BRobinsonfan

Apparently not everyone is a fan of the 2024 Uniforms. I must say, the close up pictures don't look that good to me. Adley is quoted as liking them, but there are a bunch of other quotes from players and others who are not fans. In addition to the new material, apparently they cut the number of fit options for the pants from 3 to 2. https://sports.yahoo.com/mlbs-new-uniforms-for-2024-drawing-negative-reviews-from-players-i-dont-like-them-215413303.html

As Old#5Fan would say. "He does not have a good name for baseball."

This is one of those posts that just didn't age well.

You Sir, win the internet for today.

In 2023 he had an OPS+ of 114 which is solidly above average and a 2.0 oWAR. I'm not saying that I wouldn't be happy with more production out of LF, but the comparison to Mateo offensively is just a non-starter.

Obviously, I didn't think so, or I wouldn't have posted it. If one player had 1,700 and the other had 450, I think your point would be valid, but they both have over 1,000 At Bats, and that's a sufficient sample size to make the comparison. I also compared their performance over the last two years when Hays had 1,148 PA's and Mateo had 883.

No. The last two years... and for their respective careers.

Yes. This. And I believe Elias said in the interview "this is all about 2024." This is exciting because it would seem to indicate that there all in for this season.

It's a bit cliche to say "you can never have too much pitching," but you really can never have too much pitching. I'd like to see another impact reliever too.

Fuji we hardly knew ye. I wish him well but I'm glad he's gone. He was hard to watch for me. His delivery always looked like he was precariously balanced on one leg and could topple over at any time… and it wasn't that you didn't know which Fuji you were going to see from outing to outing… you didn't know which one you were going to get from batter to batter.

Apparently he's got family in California. https://fanrumor.com/aaron-hicks-shares-reasons-for-joining-angels-clarifies-statements-on-everyday-outfield-role/?utm_source=baltimore-orioles&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=mlb-mk&fbclid=IwAR1Xh8xsBejFJp2Ru9b3I9REpk6DV1L_MDciLD_y5Spcyg1TeAuppJwHrYI

I agree with the John Angelos sentiment, but I do think this particular deal was already in the works.

I disagree with your conclusion in this case, but the Godfather Gif is perfect!

And for the second time this week you'll hear those magic words... "are you done yet?"

Is it too soon to start the Angelos appreciation thread?

Everyone knows Elaine from Seinfeld was a big Oriole fan so why not Homer Horns? https://tenor.com/sp82.gif

Or how about the 2024 "Nice Homer, Hun" voiced in a Baltimore accent by our very own Melanie Newman over the PA system?

Ladies and Gentlemen. I give you the 2024 "Homer Horn."

Whew! I was worried about our infield depth!

I agree. It is tough to judge a player's arm by assists alone. That's why I was surprised to see so many people, including Tony I believe, suggest Nick Markakis. Nick had a lot of assists but was regularly faulted on this board back when he was playing for us for not having a particularly strong arm. Maybe it's semantics, but I thought by the qualifiers you included in your original question, you were looking for something more than just who threw hard. The sources I cited earlier do talk about Blair's total defensive ability, but I think they also mention that he had an “above average” to “strong arm.” Maybe he just made it look easy? To be sure, there are examples of outfielders with more “memorable” arms. I just don't remember anyone more memorable that played for us than Paul Blair. I don't think this thread has coalesced around anyone in particular. Also, in the assists stats I offered earlier, I put assists per total chances. It's actually assists per innings played. I'm sorry for the error. Here's another excellent article about Blair's prowess in the outfield by The Hardball Times: https://tht.fangraphs.com/tht-live/remembering-the-wizardry-of-paul-blair/

Having a "cannon" wasn't the question. This was Frobby's question: “To be clear, I'm not just talking about the strongest arm. Strength is a factor, but accuracy, consistency, and a quick release should all be factored in.” You seem to be focused on who had the strongest arm. That's fine; that's not the question Frobby asked. Blair averaged one assist for every 127.45 chances Here are some others that have been mentioned: Sammy Sosa has one assist every 132.62 chances Frank Robinson has one assist every 136.24 chances Adam Jones has one assist every 149.50 chances Nick Markakis has one assist every 150.85 chances

"His range was extraordinary — he twice led the American League in putouts — and his arm was strong and accurate; over 17 seasons, he threw out 104 runners from center field. He won eight Gold Glove awards, given annually to the three best outfielders in each league, including seven in a row from 1969 to 1975. Based on range factor — defined as putouts plus assists per nine innings — Blair was over the course of his career superior as a center fielder to both Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr." https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/28/sports/baseball/paul-blair-center-fielder-for-champions-dies-at-69.html#:~:text=His range was extraordinary — he,row from 1969 to 1975.

What? No love for Paul Blair? Palmer always felt he was worth 2 runs a game. Played shallow and got a tremendous jump on the ball. Had double-digit assists in 11 out of 17 years. "Blair was an eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, winning seven straight from 1969 – 1975. Known for his great fielding ability, Blair owned a .988 fielding percentage over the course of his nearly two-decade-long career. Playing primarily in center field, Blair averaged less than five errors a season. In three different seasons, Blair finished in the top five in outfield assists, logging 13 assists in 1967, 14 in 1969, and 14 in 1973. Blair had a great arm and was able to throw runners out at any base. He recorded 34 assists at second base, 28 at third base, and 24 at home plate in his career. For reference, Orioles center fielders combined for just three outfield assists in 2019." https://birdswatcher.com/2019/11/21/baltimore-orioles-throwback-thursday-paul-blair/

That walk rate is pretty dreadful at 5.3 BBs per 9 innings over 244 minor league innings.