let nick markakas stay where he is in the batting order. i do not see where it makes all that much difference when none of the line up is hitting all that well. i wish the orioles had someone else to play first base beside luke scott.

If Lee goes on the DL, with an oblique, who knows what might happen, they will likely bring up a back up catcher and move Fox to 1B. The problem is, Tatum is still disabled, and Hester and Hernandez don't look ready. They might dip into AA and go for Caleb Joseph, their top C prospect. He had a drop off last year but has rebounded nicely so far this season, with a 280/387/419 showing and is regarded as a good defensive catcher. He might get the call.

The first move I would make would be drop to Mike Gonzalez. I really would like to see Matt Wieters hitting 3rd. Nobody has been better with runners in scoring position. If Nick or Brian gets on in the 1st inning, I feel that Wieters and Vlad at 4 will give us the best chance for an early run.

I'd get rid of Rapada, Rupe and Gonzales as soon as Simon and Matusz are ready and bring up Hendrickson too. Play Hardy in the 2 hole, bring up Snyder for a look and Reimold in left. Andino as first utility man off the bench and keep Jake as #2 catcher.

I'm interested to see how Buck shuffles things around.

Jones and Wieters are certainly being groomed for a future in the top/middle of the lineup, but I'd hate to see either of them forced into such a role too early.

Here's my best guess:

1. Roberts, 2b
2. Hardy, ss
3. Markakis, rf
4. Vlad, dh
5. Scott, lf
6. Jones, cf
7. Wieters, c
8. Fox, 1b
9. Reynolds, 3b

If Lee's going to be out for about a month, like Hardy was, I'd love for this to be Felix Pie's last chance to prove himself, but Scott is just so awful at first base, and now he's dealing with a torn labrum. I just can't see how it makes any sense to play him there.

A couple of other ideas...

- Call up Brandon Snyder to play first and keep Fox on the bench.

- Make a trade for Yonder Alsono (.916 OPS in AAA, blocked by Joey Votto) or Brandon Allen (.934 OPS in AAA, blocked by the Diamondbacks stupidity, I guess).

Ugh... Once again, in the tenure of Andy MacPhail, this organization's absolutely pathetic lack of depth rears its ugly head...

When they asked Earl Weaver what it took to be a good relief pitcher he said if they were good they'd be a starter.

@ken,

Caleb Joseph has no arm!
Trade the whole bullpen for Lou Marson.
I am kinda serious about that.
Seriously though, Caleb has no Arm!
He makes today's Varitek look like he still has a cannon.

PS I am not in a real good mood this morning. So, hoepfully I will refrain from posting from the most part of today. However, I will say this

Mike Gonzalez and Kevin Gregg are terrible. I don't know whose decision it was to pull Tillman, but that person should be investigated! Tillman had 112 pitches the previous start and last night he had 88. He could have gotten through another inning easily and maybe another. In fact, I will give an example of why he could have done it!

Kyle Farnsworth during spring training twisted himself up during a game pretty good. The trainer and Joe Maddon came running out to see what was up. Farnsworth laced up his shoe laces and got through the inning with no problem. It's my opinion that Tillman could have done the same! I mean for heaven sakes could he have done any worse then our incompetent bullpen. I don't think so!

Pope,

Drop Michael Gonzales, I agree. The guy is a bum and shouldn't have been picked up. However, let's go up and down: Reynolds, Gregg, Lee and a few other bums in the bullpen should also be dropped. What are you going to do, drop the whole freaking team?

Look folks,

You were on way too much cool-aid in the beginning of the season and thought this team was playoff contender. For the love of God, stop thinking that way. This team is extremely luck the rest of the MLB is sucking just as bad. Here is some perspective: they're 2 under .500. That's good for them. Actually, I think they have over achieved.

Now, I can understand why .500 is not acceptable for you. I truly do. But don't come out screaming now, when crap hits the fan. You should have been screaming when MacPhail was building the pile of manure we call the 2011 team.

P.S: The Lee injury is a blessing. Can we get one of those for Reynolds, Gregg and Gonzales. I know that's mean, but so is watching them wear an O's uniform.

Play Pie in LF and bat him second.

Call up Snyder and let him play first base.

Scott to the bench where he belongs.

Cut Gonzalez and call up Simon assuming he comes back from the Dominican.

Cur Rapada and call up Hendricksen as the lefty specialist.

Use Koji as the closer.

When Gonzalez and Gregg pitch, no lead is safe as witnessed last night.

Scott's RISP production last season was real bad and we can't afford him in the line up when the team struggles for runs.

I think it's probably time to stop talking about Nolan Reimold.

Sure, he was a fun story for a while, and he put up great minor league numbers, but this organization's refusal to sign top free agents, which has led to their abysmal lack of depth, destroyed Reimold.

There is no way that he should have been starting in left field in 2010. He was six months removed from achilles tendon surgery, and it was clear over the winter and throughout Spring Training that he wasn't 100%. But Andy MacPhail must have been reading the comments on this blog, where dozens of commenters, who seem to be OK with the constant stream of excuses that MacPhail feeds the fanbase, were proclaiming that we didn't need Matt Holliday because we had Reimold.

That didn't turn out so well, did it?

And now, after having his confidence completely destroyed while struggling to hit .200 in the bigs through 30 games (yep, that's how long it took the O's to demote a guy who clearly wasn't right physically or mentally), Reimold, now 27, is struggling in AAA for the second consecutive year.

His breakout rookie year in 2009 is now an afterthought. Sure, maybe he'll make it back some day as a successful big league player, but that's a hell of a longshot, and it probably won't happen with the Orioles. At this point, Nolan Reimold is just another poster boy for the complete and total dysfunctional disaster that this franchise has become.

A wise manager doesn't rearrange the entire chessboard to account for the loss of one player.

Roberts
Markakis
Jones
Vlad
Scott
Weiters
Fox
Reynolds
Hardy

Eh, that looks weird. Maybe this:

Roberts
Pie
Markakis
Vlad
Scott
Jones
Weiters
Reynolds
Hardy

It gives me chest pains thinking about Scott at first base. He's just a horrible, horrible fielder. I dont' think I'd let him play on my softball team; not on the field, anyway.

