I've always found Jeter semi-tolerable but lately I can't stop noticing the way he puts up his right hand to the ump before EVERY PITCH in some sort of pseudo-time-calling gesture. he's been doing it for years, I know. Still, it's reason #4,722 to hate the yankers.

cmonster4

I am sure all the orioles drink. Playing for this team would make anybody! Heck watching this team makes you want to drink!

Will--Yes, Jeter has been doing that silly thing sticking his right hand up likes he needs time to settle into the box his whole career.

I'm waiting for a home plate umpire to high-five him.

Might as well. Because as fine a ballplayer as Jeter has been--he will soon pass Gehrig as the all-time hits leader for the Yankees--the fact that umpires will not call strikes on him when the pitcher hits the corners is irritating.

Maybe they think that right hand in the air is an ongoing, friendly hello.

hey todd ----she thought he meant rehab as in he is a drunk and is in Alcoholics Anonymous not injured.

I can accept this loss, I am thankful it was not a shutout , no hitter. hopefully the O's can walk away with a win this series. but a 5-1 loss to a good pitcher is decidedly better than the alternative losing 12-2. And Pete whats the word on Bergessen? last I heard he was in FLA working on his rehab nothing else since.

Pete, now they're after Adam Jones? My brother was complaining about Roberts. The losing is killing everyone. See the Tigers improvement from '05-06. See Tampa Bay from '07-08. I know you want to give Trembley the benefit of the doubt. Who wants to disparage a nice guy, but frankly, if we could get a veteran manager, you might see this young, but extremely talented team make noise. Even with this erratic ownership, I just don't see Trembley surviving this. we all want to see our managers do well, but he is in over his head. He is no Tom Kelly.

Bill Frederick,

You consider our outfield deep? Really of course you are referring to Markakis and Jones I assume. You ready to trade away Jones? Hand Pie a full time job in Center? Reimold every day in left? I do not think that Pie or Reimold have proven that they are major league everyday players yet. I like Reimold and who knows with Pie. But after those guys there is nothing else. You have Montanez but he is not proven anything, I like him but really he is not proven either. The Orioles will not part with someone that has the tools and the upside he has. If they add a big bat, and who cares which position it is; lf, 1b dh or 3b, it will be most likely free agency.

Interesting comments on Jones. His average is still pretty good. Funny thing is he has walked more times this month than any other month this year and has less strike outs. Missing four games probably helped out a little, and he does chase some balls out of the zone, but overall he has done a very good job anchoring center field for this team, and better than any player we have had out there in ten years. .

Pete i have watch every game, what realy up set me is to see players stand up their an take strikes,what are they looking for they get there self in hole & then swing at anything or stand their & take a 3rd call strike, we don`t have home run hitters ,we need to play small ball, Bunt, Bunt, Bunt

CB Coach, thanks for pointing out those walks you beat me to it. Though it's an extremely small sample size since 8/21 AJ has walked 6 times and K'd only once. He hasn't "contibuted nothing" for the offense, he's been getting on-base and scoring some runs and stealing a base or two. However in one sense, who cares? The reason you evaluate a player over a full season is sample size. Decisions based on small sample sizes are most often bad ones. Viewed over a full season you can see that AJ is a very good player. Scouting tells you that he has tremendous tools and athletic gifts. The calender tells you that he just turned 24 a month ago. If you then combine all those things you should get a sense of why no competent gm would trade AJ unless he got a crazy offer that just blew him away. With a player this young and gifted you're still talking about projection, so you look at the improvement he showed from 2008 to 2009 and get excited about 2010 and 2011. Hey wait a second, isn't that when the O's may be ready to contend? Wow imagine that. Sorry for the sarcasm but just think it through folks.

Hey JD,

I am with you. The season is long, the small samples are more for the young players to keep them learning on how they improve over the course of a long season. Many of these guys may have played 110 to 120 games in a year. But the majors taxes you 180 times are so, including the exhibition season.

I have seen huge improvements in Jones total game, and no way no how will Andy McPhail trade him.

However the clock is ticking, they have much to work on in the off season. I can understand how people on these blogs feel, because of our long streak of not winning. But this year the losing has been different, and a lot of people do not see or want to admit, that this year is not a failure. Two rookie everyday players, four rookie starting pitchers, trying to find out if Scott can play first every day. The one through 3 hitters (Roberts, Jones and Markakis) are as good as any team out there, when they get a legitimate 4 hitter that will make a huge difference. Wieters is special and he will one day make a huge impact. There is light at the end of the tunnel, some people just do not look for it.

This thread is scary! People, by defending Pie, you've seriously sunk as low as the Orioles. Seeing what some of you have written confirms that most who post are complete morons. Yes, that makes me one for writing this, but I couldn't just sit idly by. For the record... take a peak at Pie's career base stealing percentage. While at it, research what past coaches have said about his fielding and overall base running. Do some homework! So what, he's hitting better than he was, but come on....set the bar a little higher people. Develop some pride!

Wayne,
Why would you have to do homework when he's been an Oriole for the entire year? What people are noticing is that this is not the same guy that started off the season. His work with "The Crow" maybe could get some of the others to get some extra BP with the coach (Hint: Jones, Scott, ..)

Hey Wayne,

I agree with you on one thing you say. Believe me I am happily surprised with how Pie is performing now. He still has his blooper recorder running, but he has shown improvement and that is positive. Believe me, I was just or more upset than anyone that he made the starting lineup out of spring training, I thought all along that Montanez and Reimold who out played Pie in exhibition and both showed up on time without Visa issues, deserved the full time job. But Pie played himself out of the job, and was sent to the bench, because of the option rules, the fact is he did not tell the Orioles they had to start him, that was something that McPhail and Trembley worked out somehow. Now he is starting to play better and is deserving the time on the field, like it should have been in the beginning.

Bottom line.... the bar has been set so low in baltimore that it's embarrassing! That's what happens to fans of the 3rd worst team in baseball, and that's what happens to fans so use to losing, they start to accept stiffs like Pie. I know, I know.... this is a different kind of losing this year. Problem is, losing is losing and is only sugar coated in O's land.