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The cupboard really does seem bare these days


Frobby

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I haven't seen him at Delmarva, but I'd expect reports to be glowing. He has soft hands and a strong arm. His issues are going to come down the line if/when he gets bigger and if/when the range diminishes.

Machado has only made one error in the first 11 games. His range factor is looking pretty good, 4.70 per game. That stat isn't all that meaningful, but it certainly would be an above average range factor at the major league level.

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Machado has only made one error in the first 11 games. His range factor is looking pretty good, 4.70 per game. That stat isn't all that meaningful, but it certainly would be an above average range factor at the major league level.

If this post were made in 2013, I think O's fans would be thrilled! :)

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I've said this before, but it bears repeating: the Orioles have had a complete inability to develop hitters in the minors, especially high school hitters. They do much better with pitchers.

If anyone argues with you, ask them who the last high school hitter they drafted and developed into a full-time regular major leaguer. Saying that, I think Machado is going to break the streak.

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I've said this before, but it bears repeating: the Orioles have had a complete inability to develop hitters in the minors, especially high school hitters. They do much better with pitchers.
If anyone argues with you, ask them who the last high school hitter they drafted and developed into a full-time regular major leaguer. Saying that, I think Machado is going to break the streak.

Has anything changed, whether it is personnel (coaching) or process, that gives you hope that the Os are now better at developing hitters?

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The way I see it is that I’m not going to steal second and third,” Bell said. “I’m a guy who can hit and produce runs, so I’m trying to hit the ball. I do feel like I’ve been overly aggressive. But I’m trying to hit.

This quote is from Josh Bell. Does anyone in the O's minor league system tell these guys that it's OK to take a walk? And frankly this scares the heck out of me.

Bell came over from LA and had 70 K's to 50 BB's on the year. The year before 56-31. So a year and a half of two straight season of real meaningful improvement in his walk rates. 128-42 the year before. He gets to Bowie and promptly goes right back to what he was doing before. 28-11 in Bowie. 78-23 the next year. 18-1 this year.

Are they teaching these guys the value of the walk down there at all? If they could get it through Bell's head that he could be a good MLB hitter if he cut down on the K's, upped the walks and started offering only a pitches he could hit, that's a guy I think this fan base could get excited for. But it seems like the closer his BA and OBP are the lower and lower his OPS is getting.

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This quote is from Josh Bell. Does anyone in the O's minor league system tell these guys that it's OK to take a walk? And frankly this scares the heck out of me.

Bell came over from LA and had 70 K's to 50 BB's on the year. The year before 56-31. So a year and a half of two straight season of real meaningful improvement in his walk rates. 128-42 the year before. He gets to Bowie and promptly goes right back to what he was doing before. 28-11 in Bowie. 78-23 the next year. 18-1 this year.

Are they teaching these guys the value of the walk down there at all? If they could get it through Bell's head that he could be a good MLB hitter if he cut down on the K's, upped the walks and started offering only a pitches he could hit, that's a guy I think this fan base could get excited for. But it seems like the closer his BA and OBP are the lower and lower his OPS is getting.

Look at how they develop hitters..They don't develop OBP...They don't develop power. Its an awful system when it comes to developing hitters.
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Look at how they develop hitters..They don't develop OBP...They don't develop power. Its an awful system when it comes to developing hitters.

This year in Norfolk they've got the worst K/BB ratio in the International League. Even Reimold is getting sucked into the trends 17 K to 5 BB. When are the O's going to do something about this? I'm not asking for a K/BB ratio that's best in the league, but we can't expect guys that strike out a ton in the minors to progress to the AL East and have any success at all.

The fact that Bell can make that quote and someone isn't dragging his butt into the office and telling him to learn to take a pitch scares me about the development of a guy like Angle. He's a guy we've got to teach to be able to defend his position and get on base any way he can.

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Has anything changed, whether it is personnel (coaching) or process, that gives you hope that the Os are now better at developing hitters?

Yes, the Orioles have brought in Milt May and Denny Hocking, both of which have been credited by various people in and out of the organization as being outstanding hitting coaches. Plus, Machado has a pretty impressive set of skills to start off with.

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Yes, the Orioles have brought in Milt May and Denny Hocking, both of which have been credited by various people in and out of the organization as being outstanding hitting coaches. Plus, Machado has a pretty impressive set of skills to start off with.

I hope they can right the ship for Ohlman & Givens, both of whom have mightily struggled so far.

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Or if you look at it a different way, those were the days that we had to pay attention to those players in the minors because (like in '08 when you referenced the Bowie rotation), we had to deal with a rotation at the major league level that included a solid Jeremy Guthrie, but nothing else. The next best ERA among our starters was good ole Daniel Cabrara with a 5.25 mark. That was also the year no one in the pen could get an out (other than Johnson and Bradford).

Oh yeah and Luis Hernandez, Freddie Bynum, Alex Cintron, and Juan Castro all had a shot to nail down the SS position.

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Sure... it used to be that we had noone in the Majors worth talking about. Now a large number of the people in the Minors that were worth talking about have worked up to Baltimore. But sadly... there really is VERY little in the system right now when talking of guys that have legit (10% or greater) shots to become big leaguers (without being in way over their heads).

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That is way down the road. But let's just say there wouldn't be the kind of excitement about a Snyder, Mahoney or Adams call-up the way there was with several of the guys called up in 2009 (Wieters, Matusz, Tillman), 2010 (Arrieta) or with Britton this year. They just aren't looked upon the same way. None of them has gotten any national attention, and none of them seem likely to be impact players in the majors (though of course we will hope that turns out to be wrong).

I am not ready to put limits on what these prospects will do. They have all had their periods where they have hit really well. Its a matter of seeing some consistent play at AAA and then getting a chance in the majors. Sometimes young guys take off. I'll wait to see what happens is the next year or so.

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Trading is one way to restock the minors. Not only would we be restocking, but we would be stocking with players from organizations with better talent evaluators. Would you trade Markakis if we could get a haul like we did for Bedard? How about Matusz? Britton? Wieters?

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