Keith Law takes another shot at the O's

[Stotle]

It was reported that the kid is the highest rated prospect coming out of high school. Now, I don't know who does the ratings system there but you'd have to think as you pointed out that more teams than just us were interested in this kid.

Sure. But it's also worth considering that the highest rated high school prospect in a particular country may not be a particularly good prospect in any given year, right? Especially with volatility in the quality/quantity of coaching leading up to this point.

[Lucky Jim]

Sure. But it's also worth considering that the highest rated high school prospect in a particular country may not be a particularly good prospect in any given year, right? Especially with volatility in the quality/quantity of coaching leading up to this point.

To be accurate, I believe he was the "best left-handed prospect" - which is different.

[Sports Guy]

How much of a growth spurt can we expect out of an Asian pitcher?

[Fan4Life]

Sure. But it's also worth considering that the highest rated high school prospect in a particular country may not be a particularly good prospect in any given year, right? Especially with volatility in the quality/quantity of coaching leading up to this point.

Very true.

Back to Tony's point, all the new players in our organization have resumes of good-great work in baseball. I am going to lean their direction whenever a benefit of the doubt exists. Not that this is pointed to you, but what's in Law's resume that should make our ears perk up when he opines about anything O's related?

[TiredofLosing20]

Well, this conversation got interesting...

My point largely is that if you are going to take pot shots at the O's then at least make sure those shots are accurate. Law may very well be accurate in what he reported and if he is then the pot shot was probably warranted. But IMO, he is maybe quick to the trigger in criticizing the O's (maybe we are just that easy of a target). I really don't know why. I do value his opinions generally as Stotle pointed out he was dead on with Reynolds and Vlad. I am fine with him taking shots at what he perceives as bad moves but like I said make sure the bad move is accurate first.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

How much of a growth spurt can we expect out of an Asian pitcher?

Asian pitcher ≠ growth spurt

[Fan4Life]

Well, this conversation got interesting...

My point largely is that if you are going to take pot shots at the O's then at least make sure those shots are accurate. Law may very well be accurate in what he reported and if he is then the pot shot was probably warranted. But IMO, he is maybe quick to the trigger in criticizing the O's (maybe we are just that easy of a target). I really don't know why. I do value his opinions generally as Stotle pointed out he was dead on with Reynolds and Vlad. I am fine with him taking shots at what he perceives as bad moves but like I said make sure the bad move is accurate first.

To be fair.. there were several posters on here that were also correct about Reynolds and Vlad. I don't think it was a non-main stream analysis.

[allstar1579]

How much of a growth spurt can we expect out of an Asian pitcher?

Suk-min Yoon is 6' and will be a FA next offseason. Not as dominating as Darvish, but he's got a FB around 93, a hard slider that flashes plus and a change that's about avg/abv avg. He's a RHP.

Hyun-jin Ryu is 6'3 210 or so, and has a low 90's FB but I haven't heard much about his secondaries he places his FB well and owns people mostly just with that. He'll be a FA in 2014, so he might get posted next offseason. He's a LHP.

Both have already signed with Boras.

[Slappy]

Except that you don't need to "win" to change people's perception of the organization. Texas, Tampa, Milwaukee, Washington and Kansas City all earned praise from writers and the baseball community prior to fully righting the ship. Heck, writers were highly complementary of Baltimore and the direction of the organization entering 2010. The org just shot itself in the foot and, from that point, has continued to prove criticisms and concerns from third parties to be accurate.

Yeah, well, let's not pretend baseball writers are all-knowing, either. KC has still proven nothing, frankly neither has DC. Most pre-season 2011 previews had the Cardinals in the bottom half of their division and all of them had the D-backs as a low 70's win team. On the other hand, a solid plurality of writers had the A's winning the West (they finished with 74 wins) and the Twins (63 wins) winning the central.

This happens every year btw. Nobody knows what's going to happen. Not even Keith Law.

DD obviously believes that this kid is a ~3rd round draft talent for that kind of money. Also, I'm sure he has professional scouts that disagree with Keith Law and with Stotle. I don't think this is an exact science, and I don't think that $500k is that much of a risk.

[Sports Guy]

Suk-min Yoon is 6' and will be a FA next offseason. Not as dominating as Darvish, but he's got a FB around 93, a hard slider that flashes plus and a change that's about avg/abv avg. He's a RHP.

Hyun-jin Ryu is 6'3 210 or so, and has a low 90's FB but I haven't heard much about his secondaries he places his FB well and owns people mostly just with that. He'll be a FA in 2014, so he might get posted next offseason. He's a LHP.

Both have already signed with Boras.

I asked because on Wiki, it basically said the average Asian is around 3" shorter than the average american...the height was like 5'7".

I am not saying he won't be bigger than the average Asian person but how much can you EXPECT him to grow from here?

Either way, so what. I don't mind the gamble and whether Law was accurate or not is a seperate point from the basis of this thread.

People just need to get over the media poking fun at the Orioles and taking shots at them. They deserve it.

[TiredofLosing20]

To be fair.. there were several posters on here that were also correct about Reynolds and Vlad. I don't think it was a non-main stream analysis.

I am thinking specifically about about the Reynolds 3B Butcher remark. I think most on here did not expect that and he got bashed accordingly... But maybe it is the Blind Squirrel Hypothesis..

[Lucky Jim]

Either way, so what. I don't mind the gamble and whether Law was accurate or not is a seperate point from the basis of this thread.

People just need to get over the media poking fun at the Orioles and taking shots at them. They deserve it.

I'm certainly not going to hold Law to a lower standard than any of us do posters on this board.

[NewMarketSean]

Except that you don't need to "win" to change people's perception of the organization. Texas, Tampa, Milwaukee, Washington and Kansas City all earned praise from writers and the baseball community prior to fully righting the ship. Heck, writers were highly complementary of Baltimore and the direction of the organization entering 2010. The org just shot itself in the foot and, from that point, has continued to prove criticisms and concerns from third parties to be accurate.

For the last few years, it seems like there is perceived progress with the Orioles....a good draft, a good trade, hell...maybe even a short span of good baseball, which is picked up and written about in the national media...promptly following by either an epic losing streak or a Ken Rosenthal story (although it doesn't have to be just him) about how Angelos is still meddling behind the scenes. And then everything negative from the last 15 years is brought back to light, agonized over, etc...

Meanwhile, the players we pin the future on either get hurt or don't perform.

Regardless of what people think about the Orioles "trying" to get better, no one -- at least in Baltimore -- is going to give a damn until they actually do get better.

[Fan4Life]

I am thinking specifically about about the Reynolds 3B Butcher remark. I think most on here did not expect that and he got bashed accordingly... But maybe it is the Blind Squirrel Hypothesis..

Tell me if I'm wrong here.. but wasn't the general consensus that Reynolds at 3b was a mixed bag... he'd make some remarkable plays and then botch the routine ones?

Isn't that exactly what we saw this past season?

[Flosman]

How much of a growth spurt can we expect out of an Asian pitcher?

Well if he really was a mid 6 figure guy I would think the O's could have a medical team figure out where he actually is in his physical growth and the range of likely outcomes. I would and I really doubt the O's didn't.