Keith Law was on 105.7 today

[Sports Guy]

I think Buck is a great manager with the track record to back it up. I also think Buck has enough class to not kick sand on a team or a manager because he has been on both sides as a member of the media and as the person actually in charge of a team.

But Buck was out of baseball and worked for ESPN...By your way of judging things, you must think he isn't a good manager...Unless you are just being a hypocrite?

[SilentJames]

I can somewhat buy the tougher competition angle but I don't see how that would contribute to the significant loss of velocity that we've seen from Tillman and Matusz. And Bergy has been so bad (at times) that he'd be getting shelled in any division. Britton is still very raw at the ML level so he gets a pass for now.

Matusz and Bergy both suffered injuries that I feel have hampered them. Tillman - that is a mystery, but we shall see with him.

[TGO]

It isn't just defense at third, wildcard. We are below average (IMO-haven't looked up the stats) at second, left, center and right. It's not a stretch to think that is hurting our pitchers, like Tillman, who improved all of his peripherals this year except for hits/9.

[carolinaoriole]

But Buck was out of baseball and worked for ESPN...By your way of judging things, you must think he isn't a good manager...Unless you are just being a hypocrite?

I am not a hypocrite. I said some not all. Why do you have to stoop to name calling. You seem to not like opinions that differ from yours,why not? everyones opinion is just as valid as yours is.

Or as valid as Keith Laws.

[wildcard]

It isn't just defense at third, wildcard. We are below average (IMO-haven't looked up the stats) at second, left, center and right. It's not a stretch to think that is hurting our pitchers, like Tillman, who improved all of his peripherals this year except for hits/9.

I just don't buy that Nick and Jones are below average fielders. That is a problem with the method of measurement IMO. Scott is left is below average. Reimold has his flaws but is moving a whole lot better this year. Pie is an above average fielder in left and center. Andino is learning 2nd base but he has improved greatly. He still has brain freeze every once in a while but that will not keep him from being an above average backup at 2nd base next year. The O's are six errors above the Yankees so far this year. Reynolds has 20 errors. No other 3rd baseman in baseball has more then 13. If the O's fix 3rd that will pull them even or better with the Yankees.

[TGO]

I just don't buy that Nick and Jones are below average fielders. That is a problem with the method of measurement IMO. Scott is left is below average. Reimold has his flaws but is moving a whole lot better this year. Pie is an above average fielder in left and center. Andino is learning 2nd base but he has improved greatly. He still has brain freeze every once in a while but that will not keep him from being an above average backup at 2nd base next year. The O's are six errors above the Yankees so far this year. Reynolds has 20 errors. No other 3rd baseman in baseball has more then 13. If the O's fix 3rd that will pull them even or better with the Yankees.

Markakis is about dead on average so I shouldn't have included him. Jones and Pie, though, are mediocre and terrible, respectively. I'm sorry. Now maybe Pie would be better with more regular playing time, same for Reimold, but they are below average fielders in LF based on what we've seen.

[wildcard]

Markakis is about dead on average so I shouldn't have included him. Jones and Pie, though, are mediocre and terrible, respectively. I'm sorry. Now maybe Pie would be better with more regular playing time, same for Reimold, but they are below average fielders in LF based on what we've seen.

You are probably using UZR as a measure. I don't trust the tool. So believe what you want. I will not argue with you about it. I believe what I see over UZR.

[TGO]

You are probably using UZR as a measure. I don't trust the tool. So believe what you want. I will not argue with you about it. I believe what I see over UZR.

Fair enough. Jones is at least debatable.

Pie above average, though, I don't buy it and don't see how even based on your eyes instead of stats you could believe that. He is not good in LF. Yes, his speed makes up for some flaws but he's still pretty bad.

[Pat Kelly]

What is not clear is what is Buck seeing. He has had time to evaluate things between last year, spring training and first half of 2011. If you respect him as a knowledgeable, experienced, smart, successfull baseball person then you would expect him to see and be able to evaluate what is happening.

The Orioles are either not getting enough talent into the organization and gambling that what they have will meet its highest projections, bolstered by some inexpensive vets (not a great approach and more likely to fall short) or getting the talent but doing a poor job of developing it to the point that most talent regresses due to injury, loss of skills, lack of fundamentals, baseball instincts, preparation, maturity or attitude issues.

[Flosman]

You are probably using UZR as a measure. I don't trust the tool. So believe what you want. I will not argue with you about it. I believe what I see over UZR.

I would like to see fielding numbers for just games at OPACY. I think based on what I see that Nick and AJ are slightly above average but the numbers don't reflect this. I wonder if there is an unaccounted for oddity with the high wall in right and RC field. Maybe the positioning used at home really hurt the players at OPACY and that is where half of our games are at.

[TGO]

On a team-wide level, we are worst in MLB in UZR/150 and second to worst in defensive runs saved.

We are third to worst in defensive efficiency, which is just a simple measure of how many balls in play we turn into outs.

[Say O!]

On a team-wide level, we are worst in MLB in UZR/150 and second to worst in defensive runs saved.

We are third to worst in defensive efficiency, which is just a simple measure of how many balls in play we turn into outs.

Which substantiates the poor UZR numbers.

When multiple metrics/systems are showing the same conclusion, it becomes more difficult to argue the opposite.

Baseball is more than hitting and pitching, and the O's do themselves no favors when it comes to defense or baserunning, ranking near the bottom in both categories. And the frustrating part is that those two areas can be filled rather cheaply, and yet they continually are a problem area for the team.

[wildcard]

Which substantiates the poor UZR numbers.

When multiple metrics/systems are showing the same conclusion, it becomes more difficult to argue the opposite.

I am not sure that two measures are showing the same thing. With Reynolds, Scott and the earlier months of Andino at 2nd it pulls the overall O's defensive rating down. It really does not show anything about Jones or Nick.

[El Gordo]

I am not sure that two measures are showing the same thing. With Reynolds, Scott and the earlier months of Andino at 2nd it pulls the overall O's defensive rating down. It really does not show anything about Jones or Nick.

Below average defenders at:

3B worst in AL UZR

CF worst in AL UZR

SS -2.1 UZR #9 in AL

average at:

LF Reimold/Pie/Scott +2 Rtot combined

RF FB+- 0

2B FB +- 0

above average at:

C best in MLB UZR

1B second UZR/150 in AL

All the basic metrics for defense agree with these categorizations

[Frobby]

While I agree that the O's should try to figure out why pitching prospects Matusz and Tillman have lost velocity, I think the findings will turn out to be quite different. Matusz had a intercostal injury. Its not hard to believe that he still has a weakness in the area. I don't think any doctor or pitching coach has said that he can't return to full strength by next spring. Tillman is another matter. Not the same injury. I fact no reported injury at all that I remember.

As to Matusz, his velocity was down from 2009 to 2010 by about 1.5 mph. That has nothing to do with the intercostal injury. Still, I don't think this reflects on the Orioles' minor league system. Matusz was already in the majors over the last 2 months of 2009, so whatever loss of velocity he has had since then doesn't relate to anything that happened in the minors.

Why Tillman has lost velocity is a bit of a question. But I do think posters are making a prett big leap to assume that something the Orioles are doing in development is affecting pitchers' velocity as a general matter. Arrieta's hasn't been affected. Britton's hasn't been affected. Bergesen's hasn't been affected, nor Berken's, nor David Hernandez's when he was here. Really, other than Tillman, who are we discussing?