Arrieta's postgame comment

[Spoonless]

Lets also use some other quotes in the interview. Like, 'The Orioles didnt lose today. I beat the Orioles" That is NOT an egotistical statement. He pitched poorly, fessed up to it and then said the

comment about close to being good. He ALSO said he would not be deterred from working harder and figuring out how to get to the next level. He was lousy yesterday. We ALL know it. But it's not

like he ignored his lousy performance. Lets be fair at least.

This is why I try to avoid Twitter recaps of an interview. They'll pull one choice quote out of context. If Jake said what he said in the context you're putting it in, it isn't nearly as egregious as some people are making it out to be.

[Sanfran327]

Lets also use some other quotes in the interview. Like, 'The Orioles didnt lose today. I beat the Orioles" That is NOT an egotistical statement. He pitched poorly, fessed up to it and then said the

comment about close to being good. He ALSO said he would not be deterred from working harder and figuring out how to get to the next level. He was lousy yesterday. We ALL know it. But it's not

like he ignored his lousy performance. Lets be fair at least.

The mother of all irony... a prominent memeber of the national media telling fans to be fair.

Joking of course, because Roy is one of the good ones. But I couldn't help but laugh.

[Rex Thunder]

He sounds a bit arrogant or conceded, not sure of the right word. He's talented and he knows it and he has to add that everyone else knows it. I think I would have preferred a little more humility than what he said. His other comments were pretty solid. I liked them a lot better. I also didn't like his answer "Yep" to whether he thought he had pitched well enough to stay in the rotation. I think a no comment or that's the manager's call would have been better. For a guy who comes across so confident he sure doesn't look that way on the mound. As VaTech posted, the constant fidgeting, especially when men get on base, makes him look nervous on the mound.

I remember when Davey Johnson mentioned his "fidgety ness" a year or two ago and how he was surprised by it, even during a quality start by Jake at the time. I guess he was on to something.

[Satyr3206]

Analysis can cause paralysis. He just needs to trust his stuff and throw it over the plate.

I really don't give a crap what Nick Johnson thinks. Damn sickbay commando.

[glenn__davis]

I have been completely off the Arrieta bandwagon for a long time now, but frankly I didn't see anything wrong with his comments. I think he could've worded it better, but it doesn't strike me as arrogant at all.

But in all honesty, what the heck is Nick Johnson doing sticking his nose in this conversation? Pretty poor taste from him, IMO. No need to be mocking a former teammate like that.

[olehippi]

When....not if.....all the pieces snap into place for Arrieta, he will become a dominate pitcher. The Orioles know this. The problem is that the Orioles are going for "now," and if this year starts playing out like last year, the team may not be willing to wait for Arrieta to figure it out. They have too many good arms in the minors waiting for a chance.

I think they should send Arrieta down to Norfolk now and let him solve his concentration / release point /control / or whatever problems there. But, I think the Orioles will give Arrieta at least one more start. What concerns me is that he will again tease us by throwing one of his occasional gems, which in turn, will give him the opportunity for several more less than mediocre starts. I think it might be in the best interests of the team to send him down, and force him to earn his was back.

[Tx Oriole]

Are you suggesting that having a couple teammates threaten him will fix his control problems?

Sounds like he is.

[atom_25]

If this year is put up of shut up with Arrieta, then what he says to reporters after a poor pitching performance matters nothing to me. The only thing I am judging him on is his pitching performances, and that does not bode well for Jake being around all that much longer at this point.

[Tx Oriole]

Lets also use some other quotes in the interview. Like, 'The Orioles didnt lose today. I beat the Orioles" That is NOT an egotistical statement. He pitched poorly, fessed up to it and then said the

comment about close to being good. He ALSO said he would not be deterred from working harder and figuring out how to get to the next level. He was lousy yesterday. We ALL know it. But it's not

like he ignored his lousy performance. Lets be fair at least.

But you see some like to do. Not give all of the quote just part of it. I think that it is a wrong way to do.

[The Wedge]

Throwing a ball a bunch of times and being sore the next day is not difficult. Pitching at the major league level is difficult. Im not arguing whether or not pitching is more difficult than being an every day player, but your logic wasn't supporting your point. As I said, something simply being taxing, does not make it difficult. Any of us could go drink beers, throw the wiffle ball 150 times, and feel like our arms are going to fall off the next day. The reason they dont have one pitcher is because the human body can't withstand the strain on the arm every day. That doesn't support an argument for pitching being more difficult than being an every day player. Anyone in the world can throw the ball enough to be sore the next day. The parts of pitching that would support your argument have nothing to do with requiring days off. The fact that they only play in about 32 of the 162 games doesn't support the task being more difficult. Pitchers are babied these days.

Its not the side of the argument, its the support for the argument.

There are far fewer great pitchers than there are great batters. There's a start. Needing 4 days off after you play is not a start.

Okay, I see what you're getting at, and you're right.

I guess another way I'd classify it as more difficult would be the expectations. By definition, he throws every pitch during his time in a game. Pitchers are expected to hit what's basically a 2'x2' box, repeatedly. But they can't put it too much in the box, or else you're serving it up in to a batters wheelhouse. They also have to compensate for irregularities in the zone from ump to ump. And they have to maintain that accuracy with a variety of pitches, ranging from throwing it very hard, to having a lot of movement. And that's with every single pitch. It's possible for some position players to not even touch a ball during a game.

In actuality, I think it tends to balance out between position players and pitchers. That's just me, though.

[Rene88]

Even the best case scenario by scouts never had Jake as dominant or an ace.

He was projected as a first rounder initially I believe with high upside. I am not sure that is accurate.

[Ruzious]

I think people are way over reacting to his little comment. He's just saying that he knows he has great potential but isn't quite fulfilling it. I don't think it was arrogant. Just honest.

On the other hand, if Jake or anyone else thinks it's easy to teach a guy to throw a baseball 95 mph while hitting a bulls eye on the other end, they have another thing coming. I think the odds of Jake ever becoming a very good pitcher, either starting or in relief, are pretty low. He's closer to Alfredo Simon than Justin Verlander, IMO.

[Edit: Note, I feel similarly about Tillman and Britton, each to a slightly lesser degree.]

Yeah, I think the overreactions here are bizarre. It's also a bit strange that people would care what a fat slob like Nick Johnson has to say. What a shock that a player who never got in shape was injury-prone throughout his career.

[Can_of_corn]

Yeah, I think the overreactions here are bizarre. It's also a bit strange that people would care what a fat slob like Nick Johnson has to say. What a shock that a player who never got in shape was injury-prone throughout his career.

Yes, I just read a study showing a strong correlation between BMI and vulnerability to wrist injuries. They seem to think increased fork usage is a factor. If only the O's could have gotten Nick some chopsticks early enough...

[Can_of_corn]

The comment "I'm so close to be so good and everyone knows it", just comes across the wrong way to many people, including myself. How about talking about being an average major league pitcher before even saying something like "so godd", and who is "everyone". Everyone in baseball? Everyone on the Orioles? Maybe Jake is assuming a bit much here.

Average MLB pitcher? I would be OK if he could go 6 IP and give up 4 ER a start.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Yes, I just read a study showing a strong correlation between BMI and vulnerability to wrist injuries. They seem to think increased fork usage is a factor. If only the O's could have gotten Nick some chopsticks early enough...

Fork-in-mouth disease. I've heard about that.