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Ridgway22

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Posts posted by Ridgway22

    Do the Orioles need to 'develop' a FIRST BASEMAN in the minors?

    in Minors

    Posted

    On 7/12/2022 at 12:52 PM, Just Regular said:

    Despite Ron Washington assuring Chris Pratt it's incredibly hard, one of the things I feel about 1B defensive excellence is that like many other things if you do the 10000 hours of practice you can get really good at it, but unless you hit like Ryan Mountcastle a Club probably isn't going to waste its/your time growing that skill.    Unlike other baseball skills, you can probably grow it at an advanced age ala Hatteberg too.

    Up the middle positions are where even the 10000 hours of practice might not be enough to get you competent without some other baseball blessings.

    There might be 30 Ozzie Smiths of 1B on campuses who could outfield Eddie Murray but they can't hit so who cares.

     

    One of my favorite scenes in baseball movie history, nicely done.

    World Series Contenders?

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

    8 hours ago, Roll Tide said:

    Love the enthusiasm but not quite yet Jorge.

    World Series? Sure!....  Here's how, (pause while I hit a bowl of hopeium).....

    GRod gets health +8 potion, and debuts as 1984 Dwight Gooden

    DL Hall finds the majors to his liking, draws favorable "better than Koufax" commentary

    O's Brass decides "Let them throw innings"! and removes all artificial caps

    Gunnar debuts as our 3B, starts peppering AL East outfield walls with lasers

    Mateo's recent Jobu ritual with his bat becomes fastest growing religion in USA

    Westburg / Vavra / Urias go all hunger games on the 2B job

    Easy!

     

    • Haha 1

    2022 2nd Round Pick (#42): Max Wagner - 3B - (Jr) Clemson University

    in O's Amateur Draft and International Signings

    Posted

    1 hour ago, NelsonCruuuuuz said:

    Elias is so far ahead of everyone in mlb with his genius. He realizes that where the future of baseball is, pitching doesn’t exist. Genius!

    The mortally wounded equine continues to be beat with lance, pole, post and stick.

    My 14 year old neighbor kid's constant refrain...  "Elias sucks! Lawler will be Hall of Fame, easy!"  "I won my strat-o-matic league and know more than Elias, geeez!"

    • Upvote 3

    Gunnar Henderson 2022

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

     

    8 hours ago, ChuckS said:

    The batting title seems a random claim since up until this season he was not known for hitting for a high BA.  An OBP or Slugging title might seem like more of a fitting possibility, although both seem like a reach. 

    The pool of people on planet earth that understand what your post refers to, and can recite the event, is probably limited to the fanatics that frequent this forum. Bravo.

    In contrast, my 33rd wedding anniversary is coming up and I had to spend too many minutes today remembering the actual date.

    • Haha 1

    Are we having fun yet?

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

    3 games under .500 on July 8 and a 6 game win streak? What would have been the over / under before the season? And to do it with no Means or GRod contribution? Holy Harry Carey.

    3B is a black hole right now.... If Gunnar can fight his current mini-funk, show up and add to the shot in the arm Adley has been, whoa Cowboy.

    And just to continue the fantasy, if Hall can arrive and add a little lightning to the pitching staff..... Yes, please.

    Was never an Odor fan before this year (punching Joey Batz notwithstanding), but gotta say he's added something to the team. He'll be traded, we'll be underwhelmed with the return, but its the cycle of life.

    To all of which, I don't want to lose Mancini. I know he's likely to fetch us a decent prospect or a couple lottery tickets, but damn damn damn, he's too connected to the sinew of this team and he feels like the glue that holds it all together. Santander I'd miss a bit, but trading him opens the Stowers door. Please do not entertain Hays or Mullins trades.......

    And don't cha know it, I'm having fun at 4pm EST each day again after 4+ years of drudgery..... Be still my rapidly aging heart. Suddenly, the adult beverages are tasting sweeter!

