allquixotic

When the opposing team has a lead, we have a record like the White Sox. Even down 4-2 it’s basically over.

He might just be a bust unfortunately. Had a lot of chances.

I’d be fine with hitting Altuve in a safe spot every AB. Or IBB him. Worked in the 1st.

I see his eyes darting between the pitcher and the dugout when he’s batting. It can’t be easy to focus on the ball when you keep looking to the side. He needs to focus on the pitch.

Standing O!!! Incredible catch!

HOF mowed into the grass with an Orioles O

It was fantastic. People in my section were cheering before it was over.

Yeah! It’s beautiful. Lovely 80 degree air, the sun is blocked where I’m sitting by the stadium, and it was easy in and out with parking. We got bobbleheads. Everyone was RUNNING toward the entrance to try to get theirs. They had plenty to give out, but the Upper Deck sections that are often closed are open tonight. My mom bet 43,123 tonight. I bet 40k attendance.

I accidentally typoed their team name as the Asstros in my other (now deleted) game thread.

I’ll pull my yard pics over to your thread - my bad!

I'm not sure it's mental. It could be physical, in the worst sense of the term. Getting ready for a 162 game marathon season requires a lot, and I mean a lot of preparation. The off-season should be the opposite of a "break" for MLB players. They get paid big bucks; those $$$$$$$ are not there so they can sit on their butts like fans during the off-season and play video games and make babies. They get paid the big bucks because they should be spending every single day of the off-season preparing themselves to have the endurance to withstand the long and difficult regular season, and still have something left in the tank for the postseason. There needs to be an independent investigation into the organization and what they were doing over the off-season. I don't think it's mental. I think Adley Rutschman, Cedric Mullins, Ryan Mountcastle, Craig Kimbrel, and most of the other guys on this team spent way too much time goofing off during the off-season, and not nearly enough time preparing themselves. There is a lot of evidence for it. Look how well they used their talents and raw skill to achieve amazing heights in the first half. Don't get me wrong; these guys are strong. They can hit a baseball a long way, and our pitchers can throw the ball really hard. But they don't have the conditioning that the team used to emphasize that gives you physical endurance. This article is a great read. It should be required reading for all the players, coaches and staff. https://thebaltimorewire.com/2014/03/17/baltimore-orioles-brady-anderson-conditioning-component/

The most annoying thing is, we'll have one game, maybe two games, where we get numerous timely hits in a row. Homers, yes, but also knocking them in from second and third. Bases clearing doubles and triples. The impact kind of hits that make you cheer and go "wow!" People will remember those games and cite them as examples of the O's doing fine for like 3-4 weeks, even though they do basically nothing for 5 out of 7 games a week.

Looks like the Yankees are heating up again. We're definitely playing for a wildcard, probably the second wildcard, and that's far from a guarantee. Odds are probably about 40% to make the playoffs after tonight's loss, if I were a betting man (I'm not).

What is a pull hitter or an opposite field hitter, then? I know your point is generally true that they can't control it with laser precision, but there's definitely a relationship between training / physical tendencies and where the ball goes. Same with shortening up on the bat. Bunting. Baltimore chop. There are techniques.

He will still probably make a killing with his FA contract. Not with the O's. And he'll probably have several more excellent years. Because, you know how it goes, right? If it's the Orioles, the players suck, get injured, or play down. If they get hired by another team, they put on the jets and play amazingly well. The second most likely option is that we'll re-sign Burnes (for a lot of money) and he will either be completely ineffective or require back to back TJs for 4 years. Again, because the Orioles can never do anything right. Bad luck, incompetence, whatever. They haven't been past the ALCS since before I was born, and I have gray hairs in my beard.

The Astros are a good example of what we could be... what we used to be ~3 months ago. Making good contact and having good control of the where the baseball goes, so you can somewhat reliably hit it where they ain't. When we aren't striking out, we're hitting the ball directly to them. That's the new Oriole Way.

Funny; I've noticed all year when I go to the games that the wave ALWAYS starts in the 8th inning. Never seen it start any earlier. If the loud cheering had any impact, I'd be doing my damndest to make my section start the wave in the bottom of the first!

6th inning, time for Burnes to turn into a pumpkin. Or Ubaldo.

Look at the stats after the All Star Break. Like I said, it's as if they trained for an 81 game season.

The last time he started and gave up 8 runs I would agree with you. Tonight, giving up 2 runs so far isn't being "outpitched". Our lineup has no capability to hit off of a league average MLB pitcher having a decent night. None. It's been true for years: we are a mistake hitting team. If their pitcher is throwing competitive pitches, mostly strikes, good velo, a little movement or a little deception, we have no chance. Other teams that go to the playoffs and win championships find ways to hit off of those pitchers. We cannot.

So tired of Holliday's slow and inaccurate swinging for the fences. Hitting 3 home runs a month and batting a buck 78 isn't going to cut it. We need players who can get on base. Home runs are nice but he doesn't hit them at a rate that would make his BA irrelevant. Guy reminds me of a washed-up Chris Davis and he's only 20.

Asking Kimbrel to get 2 outs with a 4-run lead and no one on base is a tall order.

Would the older style pitchers, who didn't fall apart catastrophically at a rate of one per 2 weeks, have any chance for their stuff to play in the modern game? Maybe pitch slower with more movement? Just throwing ideas at the wall to see what would stick. Our current approach to pitching is not working. Our pen is completely tapped out and tired, and we have two rotations worth of starters because they're all hurt. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.

At some point you have to wonder if it’s the training or coaching that is causing these pitchers to drop like flies. They’ve been absolutely demolished by injury - with a ridiculous number of TJ surgeries. Someone needs to figure out what we’re doing wrong with player coaching/development/training and Stop Doing That. I don’t care if their ERAs go up. I’d rather have a healthy team with a higher ERA than losing a pitcher every 3-6 weeks to TJ. This is madness.