[2023 #7 Prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. - CF]

I’m not sure of what to make of his, paraphrasing…getting stronger naturally, comments. You add “man muscle” to a point, but he needs more than that. No one is saying to become a body builder, but he can become more powerful and explosive without losing much, if any, speed. Even if it just bands, play and body weight stuff. I am sure they have a plan for him. 

I don’t want to read too much into that, since we don’t know what he is really saying there. @RZNJ I agree with your 70/50 scenario. Guys whose game is built on their legs tend to decline quicker.

I bet they make the changes once he gets to minor league camp. And he’ll have all year to buy in and rep it up, build into his rhythm and confidence. You never know how it will go, and whether he’ll buy in. I am optimistic, but you never know. 

 

[2023 #7 Prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. - CF]

I am not thrilled with his swing, no. It is not a “pure” swing at all. And it is inconsistent at this point. But there is so much to like otherwise. He may never be much of a hitter, but it was worth a shot at #17. Give him two years in the system, and let’s see where he is then. Honestly, it may be an uphill battle, but it can be done.

Swing changes rarely take hold quickly. It has to be without thought, just reaction for the hitter. The mental side has to change as well with any swing changes.

What little I have seen of him this Spring, I see more Willie McGee than I see Kenny Lofton. 

[Bauer interested in O's]

1 minute ago, DocJJ said:

Agree.  Not true.  Someone will sign him.  I think if Gerritt Cole's injury shelves him for a bit, the Yankees might roll the dice...

Thanks for the info, Doc. A team will sign him. It likely won’t be Baltimore. But someone will sign him. He is a talented competitor, and good pitchers are hard to find. It would not surprise me if a team like the White Sox signed him and traded him at the deadline.

[Bauer interested in O's]

13 minutes ago, yark14 said:

Not true. 

[Will the O’s trade away a position player before Opening Day?]

Probably a small deal, if they do. There’s still a few weeks left. A lot can happen in that time. Mateo is playing a lot of SS, more than I thought he would. Perhaps to showcase him? IDK. Urias seems to be redundant in some ways. I can see a case for both to stay if they can adjust and accept part-time roles. Same with McKenna.

The only thing to add is that the “best 26” doesn’t necessarily make the best “team.”

[Do the Orioles have a type? 😆]

11 minutes ago, Ripken said:

All of this.  He doesn't know what he's talking about.  I coached travel baseball for five years with my oldest son and it was a great experience for all of the kids.  You want to get better you have to play a lot and do so against good competition.  I had one kid who's about to make the majors and a couple others that eventually could (going to major D1 schools).  It was a very tight group of families, all of whom enjoyed the time together.  Of course, we started traveling way before high school, too.  I get constant emails to this day about camps, clinics, tournaments, etc. from many places.

Yeah, Emmett isn’t completely wrong, just very over-generalized. I’ve had two sons play at the highest level of travel ball here in Florida. One is still playing 13U and the other was recruited by UF, Stanford, Virginia and many others. They’ve been with FTB, Scorpions, Heat and others at various levels. Older son played for free often, though I did coach, but all of the kids played for free because of sponsors. We had kids from all over the states and DR. Our main competitor, CF Gators, who we used to beat regularly, did the same as us. They also had three first round picks in 2018, Gorman, Liberatore and Denaburg. We had a kid by the name of Lyon Richardson who was a supplemental round 1 pick. Others went later, but just a ton of talent. 

We’re at a PG tournament right now for the 13U son. Team full of kids from Orlando, though many are here from DR and Venezuela. We’re very good, and the cost is really low for all. The development is key on this team. That should be the actual point. Anyway, cheers!

[What if Holliday is sent down?]

I chose #3. I think he has been pressing somewhat. Super talented kid, obviously. They want him to break camp with the team, and I believe he will, unless there is some kind of injury or setback. He has had several at bats recently where he looked caught in between. He is going through a huge learning curve, and he looked pretty good against Wheeler and the Phils yesterday.

I am not worried about the results, but the process is key for me. As long as he does not look completely lost, he should break camp as a big leaguer. He will catch up at the big league level. The pressure will be immense, but he can handle it with his support network.

I try not to get too wrapped up in this. Maybe get a pick, or get an extra year of a kid we probably won’t re-sign. Not my problem to worry about. 

[Ryan Mountcastle and batted ball direction]

5 hours ago, Ven6 said:

Manny, Thome, yeah that’s why those guys are the exception. We’re not talking hall of famer, we’re talking Ryan Mountcastle. 