     

     

    DL Hall 2022

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

    16 hours ago, Hazmat said:

    I can’t link to it but Zachary Silver, a mlb.com reporter, mentioned in a tweet that Hall was concerned he was tipping his pitches.  Since he raised that concern 2 starts ago, Hall has K’d 22 of the 38 batters he’s faced.

    That is like Nintendo with all the cheat codes.........

    The Westburg Theory

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted · Edited by Ridgway22
    emphasis

    1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

    I think you'll see Westburg and Henderson promoted together but who knows when that will be.   If it happens this season look for Odor to get moved before it happens.   Of course, the Orioles could surprise me and move Mateo or both Mateo and Odor.    I'm envisioning an infield of Henderson 3B, Mateo SS, and Westburg 2B.

    Yes, Please. Can I put a rush on that order?

    • Upvote 1

    Cedric Mullins 2022

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Frobby said:

    10 years, at the major league minimum.   

    More seriously, here’s a decent comp for you.  Back in 2019, the Blue Jays signed Randall Grichuk, then 27 and entering his Arb years, to a 5-year, $52 mm deal.  
    Grichuk was coming off a 2.5 rWAR season and his career high was 3.1 rWAR.   Mullins has been better than that, so I think it would cost more than 5/$52 mm to sign Mullins.  Maybe 5/$60 mm?   I wouldn’t want to go more than 5 years unless options were involved.  

    Do you think Mullins would sign for that?   Should the O’s offer it?
     

    You're the freakin' lawyer! You tell us what would be reasonable for each side! We're idiot fans trading strat-o-matic cards. Seriously, yes, I'd offer 5/60. Time to start dining at the adult table, where the wine has proper mouthfeel. Cedric for Meyer? Yeah, would have to consider that.

    A couple of milestones (or at least stepping stones) in the rebuild

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

    With some astonishment, i realized today, I'm enjoying watching this team after the drudgery of the last couple years.

    The bullpen has been nails. Cool to watch Jorge thrive in the role, Bautista do his best Armando Benitez imitation and Cionel throw zeros while looking like a movie star narco-trafficante kingpin. 

    Adley growing into the role is inspiring. A healthy Hays, watching Mateo channel his inner Ozzie, and Cedric continues to entertain.

    Mix in Rodriguez, Hall, Westburg, Henderson, hopefully Stowers & Vavra, and suddenly my expectations become, well, actual expectations.

    My icy heart is melting a little around the edges.

     

    • Upvote 4

    Kyle Bradish 2022

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

    28 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

    Haha, thanks. 

    I gotta admit at first I was like, "What the..!"

    Let me add a little bit to that post. I'm starting to have concerns with his fastball.
    Against 401 fastballs, batters have done this:

                  BA       XBA    SLG     XSLG   wOBA  xWOBA  WHIFF
    2022     .368    .341    .621    .637       .455     .439       16.9%
    RHB      .500     .423    .935    .869    .616       .548       12.5 %
    LHB      .220     .250    .268     .376    .265      .311        22.5%    

    Those fastball numbers against righthanders are scary bad. 

    So I looked at his fastball a little closer and the numbers surprised me. For a guy with a very overhand delivery, he doesn't get great spin rate and his vertical movement (13.9 inch) is actually below average for a 94.9 MPH fastball. That means his vertical movement does not make up for the fact that his fastball is almost dead straight (1 inch of horizonal movement) which comes out to -7.2 inches less than an average MLB fastball at that velocity making it -116% break from average.

    Let me summarize that for some that don't really get all of that. His fastball is very straight and doesn't have enough velocity or lack of drop to overcome the straightness. Basically his fastball needs to be located very well for success and explains why they are hitting it so hard in the zone.

    This does not bode well for his long-term success at the major league level an ANY role without an adjustment to his fastball or a sudden ability to locate really well.

    Righties hitting .500 off his 95mph avg fastball? No bueno. I'm assuming he's throwing a 4-seamer.... Might be a candidate to try becoming a sinkerball guy. I share your concern, the MLB junkyard is filled with guys with exciting velocity who end up selling life insurance. Velocity, Movement, Command, you've got to have 2 of the 3. 

