We made Kuroda an ace

[ShaneDawg85]

So would you prefer the "pessimism" of the past?

Lock me up for EXPECTING the Orioles to win. :slytf:

What the heck is wrong with some of you folks?!?!?! I felt the Orioles should have taken 2 of 3 because CC = automatic loss for the Orioles. We could have gotten past Kuroda if there was some more plate discipline. First strike or not, you don't swing at every single first pitch he throws. We never wear down the other pitchers unless they get pulled for giving up HRs. CC and Kuroda going the distance is horrible.

I just feel that the Orioles should be able to get past Kuroda.

MSK

Because you made a thread with a title that makes it sound like Kuroda is some bum that anyone should be able to hit, and he is anything but. He was an All Star in Japan, he's been All Star caliber in the U.S. every year he's been here save for one due to injury. Kuroda is not some bum, he's a darn good pitcher, who the Orioles have had their share of troubles with since he came to the Yankees. If you want to raise issue with the lacking of taking pitches and working the pitcher, that's fine, and you probably won't have much of a disagreement from anyone here. But, when you insinuate that we made Kuroda an ace because of what we did, and completely ignore what he's actually done in his career and does any given night, and did last night, that is wrong and deserves to be called out. There's nothing wrong with any of us, we just recognize good pitching when it happens, and that on any given night a starter can own the opposition because they're that good, which is what Kuroda did.

[MemorialStadKid]

Seems I have to ask this same question every year, so this will be my one time for 2013.

Why is it that when an Orioles pitcher throws a good game, we Orioles fans say how great he was at shutting down the opposition. But, when an opposing pitcher throws a good game, we ***** about why the Orioles hitters couldn't get to him? Its a catch 22 that looks at the game of baseball with blinders on. Any fan of BASEBALL, not the Orioles, but baseball, knows that good pitching will beat good hitting, and last night, Kuroda was on his game! Simple as that.

Yes, I've witnessed some great performances against the Orioles. Tim Wakefield, Andy Pettitte, Roy Halladay, David Price, Pedro Martinez.

Kuroda was not on that level. I am not "*****ing" I am saying that we should have had smarter at-bats against Kuroda. If we had forced him to throw more pitches, eventually, he would have given us something to hit. I also don't like the reliance upon the long ball all of the time. A bunt here or there to push a runner in scoring position would have gone a long way. The Yankees rarely align their infield defense around a potential Orioles bunt. Things like that can make all of the difference in a game.

Time to begin the pretending that everything is peachy keen.

MSK

[Moose Milligan]

Yes, I've witnessed some great performances against the Orioles. Tim Wakefield, Andy Pettitte, Roy Halladay, David Price, Pedro Martinez.

Kuroda was not on that level. I am not "*****ing" I am saying that we should have had smarter at-bats against Kuroda. If we had forced him to throw more pitches, eventually, he would have given us something to hit. I also don't like the reliance upon the long ball all of the time. A bunt here or there to push a runner in scoring position would have gone a long way. The Yankees rarely align their infield defense around a potential Orioles bunt. Things like that can make all of the difference in a game.

Time to begin the pretending that everything is peachy keen.

MSK

Dude, all of those pitchers you've rattled off are damn good, perhaps with the exception of Wakefield. It's not like Kuroda is a bum, either. Before you start ranting away, take a look: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kurodhi01.shtml

How do you win your arguments, typically? Do you stick your fingers in your ears and go LALLALALALICANTHEARYOU?

[MemorialStadKid]

Pump your brakes there, MSK. If this OP is you being an "optimist" or something, I don't want to see what your pessimistic side looks like.

I feel your frustration but, as I said, Kuroda is a good pitcher and last night he was ON. The Orioles definitely could have taken 2/3 this series but they didn't and there's no use crying about it. Did you see the movement on his fastball last night? How come no one was able to make solid contact? Dude pitched a hell of a game, chalk it up to that.

I also don't see you taking Adam Jones to task on here for his snafu on Friday evening. Wonder why.

Because he's Black. :rolleyestf:

Seriously, I didn't say anything about Adam Jones because there were like 200 people trashing the guy. I didn't like it one bit.

I don't like his bubble-blowing, but this is about plate discipline. He didn't drop a ball on Sunday night. The team, collectively, keeps swinging for the fences instead of being patient and waiting for the right pitch. Don't make this something it isn't.

MSK

[MemorialStadKid]

Dude, all of those pitchers you've rattled off are damn good, perhaps with the exception of Wakefield. It's not like Kuroda is a bum, either. Before you start ranting away, take a look: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kurodhi01.shtml

How do you win your arguments, typically? Do you stick your fingers in your ears and go LALLALALALICANTHEARYOU?

Wakefield destroyed the Orioles during the height of the Red Sox run between 2005 - 2008.

Knuckleball sucks.

MSK

[Dipper9]

I should have known better than to even try to reason with a brick wall. I'm outta this thread!

[Moose Milligan]

Because he's Black. :rolleyestf:

Seriously, I didn't say anything about Adam Jones because there were like 200 people trashing the guy. I didn't like it one bit.

I don't like his bubble-blowing, but this is about plate discipline. He didn't drop a ball on Sunday night. The team, collectively, keeps swinging for the fences instead of being patient and waiting for the right pitch. Don't make this something it isn't.

