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Kano Ruiz is ready to play! Something tells me he'll be locked in at the plate from here on out!

This brought such a smile to my face!

Hanser Scorpion is ready!

much love to you phil. By the way, your name always reminds me of this scene from City Slickers 2:

Now that Mountcastle has finally joined the birds, this team will be back to being fun to watch again! These baby birds never grow old and they never quit...or die.

Do you even MK bro?! There's a theme from my OP. Here's a refresher mah dewd.

I am a believer in your ability Seva. I do think you would do just as well as Davis at the plate. You'd get a freak hit and a freak rbi. That pretty much makes you tied. I don't see how we don't see Mountcastle at LF now that Hayes is out. Once Mountcastle is called up, I find it difficult to believe Davis would still be here. It's time to cut bait with that overweight lack of try.

Just bumping after another fun as #@$% win. Damn does this team fight like Liu Kang after his brother's soul was taken by a Sorcerer.

Its from major league duuuuude. And damn is this team fun to watch!

You and me both. It's time. CD had back to back days of ole plays. We don't need a Dorn. Perhaps Tanner Scott (Rick Vaughn) could sleep with his wife. Maybe that'll wake his ass up. Hell, it worked for Dorn in Major League.

Smith made up for that error with an rbi. He has played well. I honestly thought you were talking about Davis. We need to cut bait as he lacks effort out there, offensively and defensively. We only have 3 outfielders plus Velazquez vs. 1b where we could platoon some guys. Its ok to smile once and awhile.

Glad you enjoyed it. This team is damn fun. You'd really like the highlight video then!

if Cisco can have that much of an impact not on his game but others, he will be a valuable asset for years to come. Guy has really sold out on his approach. He is not fooled.

This team fights like they are trying to stop Shang Tsung from converging Outworld and the real world in some sort of fighting tournament to the death.

You guys could make winning the lottery not fun.

A fun team to watch deserves a fun highlight video and in honor of the 25th anniversary of Mortal Kombat on August 18th....I give to you...this... ORIOLE KOMBAT!! Test Your Might

He would always hit in the minors. He just never really got a shot here and I never really understood as to why.

Add to it that he looks like Steve Carrell's effeminate brother... I'm sure he's a nice guy but he's a lump of fluff. I don't know why MLB just doesn't let fans announce this year's games. Stream them on twitch or something and let's just make this as fun as possible. I really am tired of paying to hear these lifeless personalities dictate the action when I know fellas at home could do it better. Oh well. Maybe Joe Angel will be bored and return to save us all.

It really was innocuous. It said "more than an athlete". Its more about how it set him apart. You could look at it as a negative or a positive or neutral. It's not about the political message even if there was one at all. Its just a window into the psyche of the player. And go O's. I want nothing more than to be able to share a World Series with my dad before he passes. He has battled cancer, diabetes, and is still going strong. But man, we need a window to open up because 5 years from now may be a different story. I think that's the main reason why I'm taking such investment in this rebuild and will be vocal in the near future. Go O's!

Well it's difficult to pinpoint exactly. Just odd that he is the only one doing so and when you are being as selective as one is afforded with the number two pick, every glimpse into the psyche of the person in question matters. I'm more worried about his future position defensively, his lack of power and his arm strength to be honest. But I do think to scout a player is to scout a person. Analytics is a tool and so is psychology. We are multifaceted and each facet requires examination. That's why the interview process is important. It may not be as important as grading the player out, but it is a factor. So what does it say about his character? I can't give a fair answer as I have never had the opportunity to watch the kid in that capacity or to sit down and talk with the kid. I can say in his answers to the media, they are a lot more mercurial than I would hope. These are tiny red flags for sure but again, we were in a position to be as choosey as we would like to be. I think we made a wise choice. We will find out in three years and I look forward to revisiting this topic at that time. Either way, go O's and here's to a playoff calibur team in 3-5 years.

I wasn't. Did you not read my response? I said it didn't matter what side of the political spectrum his statement was about. It was the fact he made a statement at all. No other top prospect chose to do so. I'm merely positing that that means something about that particular player. I could care less what his politics are. I am merely showing that it is a reflection of his character for him to make any message at all. That's it.

