Pat Kelly

The Os hitting coaches and game strategy coaches to help the players with their approaches. Hope Adley is watching that video after his AB.

Nothing swing by Adley. What outcome does that deliver? Strange.

Texas getting GROD to throw nearly 30 pitches not great. Os hitters need to pay attention. Texas game planning and approach off the charts.

Listening to John Smoltz is a treat. He like Palmer is thinking along with the pitcher. Calling for GROD to stick with the fastball, challenge the Texas hitters. Texas hitters are good breaking ball hitters. BTW complete miss by ump on K in zone to Carter.

Yes. No one remebers the very good teams that won lots of games...I cannot even recall all of the playoff teams from last season. The lasting highlight videos and banners on stadium walls are reserved champions. Just the way it is.

Agree that's the best case outcome. Would have felt better with 1-2 more established bats - 2014 vers of Nelson Cruz comes to mimd - Optimistic we will begin to see that with this group!

I would add and did not make this clear in the original post that trading prospects for positional upgrades should have been on the table. Again Elias can decide not to make the short-term vs long-term move but you are banking on young star growth (Adley, Gunnar etc), existing vets being good enough and not making an upgrade with either better prospects or trading for a bat. I don't think the DH, 2B, 3B slots are playoff caliber bats so you live and die by Gunnar /Adley being elite offensive players (they are not) and optimizing the O'Hearn/Mountcastle platoon along with hoping for the best from slumping Mullins, ok Hays, streaky Santander etc. Just not enough to make a deep post-season run unless the best versions of everyone shows up which is not realistic. Again super exciting team, athletic, fun defensively and on the bases but not an elite on base, power team that has to optimize in the clutch/with men on base to win. IMO Elias needed to roll the dice on 1-2 more bats to hedge or solidify the current group.

Elias and Hyde elected to stay with this positional player group, not upgrade - Jackson Holliday could have been the Os vers of Evan Carter, current Ortiz is equal or better than current AF or Urias - allow for more development and retain prospect assets. E&H resisted upgrading to improve the postseason performance, probably arguing amongst themselves about short term vs long-term approach. Also they maintained that the only upgrades would be pitching. Have been willing to live without more pitching upgrades since they are often a crapshoot but the lack of in-game power, situational hitting, strike first mentality, patience, game plan by the line-up is tough to watch. Don't expect the emerging stars Adley, Gunnar, Westburg, HK to be leading things and finished products...they are still WIP. Not yet convinced the hitting "vets" Mullins, Hays, Mountcastle, Santander, O'Hearn, Frazier, Hicks (from this group only Mullins and Hays are difference makers on defense) are post-season battle tested and capable of post-season small ball or late game heroics against elite bullpens. Two questions. Was the approach to stay with the position player group intentional (only real change was HK for Mckenna)? Was it the best decision in light of recent performance (or is this just randomness/bad luck)?

You hold the Rangers to 3 runs, only a solo HR, don't use Cano you should win.

Looks like Gunnar ran on his own. Team looked ready defensively and pitching-wise. Bad offensive game, did not take advantage of any opportunities, bad approaches, swings, situational hitting all abysmal.

Key is not amping up too much. Slap the ball the other way. Make the pitcher throw strikes. Each hitter needs to embrace this. Very uneven performance by the batters but we have been seeing that for the last few weeks.

This is what happens to young hitters. Jung looks comfortable, relaxed…Gunnar just wanting to do too much. He will figure it out.

Saw this in the WBC but Santander is one O that has that post season /big game gear!

This is the 60-70s Orioles all over again.

Norfolk starting 6 all future impact MLB players.

Devastating. Thanks for sharing Roy.

Hyde should focus on defense today, infield D is surprisingly inconsistent, 2B and 3B no longer dependable as the combo of Urias, Frazier and Westburg is below championship standards - Cleveland is much better at INF defense. RF with Santander is an adventure and Hicks is trying to not get hurt. McKenna should play a couple games out there can always PH for him late as needed.

And Lopez needs to stop giving up HRs.

When HK makes contact he does damage. He needs to be on the postseason roster.

HK is different. This is what a big time power prospect looks like.

Also to be clear I am not supporting or defending JA. MLB Owners and sport team owners in general are a bizarre group that operate without much perspective. IMO the best a fan can hope for is that an owner hires and empower effective leadership to run the team.

It could be worse….we could have Arte Moreno as owner. What is hard to fathom is that JA was able to attract a Mike Elias - his father couldn’t /wouldn’t bring in high caliber baseball operations types after Pat Gillick until MacPhail who left before things became good. Duquette was a complete Hail Mary. Not since the 70s has there been such a holistic unified effort around drafting, development and coaching augmented by modern baseball analytics. Wouldn’t trade our FO for any other group. Biggest concern frankly is keeping Elias and team around for at least the next five years.

Back to impatient at bats. Hicks takes great ABs tough to have him out right now. Santander is flailing and needs a break, Frazier again because I guess he is Hyde’s favorite player?

It will be reserved. First step, division title is the prize.

But he also doesn’t have to be the 9th inning guy either. Bring him to get a few key outs/K’s. Limit pitch count and pick the spots.