Hardy absolutely should have been the #2 guy from the get-go. It is so obvious that only an Oriole manager - even this one - could fail to see it.

Jones strikes out too much and what Pie will do in that spot is pure guesswork and speculation.

Hardy, however, is a contact hitter with some power. If Roberts gets on we have first and third or even a run scored and another in scoring position before the first out of the ballgame is recorded.

Yeah I know your question was who hits second ..well Hardy.

Changes:
Rapada, Gonzales gone.

Matuez and Simon here soon

Synder for Lee on DL

Can we tell Gonzales something to make him "pull a Posada" and ask to be released? Of course we would try and talk him out of it.

Pete, I have two comments for your response. First, on every MASN game they show a commercial with Buck saying he knows what the save rule is but he likes the win rule better. If that is the case why not leave a guy in for the ninth if he did ok in the eighth? Why put Gregg in the game at all?

Point number two, when will MASN say "adieu" to Gary Thorne and Mike Flanigan. Listening to those two is horrible. Please bring back Proctor and Lowenstein!

Pete, I have two comments for your response. First, on every MASN game they show a commercial with Buck saying he knows what the save rule is but he likes the win rule better. If that is the case why not leave a guy in for the ninth if he did ok in the eighth? Why put Gregg in the game at all?

Point number two, when will MASN say "adieu" to Gary Thorne and Mike Flanigan. Listening to those two is horrible. Please bring back Proctor and Lowenstein!

@ Brooks

Alonso is playing outfield right now
And Brandon Allen was traded from the Sox to the D Backs a few years ago.
Other then that I know nothing about him

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2009/07/white-sox-trade-brandon-allen-to-diamondbacks/

I can deal with Fox @ 1st.
I don't like Scott in the infield anywhere, much less 1st

Look @ Lou Marshon!

So much hate for D. Lee. But did you notice how he started swinging the bat and getting RBI only after Roberts and Markakis removed their heads from their hind parts? He has saved countless errors that have literally kept the O's in the game. It's not a blessing that he is injured. I would take him over Luke Scott any day of the week. I do agree with the bullpen hate, though. Where is Mark Hendrickson? Or anyone not named Gonzalez or Gregg?

But as to the question put forth by Schmuck, I think you leave Markakis at 2.

1) Roberts
2) Markakis
3) Jones
4) Guerrero
5) Fox or Scott (they both kind of stink at 1st, though)
6) Pie
7) Wieters
8) Reynolds
9) Hardy

Here is something novel and new: Lets grab someone from the minors who is young and see if he can hit MLB pitching...Tyler Townsend. He is crushing it right now. Lets find out if he can play.

Can the team reverse the trade that sent Hernandez away? His arm looks great right now in comparison to what we have now. (gregg, gonzalez and reynolds).

I totally agree with B about Lee. He is a solid player who is just starting to come around. And similar to what B said, it's hard to drive in runs when you're coming up with 2 outs and no one on base. Besides, his OB percentage isn't terrible like some other players on the team.

I think if Lee goes on the DL it would hurt this team a lot.

There are some interesting ideas being thrown around...First thing I'll address is 'not brooks' thought about Brandon Allen. Fortunately, I've seen him play a lot this year and in previous years...and he isn't "blocked" by anything or anyone...he CAN'T HIT SQUAT. his numbers are based on first pitch fastball strikes and hanging breaking pitches. He has more holes in his swing than Reynolds and people are ready to annoit Reynolds the worst player ever.

Second...'mesotheliangelos' is off his rocker. Needs to be said. Pot...kettle...black...

Third...I would not get rid of Reynolds, Gregg or MG...each offers something and unlike the average video game playing fan (as many of these guys are), people realize how streaky baseball is. It's not like all of these guys are all of a sudden washed up and not worth the Charmin extra soft anymore. I would like to see Reimold or Snyder given an extended shot...see what happens. Maybe they will answer the call and do something, maybe not...but I'll tell ya one thing, success is not only predicted by stats in the minors. Just ask Wieters, Bautista, Fuld, and Loney how that works out.

NB,

I wonder what the team would look like today if they had added two Adrian's that you have mentioned many, many times....Gonzalez and Beltre. It was doable. But small market team that we are, Andy didn't want to spend the money....soooo...what Andy has added and warehoused are broken down baseball players with medical records that would do the Mayo clinic justice.

Lee is headed for the DL, and Dutch never got off. Scott is playing with one arm and Roberts is always day to day with his back problems. Every time I watch Guerrero run to first base I expect to see him come up limping. Berken is pitching with a torn rotator cuff. Hardy is fragile. There is no depth in the minor leagues because the only way Andy acquires prospects is to over the hill veterens. Of course a few nuts drop in his lap every year because the Orioles are so bad they always draft high.

If Andy had gone full bore with a top flight International Scouting effort when he got here, our minor league system would be brimming with prospects. But he didn't and it isn't. All the more reason to run his sorry a** out of town on a rail.One Third of a plan is what he has brought here, and it will never work.

not brooks has the same answer I would have given as far as line-up is concerned.

Furthermore, you change line-ups (not counting injuries and such when line-ups must change by default) when players are not confortable and/or they are not complimenting each other. The biggest mistake I see managers (like dead horse Trembley) make is to change a line-up to suit a hot hand. The fact most in the line-up are struggling and we are nearing the quarter mark of the season is the time to see if different orders and/or different players might make a better plan (if I'm allowed to use that four-letter word).

Weaver's quote is cute but his era predated relief specialists (which the Orioles currently do not have). That's not a knock on Weaver. In fact, he showed he could evolve to whatever team he fielded in whatever era he managed. Most would point to reverting to a speed team when he had Coggins, Bumbry and others. True. But he did by managing the pitching as well.

In Weaver's first two years -- 1969 and 1970 when he won the AL pennant and the WS championship -- his staff had 36 and 31 saves, respectively. The saves were mostly split between Eddie Watt (16 and 12) and Pete Richert (12 and 13). Meanwhile, the Orioles had 50 complete games in 1969 (the lowest in Weaver's time through 1979) and 60 complete games in 1970.

