So, I guess Buck's honeymoon is over?

[SammyBirdland]

I want 2010 Buck back.

[NewMarketSean]

I see very little that he is doing differently this year compared to last year. I must have missed all those times last year that he benched some player over a brain fart. If you can specify the times when that happened, I'm all ears.

Does anyone know if the list of the entire organization is still hanging in Buck's office? Maybe it still is, but if it is, then you have to wonder why Vlad's still batting clean-up or why Mike Gonzalez is still pitching for us.

I guess the crux of the issue is that Buck is saying one thing (either when he said it last year or in the commercials) and doing the other. Gregg's still getting all those saves and the aggressive 3rd base coach is no longer 3rd base coach. Right or wrong, his actions aren't matching his words, which didnt seem like the case last year.

[LA2]

Not that 4-for-8 is any evidence either way.

Not so sure that Weaver and Johnson, when they made their celebrated substitutions, had much larger sample sizes.

[NewMarketSean]

You are talking about the same Nolan Reimold who had a .610 OPS last year, is a poor fielder, and was putting up a .237/.329/.410 line in AAA at the age of 27, right?

There is a little bit of wiggle room, that maybe some off-field stuff and motivation and whatnot might allow for a scenario where he's better than that. But you don't bench Vlad a month or two into the season so that a 27-year-old guy with a .730 OPS in AAA can play every day.

A month or two into the season? It's almost July. In the last 365 days Vlad has a .735 OPS. Not horrible but not good enough for clean-up and not enough for a 1-year player to start over a potential future player who could probably do as well or better.

[Frobby]

A month or two into the season? It's almost July. In the last 365 days Vlad has a .735 OPS. Not horrible but not good enough for clean-up and not enough for a 1-year player to start over a potential future player who could probably do as well or better.

You don't pay a guy $8 mm to come here and give up on him after 76 games. His numbers aren't nearly bad enough to do that.

Derek Jeter is still batting leadoff despite his .710 OPS last year and .649 OPS this year. And the Yankees have a much better leadoff hitter (Garnder) available to them.

[NewMarketSean]

You don't pay a guy $8 mm to come here and give up on him after 76 games. His numbers aren't nearly bad enough to do that.

Derek Jeter is still batting leadoff despite his .710 OPS last year and .649 OPS this year. And the Yankees have a much better leadoff hitter (Garnder) available to them.

You have to do something though. Move him down, play him less.

I'll never understand the "he's making this much" argument for why someone needs to play. The money is already spent and there are games to be played. And I'd bet that Jeter's days of batting at the top of the order are coming to an end. The Yanks aren't going to sacrifice offense and wins to bat their struggling golden child lead-off. And Jeter is not taking AB's away from Gardener.

But that's not even the point here...it's Buck's managerial style and it appears that now that he's got him some veterans, he thinks he's gonna become Emmit Brown and turn back the clock to when these guys were superstars. And he'll be waiting a long time...when last year, he wasn't waiting. Or at least made it seem like he wasn't going to wait.

Who knows, maybe Buck was full of hot air from the get go and fell into a good two months of pitching? It's beginning to look that way. And that's what you're arguing for, Frobby.

[McNulty]

I generally have liked Buck's bullpen usage. I don't understand where you are coming from on "one and done." He has used Koji multiple innings 5 times, Gonzalez 6 times, JJ 15 times, Accardo 11 times, Berken 9 times, Rapada 3 times. Who exactly would you like to see pitching multiple innings more often? It is not Buck's fault that he only has three reliable guys out there (I am including Gregg on that list since his 3.26 ERA is quite respectable). Speaking of that, if you make Koji the closer, all you are doing is adding to the number of innings Gregg is likely to pitch, and subtracting from Koji -- is that really what you want?

I agree. I don't get the "one and done" either. He's used relievers a bunch for multiple innings. More than the average manager.

[LA2]

Hardy

Markakis

Jones

Lee (assuming he continues to improve, with power)

Wieters

Reynolds

Guerrero

Scott/Reimold

Andino/Davis until Roberts returns (if he returns)

[alaniee]

You are talking about the same Nolan Reimold who had a .610 OPS last year, is a poor fielder, and was putting up a .237/.329/.410 line in AAA at the age of 27, right?

There is a little bit of wiggle room, that maybe some off-field stuff and motivation and whatnot might allow for a scenario where he's better than that. But you don't bench Vlad a month or two into the season so that a 27-year-old guy with a .730 OPS in AAA can play every day.