You’re not wrong. I was just pointing out that it can be done, and well. There are many more out there who are “pull hitters.” They are not the majority.

As far as Mountcastle, he has excellent power to all fields. I would not suggest he become a pull hitter. He is actually a good “bad-ball hitter.” He will likely never be a guy who has a high OBP, IMO. He can be more situational and look to pull certain pitches more, but I would not advocate for him to be a pull hitter. He is a very good off speed hitter, and unless the pitch is a hanger, the approach should be right-center for Ryan for those pitches.

Ryan Ripken recently did a good breakdown of Mountcastle.

 

[Ryan Mountcastle and batted ball direction]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

Anthony Rizzo.  Another example of that.  Maybe even more extreme.

Yes, and Manny Ramirez. All guys who could hit the inside FB, and dared you to throw it. Thome opened his stance quite a bit and looked to yank everything. His words.

[Ryan Mountcastle and batted ball direction]

25 minutes ago, Ven6 said:

The pitch determines where you should hit the ball. So “use the whole field” means don’t try to pull an outside pitch. When you do, it’s a grounder to short. If you are looking to pull more , that means you are hunting inside pitches. But with 2 strikes you have to go back to “hit it where it’s pitched. “

Yes, and no. That is the developmental approach for most. However, if you get up on the plate, like say, Jim Thome, the outside pitch is in the middle of the plate. And you can pull everything, especially with a bigger, longer bat. You’d better be really good getting to the inside pitch. 

[Bauer interested in O's]

37 minutes ago, SemperFi said:

Yes-to add to that the state (FL) as the victim then can prosecute even if the person battered declines to testify.

Correct. 

[Bauer interested in O's]

2 minutes ago, Malike said:

We have civilian DV and VR advocates who follow up the next day and also offer resources. NYS is rightfully concerned if the parties aren't separated and despite not establishing PC that if they let the accused back in the dwelling and something awful happens, they don't want the liability. A lot does happen on the scene, checking for OOP's and past DIR's etc. The laws in NY changed at the end of 2023, there is a lot that goes into it now, and rightfully so. 

MPTC Model Policy-Law Enforcement Domestic Incident.pdf (ny.gov)

I agree with separating them, absolutely. Thanks for the info. I teach Criminal Justice now at a high school. It is interesting to compare state laws to ours. 

[Bauer interested in O's]

4 hours ago, Malike said:

I can't speak for other agencies as I'm sure SOP is quite different for each but it basically boils down to who makes the complaint. If a person calls the Police on their spouse/partner saying they were assaulted, etc. it's generally the accused who gets removed from the area.

Even if you can't charge someone on the spot due to lack of evidence, you cannot leave the accused in the area. They are often "arrested" (detained) and then they go to our DV Detectives to investigate the claims. Both parties are usually brought to the station to try to get the full picture during interviews.

It is different here, as far as procedures go. We do the majority of things at the scene, if possible. If PC was established and arrest was made, Detectives generally play a role after the fact, behind the scenes in these DV cases. They support the victim in any appropriate way, show them how to take advantage of different services and programs.

Here in Florida, it used to be when I started that if the victim made statements that the suspect battered them, that, in and of itself, was probable cause to arrest. The law was clear; the officer “shall arrest.” Even if it may not have been corroborated by physical evidence, and regardless of whether or not the victim desired prosecution. The State is the victim in DV cases. It has evolved over time, but for many many years that was the law. 

[Bauer interested in O's]

8 hours ago, Frobby said:

I’d be curious to hear how police generally go about investigating a domestic assault/abuse accusation.  I’d imagine many cases are he said/she said, so how do you determine who’s version of events is the truth?   

Just one old guy a few years removed, and from only one agency here. But, it starts with the dispatcher’s call notes and observations. When we arrive, what we hear, and other observations. What do neighbors or other witnesses say?

We make contact, and separate the parties. We question them as to what happened and look for evidence. Any injuries, scratches, bruises and such? Is the residence trashed? We talk to the kids, depending on the situation.

We do the best we can to see what happened, and to determine if an arrest is warranted. Is there an actual domestic relationship? Did a crime of violence occur? Is there a current injunction in place? We try to do this in a way that lets the parties maintain as much dignity as possible. We often engage people on the worst moments of their lives.

These are the most dangerous calls we answer. A lot of emotions run deep. I went to one call where the wife had been battering the very large muscular husband with a large frying pan. As we walked up, I heard what sounded like someone struck a gong. It was her hitting the man in his head. The lumps on his head to match. Minute later, we are arresting her, and the husband angrily tried to batter us. Quite a good fight, we broke nearly all of their furniture in the small apartment. Just another day, right?