Not too surprisingly, The Orioles had their most complete games in 1971 -- the year they had four 20-game winners. The 71 CGs that year reduced the team's save total to 22. Watt had half of those.

That overall trend continued through 1977, however. Except for 1970, the Orioles had more shutouts than the team's save leader had saves.

1969 - 19 ShO, Watt 16 Svs
1970 - 12 ShO, Richert 13 Svs
1971 - 13 ShO, Watt 11 Svs
1972 - 18 ShO, Grant Jackson 8 Svs
1973 - 13 ShO, Jackson & Bob Reynolds 9 Svs each
1974 - 15 ShO, Jackson 12 Svs
1975 - 19 ShO, Dyar Miller 8 Svs
1976 - 14 ShO, Tippy Martinez 8 Svs
1977 - 11 ShO, Martinez 9 Svs

From 1971-77, the Orioles averaged 23 team saves per season. In 1978, Don Stanhouse alone had 24. "Full Pack" had another 21 in the WS year of 1979.

Weaver leaning more on a closer was not results of less complete games. The Orioles had 65 complete games in 1978 and 52 in 1979. However, it was the growing trend with him and with the leagues. The 52 was the lowest since his first full year (50 in 1969) but it would never be that high again.

The 100-win season of 1980 produced 42 complete games. Tim Stoddard had 26 saves while Tippy contributed 10.

After the strike year of 1981, Weaver witnessed 38 complete games in 1982 when the Orioles came up one game short of the Brewers. That was still four more than the number of saves that year (34) led by Tippy (16) and Timmy (12).

Oddly, in Weaver's only full season after his "first retirement" (1986), the Orioles produced the highest amount of saves during his tenure (39) despite being his only losing season. Don Aase had 34 of them.

Weaver for the most part had eight to ten man staffs. Only on occasion did his staff balloon to 11. These days with left-handed specialists, right-handed specialists, set-up men and closers, the thought of having a staff less than 11 is almost unthinkable. And in an era when pitching is thinned out through the expansion of teams and the lessening of the sport's popularity, most managers still cling onto the notion of a five-man rotation while complete games are more rare than shut outs.

The Orioles had 55 complete games in the decade 2001-10. That would rank ninth for any one year during Weaver's first decade.

Last night's game could be a microcosm for 2011 if the Orioles fail to reach my prediction of 81-81. The bullpen stinks.

Yeah, Johnson has had his moments. Koji's sub-3 ERA is worthy. But Gregg being on pace for 28 saves has to be the biggest mirage in the majors. Only Berken in under 28 so we are not dealing with a whole lot of upside to be hoped for, much less counted upon.

The irony is the starting staff sans Guthrie is young. Having Britton and Arrieta on pace for 200-plus innings is a dangerous course of action at their age. Bergesen and Tillman are less likely to get there but that might be the results of inconsistent outings. Tillman at 23 would really benefit from another year at AAA although some might argue he has nothing left to prove at that level. (I would disagree.)

The return of Matusz will be welcomed on many different levels.

In the meantime, the Orioles are stuck on needing innings from the bullpen. With the Orioles building this important component on the cheap (regardless of how much money was actually spent), the Orioles will need some bludgeoning.

Start shuffling the line-up. not brooks's idea is a great way to start.

(Note to Luke Scott: It's okay to bend over in the OF. Not all balls are air-borne.)

Obviously, when I said CG were more rare than ShO I meant CG in this era versus ShO of the past.

AZ Chuck,

Overreacting much with that "zinger"? I've been the most consistent blogger here. My views are my views and they are pretty accurate as far as analyzing what the team can do, with the lack of talent it has.

I believe they can be a 500 team. I've said that before, and I will continue to say it. But to those of you who think this team is supposed to be consistent and not fall apart, you're either in denial about expecting too much or you're on too much cool-aid, and need to lay off it.

... And for the record: I do believe in this team as in being able to play 500 ball when it's all said and done. At the end of the season they will be either 2 under or 2 over. But to also be realistic, the team is just plain terrible, up and down. The only thing they've got going for them is that over 3/4 of MLB is struggling in scoring runs. So as bad as they look, they are really not as bad when compared to the rest of MLB. Hopefully this clarifies it for you.

Did I miss something? Am I reading posts from 2010?

The Orioles are 4.5 games out.

The AL East is tightest division in all the Majors.

Is it over? Does the season end tomorrow?

Do other teams in the AL East have their own problems? A-Rod & Tex in a slump, Carl Crawford lost without GPS, the Rays have 1 middle of the order bat in Lango and than...and than..., the Blue Jays line-up has one (maybe 2) players that are middle of the order guys and only 1 Starter worth a salt.

I know last night was miserable.

There's an awful lot Tree watching and no Forest perspective here.

4.5 games out in the toughest division in all Baseball.

Someone please riddle this for me...

If the O's are seen by many as a .500 club, and the O's play in an "unbalanced schedule", how does that effect the Division?

A: A .500 Orioles team means the rest of the division (with the unbalanced schedule) is going down to the wire.

The Forest people. It's about the forest, not the trees. (well, other than Gonzo...that tree might need cutting. "I put up with a lot, but the one thing I won't put up with is a bad chainsaw...")

well, the team in Norfolk looks worse than the parent club, if you can believe that. It's doubly distressing in that most of those guys are old enough to know better and should either be out of baseball, in another organization, or out of baseball.
Josh Bell has 40Ks and 3 walks. That ladies and gentleman is impossible.
You could walk 5 times by accident in AAA. He has games where he either gets a hit or strikes out.
I am willing to bet that they could trade off or release 90% of the players at AAA and promote half the team from Bowie and Frederick and could barely do worse.
When your major league team is below average, and your AAA team is way below average, you are in a way above average amount of trouble.

Buck took a page out of Trembley's book by pulling Tillman after 5 innings, 88 pitches.

Asking the bullpen to cover 4 innings means that at least 3 of them have to be "on their game" and that's asking too much of that group of arsonists.

I like Buck, but he gets most of the blame for this one.

not brooks;

I've got to take exception with a few things you said in your posts today.

First is the issue of depth. How many teams in MLB have someone at the minor league level who can step in and perform to the level of a regular who goes down to injury? Precious few. Why you expect it of the O's is beyond my understanding. Simply put, for almost every team there is going to be a downgrade when a minor leaguer replaces a starter.

