Jim Johnson Today, 2013

[Can_of_corn]

I actually think people here are way too uptight. I usually come here late at night, after work, and make emotional posts regarding the game. And the uptight people start neg repping.

Relax people, let a man blow off some steam. Don't get your panties twisted.

You know, if folks would actually go to the rant forum and post some rants about the O's I might rep them just for putting it in the designated spot.

I for one get irritated and 1 star reactionary threads posted on the main board in response to what happens in games.

In fact....

[Ommaculate]

You know, if folks would actually go to the rant forum and post some rants about the O's I might rep them just for putting it in the designated spot.

I for one get irritated and 1 star reactionary threads posted on the main board in response to what happens in games.

In fact....

Every time you 1 star a thread I will 5 star it. I think people should be able to post what they want without the poster police coming after them.

[Can_of_corn]

Every time you 1 star a thread I will 5 star it. I think people should be able to post what they want without the poster police coming after them.

That would be fine, a 3 star thread with an iffy title will serve the same purpose as a 1 star thread with an iffy title.

[Ommaculate]

That would be fine, a 3 star thread with an iffy title will serve the same purpose as a 1 star thread with an iffy title.

I agree, it's alot of junk but there is nothing you can do to contain it.

[Ommaculate]

Hunter is a home run pitcher but he throws strikes and hits 98 on the radar gun. That's all that matters. Give me that over 2-0, 3-0 count Johnson any day of the week!

Hunter just needs to stop throwing meatballs and then he will stop being a homerun pitcher.

[SeaBird]

Perhaps that's part of the problem.

Bucky dealt with (and handled) the New York Press, so maybe the Baltimore Press is no match for him ...... so, maybe it's not so surprising that he doesn't have much trouble avoiding answering pertinent questions and/or bullying his way to his own liking.

Bucky? Really?

[SeaBird]

Roch Kubatko ‏@masnRoch 6m

Buck doesn't sound like he's ready to change closers. Noted not everyone physically able pitch consecutive days. #Orioles

Dan Connolly ‏@danconnollysun 6m

Showalter says Jim Johnson is still the team's best option to close out games.

Well then; that doesn't bode well for the 2nd half. Does it.

[crowmst3k!]

Well then; that doesn't bode well for the 2nd half. Does it.

It sure does not. Buck is making a stupid decision here.

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[PaulFolk]

Well, if it didnt start until May 14th then its even worse. Take away those first 19 appearances and what do you have? A bunch of blown saves. And its not just the blown saves, its how they have been blown. There is no reasonable argument for defending this guy right now. He has single handedly blown these games. Its not the fault of the offense. Nor the defense. Its all on the guy blowing the games with pathetic pitching. If he is given a lead and loses the game its all on him - nobody else when we get to the 9th. No offensive player caused him to walk in the tying run last nite. Nor did any offensive player contribute to the bothced play fielding the bunt. Not one other player contributed to his lousy pitches, not ONE!

Pet peeve alert! As I tried to explain in the other thread, there's no such thing as a player "single-handedly" blowing games. Of course Johnson shoulders the bulk of the blame for the losses, but certainly not all of it. How about the offense that got a grand total of 2 runs in 9 innings off terrible Ivan Nova? You don't think the offense is at least partially responsible for the loss? Of course it is.

That said, Jim Johnson shouldn't be closing games until he gets himself straightened out. Buck should manage the 9th inning the same way he would the 7th or 8th. Play the matchups. Hunter or O'Day against righties, Matusz or Patton against lefties.

[MagicBird]

Pet peeve alert! As I tried to explain in the other thread, there's no such thing as a player "single-handedly" blowing games. Of course Johnson shoulders the bulk of the blame for the losses, but certainly not all of it. How about the offense that got a grand total of 2 runs in 9 innings off terrible Ivan Nova? You don't think the offense is at least partially responsible for the loss? Of course it is.

That said, Jim Johnson shouldn't be closing games until he gets himself straightened out. Buck should manage the 9th inning the same way he would the 7th or 8th. Play the matchups. Hunter or O'Day against righties, Matusz or Patton against lefties.

If we use your reasoning in this thread and the other thread, then its always the fault of the offense because they should have always scored more runs. It doesnt matter if JJ was handed a lead in your view because if he blows it - its because the offense didnt give him a big enough lead.

