vs. BLUE JAYS, 3/07 (Spring Training)

All I can give you is an anecdote about my nephew. He's not a baseball fan per se, but he likes sports (mostly NFL) and he likes Baltimore teams. He hadn't been to an Orioles game since he was a little boy during the JJ Hardy years (Hardy was his favorite Oriole). Then last season I took him to his first game as an adult on Sunday Night Baseball against the Yankees, and one of the things he said to me he liked about the Orioles was "that the players are all home grown". Considering he was a casual fan at the point, I think extending those home grown players could have a positive impact on the business side of things. But that's only if the Orioles continue to be successful and competitive as a team. Since that game, he's been to several more games on his own and took his girlfriend a few times.

And what is the data on Cy Young award winning pitchers in their age 30 and up seasons? Side Note: Last season's best Orioles starting pitcher, Kyle Bradish, is only 2 years younger than Burnes. I don't think you can assume Grayson will remain healthy either based on how violent his velocity is and the injury history that he has from the minor leagues. With all that said, I agree that it is crucial to ask these questions and think hard about these things and try to make a healthy rational decision. Pros and Cons. Cost benefit analysis. We're lucky to see a Cy Young award winner playing for the Orioles even once in a generation, and considering how rare that is, we should consider the value in it and balance the upside with the downside. Some pitchers are built sturdier than others. Look at former Orioles pitcher Jamie Moyer (he was almost 50 years old before he retired). Look at Nolan Ryan. Could Burnes be one of those enduring pitchers? He's had a very good career track record of health.

That is the big question. I had assumed it would be pretty long, especially with him wearing Cal Ripken Sr's old number and him being the consensus top prospect in Baseball. But if there's been no progress in all that playing time, and it's starting to cost us games, I don't know how the team can take the brunt of that for too long. Especially in a chase for a championship inside the toughest division in baseball.  The Front Office has surprised me before by looking like they were being patient with a guy only to suddenly option him one day without warning they would.  If we're being perfectly honest Jackson looks like a boy playing amongst men out their right now and he looks like he belongs in the minor leagues with a reset for now until he gathers up experience like Westburg and Norby, or at least as much as Henderson did. So, we will probably watch Jackson ride the bench vs Ragans tomorrow. What happens after that is something we will just have to wait and see. I'm willing to cut him some slack, but if it continues to cost us runs and games, then there's not much room for patience.

Hicks was a big blessing to the team--we're very lucky we got him when we did. There's no way the Cowser we saw last year could have matched what Hicks provided, even on defense and on the basepaths. You cite BABIP, but drawing 35 walks in 236 plate appearances was a huge self-earned positive.

I had to think about it because Adley has always been a high priority for me. He's the franchise Catcher we never had. And in my opinion, the Catcher position is the Quarterback of a Baseball team. It's that impactful of a position and you need a good one to compete for championships. But with that said, Burnes is the Ace we've been waiting for since Mussina turned coat, and his contract is up at the end of the season. He's also one of the most reliable and durable pitchers in baseball. I think we should do what we can to keep him happy and make a business deal with him to keep him an Orioles pitcher.   If you're assuming that Rodriguez or Bradish will take over the Ace role, I think you've seen enough pitching injuries this year to tell you that you can't assume that will happen. You need to make sure any one of your top 3 starters can assume the #1 spot if pressed. Timing dictates Burnes as our biggest priority to work on. With Gunnar, he might be a future MVP and I've been one of his biggest fans since the moment he was called up. But his agent is Scott Boras, so good luck getting him to agree to an extension before free agency. And on that note, you'll have Scott Boras with a conflict of interest when you're trying to sign both Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holiday long term and they both want to play shortstop.

People keep talking about Norby's flawed defense, meanwhile Holliday is looking pretty bad out there. Small sample size, I guess! But how long is the leash?

the Royals gave us the business tonight...except for the slam by Adley...we stunk to high hell tonight...especially the pen...Akin and  Tate...they both came up small.