MSK

Well at least you can admit it. Black, white, purple stripes, whatever....a GG caliber outfielder deserves to be reamed for botching that ball. Hell, the poorest outfielder in the league probably would have had that, no problem. That game was tied and I wouldn't chalk it up as a game that we definitely would have won, but I'd like our chances to to have won on Friday night instead of Kuroda.

Kuroda was around the plate the whole damn night, I'm not sure what you're talking about. He was constantly getting strike 1 and ahead in the counts. When a pitcher like that pounds the zone, that's what happens.

Don't make this something it isn't? Pot, have you met my friend kettle?

[Dipper9]

Well at least you can admit it. Black, white, purple stripes, whatever....a GG caliber outfielder deserves to be reamed for botching that ball. Hell, the poorest outfielder in the league probably would have had that, no problem. That game was tied and I wouldn't chalk it up as a game that we definitely would have won, but I'd like our chances to to have won on Friday night instead of Kuroda.

Kuroda was around the plate the whole damn night, I'm not sure what you're talking about. He was constantly getting strike 1 and ahead in the counts. When a pitcher like that pounds the zone, that's what happens.

Don't make this something it isn't? Pot, have you met my friend kettle?

Save your breath Moose. I can guaran-damn-tee you had the Orioles taken strike one on every at bat, somebody would have started a thread..."Why are the Orioles not attacking the strike one fastballs?"

[Moose Milligan]

Save your breath Moose. I can guaran-damn-tee you had the Orioles taken strike one on every at bat, somebody would have started a thread..."Why are the Orioles not attacking the strike one fastballs?"

True. If it's not one thing it's another.

[MemorialStadKid]

Well at least you can admit it. Black, white, purple stripes, whatever....a GG caliber outfielder deserves to be reamed for botching that ball. Hell, the poorest outfielder in the league probably would have had that, no problem. That game was tied and I wouldn't chalk it up as a game that we definitely would have won, but I'd like our chances to to have won on Friday night instead of Kuroda.

Kuroda was around the plate the whole damn night, I'm not sure what you're talking about. He was constantly getting strike 1 and ahead in the counts. When a pitcher like that pounds the zone, that's what happens.

Don't make this something it isn't? Pot, have you met my friend kettle?

I was kidding about the Black thing.

I watch 90% of Orioles games most seasons. I was not happy with AJ dropping the ball. I was infuriated last season when he did it during the ALDS. I have my issues with AJ that didn't need to get wrapped up in the cacophony of condemnations of the man. He's done great work for the Orioles despite his occasional hiccups. Why should I suddenly hate on Adam Jones? There's people that hate the guy for no reason as well. Why don't you call THEM out?

MSK

[Moose Milligan]

I was kidding about the Black thing.

I watch 90% of Orioles games most seasons. I was not happy with AJ dropping the ball. I was infuriated last season when he did it during the ALDS. I have my issues with AJ that didn't need to get wrapped up in the cacophony of condemnations of the man. He's done great work for the Orioles despite his occasional hiccups. Why should I suddenly hate on Adam Jones? There's people that hate the guy for no reason as well. Why don't you call THEM out?

MSK

Oh, cause I wasn't.

He's a great Oriole and I really like him but he does have a part of his game that I'm not wild about (plate discipline) but he usually makes up for it in other ways. I don't get on him for the bubble gum crap or whatever, either. But calling him out for a ridiculous gaffe doesn't mean anyone here hates him. I think most posters here can usually justify the way they feel and use examples as to why. You might not agree with them, but at least they can tell you why they don't like a certain player.

[Dipper9]

[MemorialStadKid]

I found this blurb on MLBTR just now: "Braves lefty Paul Maholm is off to an amazing start this season. He's begun the season with 20 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 20 and walking five."

Paul Maholm.

LOL, I mean, pitchers sometimes find ways to rattle off amazing games. Even pitchers like freaking Paul Maholm, who is an exceedingly worse pitcher than Kuroda over his career. This is baseball, folks. We've all watched it for years, I'm not sure why some people don't understand that the game we witnessed last night is just part of the game of baseball.

How do we think teams felt when Jason Hammel went out there last year and blew people away? Those teams and their fans are all like "Jason Hammel, WTF? Ugh, he sucks how did he beat us?!" He hadn't done squat for his career except put up an ERA in the mid-4's and then get relegated to the bullpen in Colorado.

I'm not disagreeing with anything regarding the sometimes unpredictable nature of pitchers in the game.

I'm only saying that we could have done much better against Kuroda. That's all.

MSK

[Blizzard1090]

I get the frustration guys,I really do but not giving credit where it's due sometimes doesn't do us any good. Is Kuroda a hall of fame bound pitcher?

No he isn't but when he's on,he can and will shut a team down. I would have been far more upset if we hadn't beat Phil Hughes.

We're only ten games in guys..far too early to be doing this.

[MachadOboutManny]

We were embarrassing at the plate last night. Nationally televised game and we cant get a guy on 2nd with multiple lead off hits/errors etc. We hit almost nothing hard. It was only one game, but it was one really ugly game everywhere other than on the mound.