Latest Roch ...

[Hallas]

I see errors as a bad thing. And, I see making a lot of them as an even worse thing. I'm not sure how the BP stats work, so I can't really comment on them. But making an error every 6+ games is not a good thing, and it certainly wouldn't make me take a chance on a guy with potentially the worst bat in all of baseball.

It's kind of tough to make such judgement based on errors when the best shortstop ever to play baseball made 20+ errors in 5 different seasons. While 28 is a high number, he only played about 40-50 games at short if I recall, so I think it's a bit premature to say his defense is bad.

[Scribo]

Bako is almost certainly a better hitter than Hernandez. Man I freaking hate Luis Hernandez. My hatred of him is honest and pure. Its why I get up in the morning.

I used to feel that way about Manny Alexander.

[RShack]

What makes them think this? I've mentioned this before...in the minor leagues, he commits errors at a rate of 24 errors per 162 games played. That doesn't sound special to me.

I don't see what ML vs. MiL has to do with it. Ground balls are ground balls, no matter where they are. AFAIK, MiL ground balls aren't any easier than ML ground balls. Plus, you need to be careful about this. In 1958, Brooks made an error slightly more than once in every 7 games he played at 3B. Based on that, a lot of people here would saying to throw him in the trash. That's the kind of logic people are using about this.

And, no, I'm not saying he's gonna turn out like Brooks. I'm just saying that you need to be careful about stuff like this. D-numbers don't tell you nearly as much as the opinion of knowledgeable people who are watching guys play. If they think he's got a special glove, and if DT and AM are trusting whoever has that opinion, then IMO it's kinda dumb to dismiss it based on MiL D-numbers. Personally, I only saw him on TV for however many games he played SS last year, and he sure looked right to me. I'm not saying you're supposed to trust my opinion, but I'm trusting my opinion, at least until I see something or hear something that tells me not to.

[sevens]

I think Fahey is a better option personally.

I think even Moore has some experience at SS...He should probably be playing SS somewhere right now to see if he can handle it.

I think it is likely we retain Mora. If that is the case we should return him to the super utility role and move him to short. Put Moore @ 3rd. That way if we make no further moves at least we keep the younger Moore in the line up.

[Mackus]

I agree that Mora at SS is currently the best option, although it isn't a particularly good one.

[Pruke]

I doubt that Ramirez is ready to be a starting SS in the ML. It has been mentioned several times that his experience level equates to A or A+ ball. Of course that doesn't mean that we shouldn't have made an effort to sign him.

Great point - and he's another mystery man when it comes to what he really is - 26? 30? 33? who knows

Not a very flattering article courtesy of the Chicago Times:

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/couch/709834,CST-SPT-greg23.article

Alexei Ramirez, Cuban slugger. Why does that sound funny to me?

I think it's because he's considered to have below-average power for a major-leaguer. His league is supposed to be the equivalent of our low minor leagues. And any report about his age says he's listed at 26 -- or supposed to be 26. He has used multiple birthdays.

He appears to be a borderline major-league player. He might be the Sox' starting center fielder or second baseman.

[NoVaO]

Ramirez, Callaspo, Milledge, Dukes and Hamilton.

All 5 of them were either traded or signed to very friendly deals and we weren't involved with any of it.

Yup.

Here is what I don't get. We are going to be a losing team next year anyway. You have nobodies at some positions and old, overpaid, and unhappy players at others. You can't take a risk on guys like Milledge, Hamilton, and Callaspo?

You are no worse off than what we have now. And you have extra pieces to deal if you need to.

And we look back on the chemistry issues this team has suffered from. What have they been? Is it club house cancers? Guys with anger issues? No...except for Albert Belle but that was a long time ago.

It is old, unhappy, and overpaid players either pouting or not playing hard or steroids.

Get some young talent that plays hard and wants to be out there. Milledge is an energetic player who has fun playing the game. Again, you are no worse off than you are before.

This team has no shot at winning next year, and unless the organization is infused with young talent, little shot in 09. And the team will naturally implode and blow up and we will have draft picks to show from it.

Take some risks. If you have to, acquire top talent guys at the lower levels instead of insisting on 3 MLB-ready players. Get 1 MLB ready player, and 2 more that are 1 or 2 years off, and another 1 or 2 that are multiple years off. Trust your scouts. If 3 or 4 of these guys turn out, you hit the jack pot.

And this kind of trade would be made possible because you took the risk to acquire high-talent guys at a cheap price.

You can add Carlos Quentin to the list of names we should of gotten in on. And he has zero chemistry issues.

[Sports Guy]

Yup.