Second, it was just a month or so ago that you were ripping AM a new one because all he had backing up Hardy and Roberts was Andino and Izturis. Andino then turned around and was a real spark plug for us hitting 286 with a 390 OB%. Not trying to be cheeky here but he sure made you eat your words.

As far as Lee is concerned, the O's have a few options. Number one, bring up Snyder. He's hitting reasonably well. What's the harm in having a look at him? Second, what's wrong with moving Reynolds to first, where he's played before, and putting Andino at third? If you don't like that, what's wrong with bringing up Bell who's hitting 282 with a 473 SL% and moving Reynolds? Admittedly, he's got an awful K/BB ratio but we're only looking to use him for a few weeks.

Lastly is your comments about Halliday. What makes you think that AM shared the thoughts of posters on here who were "proclaiming that we didn't need Matt Holliday because we had Reimold."? Why do you think that Halliday would have considered signing here? How do you know that AM didn't inquire about Halliday and was turned down flat?

Sorry nb, but you are assuming a lot of facts not in evidence.

jim66,

Well then just how COULD our minor league sysytem be in such pathetic shape after 4 years of Andy"two ring"Macphail? Because his two rings are from the pleocene era before most other teams started strip mining Latin America. I don't even think we have bonafide full time scouts down there yet, just a few of Andy's good old white boys from the network who hop on a plane every now and then when they get a tip from a local.

As injuries rear their head this year{and all teams have them not just the Orioles} we have nowhere to go but the waiver list to try and fill a need.

Thanks Andy. Our minor league system is now worse than when you got here. Couldn't you have talked the old man into spending a few MASN bucks on player development? The KC Royals have more top rated prospects than we do. What's up with that.

Gil, i am not going to let last night loss make me say anything that i don't say all the time. But as we all know that is a game that you absolutely can't lose, not when you have won 5 out of 6 and actually look like you are starting to play good ball. However as much as i want to blame buck for ths loss, he can only put out there the players that andy has gave him. Once again it illustrates how bad andy's free agaents pick up have been.This bullpen is a complete mess and gonzo shouldn't be on this team much longer not because he still can't pitch but because he has lost all confidence something a relief pitcher has to have. When that game ws 6 to 0 i went to bed telling my wife don't be suprised if we lose the game. The bullpen is a mess and how jim johnson escapes everybody wrath is besides me. Every game he come in to he gives up 1 or 2 hits before he escapes trouble. Winning that game last night would have really helped buck make this team believe that it can win against the big boy's, but once again we are just reminded how thin we really are.

Can we just put Gonzalez out to pasture. let him go. he can't even take advantage of garbage time. last night was just disheartening. It's a long season and sometimes teams make comebacks, but having him out there makes no lead safe. McPhail needs to swallow his pride and Gonzales' way overpriced salary and just say goodbye already.

I trust in Buck. The Orioles will bounce back from last night's loss. Take it to the bank!!

At least some people realize what Luke Scott is but on a bad team, playing even worse for over a decade, shouting LUUUUUUUUKE every 5th game makes him a star I guess.

Roberts (are you nearing the end?)
Jones (its where he has hit best)
Markakis (would rather go Wieters but...)
Vlad (the man still cares!)
Wieters (keep the O coming)
Scott (I'm just not very good)
Reynolds (gotta hit somewhere)
Pie (make or break me)
Hardy (I'm just better than you think)

Issue of Depth

The AAA teams of Tampa, Toronto, Boston, New York and Baltimore are in respective order Durham, Las Vegas, Pawtucket, Scranton-WB, and Norfolk.

Win-Loss Records: 22-15, 21-18, 22-15, 21-15, and 14-24. Norfolk is dead last 6½ GB 4th.

Batting Average: .264, .292, .251, .260, .236. Norfolk is dead last .015 worse than 4th.

Home Runs: 29, 36, 35, 39, 34. Norfolk is 4th only ahead of Durham (TBR).

Runs Batted In: 158, 206, 171, 151, 142. Norfolk is last.

Average Age (hitters): 27.2, 27.2, 25.1, 25.9, 26.6. Norfolk is 3rd.

Earned Run Average: 3.42, 4.93, 3.46, 3.49, 4.62. Norfolk is 4th ahead of Las Vegas but more than a run behind the other three non-Pacific Coast League teams.

Strike Outs per Walk: 2.5, 1.9, 2.4, 2.0, 1.6. Norfolk is dead last even 0.3 worse than Las Vegas.

Average Age (pitchers): 26.9, 28.4, 27.8, 26.7, 29.2. Norfolk is the oldest.

The (sad, sad, sad) reason you need to keep jokers like Gonzalez, Gregg, et al is because (a) there ain't much in Norfolk, and (b) the potential at Bowie, Frederick and Delmarva needs to stay there for their own good and the Orioles' future own good.

It's disgusting. But that's the way it is.

Wouldn't it be novel if the Orioles clogged their major league roster with talent rather than pulses?

I'm not gonna get my all fired up because they lost last night, although it was disheartening...

We need to get rid of Gonzalez ASAP! The guy is complete garbage. I wouldn't even trade a used jock strap for him. Rapada also needs to go. I don't care if we don't have any "lefty specialists" in the bullpen. 'Specialist' just means he sucks at everything except whatever hes a specialist at. I would rather have an entire bullpen of capable rightys then keep these two jokers in just because they're left handed.

Now. On to D. Lee. I think we have two options with regards to this. The first is to move Reynolds to first, and put Andino at third. I like that idea best. The second would be to call up Brandon Snyder and see if this guy can handle the SHOW. I think either is a viable option.

Kevin Gregg is a "Stud Muffin"!

"Loved him," said Kranitz, who worked with Gregg in 2007 as the Florida Marlins' pitching coach. "He's going to be a great fit. He's a quality guy, a quality competitor. He just loves to pitch. He's a great fit for that club.

"It was really funny because when I was in Florida and we got him in a trade, at first it wasn't really a major trade. We didn't think it would be a major trade. He was a long man in Anaheim, but that bullpen was so good. We went through probably three different closers that year and he kept coming up to me and saying, 'I'm your guy.' We finally gave him a chance and he did it."

