It's time for the OH to turn the page

[wildcard]

Today's game will mark  the completion of 25% of the season.   

The O's are not playing like the worst team in the majors.  They are not going to get a high draft choice if the keep playing like they have.   In fact they are playing like contenders for  the playoffs.   A .500 team.    We should stop thinking of them as the 2019 Orioles.    They have improved.  They are 2nd to the Yankees in the AL in OPS.   Their pitching and defense has improved over last season.

Here is how Brandon Hyde sees it:

Question: Do you think it speaks to how it may be a little different this year?

Hyde: I just think our guys have gotten better. Its pretty obvious our bullpen guys have improved.  I think you are seeing Severino, Ruiz, Alberto, Nunez, guys have improved....... I just think that guys that were here last year, we did a nice job getting them better.  The pen guys have improved over last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ECt02FNY2o&t=5s

Here are the moves I expect from the O's in the near future:

 1.   Mountcastle will get called up in the next week.   Why? Because they need his bat. 

2. Davis plays less at first and becomes more of a defensive replacement for late innings.  If they are going for a playoff spot they can't keep playing Davis if he is going to have a 400 OPS.

3.  Nunez will become close to  an everyday 1B.  He has looked good there this season.  He is moving better and scooping low throws.

4. DH opens up for a combination  of Nunez, Mountcastle, Smith,  Sisco/Severino and Valaika.   Valiaka is hitting lefties for  a 1625 OPS.  Not that he will continue at the pace but lefties is where he gets his at bats. With Holaday on the team  Severino, 1014 OPS/Sisco, 1264 OPS  are free to DH when not catching. Smith has a 879 OPS vs righties.  Smith, Sisco  and   Davis sit vs lefties which makes Mountcastle right-handed bat useful.   But if he is called up he is not just going to hit vs lefties.

5.  When Means return the O's will have 7 possible starters.   Means, Cobb, LeBlanc, Milone, Wojo with Eshelman and Akin adding length in mid to long relief.

6. I  look for Phillips and Hess to be sent to Bowie.

This is not a team that can beat the Yankees on a regular basis but it can contend for a playoff spot.

That is my take.

[Can_of_corn]

I think the team is bereft of ML talent and is merely playing reasonably well in a small sample size.  If they somehow get to the playoffs they have no chance to win the WS.

[SteveA]

8 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Today's game will mark the the completion of 25% of the season.   

The O's are not playing like the worst team in the majors.  They are not going to get a high draft choice if the keep playing like they have.   In fact they are playing like contenders for  the playoffs.   A .500 team.    We should stop thinking of them as the 2019 Orioles.    They have improved.  They are 2nd to the Yankees in the AL in OPS.   Their pitching and defense has improved over last season.

Here is how Brandon Hyde sees it:

Question: Do you think it speaks to how it may be a little different this year?

Hyde: I just think our guys have gotten better. Its pretty obvious our bullpen guys have improved.  I think you are seeing Severino, Ruiz, Alberto, Nunez, guys have improved....... I just think that guys that were here last year, we did a nice job getting them better.  The pen guys have improved over last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ECt02FNY2o&t=5s

Here are the moves I expect from the O's in the near future:

 1.   Mountcastle will get called up in the next week.   Why? Because they need his bat. 

2. Davis plays less at first and becomes more of a defensive replacement for late innings.  If they are going for a playoff spot they can't keep playing Davis if he is going to have a 400 OPS.

3.  Nunez will become close to  an everyday 1B.  He has looked good there this season.  He is moving better and scooping low throws.

4. DH opens up for a combination  of Nunez, Mountcastle, Smith,  Sisco/Severino and Valaika.   Valiaka is hitting lefties for  a 1625 OPS.  Not that he will continue at the pace but lefties is where he gets his at bats. With Holaday on the team  Severino, 1014 OPS/Sisco, 1264 OPS  are free to DH when not catching. Smith has a 879 OPS vs righties.  Smith, Sisco  and   Davis sit vs lefties which makes Mountcastle right-handed bat useful.   But if he is called up he is not just going to hit vs lefties.

5.  When Means return the O's will have 7 possible starters.   Means, Cobb, LeBlanc, Milone, Wojo with Eshelman and Akin adding length in mid to long relief.

6. I  look for Phillips and Hess to be sent to Bowie.

This is not a team that can beat the Yankees on a regular basis but it can contend for a playoff spot.

That is my take.

Hyde read your post and has Davis on the bench, Nunez at 1B, and Sisco at DH today.  

[wildcard]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think the team is bereft of ML talent and is merely playing reasonably well in a small sample size.  If they somehow get to the playoffs they have no chance to win the WS.

This is exactly what I am talking about concerning the attitude about the O's talent.  If they are playing like major leaguers, they are major leaguers, no matter how the got here or how they played last year.   

As far as WS.  I am not saying this is a WS team.  But from 2nd worst in baseball last year to a .500 team is a big jump.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

This is exactly what I am talking about concerning the attitude about the O's talent.  If they are playing like major leaguers, they are major leaguers, no matter how the got here or how they played last year.   

As far as WS.  I am not saying this is a WS team.  But from 2nd worst in baseball last year to a .500 team is a big jump.

It's 7-7.

Do you think the Marlins are the one of the top teams in baseball?

[TINSTAAPP]

Wasn't this team just swept by the Marlins AAA squad three days ago?

