Tony-OH

Ok, everyone stop on the marriage and Feminism talk. This thread is about Jackson Holliday's performance on the field. Not his marriage. No more. Thanks.

Seems that the Orioles now are going to give Cowser full-time PAs. Getting a start against Hall is interesting. Guess they think he matches up better than Mullins.

I think you are reading into things way too much here. I don't know how "this team" could be considered offputting. What else would he have used here? As for the the "them" comment, he might have been talking about the AAA/AA guys doing well. At the end of the day, I could care less. What I care about is the results and he's been doing exactly what the Orioles were hoping for when they signed him. It's not like he came in and was saying stuff like Steve Kline.

To me it's location more than anything. He's way too much in the heart of plate with his fastball and cutter and hitters haven't missed many of those mistakes. Here's his swings and misses:

So just to be clear, I don't necessarily think Irvin is a quality major league starter and I would prefer him in the pen as well. The point was that I believe Wells fills a need more than Irvin because Wells has some late inning, high leverage experience. The preference we all probably have is that they were both in the bullpen vs the rotation, but obviously they're in the rotation due to injuries. Both are better pitchers than they've been so far in 2024.

I believe that was always the hope. Maybe by the end of May that will be true, but there's a lot of IFs in there.

Whoa, 7.20 ERA in ONE start this year. Well I take back everything I said over that data you provided. That 5.03 ERA at home last year included two awful April starts before he was sent down where he allowed 9 ER in 8.2 IP. So, his home ERA after April was 3.82 over 30.2 IP. I rest my case your honor.

The good news is that it's been more about location than stuff, as Wells repertoire looks a lot like last year. I'm not too worried overall, and his stuff tends to play up in relief.

I will never understand why some fans always want to stretch out a reliever, who was a failed starter, back into being a starter. Sometimes you just have accept that the reason they are having success is that they were better suited for that role. Akin has been outstanding so far this year and he's a valuable member of the bullpen, especially with Perez down. He and Coulombe give the Orioles some real weapons to bring in from the left side.

Irvin can provide length to a rotation that becomes all right-handed if he leaves, but the Orioles tend to not use long relievers but prefer more of those two inning types. To me, Wells is a guy who has missed bats in a reliever role and while I'm not thrilled with him being in one-run games due to his penchant for giving up home runs, he is a guy that I feel good about later in games with a lead. Irvin is not a good fit for Fenway Park, but I still think he's a decent fit for Camden Yards with Waltimore out there.

Thanks for that take. I was wondering what the "concern" was all about. Seems to be about nothing.

Did you expect Burnes to trash an organization that he's been in his entire career? I didn't hear the interview, but I doubt Burnes is doing anything but trying his absolute best every time out there. Whether that's because he wants the huge pay day waiting for him or because he loves being an Orioles so much, isn't really the point. If Burnes is here for one year and the Orioles win the World Series series this year or at least gets into the World Series, no one is going to be upset that he was acquired this year to go for it. I liked Ortiz a lot. I actually wavered on putting him ahead of Cowser on the prospect list last year. He should have been the Orioles starting second baseman last year though that's debatable between him and Westburg (Just should not have been Frazier). But, saying all that, with the options at hand in the infield, Ortiz was the exact kind of asset you move for an ace like Burnes. I don't want to see him getting 3 hits against Orioles pitching of course, but I hope he becomes an outstanding major league player.

Wells also has reliever experience and could be the extra bullpen piece they need out there.

After Heasley's outing yesterday, I'd be shocked if he's not optioned back to Norfolk with Ramirez taking his spot. Saying that, Ramirez is not really a length guy. His sinker isn't moving quite as much as it did last year and is down a little bit in velocity, but he's added a curveball that has good movement and no one has hit yet. He seems like a 7th option bullpen guy similar to Heasley, but with added ability get some groundballs. The Orioles are probably going to have a revolving door with that 7th bullpen option this again.

The media has been absolute insane over everything, including the damn number thing. I thought it was funny when Holliday said the right things about Cal Sr. and his Dad, then when continued to be pressed by the press' infatuation with getting his opinion on wearing the #7, he finally told them, "I just wear whatever number they give me!" That was one of the best passive aggressive responses I've seen to a press corp that can't seem to get enough of what number he's wearing.

I don't know about that. They can't hit hard throwing lefties either!

Right on the mark. Good synopsis. And Peralta was absolutely dealing last night too making everyone look bad. That slider was insane.

I don't see him seeking out interviews. Like any Dad, he's here to support his son with his family. It's ashamed Jackson has struggled. It's ashamed that every at bat they show his family waiting nervously for him to get off the snide. But, he's a very popular player already who the Orioles decided to give away his t-shirt before he took a major league at bat in Camden Yards. Everything is magnified right now and if anything, I feel bad for his family because they have to hold their disappointment in because they know the cameras are on them at all time. Nobody feels worse for Jackson than his family.

We just live in an instant gratification society nowadays so it's not that surprising. The Orioles have won two or three while Holliday takes his lumps so that's the good thing and last night, no matter what he did at the plate they were losing that one. Pitchers are really coming at him with their best stuff and I haven't seen him swing through many hittable pitches. Saying all that, the amount of pure whiff so far has been surprising for sure. Through his first three games he has a 59.1% WHIFF rate and part of that might be the pure amount of pitches he's seen with only six pure fastballs. Welcome to the big league kid. They know who you are, they have your scouting report and statcast data from the major leagues, and they're going to pitch you like a super star until you make the adjustments and become one. Not the start anyone thought he'd have and he probably needs to sit against Hall today since he's typically tough on lefties. He'll get there. It just may take a little more time than we had hoped.

He's being pitched backwards and hasn't seen a ton of fastballs. Every pitchers seems to be pitching him like they don't want to give up his first hit. He's looked bad, but right now he's just getting his pee pee spanked a bit by major league pitchers. He's get it.

I'm going to hose you two down.

Eh, these games happen even to the best of teams. Just a bad night. the starters have been very good this year until tonight. Then Heasley was well, Heasley. It's not his fault he's not very good. He should not be on a major league pitching staff and certainly not for a contender.

Wells was at 90 pitches already. That's about all you can expect from him this early in the year. He just wasn't very good, and Heasely is not a major league pitcher, so that's on Elias.

All adieu about nothing.

Poor Matt Holliday. Apple reporter clueless. Goes up to talk to him right after his son is dominated.