Gregg saved 32 games that season, and has totaled 121 saves over the past four years.

He's never shy about taking the ball. Good luck getting it out of his hand.

"He's a really tough guy," Kranitz said. "I remember telling (Larry) Rothschild in Chicago, 'Don't let the walks fool you. This guy has good control.' He just doesn't always give in. He'll walk a guy instead of giving in. He'll make his pitch. That's what I like most. He never gives in. He's got quality stuff."

How can you not love Kevin Gregg?
He is my Hero!

Other than disagreeing over how things wil unfold by the end of the year, many agree on these subjects:

1. Buck mismanaged yesterday's game.

2. Rapada needs to be designated for assignment.

3. Options at AAA are not that good.

4. O's are not performing horribly, keeping in mind most feel that they are a .500 team.

Where we debate, is on Gonzalez, Reynolds, and Lee.

1. Gonzo: Hold out, or dump him? I'd say hold out, but use him exclusively in situational matchups and when game is not on the line. Don't leave him in there too long. If by early June he still stinks, fine, cut him.

2. Reynolds: Most felt that if he could hit .240 with power, he'd be a servicable option at 3rd. He's hitting .229 so far this month. If Bell starts sniffing .300, and Reynolds is below .200, it may be time to shift gears.

3. Lee: I happen to think he'll be OK the rest of this year. Someone pointed out earlier that with B Rob and Nick hitting poorly, it hurt Lee's rbi options. Yes and no, but he is hitting for more power and leading the club in rbi in May.

Andy and Buck decided to get Guerrero, Lee, Reynolds, Hardy. They could have gone with Reimold, Andino/Izturis, Bell, and Snyder. I think we'd be much worse with those guys up here. Allowing them to play everyday in Norfolk helps them get ready when we need them, and we will. Bringing up now may simply set them up to fail in the big leagues.

Let's see how they recover today behind Britton. And maybe Buck doesn't rely on too much dead bullpen weight. Buck needs a doghouse for a few of these guys and send a message to the entire club in the process.

One last comment/thought:

Did Gonzalez really just go from being a decent reliever (era 2.56 opp ba .208 before we signed him) to an all out scrub with us? Last year, he wound up with a 4.01 era and opp ba of .205. On paper, seems good...

Is he a bit of a head case who can't handle the AL East, or is he not being used properly? Is he better off in the NL? Just seems odd that suddenly he's washed up. I know that can happen, but I'm sure if he's pitching elsewhere, he'd be playing better. Just a hunch.

Thanks for the support Rick!
Truth be told though, I stink!
I am just here to collect a pay check and when I retire to Oregon. I am going to use my proceeds from the Orioles contract to expand my Goat Milking Empire/Farm. That is my vision and hope. Thank you again for the kind thoughts Mr Kranitz. I aprreciated them!

PeteyPablo;

Could just be that we got damaged goods when we signed Gonzalez. He missed a lot of the season last year and might explain a real good reliever losing it.

can't they bring up Bell he can't do any worse than reynolds also get rid of gonzales, accardo, gregg, we all know the deal.

a real good reliever losing it.

????

He never had it in the first place!

1. Roberts

2.Markakis

3.Wieters--it's about time--fragile my @$$--this kid's been handling our pitching staff for a couple of years--he is a leader

4. Guererro

5.Jones -it doesn't matter WHO bats behind Vlad--it wouldn't matter if we had a monster behind him to "get him better pitches to hit"--hell, he swings at everything anyway...

6. Pie--time for Scott's anemic stats to rest along w/his labrum--and let Felix play for a while--don't have many other choices...

7.Reynolds--hoping the blind squirrel (his BA) will find a nut( HR--RBI) occasionally

8. Fox-- same as Pie--kept him for a reason coming out of spring training--see if he finds HR magic again--I like his attitude--let him play

9.Hardy--best "2nd leadoff man" option at #9

I keep hearing about similarities between Buck & Weaver---well, Weaver used all 25 (24) of his guys and they made him look good---I don't care if the talent level is different---let's find out what these 'major' leaguers can do...I know the stat geeks on this blog will tell me how terrible these choices are, but who else ya got?

Petey, dan qz,

I have try to defend Buck a little. I never managed at the major league level but spent years managing and coaching at the college and high school level. Buck dosen't make the roster decisions on his own. He was given Gonzalez as part of the staff. Sometimes when a pitcher is struggling you try to find a situation in a game that you feel is low risk so that the pitcher can go in without pressure. Unfortunately, after Reynold's error, gonzalez became unglued. But if he is here and in the pen, Buck has to find a spot to use him. He was experimenting. It didn't work. Gonzalez is being paid closer money and it is hard to just eat the contract, but I think Buck has given gonzalez every chance. Buck now doesn't know how and when he can count on him, so they need to fill his poster spot with someone who can get people out.

waspman;

Imagine for a moment that the O's were a solid team when AM took over and not the dogs that they were. With a solid rotation already in place, how many of Matusz, Britton, Arietta, Bergesen and Tillman would be pitching for us now? How good would Norfolk be doing in the won/loss column if most of these guys were still in their rotation? For the record, their respective minor league ERAs are 1.92, 2.98, 2,89, 3.00, 3.75 (approximately)

How many of our young starters would have started the year in Pawtucket if they'd been drafted by Boston, and how loud would we be singing Epstein's praises as a genius if Arietta and Britton were called up now to take over for Matsuzaka and Lackey?

But because AM didn't have a decent rotation to start with and had to move these guys up as fast as he could, he's now some kind of dummy for leaving us thin in AAA. What a joke.

Gil;

Can't disagree with your take on Gonzalez. As I said in an earlier post, I wonder whether he's right physically. He wasn't just a decent or good reliever before coming to Baltimore, but a real good one. I thought they way he pitched in August and September last year was a sign that he'd overcome his problems. Now I wonder. Personally, I'd send him down to get things sorted out, if he's able to, and bring up Hendrickson.