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, TINSTAAPP said:

Wasn't this team just swept by the Marlins AAA squad three days ago?

Twice.  Back to back series.

But the Marlins are 7-2 so they must also be really good.

[Philip]

33 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Today's game will mark the the completion of 25% of the season.   

The O's are not playing like the worst team in the majors.  They are not going to get a high draft choice if the keep playing like they have.   In fact they are playing like contenders for  the playoffs.   A .500 team.    We should stop thinking of them as the 2019 Orioles.    They have improved.  They are 2nd to the Yankees in the AL in OPS.   Their pitching and defense has improved over last season.

Here is how Brandon Hyde sees it:

Question: Do you think it speaks to how it may be a little different this year?

Hyde: I just think our guys have gotten better. Its pretty obvious our bullpen guys have improved.  I think you are seeing Severino, Ruiz, Alberto, Nunez, guys have improved....... I just think that guys that were here last year, we did a nice job getting them better.  The pen guys have improved over last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ECt02FNY2o&t=5s

Here are the moves I expect from the O's in the near future:

 1.   Mountcastle will get called up in the next week.   Why? Because they need his bat. 

2. Davis plays less at first and becomes more of a defensive replacement for late innings.  If they are going for a playoff spot they can't keep playing Davis if he is going to have a 400 OPS.

3.  Nunez will become close to  an everyday 1B.  He has looked good there this season.  He is moving better and scooping low throws.

4. DH opens up for a combination  of Nunez, Mountcastle, Smith,  Sisco/Severino and Valaika.   Valiaka is hitting lefties for  a 1625 OPS.  Not that he will continue at the pace but lefties is where he gets his at bats. With Holaday on the team  Severino, 1014 OPS/Sisco, 1264 OPS  are free to DH when not catching. Smith has a 879 OPS vs righties.  Smith, Sisco  and   Davis sit vs lefties which makes Mountcastle right-handed bat useful.   But if he is called up he is not just going to hit vs lefties.

5.  When Means return the O's will have 7 possible starters.   Means, Cobb, LeBlanc, Milone, Wojo with Eshelman and Akin adding length in mid to long relief.

6. I  look for Phillips and Hess to be sent to Bowie.

This is not a team that can beat the Yankees on a regular basis but it can contend for a playoff spot.

That is my take.

Well, many things to say. I love your enthusiasm and it is possible that this is “2012 2.0“ 

but I’m gonna need more than 7 good games( we had 7 awful games too, you know) to believe. And in 2012, the defense was outstanding, with Nate Mclouth, Kakes, Manny, AJ, Hardy, Schoop. Even Joseph and Flaherty offered excellent D. We don’t have anyone on our team who offers equivalent defense except possibly Hays.

edit: And Iglesias. The other guys we have range from about average too awful.The other guys we have range from about average too awful.

as I compare them I do see some similarities, but let’s chat again in another 15 games.

We are the same team that got embarrassed by the Marlins, after all.

Edited August 9 by Philip

[Philip]

17 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Hyde read your post and has Davis on the bench, Nunez at 1B, and Sisco at DH today.  

Wish he’d read mine. Then he’d release Davis and Hess and call up Mountcastle 

[survivedc]

12 minutes ago, Philip said:

Well, many things to say. I love your enthusiasm and it is possible that this is “2012 2.0“ 

but I’m gonna need more than 7 good games( we had 7 awful games too, you know) to believe. And in 2012, the defense was outstanding, with Nate Mclouth, Kakes, Manny, AJ, Hardy, Schoop. Even Joseph and Flaherty offered excellent D. We don’t have anyone on our team who offers equivalent defense except possibly Hays.

as I compare them I do see some similarities, but let’s chat again in another 15 games.

We are the same team that got embarrassed by the Marlins, after all.

Don’t think it’s fair to say there were 7 “awful” losses. Realistically 3ish of those losses could have pretty easily been wins.

[Can_of_corn]

5 minutes ago, survivedc said:

Don’t think it’s fair to say there were 7 “awful” losses. Realistically 3ish of those losses could have pretty easily been wins.

How many of the wins could have pretty easily been loses?

[Enjoy Terror]

38 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think the team is bereft of ML talent and is merely playing reasonably well in a small sample size.  If they somehow get to the playoffs they have no chance to win the WS.

Any team that gets hot at the right time can win a World Series.

[Philip]

2 minutes ago, Enjoy Terror said:

Any team that gets hot at the right time can win a World Series.

Although that is true, heavens, look at the 2014 Kansas City Royals, there are different temperature levels.

I think “hot” for this team might be 27 or 28 wins. I would be overjoyed if we could have a winning record, But quality means being good over a long period of time, and we don’t have any quality players on this team, unless guys like Valaika Suddenly collectively sold their souls to the devil, which I find a little bit unlikely.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Enjoy Terror said:

Any team that gets hot at the right time can win a World Series.

That's a good idea in theory in practice you need to win four series in a row a best three, a best of five and two best of seven.  In practice a team that overachieved to get to .500 to sneak into the expanded playoffs has no chance to survive that gauntlet.

[Enjoy Terror]

1 minute ago, Philip said:

Although that is true, heavens, look at the 2014 Kansas City Royals, there are different temperature levels.

That’s actually the team that prompted My comment.

The Orioles have backed into the playoffs the last three times they did. All the other times they didn’t make it, they just straight up died in September, or earlier.

Would love to see an orioles team get hot in the fall, playoffs or not.