Stockstill Flexibility

[NCRaven]

http://masnsports.com/2009/04/avery-and-hoes-could-be-delmar.html

There's been a lot of talk about Stockstill and MacPhail being inflexible and unwilling to consider current performance in making player assignments or promotions. I think this should put the lie to that belief. At least in the case of Hoes and Avery, he looks very willing to change the plan - originally to start them in extended spring training and then work them in at Bluefield or Aberdeen. Now they are very strongly being considered to start at DelMarva, which I would love to see.

[Tony-OH]

http://masnsports.com/2009/04/avery-and-hoes-could-be-delmar.html

There's been a lot of talk about Stockstill and MacPhail being inflexible and unwilling to consider current performance in making player assignments or promotions. I think this should put the lie to that belief. At least in the case of Hoes and Avery, he looks very willing to change the plan - originally to start them in extended spring training and then work them in at Bluefield or Aberdeen. Now they are very strongly being considered to start at DelMarva, which I would love to see.

Ughhhh, really? Really? Did you really write that about MacPhail? At this point I'm at a loss for words.

As for Stockstill being inflexible, I don't think anyone has said that. What has been said is that Stockstill is a cautious promoter and and errs on the side of being conservative with players.

If Hoes and Avery both start at Delmarva I'll applaud Stockstill and the Orioles minor league staff for giving these kinds of guys full season club shots at the age of 19. However, to suggest there was some sort of "lie" being misconstrued around here about Stockstill being conservative, I would just point to all the other cases where players have started fairly low, including Miclat starting at Delmarva this year (as far as we know), Matusz at Frederick (as far as we know), and Arrieta staying in Frederinck all last season just to name a few recent decisions.

In the big picture, I think Stockstill does a pretty decent job of promoting guys, but that does not mean his decision won't be debated on here.

BTW, as long as I've known Stockstill he's said that spring performance will have a lot to do where guys go, so again, I'm not sure where this "lie" started from of why you seem so offended by it.

[NCRaven]

Sorry Tony - "puts the lie to" is a saying, as I understand it, that means putting something to rest. Not in the sense that someone was lying or telling an untruth. I didn't mean to suggest that.

[Frobby]

Let's acknowledge that Doc Shorebird (and OH) scooped Melewski (and MASN) on this one. http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78352 Doc had this a day and a half before Melewski (who, by the way, is doing a great job for MASN this spring).