AlbNYfan

Rather stupid article IMO...especially the NOW of it. The only thing they could do now is use a pitching machine rather than a pitcher...and that's not going to happen. For the most part, youth today throw more by the age of 12 than kids did by 18 years of age 30 years ago. Many Little Leagues back in the day allowed only 2 pitches...fastball and change up. One camp I took my kids to was run by Jack Aker (Oakland A's...relief) he endorsed fastball, fastball, location...he also said watch your kid throw a snowball...that's his natural arm motion...don't mess with it. Watching my grandkids play...50+ games schedules (60+games in hockey, same in basketball) throwing curves at 8 years of age, taught by coaches who don't have a clue of the arm mechanics, but they see YouTube and therefore it's all good...it's insane. Body parts wear out hips, knees and even arms when put in stress situations. They worry about pitch counts and have rules in youth baseball, which is good. But, IMO there is more damage in what their throwing not the number of pitches.

Define MOMENT....second half of last year, Spring Training (often not facing top pitchers) and now this. Not concerned? A couple weeks ago, a thread, 3 Concerns for the Season....of course pitching was and always is for any team. My three concerns were Mullins, Hays and McKenna. Mullin has had a couple moments..3 run homer, hit in the 9th last night. But, so many K's (OK one was a terrible call by the umpire). He is one of my favorites..but he seems lost. Hays...like his D, probably need the D at home because of LF. But of any O, he is the last player I want to see with runners on, O's needing run(s). In those situations he is a K machine, or groundout machine. Right now the bottom of the order Hays, Mullin, Urias...good D (minus Mullins arm), no hitting...You can't have 1/3 of your lineup sucking it up. You can talk all you want about "streak" hitting....hits aren't the only thing...runner on third, less than two outs, hitting the ball to the right to advance the runner(s) does require a streak, it requires plate discipline...shorten your swing, find the open hole put it in play.

So, McKenna takes AB's away from who?? Are the O's still stuck with his 775K (not sure the exact amount) salary?

Yep, the poor new owners are buying a franchise in such poor shape. 101 win season, new stadium contract, top rated farm system, new developmental program in the DR......such a mess, so many problems to solve.

What were the concerns last year?? Starting pitching and bullpen. That is a continuous concern for all teams, Relief pitchers are relief pitchers for a reason...they have flaws, hence they aren't starters. They can be great one day and not so the next. My concerns: Mullins- I love him, but I'm afraid he peeked and is on a spiral downward much quicker than expected. Hope I'm wrong. Hayes- Another guy I like, but he seems (to me, could be wrong) to have difficulty in "clutch" situations (man on third less than two out, couple runners on one or no outs)...K's, hits into DP's. He certainly has his moments and again I hope I'm wrong. McKenna- one of the luckiest guys in baseball...750K for being a good teammate and D. He happened upon the O's when talent didn't exist and has hung on. The good news is, there are guys on the farm that can fill for these 3 IMO...especially McKenna. CF ?? no one to go get 'em like Mullins, but guys with better arms.

I agree, there was never "mental shift", there was and has been, a timeline, if x then y. You collect the best players and hope for a surplus at certain positions. When that occurs, you trade. There is no reason to have "deep" depth if you can improve your club in other ways. I am more curious on why the Brewers let him go. It seems to me they could have gotten a similar package up until the trading deadline. Why not see how your season is going before trading him?

With the current starting 5, they might be able to keep one less BP arm early in the season. One can certainly hope that Bradish and Rodriquez can up innings pitch/start. Means is the unknown in the puzzle. I can see them coming north with an extra bench player.

What does Elias enjoy more, $$$$ or taking a team in the pits and blow them up? He certainly has a gift. What if the new owners give him a piece of the pie as part of the package to tie him up?

Sorry, why would anyone wish for prospects to "bomb" if the trade worked out for the O's? If anything, IMO, if the "prospects" were successful it would make teams more likely to deals with the O's in the future. A "good" trade works well for both teams, no one needs to be fleeced (Glenn Davis).

I believe Hays is what he is and will fluctuate too much in either direction. He is a very good/great fielder which is a plus at CY. He seems to be a great team player. However, Hays, seemed (to me) to have lousy AB's that shut down potential big innings, K's and GIDP...I could be wrong. I don't know whether he pushes too hard in those situations, but that is my observations.

I am concerned about Mullins offensive production. To me he just seems to wear down as the season progresses and I'm worried about him not aging well. Those that are concerned about Hays...IMO he is what he is and may be the least likely to have a drastic change offensively in either direction. McKenna?? I will be disappointed if he is on the opening day roster.

I am not sure "he" knows he can do it. He seems to have all the tools. but sometimes (to me) he still looks like "a deer in the headlights" vs I have this. He still seems to get to high pitch counts early. Good hitters seem to be able to fight off pitches. I hope for the best and respect your projections, but I am not quite there yet.

You really equate the two?? I am not talking an emotional correlation...I am not talking recreational vs professional. I am talking about a short-term career and potentially a million dollar plus loss for every year he is denied at least a chance. Stowers is certainly not an isolated case. A guy like McKenna, who would likely be in same situation if in the Oriole's minors today, is a lucky guy (we let Yaz go????). I realize there is no easy solution (that's why I rooted for a guy like Watkins, that was ready to hang it up and his wife convinced to give it another chance). We often treat these guys like disposal player cards. They are not cards. Yes, it's a chosen career, some get a considerable signing bonus, but to come close to a dream and financial rewards of that dream has to be tough (that is the emotional context).