Gil,

I've said this on several occasions - that Buck knew what he was getting into with regards to Angelos's spending and AM's decision making, and that given his personality, he had heavy input on who to sign and who not to sign, and who to keep and not to keep. He doesn't make roster decisions on his own, agree, but he's absolutely got a large say in things.

Now, with that said, he does have to use Gonzo somewhere with the contract he has, and hope he returns to the numbers I cited earlier. But that somewhere seems better against 1-2 lefties at a time. Or if he shows promise, keep him in until just 1 batter gets on. Baby steps, not 5 batters and 1 out, even with the error.

If you dump Rapada and Gonzo, replace them with Hendrickson and Patton? Options are thin. Would rather keep Gonzo for the 1-out lefties, and replace Rapada with Patton. I'm not a Hendrickson fan.

Maybe Buck's waiting to shake things up at the right time, that mid-May is just too soon. Hope he's right.

Gil;

One other thought, not just with regard to Gonzalez, but also Gregg and Reynolds too.

No sooner did we acquire these guys but we started trying to change their mechanics and I just don't get it.

Gonzalez always had wacky mechanics but still put up some great numbers. Why did we want to change him?

Gregg has been a decent pitcher over his career and was doing fine in the early part of ST, then we changed him and he started getting whacked all over the yard. He finally reverted back to his old style almost on the eve of the regular season. With the exception of last night, he's been pitching better.

A couple of weeks ago Reynolds said he was going back to the hitting style he used in the NL. Obviously we'd changed him too.

My question is why would you trade for someone or sign them only to try an overhaul them once you get them? If I felt I had to do that I never would have gone out and got them in the first place.

Seems to me that there might be a little over-coaching going on. Your thoughts.

dan qz,

Aha! You just gave me a segway to my comments. The reason Andy was brought in was because the Orioles were an awful team that Angelos has micromanaged into the ground. Andy was brought in tho rebuild the entire organization and the culture. Ground up. The right way. Whether it is Andy or PA, or both, this has been a half a** job of rebuilding. Our International Scouting efforts are pretty much the same as they were when Andy got here. Our best prospects are in the low minors, and you never know how a player will turn out when he is in A ball.

So, if Andy and PA decided not to go the pricey marquee FA route as a band aid until the farm system started producing, then where are the major league ready players that Andy was supposed to be developing?

We got Matusz because we drafted fourth, he was the West Coast pitcher of the year, and he was there. Chris Tillman came in the Bedard trade. Other than Adam Jones, where are the prospects? The signings out of Latin America? How could the KC Royals have twice the number of top prospects that we do? It's been four years. rebuilding the Orioles required a chain saw and Andy brought a scalpel.

Andy has continually picked up veteren ballplayers past their prime and tried to fill out a roster. That's not rebuilding from the ground up, and it certainly is not a culture change. That was being done before he got here. As much as I disapprove of the job Andy has done, in truth it has Angelos fingerprints all over it. He writes the checks. Andy can only reccomend.

Mind you, I am not directing these questions to you, they are rhetorical. If I had to grade Andy's four year performance on results in all phases of the organization, I think it is fair to say that it has not met the requirements for the position and he should be on probation.

I think you've got the wrong guy, dan.

I wouldn't say I've praised Andy for planning ahead by keeping Andino and Izturis around. But I've at least mentioned it. A back-up plan was in place for the middle infield. There's no doubt about that.

Next...

I'm not asking for someone who can step in and perform at the level of a regular. I'm asking for someone who can step in. Period. This team doesn't have a backup first baseman (and there's not much depth any where else either). Sure, you can toss Jake Fox over there, but he's not a first baseman. I'm not asking for a 25-man roster full of understudies. I'm asking for versatile players and some minor league depth. Is that too much?

Next...

There are a lot of problems with (or at least questions about) moving Reynolds to first and playing Andino at third. First off, is Reynolds a decent first baseman? When was the last time he played there? When was the last time he played there regularly?

What about Andino? Can he play third? I know he never played there in the minors. How much third has he played in the bigs? And the biggest question: Will he hit? He had a nice little run for a while filling in for Hardy, but he's hitting .167 in May. If you really think he's going to maintain a .390 OBP, I don't know what to tell you (aside from the fact that his career OBP prior to this season was .275).

Next...

Andy MacPhail's biggest free agent acquisition (in terms of dollars) was Todd Hundley (4 years, $23.5MM). The man simply doesn't spend on free agents. It's not in his DNA. Do you need more evidence than that?

Just a word about the passing of one of baseball's greatest sluggers of all time, Harmon Killebrew. Although from Baltimore, I grew up in Laurel and my father found it easier to drive to old Griffith Stadium in DC. Like Memorial Stadium, Griffith Stadium was in the middle of a neighborhood. The difference was that Griffith stadium had no parking lot, thus you were forced to find a spot on the street in the vicinity of the ballpark. My father used to give a different local youth a dollar to "watch' his car during the game.

I saw many games at Griffith Stadium and my memories of a young Harmon Killebrew, playing for the Washington senators are starting to fade. However I will never forget his viscious, short swing. He was just about 6 feet tall and I guess abot 200 lbs. He had powerful, broad shoulders and he used to roll up the sleeve on his right shoulder at the plate. The games in DC were not well attended so by the 4th inning my dad and I were down in the lower field boxes. Killebrew would swing so hard he would grunt when he missed the ball, which was often. He hit the longest ball I ever saw, nearly clearing the high left field bleachers at the 390 mark in left center. He played third base then, and was not very agile, but if you hit him the ball he would catch it.

In 1959, there was a promotion at the old Laurel Shopping center and Kellebrew, Bob Allison and Roy Sievers of the Senators came to sign autographs. They were three of the biggest men I ever saw, especially Bob Allison. Of course, I was 12 then. Along with Jim Lemon, the Senators had four of the greatest right handed power hitters in the game at the time. Killebrew was the nicest of the group and talked to all of the kids. Allison looked uncomfortable but tried to smile and signed. Roy Sievers did not smile and was about as hard a man as I ever saw. I didn't get his autograph because I was afraid to ask.

dan qz,

Great point on "changing" players. Buck and staff have done a bunch of changes. Change isn't bad, but I can't think of one change that a player has pointed to that has "worked".

Did you mention the changes to Nick Markakis?...

