MacPhail and Buck on State of the O's

[Frobby]

A few other tidbits from Fanfest:

Willie Randolph was really impressive. Very charismatic and friendly seeming, but very self-confident. He should be a great addition.

Mark Connor seems like a really serious guy. He said he will tell the pitchers that the time for development is over, now it is time to perform, and not just once the team is 25 games out of first place, but before it is too late. He siad it was very important to come out of the gate strong. He has watched film and is really impressed with what we have.

John Russell said the O's were going to be really aggressive on the basepaths, especially in the spring because he wants to push the guys to run hard all the time and go until the coaches tell them to stop. He said don't be surprised to see some guys thrown out by 15 feet early, they will back off once everyone has pushed themselves and knows their limits.

Overall, the coaches seemed very impressive and it's clear they've been talking a lot this winter.

[DrungoHazewood]

This doesn't even remotely answer the question I asked you.

Sure it did, I just didn't come right out and say "The O's aren't as close to the Red Sox as the Royals are to the White Sox." Which is really your criticism: The O's are maybe the 15th-best organization in MLB, up from maybe 28th when MacPhail took over, but since the rest of the AL East is in the top 10 you harshly criticize the organization at every chance.

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

Sure it did, I just didn't come right out and say "The O's aren't as close to the Red Sox as the Royals are to the White Sox." Which is really your criticism: The O's are maybe the 15th-best organization in MLB, up from maybe 28th when MacPhail took over, but since the rest of the AL East is in the top 10 you harshly criticize the organization at every chance.

Amen brotha. Very well said. I get tired of people like Sports Guy complaining about the Orioles day in and day out. I think you should find a new team to root for if you want to complain about the Orioles so much. AM has done an excellent job while he has been here despite what people on here want to think. AM is going to leave the Orioles in great shape whenever his time comes to leave.

[Moose Milligan]

Amen brotha. Very well said. I get tired of people like Sports Guy complaining about the Orioles day in and day out. I think you should find a new team to root for if you want to complain about the Orioles so much. AM has done an excellent job while he has been here despite what people on here want to think. AM is going to leave the Orioles in great shape whenever his time comes to leave.

He's done what everyone had wanted before he took over: Build a youthful team. Now that hasn't translated to the win column yet and that's obviously why people are so frustrated. However this is what most everyone here wanted.

[Flosman]

Amen brotha. Very well said. I get tired of people like Sports Guy complaining about the Orioles day in and day out. I think you should find a new team to root for if you want to complain about the Orioles so much. AM has done an excellent job while he has been here despite what people on here want to think. AM is going to leave the Orioles in great shape whenever his time comes to leave.

See I am not willing to go that far yet. If the guys we drafted the last two drafts in particular do not step up we will not be in great shape. The early returns are worrisome. If several of those guys take off and we do well this year then we might be able to say that.

[Bradysburns]

You've got some stones calling someone out on something given how often you dodge questions around here, lil buddy.

I thought he made a legitimate point, and bothered to back it up with an actual quote. Grow the arms, buy the bats is a slippery concept, and it seems to have led to question marks all along the middle of our batting order.

[Mad Mark]

After listening to Buck this morning, I was willing to run through a wall for the guy, so imagine what his players must feel. I really wasn't buying into this so much last season, but today I came away with the feeling that Showalter brings an "X" factor to the table. It will be interesting to see if it can play out over the long term.

[bobmc]

A few other tidbits from Fanfest:

Willie Randolph was really impressive. Very charismatic and friendly seeming, but very self-confident. He should be a great addition.

Mark Connor seems like a really serious guy. He said he will tell the pitchers that the time for development is over, now it is time to perform, and not just once the team is 25 games out of first place, but before it is too late. He siad it was very important to come out of the gate strong. He has watched film and is really impressed with what we have.

John Russell said the O's were going to be really aggressive on the basepaths, especially in the spring because he wants to push the guys to run hard all the time and go until the coaches tell them to stop. He said don't be surprised to see some guys thrown out by 15 feet early, they will back off once everyone has pushed themselves and knows their limits.

Overall, the coaches seemed very impressive and it's clear they've been talking a lot this winter.

