Is Jim Johnson sick?

[clapdiddy]

I don't know if Jim Johnson is sick, but he's sure making me sick.

[Rene88]

Except:) I really miss the edit function on here.

[MrOrange82]

I have a strong desire to spend a couple of hours tomorrow morning digging up and bumping every thread where folks called Johnson an elite closer and said he was off limits in trades and had to be extended long term.

If you can find a thread in which I said that, then you, sir, have earned yourself a cookie.

No, that is not a euphemism.

I've refrained from posting anything about J.J. because it feels fair weathery, but I think it's fair to say that I rarely feel all that comfortable when Johnson comes into games. The end results have typically been there, but, somewhat paradoxically, he's never struck me as a shutdown/lights-out type guy.

Maybe he's just been overused?

[schmed77]

This is the first game this year where I am getting mentally angry. Johnson blows. Strop Blows! I am pissed. I need to turn this off. Good night guys. Tomorrow at the yard is gonna suck being 5 back and losing 6 in a row.

[Rene88]

This is the first game this year where I am getting mentally angry. Johnson blows. Strop Blows! I am pissed. I need to turn this off. Good night guys. Tomorrow at the yard is gonna suck being 5 back and losing 6 in a row.

This is where I am at as well. When it stops being fun, it is hard to watch.

[webbrick2010]

I have a strong desire to spend a couple of hours tomorrow morning digging up and bumping every thread where folks called Johnson an elite closer and said he was off limits in trades and had to be extended long term.

Well I'd like to find where I made the comment that we should trade him, because he doesn't miss enough bats to maintain his performance. I of course got shouted down. Can't believe we paid him 7.5 million but couldn't afford to upgrade the starting rotation.

I remember comparing him to Armando Benitez. After Benitez blew two saves in the ALCS against Cleveland he couldn't be counted on again.

Johnson eliminated the O's in last years ALDS and he is killing them in 2013.

[Tx Oriole]

This is where I am at as well. When it stops being fun, it is hard to watch.

Dammit.

[CryinSloberts]

Back to being the Orioles i am used to, cant stand watching us blow game after game after game. Could tommy hunter be a replacement as a closer? Because i am honestly sick of seeing us blow games we should win. I can understand one blown save, maybeeeee two... but when you blow 3 in a row, something has to be done about it. The only sad thing is i've noticed that the orioles organization is extra slow on replacing players, look at flahrety. SIGHHHHH

[Barnaby Graves]

I have a strong desire to spend a couple of hours tomorrow morning digging up and bumping every thread where folks called Johnson an elite closer and said he was off limits in trades and had to be extended long term.

I totally made a thread saying we should trade him.

"Barnaby Graves" would be a great name for a TV show about a psychic detective who solves baseball mysteries like "The Case of the Missing Oriole Saves" and "The Disappearing Pitching Prospects."

[bradyrocks]

He and Strop remind me more of Kevin Gregg every day.

[Orioles1954]

That is the difference between an elite closer and Jim Johnson. JJ is great when the pressure is off. However, if something goes wrong he seems to come unglued. Tonight he felt he got squeezed on a couple of balls to Hafner and just flat out gave in. Decent closer but not mentally tough. Elite closers don't unravel like this 1-2-3 times in a row. I bet this wouldn't happen on the road.

[Tbone83]

There is not a single pitcher- in the rotation or in the pen- that I trust right now. It is not a good feeling.

[mrbig1]

Sad but true.

[Brooks The Great]

Back to being the Orioles i am used to, cant stand watching us blow game after game after game. Could tommy hunter be a replacement as a closer? Because i am honestly sick of seeing us blow games we should win. I can understand one blown save, maybeeeee two... but when you blow 3 in a row, something has to be done about it. The only sad thing is i've noticed that the orioles organization is extra slow on replacing players, look at flahrety. SIGHHHHH

Hunter is our best bullpen pitcher right now (and best pitcher right now, period). But Buck won't deploy him as such until we've lost more games because of his sub-optimal bullpen usage.

Johnson needs a week or so off from closing. Buck will probably use O'Day if he were to give JJ some time off because he's trusts O'Day so much. But the right move would be to use Hunter as closer for a series or two while Johnson works things out in some lower leverage situations. Unless JJ is hurt, he will turn things around. But he shouldn't be used to close a game again for a short while.

[Il BuonO]

Hunter is our best bullpen pitcher right now (and best pitcher right now, period). But Buck won't deploy him as such until we've lost more games because of his sub-optimal bullpen usage.

Johnson needs a week or so off from closing. Buck will probably use O'Day if he were to give JJ some time off because he's trusts O'Day so much. But the right move would be to use Hunter as closer for a series or two while Johnson works things out in some lower leverage situations. Unless JJ is hurt, he will turn things around. But he shouldn't be used to close a game again for a short while.

Couldn't agree more.

I wonder what ever happened to the idea of not believing in the save rule for this pitching staff.