Yeah we're talking about the only O's hitter with a multi-HR game for a long time until Mark Reynolds did it. And Nolan did it in how many at bats? Very little! Sure you can say he had a lucky monster game - it's also something none of the other O's can say they have had so far this year. I believe Mark Reynolds did have a multi-HR game after Reimold did or maybe Reimold is still the only one I'm not sure. I just vividly remember someone finally having a multi-HR game after Reimold did...I may be wrong though

"Nolan Reimold hasn't been playing, and it's something that manager Buck Showalter admits bothers him. " LOL it bothers him but he doesn't do anything about it. Nice -- that quote is from article on orioles.com

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110628&content_id=21111106&notebook_id=21111348&vkey=notebook_bal&c_id=bal

[DrungoHazewood]

Not so sure that Weaver and Johnson, when they made their celebrated substitutions, had much larger sample sizes.

They did the best they had with the information available. But this is a case where a little information is worse than none at all. But it's also not a lot worse, so Johnson's and Weaver's other traits were way more than enough to make up for it.

You have to do something though. Move him down, play him less.

I'll never understand the "he's making this much" argument for why someone needs to play.

This isn't a case of money driving decisions. This isn't Jose Guillen in year 3 of a horrific five year deal being played only because the Royals still owe him $50M. This is a guy who's only owed another $4 or $5M. He's being played because last year he was still a 120 OPS hitter, and the O's didn't bring him only to sit him after a cold month.

Obviously you start platooning him or cutting back his playing time real soon, but no manager in his right mind would have benched Vlad in early May to play a guy who hadn't hit in over a year.

[CA-ORIOLE]

You don't pay a guy $8 mm to come here and give up on him after 76 games. His numbers aren't nearly bad enough to do that.

Derek Jeter is still batting leadoff despite his .710 OPS last year and .649 OPS this year. And the Yankees have a much better leadoff hitter (Garnder) available to them.

His numbers are now below replacement level. That's pretty pathetic. Consider baserunning and it's even worse. I suppose he may get better, but we have to consider he may be done, may likely only be marginally better, and is hurting the team.

I get that there is some respect due VLAD, but there is no comparison between Jeter and Vlad as to what they mean to their respective teams/franchises. Word is Jeter will likley be moved down in the order when he gets back off the DL.

[Tony-OH]

They did the best they had with the information available. But this is a case where a little information is worse than none at all. But it's also not a lot worse, so Johnson's and Weaver's other traits were way more than enough to make up for it.

This isn't a case of money driving decisions. This isn't Jose Guillen in year 3 of a horrific five year deal being played only because the Royals still owe him $50M. This is a guy who's only owed another $4 or $5M. He's being played because last year he was still a 120 OPS hitter, and the O's didn't bring him only to sit him after a cold month.

Obviously you start platooning him or cutting back his playing time real soon, but no manager in his right mind would have benched Vlad in early May to play a guy who hadn't hit in over a year.

Jon, do you really think Vlad is just having a cold month? I understood why Vlad was signed and agreed with it at the time, but clearly he has very little power left due to his deteriorated bat speed and some point you have to try something else, regardless of the sunk cost. Reimold may never be more than a platoon-type outfielder/DH, but at some point he has to be run out there every day and and be given one last chance to show what he can do. I'm sure we all agree that Vlad has no future here but Reimold might. If fine with giving Vlad until the All-star break to find the fountain of youth, but in the second half, most of his at bats should go to Reimold if nothing changes.

[Sports Guy]

I want 2010 Buck back.

Yea..I am surprised Frobby doesn't see much of a difference between 2010 Buck and 2011 Buck.

[LA2]

Yea..I am surprised Frobby doesn't see much of a difference between 2010 Buck and 2011 Buck.

What do you think would have motivated such a reputedly headstrong individual to change his managing style (which, I agree, has changed)?

[DrungoHazewood]

Jon, do you really think Vlad is just having a cold month? I understood why Vlad was signed and agreed with it at the time, but clearly he has very little power left due to his deteriorated bat speed and some point you have to try something else, regardless of the sunk cost. Reimold may never be more than a platoon-type outfielder/DH, but at some point he has to be run out there every day and and be given one last chance to show what he can do. I'm sure we all agree that Vlad has no future here but Reimold might. If fine with giving Vlad until the All-star break to find the fountain of youth, but in the second half, most of his at bats should go to Reimold if nothing changes.

No, and I've said as much in other places. He looks pretty well toasted. But there are folks suggesting that Buck isn't doing is job because he didn't bench Vlad a long time ago. Now is the time you start talking about reducing his playing time, not May 1st.

And yea, there's no harm in seeing if Reimold can get his head on straight and produce a little bit.