New names on O's GM wishlist include Billy Eppler, David Forst, Thad Levine, etc.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Excuses, but the facts speak louder as Moore came in and was able to do everything Baird couldn't. Moore has drafted better, he's developed better, and he's not made the boneheaded moves Baird did. I refuse to believe ownership was meddling that much and magically stopped with the next guy, it just doesn't happen as you see here in Baltimore, in WAS with Snyder, and in OAK with (RIP) Al Davis.

Moore's fascination with low OBP guys like Bettencourt, Guillen, Olivo, Pena, Jacobs etc. seems pretty legendary. They are routinely bottom of the barrel in OBP. I don't think I've ever heard anyone defend him before. Francour (who actually had a nice year last year) was one of his long time favorites (gives you and idea what he values). I don't know the inner workings of the KC organization but was under the general impression that KC's player development/drafts were successful because he was less involved with them.

[DrungoHazewood]

I didn't think it was bad as a gap to get to Hosmer. Kila wasn't good, if you saw him in the minors you knew he'd never hit ML pitching. Think Walter Young, HUGE hole in his swing and he chased all the time. Butler can't field to save his life, so if you need a gap to hold off for a year or two why not.

Not saying it was a great trade, I just don't think (and I'm assuming they knew the trouble coming with Nunez) a player they would like to be rid of was a horrible gamble for a bat to plug in at 1B. In comparison it's like taking a flier on Davis, and Koji was a better trade chip than Nunez (although I feel the main target there was Hunter).

Not sure I'm buying the comp between Kila and Walter Young, given that Kila walked more in an average June than Young did in his professional career. But that's kind of beside the point. Jacobs was a flat-out awful player, and if they wanted a bridge to Hosmer they could have acquired any number of waiver wire guys or six year minor league free agents who'd have performed as well or better for a fraction of the cost.

[DrungoHazewood]

Moore's fascination with low OBP guys like Bettencourt, Guillen, Olivo, Pena, Jacobs etc. seams pretty legendary. They are routinely bottom of the barrel in OBP. I don't think I've ever heard anyone defend him before. Francour (who actually had a nice year last year) was one of his favorites. I was under the impression that KC's drafts were successful because he was less involved with them.

The Orioles often seem to be oblivious about the power of getting on base. The Royals often seem downright antagonistic towards the very concept of it.

[CA-ORIOLE]

The Orioles often seem to be oblivious about the power of getting on base. The Royals often seem downright antagonistic towards the very concept of it.

Yeah, I think we are getting better though. We actually do have some fairly patient hitters right now.

[allstar1579]

Moore's fascination with low OBP guys like Bettencourt, Guillen, Olivo, Pena, Jacobs etc. seems pretty legendary. They are routinely bottom of the barrel in OBP. I don't think I've ever heard anyone defend him before. Francour (who actually had a nice year last year) was one of his long time favorites (gives you and idea what he values). I don't know the inner workings of the KC organization but was under the general impression that KC's player development/drafts were successful because he was less involved with them.

That might be, I don't really follow them closely so I don't know who is actually doing what, but I do know they've been one of the best drafting teams over the past 3-5 years, so when you aren't sure who does what it's generally the GM that gets the credit. Might be undue, and maybe the guy is a moron for all I know, but I know if the GM came with the farm system, I'd take Moore/KC over just about anyone in baseball recently.

I tend to not hold losing GMs accountable for the fill in players they sign because they are just biding time to get to a batch of young talent, not really trying to compete, so I don't know if it's completely fair to judge them on how they tread water. Kind of like here and AM, I don't blame him for some him for some of the signings he made, he had to fill out a team, what I DO blame him for is not drafting well and signing international guys with that money if it's a finite resource. When he basically said I'm not interested in int'l guys so we won't be signing any, I was done with him. At least Moore appreciates the need to build the only way they can, and he's got a much easier road in the Central. They could win that division for 5 straight years with a couple key moves here soon.

[allstar1579]

Yeah, I think we are getting better though. We actually do have some fairly patient hitters right now.

I've heard that's something Hocking and Bordick have been preaching to some of these young kids coming up.

[TonySoprano]

Heck, at the rate they're going, they may add this guy to the list, as long as he agrees not to bring the mistress along

[Miller192]

Heck, at the rate they're going, they may add this guy to the list, as long as he agrees not to bring the mistress along

Christ, she could trick or treat over the phone.

[msporter4]

I wonder if she got that mask on clearance.

[Flacco Machado]

I think Oppenheimer and Radcliff were the O's top choices. Oppenheimer might still interview this weekend. The O's want to get this done by the end of next week. They might hire someone who has been out of the game for awhile. This might be all they get.

Thanks for the info. What are our chances of getting Oppenheimer? After all of this "crap", hiring him would really be nice.

[allstar1579]

Thanks for the info. What are our chances of getting Oppenheimer? After all of this "crap", hiring him would really be nice.

I hope we don't. I think he's overrated. I've never been impressed with the Yankees drafts.

I say we start from scratch. Make me a list of the top 5 drafts for the past 5 years and make a list of the scouting directors that show up most often.

[SrMeowMeow]

I hope we don't. I think he's overrated. I've never been impressed with the Yankees drafts.

I say we start from scratch. Make me a list of the top 5 drafts for the past 5 years and make a list of the scouting directors that show up most often.

It doesn't seem like we are in the position to choose from a list right now.

[allstar1579]

Not sure he will interview, heard that he probably will be willing to listen to the O's though. Someone I really respect, gave a glowing off the record recommendation for Oppenheimer today.

Really? Hmmm. Maybe I should give him more credit than I do. I've heard he's thought of fairly highly, but I just haven't seen the results I'd like to. It's easy to have a good draft when you are just throwing chunks of money at a dart board, but most of their prospects have come through int'l stuff lately, and I didn't know how much he has to do with that.

[allstar1579]

It doesn't seem like we are in the position to choose from a list right now.

I hear you, but if they aren't actually going to change anything, you might as well go with Stockstill, cause at least with him you know Buck and PA are still calling the shots. If you aren't going to give a guy any power why bother interviewing at all, at this point it's just going to make you look worse the more people turn you down when you want to give them a job.