I tried to give you a general sense of things, and I am sure I left things out. Each incident is judged on its own merits, as it should be. If we have probable cause, an arrest of the primary aggressor has to be made. The law is clear. 

[Bauer interested in O's]

2 hours ago, elextrano8 said:

Frobby, you know that was hyperbole. Come on now.

It was a ridiculous statement. Hyperbole or not. We spend our lives defending the helpless, and people write things like that. It’s your right and all, but it makes you appear to not be credible.

Everyone has rights, even the accused. What if it was you facing allegations, and you are innocent? We look at the facts, you know, the thing…evidence.

[Bauer interested in O's]

13 minutes ago, baltfan said:

If it happens at the rates that you and @Malike say that it does, we need to have more prosecutions for false claims to deter such behavior. 

If we prosecute everyone who lies to the police, we would not have people available to answer 911 calls. We would do nothing but take liars to jail. Verbal allegations are one thing, but when they submit a sworn written statement it becomes a legal document. Easier to prosecute. I have prosecuted many such cases, mostly fraudulent cases with auto theft.

Watch mainstream media? If you do, you are being lied to everyday.

[Bauer interested in O's]

19 minutes ago, baltfan said:

People don’t make false allegations all of the time.  It rarely happens, but admittedly is much more likely to happen with an athlete than someone from the general population. 

It is not rare. It happens a lot. I retired from law enforcement last year after 29 years. This is what I experienced. Even more so to celebrities and others who have things to lose. 

[Bauer interested in O's]

2 minutes ago, Malike said:

Still an option?

In a piece published by The Athletic in late January, Olivia Finestead, the mother of Clevinger's 10-month-old child, accused the 32-year-old pitcher of physical and emotional abuse. Finestead agreed to be named in The Athletic's piece.

Finestead alleged that Clevinger choked and slapped her in separate incidents that occurred in June 2022, and said that the pitcher threw used chewing tobacco at the child. 

Finestead got in contact with MLB's Department of Investigations last summer, and the league looked into the allegations.

On Jan. 24, 2023, Finestead posted lengthy Instagram story posts about Clevinger, going as far as to post images of the injuries she said she suffered at his hands. Clevinger also allegedly threw an iPad at Finestead when she was pregnant, and Finestead said she finally left him when he "strangled" her.

Clevinger's lawyers issued a statement to The Athletic saying their client denied any wrongdoing. 

So, has any of that been proven to be true? I am not sticking up for him, but people make false allegations all the time. For the past 30 years I have listened to people allege that things happened. Often, it is false, or blown out of proportion because someone is upset and wants revenge, or to control someone.

I truly despise that people get buried by rumors, innuendo and unproven allegations. 

[Bauer interested in O's]

Bauer is certainly worth evaluating. He was whacky before the allegations, for which he has been cleared, but he is a talent. He has his warm-up routine, that many considered radical when he came out of UCLA. Funny how those things have become fairly normal now.

Putting aside, for a moment, the allegations. He obviously is an extreme competitor, along the lines of a Marcus Stroman. The only thing that glares at me when I try to fit him into the Orioles clubhouse is his penchant to rant and take things to social media that should have stayed in the clubhouse. That is not something that will fly with Elias and Hyde, nor will it be ok with the vets already here. 

[Tobacco ban at OPACY]

31 minutes ago, Morgan423 said:

Regardless of how you view personal liberties, a lot of people find chewing tobacco and the accompanying spitting disgusting, and don't want to sit next to it at the game for 3 hours straight.  And there's probably far more of those fans than there are tobacco chewers at the games (as the CDC reports that only about 2% of the population chews tobacco). 

So this makes perfect sense from the team's perspective as far as I can see.   

I do dip snuff, mostly at baseball games and practices, for whatever reason. I recognize that others may not like the sight or thought of it, so I keep it incognito out of respect to others. I spit in a water bottle, and reseal it each time. I keep it away from others. I have seen someone drink out of another’s bottle, not good.

I will say that I may not represent some others who are not as considerate of others. I understand that is really the issue.

Personally, I would like to ban gum so I do not have to get it stuck on my shoe. 

I would argue that all of the vapes, especially the nasty weed vapes, are way worse to many people. That smell is awful, and it takes a long time to dissipate. It lingers. Not sure if it even illegal anymore in Maryland, I’ve lost track. Many do not seem to care where I live.

