Youth does not hide failure

[calmunderfire]

If we were to grade starters on a pass fail system then age is nothing, but a number. The performance is the performance and your body of work is what it is. Everything that happened is documented statistically and on video. You cannot hide from your failures. All you can do is remain a failure or become a success story. Or conversely you can succeed from the start and maintain a level of production until retirement.

Most of our guys fail from season 1 and continue failing throughout their career. On some occasions we see failures start to show up in season 2 like Matusz and Bergesen. The point is failure is failure no matter when it happens.

Jake Arrieta for example failed when he came up. He was young so we gave him chances to figure it out. He never figured it out. But even so, in 2009 he failed as he did in the following seasons. He hurt the team in every season he failed.

It does not matter when pitchers fail. Kevin Gausman's failures as a starter in the MLB is just as damaging as any other failure no matter their age and experience. He is still a key contributor to the struggles of the rotation.

Did we bring him up to fail? To cut to the chase lets not sugarcoat it. Was he called up to fail? Or was he called up to help the Orioles win games? He was called up to succeed. Maybe a young guy like him goes and figures it out. Perhaps we shouldn't expect him to perform as well as a more experienced pitcher. But ineffectiveness knows no age.

We cannot have the attitude of expecting a young pitcher to fail at first and then succeed. We should expect him to succeed immediately and hit the ground running. And if he should struggle at first well then he is a failure until proven otherwise.

To believe otherwise is just lying to yourself.

[Lucky Jim]

Can we apply this to posters, too?

[mcinww0]

Not sure what your point is here. Baseball's a game of failure.

Its not like Arietta is being brought up because hes young and they want to see what he can do, he's 27 and they know he sucks right now. Just didnt have a better option in the minds of DD and Buck and didnt want Gausman to keep getting blown up so early on in his career.

[El Gordo]

They had a situation where they could have had to use Arrieta, Britton, and Gausman 3 days in a row. They didn't have anyone else.

[JDubs]

Not sure what your point is here. Baseball's a game of failure.

Its not like Arietta is being brought up because hes young and they want to see what he can do, he's 27 and they know he sucks right now. Just didnt have a better option in the minds of DD and Buck and didnt want Gausman to keep getting blown up so early on in his career.

It bugs me when people say "baseball is a game of failure" with respect to pitching. Baseball as a game of failure applies to hitting. Starting pitchers better get people out about 75% of the time. Pitchers who fail more than they succeed become Walmart greeters. Promptly.

[waroriole]

Ahhh, Cal your posts are becoming classics.

[weams]

Can we apply this to posters, too?

Oh, Lucky Jim...

[weams]

To believe otherwise is just lying to yourself.

An alternate lifestyle.

[mdbdotcom]

If we were to grade starters on a pass fail system then age is nothing, but a number. The performance is the performance and your body of work is what it is. Everything that happened is documented statistically and on video. You cannot hide from your failures. All you can do is remain a failure or become a success story. Or conversely you can succeed from the start and maintain a level of production until retirement.

Most of our guys fail from season 1 and continue failing throughout their career. On some occasions we see failures start to show up in season 2 like Matusz and Bergesen. The point is failure is failure no matter when it happens.

Jake Arrieta for example failed when he came up. He was young so we gave him chances to figure it out. He never figured it out. But even so, in 2009 he failed as he did in the following seasons. He hurt the team in every season he failed.

It does not matter when pitchers fail. Kevin Gausman's failures as a starter in the MLB is just as damaging as any other failure no matter their age and experience. He is still a key contributor to the struggles of the rotation.

Did we bring him up to fail? To cut to the chase lets not sugarcoat it. Was he called up to fail? Or was he called up to help the Orioles win games? He was called up to succeed. Maybe a young guy like him goes and figures it out. Perhaps we shouldn't expect him to perform as well as a more experienced pitcher. But ineffectiveness knows no age.

We cannot have the attitude of expecting a young pitcher to fail at first and then succeed. We should expect him to succeed immediately and hit the ground running. And if he should struggle at first well then he is a failure until proven otherwise.

To believe otherwise is just lying to yourself.

I just don't see what this has to do with being a fan. When a player comes up, I don't have expectations, I have hopes. When the team loses, I enjoy that less, but I don't get angry or judgmental about it. What's the point?

Does your attitude significantly boost your enjoyment of the game? Which do you prefer, being a fan or a judge?

I spend a considerable amount of time thinking about the Orioles and what they might do to get better, but it just seems odd to me when people become so personally invested in something they can't do anything about.

[DrungoHazewood]

I just don't see what this has to do with being a fan. When a player comes up, I don't have expectations, I have hopes. When the team loses, I enjoy that less, but I don't get angry or judgmental about it. What's the point?

Does your attitude significantly boost your enjoyment of the game? Which do you prefer, being a fan or a judge?

I spend a considerable amount of time thinking about the Orioles and what they might do to get better, but it just seems odd to me when people become so personally invested in something they can't do anything about.

I don't even understand what the original post was about, do you? If anything, it seems to say that we should expect all of the O's prospects to succeed immediately and if they don't you cast them aside and move on. But he can't mean that, can he? That's nonsense.

[wildcard]

I completely disagree with the OP. Being a ball player is a progression. Some players progress farther than others but all learning involves some failure. To say that if a player fails when he is called to the majors the first time that he will always fail is, well, wrong.

[mdbdotcom]

I don't even understand what the original post was about, do you? If anything, it seems to say that we should expect all of the O's prospects to succeed immediately and if they don't you cast them aside and move on. But he can't mean that, can he? That's nonsense.

I actually looked at last night's game as a "successful loss," if there can be such a thing. They didn't blow out the bullpen. Patton is the only bullpen guy who can't go tonight (so they could afford to bring up Ishikawa). Jake had only one (intentional) walk, and his change-up was devastating. And, since they only scored one run, they weren't going to beat the Tigers anyway. They survived. Why would you write about failure after a game like that?

[TiredofLosing20]

Can we apply this to posters, too?

Bazinga...

[TiredofLosing20]

Fact. Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica

[maybenxtyr]

I think we should apply this to everything in life. If you kids do not bring home straight A's, do not offer them mere words of encouragement, but tell them they may want to start looking for a new family.

Thank you calm, for showing me the error of my way! Also, thank you for the perfection you bring as a poster here.

I'm not sure why you like baseball, but everything you post here is a complaint. Enjoy it. Life is way too short to consume yourself with things you have no control of.