Ryan Flaherty has to go.

[Can_of_corn]

Not just a couple weeks. His OPS from ABs as a starter was somewhere in the .700s

Since when is 674 "somewhere in the .700s"?

[Frobby]

Flaherty needs some time. How quickly we forget what he did in the playoffs last year. He's actually looked pretty selective, he's just not coming up with anything right now.

I don't understand why people keep bringing up his playoff performance last year. He was 3 for 11 with a solo homer, one run and one RBI. That's a decent performance in a tiny sample, but there's no reason for that to have any great significance. Flaherty hit .216/.258/.359 in 167 regular reason PA last year. Then he went to the Dominican Winter League and hit .209/.306/.239 in 49 PA. Then this spring he hit .216. Now he's 0 for 10 this season. Yet people still keep bringing up the postseason. It's kind of ridiculous.

I'd do nothing about Flaherty while Roberts is on the DL. For now, give him some playing time and see if things pick up. But when BRob comes back, I'd seriously consider moving Flaherty to AAA if he still isn't hitting well.

[Flash- bd]

Since when is 674 "somewhere in the .700s"?

Apologies, was going off memory, unsurprisingly incorrect.

Regardless, his 2nd half OPS was .773, in his first season in the MLB, with irregular playing time almost throughout (except the last few weeks), where he clearly responded to a consistent set of ABs.

[Morgan423]

He started the same way last year, then made quite a jump with extended playing time. Relax, he'll be fine.

[Can_of_corn]

Apologies, was going off memory, unsurprisingly incorrect.

Regardless, his 2nd half OPS was .773, in his first season in the MLB, with irregular playing time almost throughout (except the last few weeks), where he clearly responded to a consistent set of ABs.

You saw that, I saw a guy get on a bit of a hot streak in a SSS situation. I freely admit he looked significantly better late last season I just don't think that proves he turned a corner in his development.

[DrungoHazewood]

Apologies, was going off memory, unsurprisingly incorrect.

Regardless, his 2nd half OPS was .773, in his first season in the MLB, with irregular playing time almost throughout (except the last few weeks), where he clearly responded to a consistent set of ABs.

Flaherty played in something like 13 of the last 15 games, starting eight, and had hits in five of them. He did have five extra base hit, but also a sub-.300 OBP. It's a tiny sampling of at bats, and an inconsistent performance. I don't read much of anything into it.

[Why Not?]

Sometime in the next month, Chris Davis will have a stretch exactly like Ryan Flaherty is having right now.

[Can_of_corn]

Sometime in the next month, Chris Davis will have a stretch exactly like Ryan Flaherty is having right now.

But Ryan Flaherty will not have a stretch like Chris Davis is having right now.

[Flash- bd]

Flaherty played in something like 13 of the last 15 games, starting eight, and had hits in five of them. He did have five extra base hit, but also a sub-.300 OBP. It's a tiny sampling of at bats, and an inconsistent performance. I don't read much of anything into it.

Ryan Flaherty Batting Gamelogs for Career Games 53 to 58 Jul 17, 2012 to Jul 23, 2012

Date Tm G GS Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF ROE GDP SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS

BAL 6 6 4-2 22 19 4 4 0 0 2 4 1 0 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .211 .286 .526 .812

Ryan Flaherty Batting Gamelogs for Career Games 68 to 77 Sep 22, 2012 to Oct 3, 2012

Date Tm G GS Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF ROE GDP SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS

BAL 10 8 6-4 30 28 3 6 2 1 2 8 2 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .214 .267 .571 .838

Those are his two longest stretches of games started, incredibly small samples but it's logical to assume that consistent playing time would benefit a player like Flaherty who's trying to develop at the MLB level in his rookie season and isn't really being given a full chance; not enough sample to make any kind of real conclusions but I think it's fair to make some of the assumptions I make (have made). But it's fair enough to you and Can_of_Corn if you see it another way.

[mrbig1]

I'm willing to give Ryan another chance. Sure he's going through a tough time now. He may turn into a very good player. Let's not give up yet. Willie Mays and Mickey Mantel also started off really bad at first. Give him time.

[wildcard]

If you combine what he did in the playoffs with September it wasn't too bad. Of course, SSS, but in September he went 7-22 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 2 homers with 7 RBI. He only had 7 AB's in August and had a .851 OPS in July in 33 AB's. After a similarly horrible start last year, it looked like he was starting to get it together. That's what impressed me. Maybe it didn't mean much in the grand scheme. You mention his average this spring BUT he had a .781 OPS with 7 walks and 11 strikeouts and those stats were much better until the last week of ST when started to look like he does right now. He went 0 for his last 11 this spring with 7 strikeouts. It could be the competition but I think Flaherty has gotten into a funk than he can get out of. If and when he gets out of it, I don't know. He's a guy who's always going to strikeout a bit but he's got really natural power to left and right. I still think he's a .260-.270 hitter with 20+ homers. He probably would have been better off starting the year in AAA to find his swing/approach after ending spring so poorly.

Nice post and much closer to reality then what Frobby posted. Couple of points:

1) Frobby mentions winter ball. Flaherty had dysentery. No wonder he didn't hit. Someone should have told him not to drink the water.

2) The league has adjusted to not throw him fastballs. He is seeing a lot of off speed pitches. Can he adjust? That is the current test for him.

[Frobby]

Nice post and much closer to reality then what Frobby posted. Couple of points:

1) Frobby mentions winter ball. Flaherty had dysentery. No wonder he didn't hit. Someone should have told him not to drink the water.

2) The league has adjusted to not throw him fastballs. He is seeing a lot of off speed pitches. Can he adjust? That is the current test for him.

Not sure why you are saying my post wasn't close to reality. I was responding specifically to a post relying on Flaherty's playoff performance last year. That's virtually meaningless, and that IS reality. RZNJ is making a better argument, but that's not what I was responding to. I acknowledge his points, and that's why I said I would continue to play Flaherty right now. But he needs to perform better.

[HokieOs]

To be completely honest, I was very surprised when all was said and done and he was playing in the bigs again. I thought last year showed some promise for him, but it also showed clearly that he wasn't ready yet. I thought he clearly needed some seasoning time in Norfolk. I know now that that would be hard to do, but when Roberts comes back, Flaherty NEEDS to be in Norfolk. Continuing to play him in the MLB lineup is not just hurting the Os, but I'm not sure it's productive to his development either.

[wildcard]

Not sure why you are saying my post wasn't close to reality. I was responding specifically to a post relying on Flaherty's playoff performance last year. That's virtually meaningless, and that IS reality. RZNJ is making a better argument, but that's not what I was responding to. I acknowledge his points, and that's why I said I would continue to play Flaherty right now. But he needs to perform better.

Frobby, we all know that you are normally fair in your analysis but you look kind of bias when your cherry pick Flaherty's spring average (which was poor)and ignore his OPS(which was much better than the average). RZNJ points this out. Saying that Flaherty post season stats are meaningless is also kind of bias when you could be saying it should be figured into the total picture.

In this case, RZNJ just takes a more balanced approach IMO.

[Tx Oriole]

Anyone Else sick of watching this clown?

Damn. It has been five damn games and you are already on this guy? This is unbelievable. Okay since you want him gone who do you

want to replace him?