Here is what I don't get. We are going to be a losing team next year anyway. You have nobodies at some positions and old, overpaid, and unhappy players at others. You can't take a risk on guys like Milledge, Hamilton, and Callaspo?

You are no worse off than what we have now. And you have extra pieces to deal if you need to.

And we look back on the chemistry issues this team has suffered from. What have they been? Is it club house cancers? Guys with anger issues? No...except for Albert Belle but that was a long time ago.

It is old, unhappy, and overpaid players either pouting or not playing hard or steroids.

Get some young talent that plays hard and wants to be out there. Milledge is an energetic player who has fun playing the game. Again, you are no worse off than you are before.

This team has no shot at winning next year, and unless the organization is infused with young talent, little shot in 09. And the team will naturally implode and blow up and we will have draft picks to show from it.

Take some risks. If you have to, acquire top talent guys at the lower levels instead of insisting on 3 MLB-ready players. Get 1 MLB ready player, and 2 more that are 1 or 2 years off, and another 1 or 2 that are multiple years off. Trust your scouts. If 3 or 4 of these guys turn out, you hit the jack pot.

And this kind of trade would be made possible because you took the risk to acquire high-talent guys at a cheap price.

You can add Carlos Quentin to the list of names we should of gotten in on. And he has zero chemistry issues.

Yea, i did forget about him.

The Orioles never make moves like this it seems.

This is also why I think we have focused so much on trading the big 3 while ignoring most everything else.

[Mackus]

Quentin was traded for a pretty solid player, he didn't come cheaply.

[Dr. FLK]

It's kind of tough to make such judgement based on errors when the best shortstop ever to play baseball made 20+ errors in 5 different seasons. While 28 is a high number, he only played about 40-50 games at short if I recall, so I think it's a bit premature to say his defense is bad.

He's played 526 games at SS in the minors. It's not a small sample size.

[Dr. FLK]

I don't see what ML vs. MiL has to do with it. Ground balls are ground balls, no matter where they are.

It doesn't. A lot of errors at either level isn't good. I only pointed out that they occurred there, because that's where they happened. It doesn't matter to me who hits them, he seems to boot quite a few.

[PoorMike]

I've been told by a source that if a shortstop is not acquired, the Orioles will go with Hernandez at short. They know he won't hit, but they think his glove is special.

Personally, I'm hoping we acquiring someone...

I thougt this was a joke at first because it seems so obvious.

Ok, do you mean, "If a shortstop is not acquired in a Roberts or Bedard trade....."

I mean, if we don't acquire one, LH is really all we've got (he already said he's not starting Fahey or Bynum).

Not trying to be flip, just trying to understand what youare trying to get across.

[El Gordo]

What makes them think this? I've mentioned this before...in the minor leagues, he commits errors at a rate of 24 errors per 162 games played. That doesn't sound special to me.

Where are you getting this data? The baseball cube gives fielding percentages for some years buy not all and no other numbers like RF or ZR which I would find more useful in making comparisons to other SS. There is a difference in errors between MiL and ML because of the poor quality of many of the fields and extreme variations in that quality.

[SteveA]

Why is it that some of the people who are most upset about the possibility of LH starting at SS this year, are the same people who in the past have said that it ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T MATTER what the team does this year, that going 40-122 is essentially the same as going 79-83, that we are building for a year BEYOND THIS YEAR to contend?

(If you want specific names: Sports Guy, Drungo).

And getting all excited about a manager saying someone is going to start at a position before Christmas, before all the deals are done, is pretty silly anyway. Circumstances may change. We may pick up a SS. He may see how bad LH is in spring training. At the very worst, if he's hitting .152 after 20 games, he'll be replaced regardless of what Trembley said in September.

This is a total non-issue that is only a big deal because people are projecting their personal fears and opinions about the Orioles onto the subject. People who are afraid we haven't changed as an organization despite MacPhail being there are going to cite this as an example; people who believe Trembley is too "old-school" or over-values defense are going to cite this as an example; everyone is projecting their fears or opinions onto a trivial quote in December because we don't have much else to talke about now.

[Sports Guy]

Why is it that some of the people who are most upset about the possibility of LH starting at SS this year, are the same people who in the past have said that it ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T MATTER what the team does this year, that going 40-122 is essentially the same as going 79-83, that we are building for a year BEYOND THIS YEAR to contend?

(If you want specific names: Sports Guy, Drungo).

Simple...There is not one good reason why you don't have a better talent than LH at SS next year. Just because you aren't going to contend doesn't mean you should trot out a player who isn't even good enough for AA.