Impressions from the B Team - Red Sox game

[Sports Guy]

I agree with everything you just wrote.

Here is what I have said about Mahoney.

1) I said he has impressed Buck and Buck said he looks like a ball player. That is a complement it has only been reported that Buck has given to a few and to hardly any minor leaguers that have never played in the majors. I don't think this is in dispute although some don't value the comment. I do.

2) I said that Buck's comments and Mahoney's play this spring so far has moved him up on the prospect list IMO. I say to #3. That is not saying a lot because there is quite a drop off after Britton and Machado. I asked who would be ahead of him considering Buck impression and how he as played this spring and no one has answered except for Frobby who would not name anyone.

Past that I haven't said much at all.

As far as Mahoney's past history, players develop. At least we hope they do. That is what I hope he did last year and what he is showing this spring - development.

Frobby decided to zap me as being bias. If someone zaps me I am probably going to respond.

As for a your JTrea comment. I doubt I am close. I am not saying that Mahoney should make the O's 25 roster this spring. I just said his play this spring and the impression he left on Buck moves him up on the prospect list IMO.

Now I agree that his flaws may show as the competition gets tougher. We don't know how that will play out right now. If it happens I will be willing to say that it effects the way I think about him. But let's wait and see. Right now he is showing well.

Your Mahoney obsession starting before Buck's relatively meaningless comments.

[wildcard]

Your Mahoney obsession starting before Buck's relatively meaningless comments.

My support for Mahoney started last year and his play so far this spring has just reenforced the support to this point. I wonder how long he stays with the major league club considering that he is not in the running for a 25 man roster spot.

[Sports Guy]

My support for Mahoney started last year and his play so far this spring has just reenforced the support to this point. I wonder how long he stays with the major league club considering that he is not in the running for a 25 man roster spot.

He has 16 at bats...How about waiting a little while before you completely overreact over a guy that is a borderline prospect?

[Frobby]

Frobby decided to zap me as being bias. If someone zaps me I am probably going to respond.

Here is what I said:

I think wildcard has hitched his wagon to this guy last fall and is now going to overreact to anything good that he does.

I'm not really meaning to "zap" you. But, you decided some time last summer/fall that you really like Mahoney. Then, when Jim Callis gave his opinion that Mahoney was not a top prospect, you reacted as though Callis had killed the guy's mother. Now you're saying he's in the top 75-100 prospects in baseball and no. 3 in our organization, and you are off on your own island in that opinion. There is no objective, reputable source that agrees with you. Please understand, I hope your opinion (about him being a top 75-100 prospect) is right. But I don't agree with it.

[wildcard]

Here is what I said:

I'm not really meaning to "zap" you. But, you decided some time last summer/fall that you really like Mahoney. Then, when Jim Callis gave his opinion that Mahoney was not a top prospect, you reacted as though Callis had killed the guy's mother. Now you're saying he's in the top 75-100 prospects in baseball and no. 3 in our organization, and you are off on your own island in that opinion. There is no objective, reputable source that agrees with you. Please understand, I hope your opinion (about him being a top 75-100 prospect) is right. But I don't agree with it.

Guess who joined my bias island of opinion? Jonathan Mayo. #4 may not be #3 but it is close enough.

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110316&content_id=16975566&vkey=news_bal&c_id=bal

[TJ Wrangler]

Guess who joined my bias island of opinion? Jonathan Mayo. #4 may not be #3 but it is close enough.

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110316&content_id=16975566&vkey=news_bal&c_id=bal

Don't mean to burst your bubble here, but I question any source that rates Adams and Mahoney over Hoes, Klein, and Givens.

First basemen generally only score that high if they have great bats because of how low 1b is on the defensive spectrum. I could understand ranking Mahoney that high if he played SS or 3b with great defense, but you can probably find 3 of him in any organization. He'll probably have his cup of coffee in the majors, but to me he's a dime a dozen 1b prospect.

EDIT: I'd also question this guy's sources, because in the end under pitcher of the year, he stated Klein will be starting. It's been known for awhile now that the Orioles plan to use him in relief this year.

[weams]

Don't mean to burst your bubble here, but I question any source that rates Adams and Mahoney over Hoes, Klein, and Givens.

First basemen generally only score that high if they have great bats because of how low 1b is on the defensive spectrum. I could understand ranking Mahoney that high if he played SS or 3b with great defense, but you can probably find 3 of him in any organization. He'll probably have his cup of coffee in the majors, but to me he's a dime a dozen 1b prospect.

EDIT: I'd also question this guy's sources, because in the end under pitcher of the year, he stated Klein will be starting. It's been known for awhile now that the Orioles plan to use him in relief this year.

Those are outstanding prospects. And young. What I have seen of Mahoney, (from back when Doc Shorebird pointed him out to us after losing 30 lbs on a offseason conditioning program 3 years ago) has impressed me. But I am no scout. If I am not mistaken, the Dr. Prescribed a diet that worked wonders for him. ~d has a video of him hitting in the cage from way back then.

[SrMeowMeow]

The problem is, every athletic mid-20s former non-prospect who has a good season always has some compelling reason why it's for real. Diet, weight loss, conditioning, batting stance, pitching mechanics, new pitch, new coach, new marriage, change of scenery, finally comfortable, etc., etc., etc., etc.

[RVAbird]

Guess who joined my bias island of opinion? Jonathan Mayo. #4 may not be #3 but it is close enough.

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110316&content_id=16975566&vkey=news_bal&c_id=bal

Wow I just saw Mayo's list. Way off in my opinion.

[Frobby]

Guess who joined my bias island of opinion? Jonathan Mayo. #4 may not be #3 but it is close enough.

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110316&content_id=16975566&vkey=news_bal&c_id=bal

I'm not too impressed with his list, but fine, it does give you some support. I'm pretty much done arguing about this. The season will be played, and if you are right, we'll know it by the end of the year.

[RVAbird]

What kind of a hitter are we projecting Mahoney to be, here?

If you asked me whether Mahoney could become a .280/.340/.450 type of player if things go right? Sure, I could buy that. It's not necessarily likely (I'm thinking more .270/.320/.430), but it's perfectly conceivable that Mahoney could become a solid average to above average major league hitter.

However, that just isn't gonna cut it as a starting ML first baseman. I think we need to discount our valuations significantly when we are talking about first base prospects. Snyder is probably living in the same area.

If Mahoney barely broke an .800 OPS over 300 PA in High-A as a 23 year old, and had never done so in 1,000 PA previous, why should we bet on him doing it at the ML level?

I don't think it's unreasonable to hope that these guys transition to become Casey Blake type bats at the ML level, but with little to no defensive versatility/positional value, that will make them fringe starters, 1 WAR players with not enough versatility to warrant a bench role on a good team. In the short term, solid MiL depth in case you get an injury to a first baseman, DH, or bench bat.

They might buck the odds and turn in long, productive ML careers, but because of the lack of ceiling I don't believe they belong on top prospect lists.

[TJ Wrangler]

Wow I just saw Mayo's list. Way off in my opinion.

I'm not too impressed with his list, but fine, it does give you some support. I'm pretty much done arguing about this. The season will be played, and if you are right, we'll know it by the end of the year.

That list looks like a filler piece to me.