    • Upvote 1

    Connor Norby 2022

    in Minors

    Posted

    9 hours ago, Hazmat said:

    I don't understand why every player doesn't use that cheek guard addition to their batting helmet.  

    I tried in once back in the playing days. Couldn't hit with it, of course some would say I couldn't hit anyway, but it had the sensation of looking out of a pillbox. 

    Kyle Bradish 2022

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

    On 5/17/2022 at 8:31 AM, Tony-OH said:

    Bradish is a rookie holding his own in his first taste of the big leagues so there's going to be games like last night.

    Now remember, one of the reason why I didn't have Bradish as high as others did in prospect lists was because I wasn't sure he could stick as an effective starter long term. He's morphed from mainly a fastball-curveball guy to a fastball-hard diving slider guy who mixes in his curve and change occasionally. The slider is clearly his best pitch (41.% Whiff, .148 BA, .178 WOBA, .214 XWOBA, 90.5 EV) but his other offerings have been hit hard and often, including his fastball (15.9% Whiff, .333 BA, .438 WOBA, .386 XWOBA, 92.3 EV). He's using those two pitches 82.2% of the time and getting barreled at 10.% which is 22nd percentile in the league with league average at 6.7%.

    It's been just four starts, but we're starting to to see a little bit of some bad trends when it comes to him sticking as a starter long term.

    - The more pitches he throws the less effective he is with batters.

     - Pitches 1-25:    .278/.381/.278/.659
     - Pitches 26-50: .286/.310/.571/.882
     - Pitcher 51-75:  .400/.429/.680/1.109

    - Batter's hit him much better the 2nd time they see him in a game. 

     - 1st PA:  .273/.333/.364/.697
     - 2nd PA: .406/.444/.781/1.226

    - He has struggled pitching from the stretch

     - .429/.452/.893/1.345 in 31 PAs vs .216/.286/.255/.541 in 56 PAs with no one on base from the full.

    Now these are all small sample sizes, but they match up a bit to what I saw in the minors at times last year, especially early on before the slider became a weapon. 

    It's not to say Bradish won't have game where it works well, but we need to keep an eye on these stats with 2nd time through a lineup and after 25 pitches to see if they come down. If not, it suggests he's better suited for the bullpen longterm. 

    Yeah, Tony, gonna have to call you out on this post that is full of fluff, has no specifics, no actionable intel, provides no insight into the players actual performance, potential, or future role, and completely avoids the important question of his position on the social issues of the day. Seriously, why is this the first site i visit almost every day, and spend more time here than quality time with my wife?

     

     

     

    ...and just for those that might not get this type of humor, this post it the exact opposite of the implied, mKay?

    • Thanks 1
    • Haha 1

    Moves I’d like to see this weekend

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

    Wtf?  They sent Vespi back down?  Heavens forbid you actually keep a kid up and let him be good and gain experience.  FFS this organization is maddening even on a day they do something great.

    All part of the New Cruelty. Even though I'm not in Baltimore, i fear the Gods will not save me. The sheer weight of expectations AR's call-up lends to this point and time, soon to be followed(?) by Rodriguez and Hall, gives me an eggs and basket feeling. The collective psyche of Oriole Fan is resting on this turn of events, and should these 3 baby birds not do well (wood knocking sound), I'll need new Bose noise cancelling earphones to drown out the angst from a subset of the posters on this board. Godspeed AR. (And bring Vespi back up, WTH)

    This is all I want

    in Orioles Talk

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

    Well, considering that he had to "fight" to get to his .159/.302/.205/.506 slash line, I'm ready for him to take his place on the bench as a backup.

    Offensively, Chirinos is currently a black hole for sure. But man what a difference behind the plate vs. Sever-e-no-catch-the-ball. Impossible to quantify the positive impact on the pitching staff, but I'd be willing to bet a lot of someone else's money it is significant.

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