The Blame Game

[Dipper9]

I agree with Malike here, no one person or group is to blame, it's a team effort. However, I think DD's inactivity last off season started us off on the wrong foot. He needs to do better this off season.

If anything, it started us off on the right foot. 16-11 thru April. 31-24 thru May. We started out fast, it was sustaining that success is what the problem was.

[Say O!]

Using win probability added from fangraphs

Top 5 worst (pitching)

1. Strop: -2.35

2. Hammel: -1.79

3. Britton: -1.14

4. Gausman: -0.91

5. Arrieta: -0.74

(Jim Johnson is 6th at -0.73, followed by Miguel Gonzalez at -0.42)

Top 5 worst (hitting)

1. Flaherty: -2.26

2. Wieters: -1.00

3. Reimold: -0.83

4. Hardy: -0.81

5. Markakis: -0.73

I think this context dependent stat does a fairly decent job at identifying the potential candidates for this blamestorming exercise.

While Strop has the worst overall WPA, my vote goes to Hammel. When healthy last year, Hammel really pitched like a TOR arm, getting deep into games and mowing down tough AL East competition. His potential for innings and dominance was missed this season, as inferior starters (Jurrgens, Britton, Gausman) received starts and performed poorly. Additionally, the lack of innings further taxed a stressed bullpen. And when Hammel did pitch, he resembled nothing like last year nor even his career prior to that. Hammel + Britton + Jurrgens + Gausman = -3.81 WPA.

[Ommaculate]

If anything, it started us off on the right foot. 16-11 thru April. 31-24 thru May. We started out fast, it was sustaining that success is what the problem was.

Even the worst Orioles teams of the last decade started off April hot. Everyone knows they crash and burn later.

[Redskins Rick]

Even the worst Orioles teams of the last decade started off April hot. Everyone knows they crash and burn later.

Except for the year, they lost they first 21 games.

[Ommaculate]

I voted for Jim Johnson. It's not just his blowing the saves that killed us, it's the mental drain the blown saves put on the entire team. Nothing is more demoralizing than a blown save.

[mark_beckens]

Using win probability added from fangraphs

Top 5 worst (pitching)

1. Strop: -2.35

2. Hammel: -1.79

3. Britton: -1.14

4. Gausman: -0.91

5. Arrieta: -0.74

(Jim Johnson is 6th at -0.73, followed by Miguel Gonzalez at -0.42)

What I notice from this is 2 of them are no longer with us, one was hurt during the season, one was a rookie and one was on the Norfolk shuttle.

[Redskins Rick]

What I notice from this is 2 of them are no longer with us, one was hurt during the season, one was a rookie and one was on the Norfolk shuttle.

DING DING DING.

We have a winner.

The correct answer is:

NONE, it's a team game.

[Redskins Rick]

I voted for Jim Johnson. It's not just his blowing the saves that killed us, it's the mental drain the blown saves put on the entire team. Nothing is more demoralizing than a blown save.

So the starter that leaves the game with a 2 run lead, and 2 men on base.

Reliever (Non closer) gives up a 3 run homer, talk about demoralizing feeling for the team.

[$Greatness$]

Dan Duqette and if his hands were tied, Peter Angelos. No excuse to not upgrade this team after a strong showing in 2012. NONE!

[BillickFan]

Dan Duquette.

Failure to get a legit DH in the offseason and having 3 2nd basemen on the roster for a large chunk of the year.

[Ommaculate]

So the starter that leaves the game with a 2 run lead, and 2 men on base.

Reliever (Non closer) gives up a 3 run homer, talk about demoralizing feeling for the team.

Still not as bad as blowing the game in the bottom of the 9nth. Especially 3 times in a row.

[Frobby]

Still not as bad as blowing the game in the bottom of the 9nth. Especially 3 times in a row.

Please note that in the Diamondbacks series, it was not Johnson who blew the save in the opening game of that series.

[Ommaculate]

Please note that in the Diamondbacks series, it was not Johnson who blew the save in the opening game of that series.

I wasn't referring to that series. He did it back in May.

[AdamK]

I know it is a team game and all that...

BUT...

I pick Jim Johnson. Him blowing saves seemed to deflate the momentum this team managed to put together heading into the All Star Break. Yeah he blew saves prior to the break, but how many times can a team over come blown wins and expect to keep "#grinding". It seemed too much to keep overcoming and bled into other areas of the clubhouse when Buck continued to put Johnson on the mound for more blown saves and losses.

At the start of the season Johnson was viewed as our best pitcher and Gausman got a locker right next to him so he could learn from our best guy. And then Johnson's wheels came off and the rest of the team seemed to lose the magic we were able to use early on in the season.

Yeah we had terrible starters early on, but the team was winning games despite that upheaval to our rotation. By the time our Starters started to get their #ish together, the die was cast it seemed.

I just think everyone looked to Johnson and Johnson blew it.

[AdamK]

I voted Johnson. Not because of just 9 blown saves, but because of what those blown saves did to the team's spark.

I think he snuffed out the magic that the team seemed to be gathering 1/3 thru the season. After all the let downs, the guys just couldn't rebound and all feel like winning was a sure thing.