Oswalt is in the doghouse.

[russ snyder]

I understand this line of thinking and know that I would never personally act the way he has, but put yourself in his shoes. You have won over 160 games, lifetime ERA of 3.26, made multiple all-star teams, received Cy Young votes in 6 different seasons, and they demote you to the bullpen after 6 starts, and first hear about it from the media?

His anger isn't right, but can be justified.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he was fatigued and could not continue pitching that day. However, there is no justification for him to come out of a game to spite management. If this is true, he's putting himself above the team. Not right or justified in my view. The Orioles need SP help, so Oswalt's overall career trumps this incident. The Orioles should at least kick the tires if the rangers are looking to move him.

[Brendan25]

No interest in Oswalt. I have lost a lot of respect for him over the past couple years. Turned into a complete diva.

[Il BuonO]

I understand this line of thinking and know that I would never personally act the way he has, but put yourself in his shoes. You have won over 160 games, lifetime ERA of 3.26, made multiple all-star teams, received Cy Young votes in 6 different seasons, and they demote you to the bullpen after 6 starts, and first hear about it from the media?

His anger isn't right, but can be justified.

Is this in a different story than the one in the OP? Because I couldn't find it. If true it's a ridiculous way to handle a veteran pitcher, but it doesn't seem likely. The other people who have called Oswalt a prima donna or attacked his behavior; when in his career has that happened? I don't remember him being called out as a bad teammate or a problem player by management.

In his last few outings from the pen he seems to be back to his old self and now the Rangers have Demptser who got shelled his first time out in a new league. If they are in a tight spot with Oswalt and looking to make a move I would think we would have an interest in a proven winner who is a better option than Britton.

[Icterus galbula]

Is this in a different story than the one in the OP? Because I couldn't find it. If true it's a ridiculous way to handle a veteran pitcher, but it doesn't seem likely.

http://www.cbssports.com/general/blog/eye-on-baseball/19702541/roy-oswalt-learned-of-demotion-to-bullpen-from-media

Drew Davison @drewdavison

Asked about moving to the bullpen after #Rangers batting practice, Roy Oswalt said: "I don't know. That's the first I've heard about it."

[SrMeowMeow]

Yes, if we can get him as a salary dump, that would be awesome.

[Il BuonO]

http://www.cbssports.com/general/blog/eye-on-baseball/19702541/roy-oswalt-learned-of-demotion-to-bullpen-from-media

Thanks. Not that I doubted you, just found it hard to believe the Rangers would do this. As I said, they handled it badly.

[crawjo]

I don't have any problem with Oswalt being pissed off about being moved to the bullpen. I would be pissed off too. The Orioles should be all over this guy if he is made available. I'd think he would like pitching in Baltimore where no one would question his place in the rotation and he would become along with Chen one of the top two starters on the team.

[24fps]

If Oswalt actually did find out about being demoted to the bullpen through the media (6 plus ERA and all), then I have to agree that Rangers management handled it very badly. But if the story linked to in the OP is also correct, then Oswalt quit on the team in the middle of a game. I'm sorry, you just don't do that. Watching the video, he didn't look fatigued or injured to me.

[Roll Tide]

Very uncool move for him to do.......................not as bad as Scottie Pippen refusing to go in the game on the final play when the coach gave the last shot to that foreign white guy. The defense would of had to defend Pippen not knowing who had the call. But he refused..................Chicago still sank the bucket and won. But Pippen has never recovered his reputation in my eyes. A mega tool.

Well we dont know it all ...But he pitched two innings and said he was physically don. I dont see the big deal....Managers/pitching coaches ask pitchers all the time how a guy feels. Oswalt told'em he was done...Doesnt sound like big news to me... Dude doesnt want to be a RP and I cant say I blame him. But this article means nothing to me and Ron Washington is a bad manager for reporting it to the media. I wouldve called him worse ...But I couldnt bare the insult infraction from Scottie.