I mean, is one ST (and video) really enough data to start changing some things? Alright, Reynolds needed "some" changes...but Gonzo...

Like a trip down memery lane...
again with the shoulda coulda signed top free agent stuff huh? man you guys are something. What about Texiera?
Hey nb the idea that Andy ruined reimold is a pile of you know what.
thie is the big leagues, suck it up. maybe Reimold just isn't cut out mentally to be in the bigs or maybe he's hurt in either case i find it sad but relevant to our times that instead of putting the blame on the person for his job performance you
are blaming the O's and AM for giving him the job..
I'm not buying that sort of stuff. and the GM and doctors can only guess on so much. they trust the players to tell them how they are feeling....see gonzales...he hid an injury last year....would he do it again?
How bout some personal responsibility on this blog?
Thanks for listening.i usually like your stuff but man holliday needs to take a long vacation

"We got Matusz because we drafted fourth"
Gil

Does that mean we got Hobgood because we drafted fifth?

Did we get Billy Rowell because we drafted 9th that year?

Did we get Manny Machado because we drafted 3rd?

oh I think I'm catching on

This is like some weird science you've got cooking. I like it. It's pretty cool. All the good things Andy does is because even a 4th grader would have done them and all the dumb things are because.... well because he's an incompetent boob.

That works for you.

Man !!! I swore I wouldn't touch the M- subject, but you're dragging me into this.

Smitty,

First off, personal responsibility doesn't sound very convincing coming from you, a staunch defender of a MacFailed tenure.

I don't want to speak for NB, because he is very capable of defending himself; however I believe his point was that Reimold wasn't ready. An Achilles tendon is not something that you can suck up and play through.

As far as "the shoulda coulda signed top free agent stuff": Those questions will linger, rightfully so, for as long as the team fails to live up to fans' expectations.

Dan qz,

You asked: "How many teams in MLB have someone at the minor league level who can step in and perform to the level of a regular who goes down to injury?"

Two of them in your own division, Tampa and Redsox. Tampa appears to bring up young talent as if they were canned goods stockpiled in their basement. Besides Johnny Daemon and Kotchman, do they have anyone over 25 years old on that team?

The Redsox were depleted by injuries last year, but somehow managed to play great competitive baseball, with third stringers.

Your answer about Halliday not wanting to come here, is just classic. I don't even have a comeback for that. I just have this: mwaahaha, mwaaahaahaaaa, mwaaaahaaahaaa!!!

Not Brooks,

Here is my re-enactment of the MacPhail interview:

Angelos - Andy, thanks for coming.

MacPhail - Thank you for having me Mr. Angelos. It's a great honor to be here.

Angelos - So ... Andy. I don't have too much time, but I want you to tell me why should I hire you as a GM?

MacPhail - Well Mr. Angelos, let me ask you a question. Is saving money important to you?

Angelos - Of course it is. I'm a self made made man. I've been pinching pennies my entire life. Plus I'm Greek. We are stingy. They have a saying about us Greeks: When you shake hand with a Greek, make sure you still have all five fingers. That's funny Andy, isn't it?

MacPhail ... counting the fingers on his right hand - Oh yyyes, Mr. Angelos. That is hilarious. Anyway ... you will like this: My most expensive free agent acquisition to date is Todd Hundley (4 years, $23.5MM).

Angelos - Andy ... you had me at 4 years 23.5 mil. You're hired. Now turn around and let me slap that tooshie! Attaboy!

Meso.
All I can say is to call a homebuilder a failure while the house is halfway through and shout "It should be finished by now" is not very wise.
I hope other allow you to finish your tasks in life before condemning you to failure.
Once again it's called a rebuild and it was massive and it's still happening. And if you want to blaim Macphail for our AAA team that's makes for good talk but this is some of the stuff that was handed to him when he got here. A better place to look is at single and double AA. It takes about 3-5 years for most players if they ever do to make it to the Majors. The idea that Andy is responsible that the AAA club isn't loaded with Major league talent is laughable.
Thanks for letting us know that Halladay did in fact want to come here. Boy, we got that straight. How bout Tex? Did he want to also?

Smitty,

This year is the first year where we saw some movement in the right direction. I'm a realist. I see that. But no reason this couldn't be done on the first year of his tenure. You mean to tell me that "superstars" in their prime like Vlad, Lee and Reynolds were snubbing the O's three years ago?

The who didn't or didn't want to come here debate is useless. Neither you are me have facts to back anything up. But my money is on "money talks and BS walks". The Redsox don't have Yankee money, but somehow they manage to snatch top notch talent off the free agent market. Let me guess, Angelos can't compete with the Redsox?

Yes smitty,

Andy got Matusz because we drafted 4th and all of the scouts said he was the most accomplished pitcher in the draft. Andy took Hobgood because he and PA didn't want to pony up and pay top money that year. Even a blind squirrel like Andy is bound to find a nut now and then when it's dumped in his lap, even if he doesn't want it. Let's face it smitty, Andy has been a loser for a long long time. And he still is. Unless you count the flat earth era. Four more years. Four more years...of trading washed up veterens for 'prospects" ....with a lousy minor league system still intact.

Andy has been a disgrace to Baltimore Baseball. A foil for Angelos. And we are still in last place.

'Still losing after all these years." Yes, still losing after all these years."

smitty,

dude, the Nationals got Jason Werth so obviously where players "want" to go is totally academic. Oh wait...they got Jason Werth, not Carl Crawford. Not Cliff Lee...

Notice how A-Gon is now a failure of Andy's??

Funny how the people that hold A-Gon against Andy are the same one's that say "we don't have squat in the minors".

Can you explain that to me? Because that's confusing.

Paulie,

A-Gon, Texeira, Holliday, Halladay, Beltre, Lee and on and on and on. If not the first, then the second guy. The third?! No? Somebody, anybody? I believe you're one of those people who have said, there's nobody this year (3-4 years ago). How about when there has been someone out there. Still no movement from Angelos or MacPhail. Can you please enlighten me with why this team fails to sign top notch free agents, or trade and acquire top notch talent? And please, I'm asking very sincerely, do not come back with "he didn't want to come here, or we can't compete with the Yankees or the Redsox, or easy to spend what's not yours ... and so on". That really chaps my ass.