Thanks to you and others here who have brought the Fanfest to life for those of us too far away to partake! I had forgotten about Willie Randolph and Russell and Connor sound very interesating at this point. :clap3:

[Bradysburns]

So are you proposing a different strstegy? A Trean one perhaps? Say, spending big bucks on Dunn and Beltre, etc. and limiting our ability down the road to extend Jones, Matusz, Arrieta etc. key FA pieces, and sign top drfaft choices? Or is this just your usual carping.

I think we tried to spend big bucks on Dunn, and VMart, etc. But the problem is, we are NO GOOD at landing these guys. We've failed time and again. That's part of the problem. People pretend that AM has never gone after a good FA hitter. He has. He's just an abject failure at landing them, or understanding the true nature of his position in the market.

Tex was the screaming example of this, but there have been others. Bottom line, at the end of the day, I just look at what a guy actually does... not what he says. And one thing AM does is regularly whiff on good FAs.

[TheBee]

A few other tidbits from Fanfest:

Willie Randolph was really impressive. Very charismatic and friendly seeming, but very self-confident. He should be a great addition.

Mark Connor seems like a really serious guy. He said he will tell the pitchers that the time for development is over, now it is time to perform, and not just once the team is 25 games out of first place, but before it is too late. He siad it was very important to come out of the gate strong. He has watched film and is really impressed with what we have.

John Russell said the O's were going to be really aggressive on the basepaths, especially in the spring because he wants to push the guys to run hard all the time and go until the coaches tell them to stop. He said don't be surprised to see some guys thrown out by 15 feet early, they will back off once everyone has pushed themselves and knows their limits.

Overall, the coaches seemed very impressive and it's clear they've been talking a lot this winter.

I'm glad to hear that Connor has already been watching film. His predecessor admitted in previous winters that he hadn't really watched much film of the prospects and new pitchers to the organization. That just didn't sit right with me - especially when guys like Gonzalez would struggle with velocity, mechanics, and health in the spring.

[TheBee]

After listening to Buck this morning, I was willing to run through a wall for the guy, so imagine what his players must feel. I really wasn't buying into this so much last season, but today I came away with the feeling that Showalter brings an "X" factor to the table. It will be interesting to see if it can play out over the long term.

The ability to motivate people is a crucial and sometimes underestimated element of successful leadership.

[Bradysburns]

Anyone want to explain this one? I'm at a loss.

From CamdenChat's twitter account.

This is the kind of quote that makes me think AM is not nearly the egg-headed genius we all think he is... That's just quite simply frightening.

Dude. Like. How do you ensure that you get good players in the draft? Yes, AM. Scouts!

[Kevin Lomax]

I think we tried to spend big bucks on Dunn, and VMart, etc. But the problem is, we are NO GOOD at landing these guys. We've failed time and again. That's part of the problem. People pretend that AM has never gone after a good FA hitter. He has. He's just an abject failure at landing them, or understanding the true nature of his position in the market.

Tex was the screaming example of this, but there have been others. Bottom line, at the end of the day, I just look at what a guy actually does... not what he says. And one thing AM does is regularly whiff on good FAs.

It boggles my mind that people criticize AM for free agents not signing here. There is no magic sauce that other GMs use.

They have good teams or the player has another reason to play there i.e. several fellow countrymen, more at bats or innings, or the ability to play the position they want, or THEY WANT TO WIN!

How about some perspective and logic? How about you tell me some first hand information you and Trea have about any of AMs negotiations.

If I never heard AM cant wine and dine or some lame joke about his sweater vest it would be too soon.

Blame previous regimes and PA before you push AM off the plank.

[Sports Guy]

Sure it did, I just didn't come right out and say "The O's aren't as close to the Red Sox as the Royals are to the White Sox." Which is really your criticism: The O's are maybe the 15th-best organization in MLB, up from maybe 28th when MacPhail took over, but since the rest of the AL East is in the top 10 you harshly criticize the organization at every chance.

This is such bs.

Whatever, i can see there is no point in discussing this with you.

Maybe I can talk about the unfair system and how MLB should be like soccer.