Hi Pete,

I read an article on mlb.com recently that I thought might be of interest to you and your readers. Much has been said on this blog over the course of the year about babying pitchers, noting how there seem to be so many more pitching injuries nowadays despite all the medical technology and pitch count limits and bullpen specialists, etc, etc.

Anyway the article is about a trainer named Alan Jaeger who feels that much of the reason for these injuries is the lack of arm strength conditioning through activities such as long toss... and he is talking really loooong toss, not the 120-180 foot limits that many teams impose.

Here is the link to the story:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090810&content_id=6352524

The basic principle of his long-toss program, from his web site (which if anyone is interested can be found at www.jaegersports.com):

The first key to conditioning your arm is learning how to build your base at the right pace. Because it will take you four to six weeks to establish a solid base (possibly twice that long if you've never been on a long toss program) you must learn how to "listen" to your arm. One of the most important things you can do as a player is know your arm. Long tossing will give you this opportunity because you have to follow the pace of your arm, rather than throw just for the sake of throwing.

I would be interested to know what the opinion of the O's pitching development staff was on the topic (if they've heard of it, which I'm sure they have at least briefly) and if it's something they would possibly consider trying with their pitchers.

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Pete's reply: I'll take a look, but I'm not in a position to ask anybody about that for a few weeks.

jeffChill--- I don't know if that is the same the program that Nolan Ryan is pushing in the Rangers organization. He was interviewed a few months back saying something to the effect that the pitch count is ruining pitchers and pitching in general.

Highly placed sources in the warehouse who i am not allowed to name for fear that Another Might scoop me on other stories(hint up above)if he finds out told a friend of a friend of a friend of a cousin of a plumber friend of mine who was doing some work on the shower in the executive washroom that the O's are indeed going with a 14 man pitching staff. I'll post back for the I-told-you-sos tomorrow sometime. Go Os!

Pete, are you happy with the Huff trade? I am, as it really gives some other guys a good chunk of time to play 1B in actual games, to see if they can or can't play the position. I, also like that it ends any notion that Huff, will be back next year. I like Huff, as he seems like a nice guy and had a great year last year, but it's time to move on and get stability at 1B. I feel like Raffy, put a curse on that position because it's been a revolving door, each time he's left.

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Pete's reply: I'm okay with it if it leads to them getting a more dependable first baseman/run producer before next spring.

I congradulate MacPhail pulling off another trade for rebuilding O's .
Huff had an career year last year , but ever since , his batting mechanic seemed messed up. Have anyone seen Huff at the plate lately? He is swing his bat as it were golf club , and swinging at balls on the dirt as if were teeing golf balls .

Who is Huff's batting coach ? Tiger Woods?

I know Baltimore is a drug town...just didn't know the manager smoked crack.
Two tickets Club Level...$140.00. Two Boog's platters & 2 Bud's $47.00...an additional 6 beers $42.00...walking Bobby A. to get to Vlad...PRICELESS!!!

I really hope we call up Michael Aubrey to replace Huff, just for the simple fact we keep someone named Aubrey on the team.

I wonder if Pie's cycle the other night made MacPhail believe he can handle more playing time, which in turn caused Huff's position on the team to evaporate.

I don't know how to feel about the prospect we got for Huff since he's only a Single-A guy and those are always grabbags. Though I would agree with the other posters in that this frees up more playing time for Wiggy,Mora, Pie. Hopefully someone takes advantage.

Huff is no loss. He was a horrible hitter for his position (1B/DH). Last year he put up good numbers but his first yr and this yr were extremely poor.

Amongst ALL 1B with 400+ ABs he is next to last in slugging percentage. Amongst AL 1B he was 12th in HRs and on base avg.

The latest numbers indicate he may only be a Type B FA anyhow but if he was a type A no other team would have signed him if they had to give up a 1st rd pick. He just isn't worth it.

Give Scott a shot at 1B. He has power and maybe playing everyday he can be a 30+ 100+ 270ish hitter.

Jack

Amen bro! What the hell was he thinking?!

That epic Vladdy maneuver cost the Orioles the game LOL

I heard Dave Trembley pitched around bobby abreau on a bet with mike Flanagan. The bet was for a week pass at the Golden Corral and a six pack of steel reserve 212. Trembley was heard saying
It was something I just couldn’t pass up

Trembley should be an issued immediate mandatory drug test for his actions tonight. Hopefully he pops so we have an excuse to fire his sorry !@#

Don't get me wrong!!!
I love all the Trembley insults!! Keep em coming. It's my favorite activity these last few months.
But on the other hand..... I did think Meredith was gonna get Vlad out!
Oh well. Just goes to show that the O's haven't completely crushed all the optimism in me!
Good night for Nick though. His stats are the only thing to really get exicted about at this point. I'm hoping he ends up with .315 and 120rbi. Then off to that weight lifting program in the off-season.

The "book" of baseball that most managers with lack of creativity use, says that you have to go for the righty-righty matchup. Abreu is a lefty, hence he decided to pitch to Vlad.

Guererro hasn't been as good this year and sidelined with injuries, but last couple of series he has gotten hot. When you're a bad team, even your scouting report is bad. You'd think someone will Tell Trembley that only a series or two ago Vlad had another multi-homerun game.

It's just amazing to see so many people who's world revolves around Felix Pie. It has to be an epidemic of man crushes because the guy is an absolute bum on the field.I'd rather have Joey Gathright any day.At least he can steal a base.

I hope Huff gets energized getting away from this dreadful lose at any cost organization.I guess any manager could say they could do better with better players.Is there anybody psycho enough to say Trembley is getting the most out of his players? Albers should have been demoted Sunday but McPhail was overwhelmed with the Huff trade to do it.

What can you say about last nights game that hasn''t been said about many other games this season?
The starter pitched well for most of the game, but broke down and gave up a big inning, and the offense woke up enough late in the game to make you think for just a second that they might pull it out, but of course they didn't.
The O's must have lost 20 games this season that could be described like that.

Slugger,

Yeah when Vladdy liftsoff like that the first go around you dont play the situation like that LOL they should of just took their chances with Bobby and walked Vlad

Now please, please, please, keep Kam up for more than one apperance.

I have a question for you..........what do you call a team that is in a 15 year rebuilding mode?
The Baltimore Orioles!!!!!
Look at our history of draft choices.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/draft/history/_/team/bal

Do we really have any idea what the hell we are doing?

The O's havent been rebuilding for 15 years. 15 years ago is 1994. They were decent until 98-99 when they got old and began to underachieve. The tried a mini rebuilding in the early '00's then broke down and bought Tejada, Lopez and Raffy (part Deux). That didn't work, haphazrdly tried again to rebuild, then brougth in MacPhail in (the end of) 2007. It has only been two full years of correct rebuilding.

If Angelos is guilty of anything, it is listening to the whims of instant gratification fans. Angelos spent money on FA's to make the instant-gratification-Balitmore-fans happy in the 90's, tried to rebuild and dump players for prospects after that, went out and spent more money, that didn't work so he brought in MacPhail.

That being said, they need to get close to .500 next year to create momentum heading into 2011. No reason they can't, they have the talent, they need to start playing like winners.

With a lineup like that you have to pitch to someone. Rivera and Morales are no soup cans. The day before Vlad was on the bench the whole 13 innings because his leg was stiff. It's up to the pitcher not to throw up another fat pitch to the guy though. Say Bobby went Yard instead....does that make you feel any better about the whole thing?