Mes,

It was fun while the congenial times lasted but I see your back to being...well, objectionable...

"I'm a realist."

Oh really?

"I've been pinching pennies my entire life. Plus I'm Greek. We are stingy. They have a saying about us Greeks: When you shake hand with a Greek, make sure you still have all five fingers."

Oh yeah, that's ground in reality. I can't wait to hear your "realist" perspective of other ethnicity's... I know, I know, Barry Bonds is being called out by Racists. Not "realists" that point to growth, statistical aberrations, and no noticeable signs of aging...ever.

Would a Realist realize that Angelos has spent like a drunken sailor for the vast majority of his tenure. He was the last man to outspend the Yankees! Oh yeah, total tight wad...but a realist see's through reality?

I think you fall into the "post-Realist" movement. Call it selective memory. And selective memory is very real, but not reality, nor a "realist" perspective.

Mes,

As per you're question.

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

You don't HAVE to buy Premium free agents to be successful.

Rays and Giants spent big on who? (Zito??....Huff?? (Angelos paid Aburey too!))

Mets and White Sox have spent on free agents...and ....and...

Buying the biggest names does not guarantee of success.

And come on...A-Gon was NOT a free agent.

not brooks;

Reynolds played first base for the Dbacks as recently as 09. I couldn't find out any more detail except for this quote from Wiki. "Reynolds played at first base for 26 games, where he has a .974 fielding percentage, the second-highest in the league of players with 125 or more innings at first base, and a 8.21 range factor, the best in the league."

Granted, that's a pretty small sample size and I don't think that fielding % or RF are the best stats to judge defence by but there they are for what they're worth.

Can Andino play third. Buck seems to think so, or at least so he said when asked about Andino's role when he made the team out of camp. I'll trust his judgement.

Remember when there were only 20 ML teams. There were lots of well rounded guys capable of stepping up from the minors. With 30 teams now, the best 250 at AAA are now playing full time in the majors.

The majors are thin now. How many teams can say they have 4 good SP, let alone 5. How many have only 3 and have ERAs approaching 5 or higher in both the 4 and 5 spots.

How many teams have offensive holes in the 9 spot in the batting order. How many have a problem in the 8 hole too. More than a few.

The ML is just a lot thinner than it used to be and so too the minors. There's no getting around that. I long for the day when we have versatile well rounded players as depth in the minors. Let me know when those days are back, and I mean that all of MLB not just the O's.

I've been advocating Adam Jones in the 2-spot since last winter..... as well as Markakis in the 3-spot.

Nick should be third because he is our best all-around hitter, not Lee.
I like Lee, but have never felt he should be batting third in this lineup.

Jones, as I've written many times before, knows how to bunt and hit the opposite way in order to move a runner ( Roberts) or to stay out of the double-play. I think he's much better with the bat than most fans give him credit for.
Plus, whether he comes up with runners on or not, he can also hit or go over the wall for you. Just a perfect number-two guy.

I also give Pie more starts in LF than Scott. I like Scott but he's not letting on how much he's hurting right now and it's showing in his swing and in his inability to throw. Pie runs circles around him and is an offensive explosion waiting to happen. Felix responds well to regular playing time. He has that "track record".
Time for Buck to act on it.

Roberts 2B
Jones CF
Markakis RF
Guerrero DH
Weiters C
Snyder/ Lee / Fox 1B
Pie LF
Hardy SS
Reynolds/ Andino/ Fox 3B

Gil,
I agree with you. I don't think we should count Andy's success during the "flat earth era".
Thats why I don't think Lombardi should be considered a great coach in the NFL. I mean have you seen thye videos of the players from back then? I mean what era was that? Thats like the prepre flat earth era. Like you, I discount success from anytime before the 90's. Ruth? bum
Mantle Dimmagio....Who cares?
We are finally in agreement.

Meso,

I found one of your earlier comments kind of odd when you stated that you are consistent with your posts, and then in the very same post you said that you believe this team can play .500 ball. You then said (in the same post again) that this team is "just plain terrible up and down." Maybe I'm misreading what you meant, but a terrible team would never be able to play .500 in the AL East.

I also think there are too many Monday morning QB posters here that have ALL of the answers when things aren't going well.

"When things aren't going well" just happens to be the time during which there are the most questions.

dan qz,

I have been saying for years that the talent in MLB is diluted due to expansion There are players in the majors today that would never have gotten out of AAA in the 50's and early 60's because they are not even 3 tool players, let alone 5 tool. I always get the argument on here from people like Meso that today's players are far superior. Baeball is not a game of brute strength, it is a game of timing, reflexes,skill, repitition and muscle memory. Sure, it helps to be strong and swing today's 31 ounce maple bats.

I always like to give the example of JIm Gentile who played 8 years in AAA at Spokane behind Duke Snider of the Dodgers before finally getting a chance with the Orioles at tthe ripe old age of 27. There were scores of good players blocked in the minors back then partly due to the reserve clause. A team only moved a player when they were ready, thus blocking players in their own system. Player movement was non existent compared to today's gypsies.

Just because the population has gotten larger does not mean the skill level of the average players has gotten better. There are many players who get to the major leagues today lacking basic fundamentals that used to be necessary to play at the major league level.

Look at Felix Pie, for example. He came to the Orioles as a poor baserunner, a poor outfielder, and no plate discipline. He has improved greatly, but these are skills that should have been developed in the minor laegues.

Don't try to tell me that Early Wynn, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Herb Score, Don Drysdale Milt Pappas, Jim Bunning, et al, could not get today's major league hitters out. They threw just as hard and their stuff was every bit as nasty.

NB always says that you can make the argument both ways for both eras, and I think he is right.

Anonymous,

It's possible to be 500 caliber and be terrible. I also added they could be 500 because how terrible MLB hitting is across the board this year. With other teams struggling a bad team doesn't look so bad. Hope that clarifies it for you.

Roberts - 2b
Jones - cf
Markakis - rf
Wieters - c
Guererro - dh
Scott - 1b
Hardy - ss
Andino - 3b
Pie - lf

Fox - bench
Reynolds - bullpen catcher