I feel it's a "travesty" for any Mil player stuck in an organization and can't get a chance because of its depth. The clock is always ticking for these young men. Lack of service time, arbitration eligibility can cost a young player millions, even though he is not a star. Deal them, give them a chance.

Stupid?? Not sure....most thought the first million $ contract was stupid, same for 10, 50, and so on. It will become the new norm for "great" players. Look at football, every new QB contract has to exceed the previous one. If people think that won't happen welcome to denialism. I have two (maybe more) main objectives: 1) It enhances the haves and the have not franchises. 2) News media, MLB website will continue highlighting Oh, Judge...whether they go 0-4 with 3 K's, or 4-4 with 2HR's. The individual players become the game not the team(s).

I believe you are wrong. There will be a significant "trickle down impact". Do you think the number Gunnar/Boras may have been seeking to sign a long-term contract stayed the same after Oh's signing? Adley?? Soto next year..I mean, didn't Soto turn down 10-440 from the Nats? You don't think agents have a new baseline for stars?? And if teams can't afford the stars, it makes secondary players more expensive.

I swore I would never get into the hate "Angelos" discussions (not really a discussion, but a hate therapy session), but here I am. Peter was (is) not a great owner. He failed in many aspects of the game. The why's and how comes can be discussed. Now, it's not in PA's court, but his family (always a problem with the wealthy). The team should be sold IMO.....but I prefer some group with a strong, local connection including charitable contributions. Someone that considers Baltimore their home and not some way to increase their wealth (which will likely matter no matter what). I know nothing about the Carlyle group... but if it is a hedge fund group the hairs on the back of my neck stand up...I want a person, not a stockholder group to be responsible for the Orioles. The grass is always greener..be careful what you wish for, Change for the sake of change is not the way. I'm out of cliches!!

If a player "can't" hit, strike zone judgement isn't quite as important IMO. Pitchers will throw strikes to players who are not likely to hurt them. His OBP is likely to suffer greatly against MLB pitching.

That's great. $5,000, do you think the MLBPA could afford it???

The O's won 101 games this year and no playoff games. How many teams have won 100+ games and turn over their rosters to the extent suggested here? I certainly don't believe becoming stagnant is a positive thing, but I think there will be some growing pains watching these guys adjust to the next level. Most will become average ML players, 1 or 2 better than average and a couple will fail to adjust IMO. To be fair, I haven't seen many of these players perform, other than highlights. In the past, it seems to me, many of the players that are rated + this, + that look very average or below when they finally come up. The current roster certainly has some room for improvement. Do these players deserve a chance? Yes. But, I will not be happy if the roster becomes so loaded with "prospects" adjusting that the mantra becomes "This is a young team that will get better by'25 or '26". There has to be some tough decisions made by Elias and others. It is exciting times for the O's and it's certainly going to be an interesting off season.

Religion is not new in the clubhouse. Back in the day Pat Kelly use to hold a service on Sunday mornings. Famous discussion between Kelly and Earl (Weaver): Pat, "Earl, you have to walk with the Lord." Earl, "I'd rather walk with the bases loaded."

I don't expect this team to win 100 games next year, 90 may be a challenge. A lot of things went right with this team. Yankees sucked (Judge injury and poorly constructed team despite the $$$ spent), Blue Jays just seemed indifferent, Red Sox, who knows what you'll get. But, those teams (and others) are likely to spend a lot of $$$$ on free agency . Ohtani's contract may have a similar effect as Tiger had on lesser golfers paydays..trickle down economics certainly works in professional sports. That said, I certainly don't expect the O's to sign any "major" free agents. There are a lot of believers here that think there are solid players ready to move up. Maybe. And/or Elias can use some of these players to get a proven MLB player. I don't think Mullins is aging well. I have a love, hate relationship with Hays. I am sort of meh with Urias. I am not sure about how Westburg fits in (I don't see him at 3B). O'Hearn, his only asset to this team is being lefthanded. I like Santander. And yes, I like Mateo, for another year. Pitching?? Who knows?? Bradish (solid, likely to get better), GR (which GR will show up next year), Means (stay healthy, or nagging injuries), Kremer (will he learn how to work out of problems). There shouldn't be any inning limits next year with these guys. BP?? Most BP candidates have flaws (that's why they are in the BP and not starters) IMO. Wells, Hall, etc...Just need starters to get into and through 6 and an occasional 7th more often. I enjoyed this team immensely and believe next year's team will be just as entertaining, but 100+ wins will be tougher IMO.

GR had the "deer in the headlights" look yesterday. Big crowd, "must win" game. Maybe if the O's had won Saturday things would have been different. He should have been more relaxed after given the 2 run lead. The two infield plays, the one Mountcastle made a great play on GR's throw and the fluke hit in the basepath didn't help. High pitch count and an umpire that squeezed him a bit.....Tough day for a rookie.

All teams are "flawed", all teams lose 1/3 of their games.

Seeding is stupid. The best division in AL (maybe baseball) battle it out for the right to play lesser teams in the other two divisions in the third round for the AL Title. It's boring too. They've played each other 12 times already. Due to the season schedule and playoffs, TB/T may end up playing each other 8 games in a row and 11 of their final 13 (potential) games. Must see baseball, not so IMO.