Ah well, maybe we can get someone like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé or JayZ to throw a dip in. Then, the “I know what is good for you” crowd will think it’s cool to dip. I better stop here.

Cheers

[Tobacco ban at OPACY]

Just stupid. Next, they’ll ban sunflower seeds and peanuts. These folks that feel the need to decide what is best for all of us…never mind. I was about to get a little political. 

[Kevin Brown]

11 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

The university isn’t paying them anything.

These kids go to college, which is largely becoming a farce anyway, to prepare them for their job(s) after school.  Despite what these idiot professors nowadays feel, that is actually their only job. So, yea if a kid can go to college and be a millionaire, why not? Why should they have struggle to get there?  They worked hard to put themselves in that position, so why penalize them for it?

The amount of money the schools make off of these kids is obscene…and of course, that’s fine too but for years, we acted as if the education was more than worth it, which is and always will be total bs. 

Your last point , to me, is more about the stupid and atrocious idea that college should be “free”.

 

At this point, the only thing I’ll address any further is the “free” thing. No, that definitely isn’t where I was going. Not going there at all.

Thanks for the info. Some of this was my lack of understanding. Carry on, as you were. 

[Kevin Brown]

23 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

There is not one single logical and good reason that players can’t make money off of their NIL. Any other student could do it. Any other student could work. These kids can’t. 
 

Years ago, Tyrelle Pryor was hit by the NCaA because he was selling his own autograph. That’s complete bs. No way that should be a problem.

Now, if you want to cap it or something like that, I think that’s a fair conversation to have. OTOH, would you cap another student if they were some instagram star that made a ton of money influencing products?  Why tell these kids no? Because we don’t like that the sport is worse? 
 

I think people are upset about this for their own selfish reasons.

Oh, the NCAA and their rules are often ridiculous. Pryor is only one small example. There was (is) so much cheating and they tried to make more and more bad rules. 

There is no question that NIL is their right. SCOTUS ruling is pretty clear, I think. The only questions I have is without their participation in college sports for an NCAA school, what would their “brand” be valued at? What role does the institution, and the infrastructure they have built before the athlete enters play in that? Does it create an unfair advantage? What is amateur sport?

If they want to sell merchandise with their likeness, good. If they even want to get a job, good. But, forgive me for my ignorance, how can a University offer a kid millions of dollars based on what might be his value? Before he has even done anything? How is that an amateur sport? If he earns it, on his own, then great! I am all for it.

Fundamentally, the student-athlete is supposed to be there for an education. In most sports, the non-rev ones, they are. For football and basketball, it has become a minor league sewer. 

There is some selfishness, sure. @Frobby wrote a very well written post about it. Strictly from a consumer standpoint, it is a disaster.

From an idealistic standpoint of a parent, and as an educator, I want my kids to struggle. That is where growth happens. I know that is not the point of this discussion, but it gets lost these days because people simply only care about $$. 

[Kevin Brown]

46 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Oh yea, the product isn’t what it once was. I would guess college football is the same but I don’t pay as much attention to it but all of this stuff is even worse for football.

It’s also why you see more and more upsets and more and more mid majors winning because those teams generally stay together for a while.  Guys develop in one system, under one coach and usually surrounded by a lot of the same teammates.

That said, the system was also always unfair to the athletes, so I’m glad they did things to change that.

The scholarships they receive are $40,000-50,000? Perhaps a good bit more in many places when all expenses are added in with healthcare, food, lodging, supplies, etc…

I realize how much money the schools make, so I’m ok with giving the players some kind of stipend. They did not allow the kids to work during the school year, IIRC. But to give them, in some cases, millions of dollars, what a joke. They have opened Pandora’s box with this “likeness” thing. 

The players are kids. Struggle is good. 

[Orioles Claim Livan Soto From Angels]

Competition and depth are good things. Two options, good. Injuries happen, so why not make moves like this and Maton? A full 40 man can be remedied easily, when the time comes.

I thought this was interesting from Melewski:

“Soto was one of the top signings of the 2016 international signing period and got a $1 million bonus from the Braves. He was ranked as the Angels’ No. 16 prospect in 2018 and was in their top 30 every year through 2023, between No. 16 and No. 26.

Soto made his pro debut for Atlanta in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2017, but after the season was one of 12 Braves prospects declared free agents by Major League Baseball as punishment for Atlanta violating international signing rules. The Angels signed Soto the first day he was eligible to sign with a new club for $850,000.”

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/o-s-claim-livan-soto-40-man-roster-is-now-full