Scott has sort of become the forgotten man even though he's probably the best or second best potential 30HR hitter for the upcoming season on this team (next to Jones).

It would be really tough to see him start out of the gates struggling in the first month, because that would mean more playing time at DH for Wigginton (who's not a bad player at all, but shouldn't be an every day starter in the field or DH spots).

I would love to see Scott put a whole season together. Just watching his mammoth shots is as good as it gets.

I suppose that Michael Aubrey and Josh Bell felt that they didn't need to report to camp early because the team picked up Tejada and Atkins. They'll never win a spot like that. First to go home in September and last to report in February. Same loser attitudes.

Although Luke Scott hasn't convinced me he's steady enough to be counted upon day in and day out, hs stats under closer scrutiny is better than I thought is certain categories.

Batting average 2009: .258 (.257 v. RHP and .260 v. LHP)

He had a double per 16.8 AB's v. RHP in '09, and one per 18.3 AB's v. LHP. However, he had one HR per 20.2 AB's v. RHP, but a much better one per 15.8 AB's v. LHP.

On the other side, though, his BB's and SO's were better proportionally against RHP as one might expect.

Scott has not done well off of the bench. Last year, he batted .261 as a starter and only .125 as a sub. He is only 15-for-63 (.238) as a PH'er lifetime with no HR's and just 5 RBI's.

His 1st half/2nd half BA's were .305 and .208. His other stats followed suit. His home/away BA's were .269 and .248. His power numbers were even more skewed.

Scott thrived almost exclusively batting sixth.

Scott batted .245 with the bases empty and .275 with men on base. The AB's were similar but Scott's 10 of his 25 HR's were with men aboard although his slugging percentage was better with men on (.510 to .469) as was his RBI total (62 to 15).

C'mon, spedden, we don't know what's going on with those guys. There could very well be some reason they're not here early. And as long as they are here on time, I'm cool with that.

I don't know about you, but I have no idea who was the first one out the door last year, my guess is they all left at the same time.

I suspect that if the same loser attitude, as you put it, were to surface, I'm sure some of the becoming more established veterans will take care of it.

I know many fans and media types don't share the excitement over the moves made, but I know the players do.

On the subject of forgotten men, what's your take on how Lou Montanez might fit into the team's plans? Could he force himself into the equation? He had a great breakout year a couple years ago but seems all but forgotten now with the emergence of Reimold and Pie.

Just listened to some interesting radio chatter with Baseball Prospectus. They were not very high on the Atkins pickup by the Orioles, and said the club could have and should have done a lot better at First Base during the offseason. Three years ago they had him rated +5 wins, now he is a minus. Also, their head prospect guy, Goldstein doesn't think much of Brandon Snyder and never did, and said Snyder does not have nearly enough pop to be a difference maker at first base offensively.

Just a little perspective from outside to show that there are independent minds, other than on this blog that share opinions of Atkins and Snyder similar to some on the blog who were criticized for being negative when they aired them. Just sayin'.

Showing up on time shows a loser attitude? Seriously?

Tony, I agree on both points, although I don't know enough about Snyder other than to say he's always seemed like a pretty good hitter without a lot of pop.

Still would've liked to see a stronger run at Laroche for 1b...although the guy turned down 2 yrs/17 mill from SF, so who knows where his head was at.

Pete just what is a parking Log????

There must be joke in there somewhere with Wiggy just arriving at the parking log!!!

Tony-
I know you were addressing the group but I can only speak for myself so here goes. I dont blame anyone for being negative. After the string of losing seasons, after the bran drain of that period and before, after the repeated lies and broken promises from ownership, I wouldnt blame anyone for being negative. But you can be negative and still be rational and open minded. The series of losing seasons has no bearing on whether a move this offseason is a good move. The fact that a fan WANTS the Orioles to spend as much as the Yankees doesnt make them cheap when they dont. The fact that Beau Hale, Chris Smith and Ponson didnt turn into Cy Young winners doesnt mean Tillman or Matusz wont. And it sure doesnt mean Hobgood is a bust before he even signs a contract, never mind throws a pitch.

If you disagree with Andy's plan for rebuilding , fine. But that doesnt mean he doesnt have a plan, doesnt mean it isnt valid and doesnt mean a move is bad because it fits HIS plan and not yours. For example, signing Koji and Hendrickson were not bad moves. Being forced to use them as starters when the whole league knew they were relievers was unfortunate but his gambles on Hill and Eaton dictated it. But it sure beats rushing the kids who are the basis of your future and 12 hundred consecutive losing seasons doesnt change that. I understand the frustration and the desire for immediate gratification, and maybe it is foolish of me to expect more maturity and understanding from adult sports fans than I do from eight year olds.

Last, nothing justifies making up numbers and "facts" that cant be supported. I daresay no one posting on this blog knows if MASN is making money yet. No one knows what Atkins will do this year. SIlly fan-dumb on here can quote stats all day long, spun to support their argument, make up new acronyms and quote so called experts all day long. But give me the crusty old timers who actually WATCH a player before deciding whether he can play or not. Reading the box score the next day can tell you whether someone had a good game but not if they are a good player and asset to the team.

