Pat Kelly
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Posts posted by Pat Kelly
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It seems the offense has been all or nothing for much of the year. Right now no one gets on base, no one walks, HRs are all solos. Everyone is pressing.
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The thing is there is a need for some spark on offense. Manny and Schoop have stopped hitting home runs (this week) Beckham Machado and Schoop carried the team in August. Others have to step - they are not -so Buck should try something else - start Hays and possibly Cisco.
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Rickard has not had a productive at bat in weeks. How low does the offense need to sink? Buck's position on Hays is questionable given the results of others. He has zero to lose in playing him.
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FWIW I agree with virtually every other decision Buck has made. Getting the most out a bad rotation, managing around Bundy innings, Tillman's issues, pairing with catchers or not, coping with injuries and an overtaxed BP. He is willing to pull pitchers earlier with a deeper staff and the last few losses are more about offense than pitching. He has adjusted the lineup moving Jones and Machado around, Beckham, Schoop and Mancini up, Trumbo and Davis down, rotated the catchers well playing the hot hand. Davis still brings value at 1B even when he is barely hitting. Playing Smith only against RHP using Gentry and Rickard as late inning defensive replacements, coaxing Mancini into a decent LF who seems to keep improving. Team has come back and won many "lost" games and has a dominant win% in extra innings.
But I do not understand what he is up to with Hays, playing Trumbo last night, starting Rickard over Hays, not rotating Pedro in there against RHP, not giving Trumbo a break etc. when he is not hitting. I would even understand if he started JJ to give Beckham a rest - he could always PH late. He is either worried about or lacks confidence in Hays and that seems to indicate there is some disconnect with the front office decision to call him up.
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44 minutes ago, Frobby said:
Maybe, but you're taking a leap of faith to reach that conclusion. I'm a huge Hays fan, and really hope he's our RF for the next decade, but hitting AA pitching is not nearly the same as hitting major league pitching. Some guys can make that jump without missing a beat, but most can't, and there's no way to know if Hays could. Remember, Nick Markakis had a good rookie season, but he was basically helpless for his first 2.5 months while making that jump.
Andrew Benintendi made the leap last year from AA and forced his way into an OF that already included JBJ and Mookie Betts. Saw enough last year to start this year and be touted as ROY candidate before Aaron Judge went alll "Damn Yankees." Hayes has come up on the back of a tremendous offensive year with high grades as RF with a plus arm. Not as many walks but more power than Markakis. Trend is young players, many succeed today right away. Our understanding is AH was brought up to help but if he doesn't play he can't. If Smith were on fire or Rickard on a hot streak or Trumbo was hitting like last year then no issue. The problem is RF igenerally has been a weak spot defensively and of late offensively. That justifies giving Hayes more of a chance.
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Manager malpractice. Buck is clearly sending a message to DD that he will decide who to play to a fault and to the detriment of the team. What a debacle of a season. And now with some exiciting young talent on the team he buries them.
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23 hours ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:
I didn't watch the game, only the gamecast. I'll agree with that, but he can work on it.
It is hard to work on it when you are on the bench.
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Looking forward to a couple of key plays/hits.
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Hayes should be starting tonight, bring Smith off the bench as needed.
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So tonight's game is rained out. Buck likely knew that would be the case? Let's see what happens with the lineup tomorrow.
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9 minutes ago, PaulFolk said:
I think you're right. But if that's the case, why call him up this week? The Orioles are facing a RHP in Gray today, then going to Cleveland, which doesn't have any lefty starters. So the earliest they might face a left-handed starter again is the series in Toronto next Monday-Wednesday if Happ or Anderson starts.
So if Hays isn't going to play against righties, why didn't the Orioles just let him stay in Bowie for the playoffs through Sunday before calling him up? Do the Orioles need him off the bench that badly for the next four games?
EDIT: Just saw FlipTheBird's post above about Hays being a pinch hitter against lefties. I guess that's possible, but the only starter the O's would pinch-hit for against a southpaw is Smith. So that's a very limited role that might not even come up in the next few games.
And this is the issue, if he can't help the team win now or Buck doesn't see him as a primary option then no reason to add him to the 40-man, start his service time clock etc. Having said that when Hayes does get in he will do something to help the team win - John Shelby in 1982 says hi - and then Buck won't be able to sit him.
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13 minutes ago, FlipTheBird said:
Which is fine. The only thing it's testing is your patience.
We could see Hays on any given night as a pinch hitter against a LHP.
Let's hope to see this. I think Buck was not ready for this move in the same way he was in 2012 when Machado took over at 3B. RF has been a problem Defensively for awhile, looking forward to seeing this change.
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12 minutes ago, Frobby said:
I expect Smith to play most or all of the games vs. RHP. That's what he was brought here to do, and he's done a good job of it. It would be very risky to assume that a guy with an .874 OPS vs. RHP in AA/AAA is going to outperform a guy with an .813 OPS vs. major league RHP. It's unusual to replace a guy who is doing a good job in his role with some guy who has no experience but you hope will do a better job.
I would start Hays vs. LHP and use him as a pinch hitter/defensive replacement in the other games.
It would be great to start Hayes at home and as Buck would say ambush Sonny Gray etc...the Stats backup playing Smith but it's not like he is a key, top of the lineup player, can always PH for Hayes later in the game if he looks overmatched. Hayes is high energy player and would bring something unknown. Cleveland only has one LHP. Not starting tonight means he doesn't start until Toronto series.
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22 minutes ago, weams said:
Seth tonight.
So I guess Hayes was brought up by Duquette. No reason to start Smith. Play Hayes might save a run in RF ...last game in OPACY for 10 days. Art Howe - Billy Beane moment?
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35 minutes ago, Frobby said:
Putting Hays to one side, Rickard has been playing too much in any event. He has a .638 OPS, and it's been .571 since July 1. He's started 35 games vs. LH starters and has a .620 OPS against them. He's started 19 games vs. RH starters and has a .660 OPS against them. He simply doesn't belong in the starting lineup.
100% agree. He should be a PR, late inning def replacement, once every 7-10 day starter, that's it.
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Austin Hays
in Orioles Talk
Posted
No Hays in the lineup. Smith back in RF, Caleb catching, no Pedro at DH. Buck in full Captain of the Titanic, there's no iceberg mode.