All the spin in the world doesnt change the facts, but keep on spinning

[PaulFolk]

If we use your reasoning in this thread and the other thread, then its always the fault of the offense because they should have always scored more runs. It doesnt matter if JJ was handed a lead in your view because if he blows it - its because the offense didnt give him a big enough lead.

All the spin in the world doesnt change the facts, but keep on spinning

Ugh. I'm not sure why you're trying to be willfully ignorant. I'm talking specifically about last night's game. An offense that scores 2 runs in 9 innings against a crappy pitcher is, yes, partially responsible for the loss. To state otherwise is to have a simplistic, tunnel-vision view of how baseball works, that nothing in the game matters except the ninth inning. It's just blatantly incorrect.

The only thing I'm saying is that all 9 innings matter in a baseball game. Those are the facts. How anyone can deny that is beyond me.

And again, as I clearly stated, Johnson pitched terribly and I don't think he should be the closer anymore.

[MagicBird]

Ugh. I'm not sure why you're trying to be willfully ignorant. I'm talking specifically about last night's game. An offense that scores 2 runs in 9 innings against a crappy pitcher is, yes, partially responsible for the loss. To state otherwise is to have a simplistic, tunnel-vision view of how baseball works, that nothing in the game matters except the ninth inning. It's just blatantly incorrect.

The only thing I'm saying is that all 9 innings matter in a baseball game. Those are the facts. How anyone can deny that is beyond me.

And again, as I clearly stated, Johnson pitched terribly and I don't think he should be the closer anymore.

Nobody is denying that all 9 innings matter. But the most obvious point you miss here, and in that other thread is you somehow want to make the 1st 8 innings and what happens in those 8 innings somehow equal to, or as much responsible for a loss when JJ blows his save opportunity. And once again, here and in the other thread you clearly fail to recognize the obvious fact that JJ's teammates did their part for 8 innings and when it came time for him to do his part in just one inning - that would be the 9th inning - he did NOT come thru and do his part. His job is the CLOSER. The CLOSER's job is to hold a lead that the rest of the team worked 8 innings to give him.

Should the team have scored more than 2 runs? It would have been nice, but they did their job and they took a lead into that final inning.

Instead of criticizing and blaming the sorry bunch that only got 2 runs, why not criticize the CLOSER who only needed to get 3 outs against a team that had only scored 1 run up to that point in the game? Why not criticize the CLOSER who gave up TWICE as many runs as all the other pitchers did for 8 innings? Why make these futile attempts at defending the indefensible?

[mark_beckens]

Nobody is denying that all 9 innings matter. But the most obvious point you miss here, and in that other thread is you somehow want to make the 1st 8 innings and what happens in those 8 innings somehow equal to, or as much responsible for a loss when JJ blows his save opportunity. And once again, here and in the other thread you clearly fail to recognize the obvious fact that JJ's teammates did their part for 8 innings and when it came time for him to do his part in just one inning - that would be the 9th inning - he did NOT come thru and do his part. His job is the CLOSER. The CLOSER's job is to hold a lead that the rest of the team worked 8 innings to give him.

Should the team have scored more than 2 runs? It would have been nice, but they did their job and they took a lead into that final inning.

Instead of criticizing and blaming the sorry bunch that only got 2 runs, why not criticize the CLOSER who only needed to get 3 outs against a team that had only scored 1 run up to that point in the game? Why not criticize the CLOSER who gave up TWICE as many runs as all the other pitchers did for 8 innings? Why make these futile attempts at defending the indefensible?

No one person or one play wins or losses a game. Any change in an outcome during the game can change the end result. The offense getting 3 hits and scoring 2 runs off Ivan Nova is just as bad as JJ giving up 2 in the 9th. Last I knew, JJ was just as human as everyone else on the team and all of us here. So why is he held to a higher standard cause he's the "closer". His job is to get batters out, just like every other pitcher.

Tillman had a 2-0 and 4-2 leads. Where are the threads about him being unable to keep those leads? Why is that different?

[Ommaculate]

Tillman had a 2-0 and 4-2 leads. Where are the threads about him being unable to keep those leads? Why is that different?

There is a thread about Tillman.

[mark_beckens]

There is a thread about Tillman.

Three of them? Is it about how he should be demoted/released cause he gave up 5 runs and we lost?