I hear you and you're right. You cant really say cant miss without at least a full season but the tools are there and Elias has shown with Grayson that he has an eye for elite high school pitching. Cikelo (sp?) The orioles scouting director made allusions that a pitcher was taken before they got their ability to do so. I only put two and two together to determine that was likely Bitsko. But you're right. Man, I really have to watch my P's and Q's with you guys as yall are prone to pick apart every word and apply your own definition. I like it though. I will learn to communicate my thoughts to fellow O's fans in better ways as to express my thoughts clearly to all.

I'm not the only who feels his arm is iffy and his power is iffy. These are things he displayed as a player. He also is a player without a position. His best use is second base. I'm good on a non power threat second baseman who can get on a base. That type of player does not differentiate your team and it certainly isn't worth a #2 pick. So then you start looking at intangibles and there are red flags for me. That grades him lower in my book but what do I know? I'm not a scout. I'm just a fan of the O's and strongly want to share a world series with my dad before he kicks the bucket. Of course I painted each player differently. It's called analysis. Neither has Kjerstad. They asked him what he brought to the table, he said three things, my power bat, my athleticism and my ability to be a good teammate. Go look at the interview with Martin done in january 24th. He was asked the same exact question and he did not say being a good teammate. I'm just going by gut feeling and my the limited information I have before me. Vandy coach is a homer who is selling his kid. Especially so close to the draft, there is no way he would choose to say something negative about his guy. No way, no how. That would negatively impact his player, his reputation with other scouts and potentially future recruiting prospects. You can be done with this if youd like but I asked you a simple question. Show me where Martin has saying being a good teammate is an important part of his game. You cant. I've looked. He says he wants to be on the team, he will play anywhere the team asks and he feels what he brings to the team will make them better. No where does anyone else factor into anything he says. Hes a competitor, that's neat but it can cut both ways. I work with lawyers to help them pick juries for murder trials. I get paid handsomely to do so because I'm damn good at what I do. This is what I see in Martin. This my read on Kjerstad. This is my read on the type of people they are. I could be wrong but I dont think I am.

Those are quotes from others and from those who are selling the kid to scouts and to prognosticators. I'd say they are a bit biased dont you think? What are they going to say and why at that point would the say anything negative at all? My point is find one interview where Martin has said that teammates and comradeship matter and are an important part of his game. You can't. Meanwhile Kjerstad goes out of his way to say that's one of the parts about his game and his personality. I'm damn thrilled with Kjerstad and I do believe you will be too. I think he fits the culture perfectly and will be great in the clubhouse. Guys like Mancini and Means and Adley and Grayson are the type of guys I think Elias is building a culture around. I think Kjerstad will fit in perfectly with that group and they will all be better because of it. Martin had some red flags outside of his personality anyway. He had no real position at Vandy. He couldnt lock down a single one in college. His arm is weak so centerfielder would be a defensive liability, he couldnt lock down third or short in college so he'd be a liability there and he didn't display much power. He is fast but not that fast. Hes more instinctual and he runs the bases well. These are all coachable but the things he lacks you cant coach. Time will tell but I am thrilled with Kjerstad and the fact that we got a deal on a better player to get two more is the smart strategy for a shortened draft. Elias hit a homerun 3-5 years from now I think you will feel the same way. I also think he really wanted Bitsko and the fact he was taken two picks earlier kinda threw a wrench in our plans but we ended up better up the middle and with more power potential bats but that's the uncertainty you get with drafting against top teams in the majors. Bitsko was one of those cant miss guys and others thought so as well. I also didn't realize saying "a fella like that" was an affront to anyone. I only meant that it is indicative of his personality. Everything matters when you have the number two pick. You can afford to split hairs. I look at body language too. I look at family. I look at background. It all matters when figuring out who someone really is versus who someone wants you to believe. I have to do this for a living. It's part of what I get paid to do. I am good at it and i think i have Martin pegged. Time will tell but i have strong convictions for why i am right.