So, I dont demand a pollyanna attitude after a dozen losing seasons. I dont demand anyone agree with Andy's plan for rebuilding. But I will demean anyone who is so invested in their unhappiness with the past that they refuse to admit to something positive happening when it stares them in the face.

You want to be negative? Go ahead. Just dont check good sense and reason at the door.

Funny how Scott had nothing to say about Atkins...I wonder how that will settle.

Just got done talking to Chris Tillman, and the back feels good, he said. Everything feels real good.

Funny how Scott had nothing to say about Atkins...I wonder how that will settle.

Just got done talking to Chris Tillman, and the back feels good, he said. Everything feels real good.

todays best post award goes to... andrewrickli for his good news on Tillman! A close second... Lucky Horseshoe (love that tag but it makes me think Baltimore Colts)

Lucky, yes Andy Macphail does have a structured plan and a clear direction in which he is trying to take then organization. Yes, I agree with a a good part of it. There are some aspects that I question. That is not negativity it is called pragmatism. Your post was patronizing and condescending for fans who question aspects of the plan and is a perfect example of what I referred to in my original post. Questions and counter points are always perceived as negativity by you and those who think like you. I am not trying to insult you but that is just the way you always come across.

I for one don't know anything about MASN profits nor do I care. Nor do I believe that doling out huge contracts just for the sake of it will prove Mr. Angelos manhood, nor have I ever suggested that he should do so.

I merely passed along an anecdote that I heard on the radio from an informed baseball source and you took that as an attack on Macphail and the organization.

Methinks thou dost protest too loudly.

Mighty defensive arent you? I never said you were being negative. I totally understood that you werent being negative, merely defending those who are. I never attacked you or said you behaved in the manner I was describing. If you accept that MacPhail has a plan and criticize his moves in the context of what he is trying to achieve I have no problem with such criticism. Personally I dont like the Atkins move, however I have not seen more than ten at bats by Atkins in the last few years so I acknowledge that Macphail and his professional scouts are not only more experienced and talented than I am at assessing players but that I have a totally inadequate sample upon which to judge him. Others however think they can judge Atkins by looking at abstract numbers and I discount their opinions as baseless.I dont like the Tejada move, the Atkins move, am neutral on Millwood and dont know enough about Gonzalez . . .so I am hardly supportive of this offseason. That said, I dont pretend to know more than the pros and admit when I dont know a player well enough to have an opinion.

My comments were not attacking you but those who exhibited the traits I described. Just as you didnt say that the anecdotal evidence you presented supported anything specifically that you said, merely that it showed that the few posters here were not alone in questioning the O's. You spoke generically without mentioning names or pointing fingers and so did I.Yet you saw a personal attack in it. Why?

You totally miscontrued what I said. I am fine with someone wanting a different direction than the one Andy has chosen. But when he makes move consistent with his plan, they piss and moan because his moves dont fit THEIR plan. If they were to admit that signing Hendrickson was a good move for Andy's plan, and then qualify their statement by saying they would still go a different direction, that would be fine. But to trash every move just because they only want us to sign Lackey, Tex and other high dollar free agents is silliness. To spend reams of pixels (mixing metaphors?) on explaining how we really could out spend the Yankees for Texeira is only proving they are either ignorant or delusional. When they criticize, usually in smarmy, snide, juvenile terms, a low cost, low risk minor move like HIll, Pie, Moeller etc they are not just discussing the Orioles. They are now showing they are emotionally invested in the failure of this team. When they simultaneously trash all of our "overhyped" prospects of past generations and whine about letting Penn or Olson go for other prospects deemed to have failed by other prganizations, they are just whining to hear themselves whine. When we sign Moeller to a spring training invite, and they dismissively say "oooo, the Yankees are shaking in their boots now", they are just being negative to feed their own dissatisfaction. When they whine about the Orioles always overrating their prospects, but then complain about how badly the Orioles treat Lou Montanez, they lose credibility.

The whole point is that there is a difference between being rationally negative and honestly disagreeing with a move or the direction of the team. There is a difference between thinking MacPhail is doing a bad job or making a mistake and just whining because he cant wave a magic wand and make the team better NOW. If you honestly dont think there are people on here just whining about every move, good or bad, looking for any chance to bash the team and/or MacPhail, and folks who have whined so much and feel personally betrayed so that they are emotionally invested in the team's failure . . . then we just have nothing to talk about. We live in different realities.

YOu really need to read my post again. I went out of my way to state clearly that I have2 no problem with poeple questioning the direction or specific moves of the team. But you read that and state that "Questions and counter points are always perceived as negativity by you ". It is like I say black and you read me saying white.Some people honestly disagree with the direction MacPhail has chosen. I am ok with that. Some disagree with specific moves. I am fine with that. The ones I dismiss, demean and despise are the ones who see negativity everywhere indiscriminately in knee jerk fashion or who twist and spin everything in a negative way and never give credit even when it is due, those who blame MacPhail for everything that went wrong in Chi, but give him no credit for what went right in Minn. I frankly dont know how else to state my point except to say that my post said the complete opposite of what you think it said.

In the first sentence of the second to last paragraph of my post above, it should have read "IRrationally negative". Sorry.

Sorry Lucky, I apologize