[24fps]

Well we dont know it all ...But he pitched two innings and said he was physically don. I dont see the big deal....Managers/pitching coaches ask pitchers all the time how a guy feels. Oswalt told'em he was done...Doesnt sound like big news to me... Dude doesnt want to be a RP and I cant say I blame him. But this article means nothing to me and Ron Washington is a bad manager for reporting it to the media. I wouldve called him worse ...But I couldnt bare the insult infraction from Scottie.

The article doesn't say anything about him being "physically done." He said he had "had enough" and the report implied that there were other non-physical factors in play.

Oswalt pitched two scoreless innings in the Rangers' 7-6 loss in 10 innings to the Royals. With the score tied at 6, he set down the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings while throwing only 30 pitches.

The Rangers wanted Oswalt to keep pitching. He declined to do so.

"He said he couldn't go any further," manager Ron Washington said. "He said he had enough."

In his six starts with the Rangers earlier in the year, his pitch counts ranged from 96 to 112. It seems unlikely to me that fatigue is the actual reason for his refusal to pitch a third inning and beyond.

I don't know what Ron Washington's true motives were in making this public, but a practical benefit is sending a clear message to the rest of the Rangers about appropriate conduct during a pennant race.

[crawjo]

I don't see why the Orioles should shy away from a pitcher with his stuff and peripherals who doesn't want to pitch in the bullpen. That's great! We don't want him to pitch in the bullpen either. We can guarantee him that he won't spend any time in the bullpen and that he will be a starter between now and the end of the season, as long as he is healthy. I mean, right now our #2 guy is pretty much Miguel Gonzalez, somebody who probably couldn't even make the Texas Rangers' roster, let alone their starting rotation.

[Fan4Life]

I understand this line of thinking and know that I would never personally act the way he has, but put yourself in his shoes. You have won over 160 games, lifetime ERA of 3.26, made multiple all-star teams, received Cy Young votes in 6 different seasons, and they demote you to the bullpen after 6 starts, and first hear about it from the media?

His anger isn't right, but can be justified.

For me, it depends on how the negotiations went when they signed him. They are in a race and cannot afford for a weak link in their system to be one of the guys they are relying on, and are paying him for that.

[Roll Tide]

The article doesn't say anything about him being "physically done." He said he had "had enough" and the report implied that there were other non-physical factors in play.

in his six starts with the Rangers earlier in the year, his pitch counts ranged from 96 to 112. It seems unlikely to me that fatigue is the actual reason for his refusal to pitch a third inning and beyond.

I don't know what Ron Washington's true motives were in making this public, but a practical benefit is sending a clear message to the rest of the Rangers about appropriate conduct during a pennant race.

Same thing .... dont let the words cloud the issue for you. I've pitched and when I told my coach I "Had Enough" it meant I was done. Questioning how the guy felt physically is just wrong.

Take into account days off and pitching in between starts ...He last pitched 5 on 07/30 and pitched two innings on 8/3 before being used for two innings yesterday. Also take into account he might have been pitching like a reliever. Basically letting it rip ...rather than pacing yourself. Again if you've never pitched you wouldnt get it.

[SrMeowMeow]

Same thing .... dont let the words cloud the issue for you. I've pitched and when I told my coach I "Had Enough" it meant I was done. Questioning how the guy felt physically is just wrong.

Take into account days off and pitching in between starts ...He last pitched 5 on 07/30 and pitched two innings on 8/3 before being used for two innings yesterday. Also take into account he might have been pitching like a reliever. Basically letting it rip ...rather than pacing yourself. Again if you've never pitched you wouldnt get it.

You realize that there's a very good chance (we obviously don't have all the information) that you're wrong and that Oswalt felt insulted and checked out of the game early on that account? Maybe tone down the condescension a few notches.

[Il BuonO]

You realize that there's a very good chance (we obviously don't have all the information) that you're wrong and that Oswalt felt insulted and checked out of the game early on that account? Maybe tone down the condescension a few notches.

Even if you are right, and I tend to think it may be a combination of the two, can you fault him after the way the team handled it? I might have been more inclined to have gone the extra mile if I wouldn't have found out through the media I was being sent to the bullpen.