Moose Milligan

So injuries don't play a part in what's going on lately? What are you saying here? Sure, we've got depth but I think people confuse the idea of depth being able to replace someone and being able to adequately replace the first stringer's value. What we have here, IMO, are a lot of guys that have a lot of upside in their careers to replace a player...like Jackson Holliday 2.0 replacing Mateo, or trying out Mayo at third for a little bit. I don't care who you are, if any team were to lose their 2nd (Bradish), 3rd (Grayson), 4th (Means), and 5th (Eflin), starters for any stretch like we have, they'd be dicked. You can point all you want to the Astros, they still traded for Kikuchi. There's no "depth" to replace the amount the Orioles have lost...even though Suarez has done a good job. There's no "depth" to replace a guy like Bautista...you can try with a guy like Kimbrel, but outside of Hader (who I wanted), there wasn't anyone who was going to be able to replace that production 1:1.

The key difference here is that, IIRC, the Astros got their injuries out of the way early.

Elias is still the best GM we've had in my lifetime. And while I get a lot of people are upset about how this season is shaking out, I'm still not all that upset about it. Worst case scenario, this season continues to go down the crapper and we miss the playoffs. Best case, we win the whole thing. I suspect somewhere in the middle is what'll actually happen. Maybe this season should serve as a reminder to some fans that this wasn't going to be a smooth ride after the "rebuild was over." I do think some got out over their skis and seemed to think we'd be perennial AL East champions all the time, that we were going to be loaded with young talent forever, that we had a GM who was the smartest in the game (all of a sudden it's a bad thing, right?) and now we've got an owner who'll spend, spend, spend and we're going to be an elite team with elite talent for a long time and the 2017 through 2021 seasons are firmly in our rearview mirror shrinking all the time. We've avoided major injuries for what seems like years on end and no one ever stopped to think that we'd keep spinning that wheel and landing on Bankrupt could happen. Maybe this season should serve as a reminder that drafting, scouting and developing talent is probably harder than we think, that building a bullpen is probably harder than we think and that Elias isn't bulletproof but he's still a damn good GM. Really, is there anyone else you'd want in the front office? Maybe this season should serve as a reminder that no matter what trades you make and what guys you sign, you really need a whole hell of a lot of luck...not just in the playoffs but getting through all 162 games. And maybe this is the season where our luck just ran out.

Then you didn’t see Mike DeJean and Steve Kline in action.

Whatever bullpen had DeJean/Kline had to be the worst.

I find the wording funny because there’s nothing we as fans can do to actually “hold Elias accountable” outside of griping on this message board. And maybe not buying tickets to games. But that’s about it. I never said it wasn’t Elias’ fault. It absolutely is.

I’ve always enjoyed it when posters on message boards hold GMs/managers/players “accountable.”

It wasn’t showboating.

Why is throwing at full speed showboating when he had to make sure the throw would beat the runner? In case you weren't paying attention, it was a close play...any slower, the runner would have been safe outright. 45 degree angle? Why's that showboating other than you don't like how it looks?

Aruba Little League is trotting out a more stout bullpen than our group of morons.

Of course. Of course. It was so predictable.

Mounty, low and outside. Of course. Okay Eloy, lets see if you cannot hit one on the ground here.

Nah. I'd also like to see Mounty actually do something here but I'm being greedy.

Want to see Tony have one of those prolonged at bats here.

No idea. I don't think he was "showboating" though.

I didn't think it looked spectacular. I thought it looked pretty routine.

I don't know how he was showboating there.

Dammit Gunnar! Come on!!!

Whew.

Leadoff single. Of course.

It was so predictable.

UGGGHHHHH of course Gunnar with the pop out.

No.

come on Gunnar, come up big for once

This umpire is terrible.