Balfour speaks...

[OFFNY]

Balfour is lucky he didn't sign on to play in a hitter's park. He would have bombed in Camden Yards.

He still might get that chance, assuming that he stays healthy for the entire season, and depending on how the 10 games that the Rays play in Baltimore go.

[El Gordo]

What a bunch of sorry homers.

[LA2]

Balfour is lucky he didn't sign on to play in a hitter's park. He would have bombed in Camden Yards.

Over his career, in 17 games/18.33 IPs at Camden Yards, Balfour's allowed only one bomb and a .493 OPS-against. Of course, he's motivated now to do even better.

[OsLuvrInKy]

What a bunch of sorry homers.

Yes i am and quite proud of it. I always have a pitcher of fresh orange kool-aid in the fridge, I have several pairs of orange tinted glasses (in case a pair breaks), I sleep under my Orioles blankie and I have a cat named Brooks and a dog named Cal. I am not just a homer I am a fanatical homer and quite proud of it.

Me personally I hope that every game we plays against the Rays at home this year we are down by 1 run, they bring in Balfour and he serves up a walk and then a walk-off home run to crush.

Hmmmm gotta name the next pet crush!

[bobmc]

I'll take issue, along with others I'm sure, about the "wrong about Sele" thing. I mean, maybe they handled it poorly from a player/public relations perspective, but he got hurt in the middle of what would have been a four year deal with the Orioles. As I've said in other threads, I don't think the O's medical staff should be applauded as foreseeing inevitable arm troubles...but it's also wrong to swing around in the opposite direction and say the O's were mistaken in that case.

All that being said, the story highlights the problem that should be at the front of everyone's minds, regardless of whether particular moves (or non-moves) can be defended in a vacuum: the Orioles have a serious image problem, and the problem has been exacerbated by the Balfour debacle. Even if you want to argue that the underlying causes of the problem (i.e., Angelos' meddling, inept FO management, etc.) are overblown, or even unsubstantiated, the fact seems to be that the Orioles are not perceived in a positive light by the baseball community at large.

And they're not doing anything to fix that.

Money talks or here's one vote for overblown hype. Ubaldo on being in Baldomore,

"The other thing is to thank the owners of the Baltimore Orioles, Peter Angelos and Dan Duquette and the manager, Buck for giving me the confidence. I know it took a lot for them to bring me here. I?m really excited to be here. The only way to pay them back is to go out every five days and get the best out of me and just be there for the team, giving me the opportunity. I?m very excited. We?re here for one thing, and that?s bringing a championship to the city of Baltimore. I want to thank everyone, starting with the owner, Dan and Buck, and everyone that made it possible for me to be here today. I want to do everything possible to go out there and compete and give the team a chance to win. I know it?s a tough division, but I like the challenge. It?s not going to be easy, but I?m very prepared for that. I?m excited to be in Baltimore, and I?m going to do everything possible to meet the challenge."

http://brittghiroli.mlblogs.com

"Jimenez’s signing had a lot of factors in it, the fourth year was important and obviously so was the total contract value. But so was the initial visit he had with the O’s and the word of Pedro Martinez.

“We had a really good visit with [pitching coach] Dave Wallace and Dan [Duquette] and Lee Thomas at the Winter Meetings,” agent Fernando Cuza said yesterday. “I flew Ubaldo up. We spent a long time talking about the direction the organization was going. Dave Wallace and [athletic trainer] Chris Correnti had a connection with Pedro. Pedro thinks the world of Dave Wallace and of Chris. Chris was his personal trainer when he played with Boston and in New York. So he knew that these guys really know how to work with pitchers, and he had a chance to be on top of his game with this staff around him that Dan has put together.

So that’s what really impressed him more than anything. Dave speaks perfect Spanish, he knows the culture, he’s worked with some of the best Dominican pitchers in the history of baseball. And I think this environment is going to be good for him.”

Jimenez is a big family guy and plans on getting a house in the area. His mother will be a staple at Camden Yards every fifth day."

http://brittghiroli.mlblogs.com/2014/02/21/day-9-news-and-notes/

[Ohfan67]

What a bunch of sorry homers.

While ignoring the homerism, would you agree that the comments to the media about Machado's injury by Tampa's team doctor were inappropriate? I also think his public comments about Balfour were inappropriate too, but maybe you think otherwise? I'm curious.

[gpolee]

Over his career, in 17 games/18.33 IPs at Camden Yards, Balfour's allowed only one bomb and a .493 OPS-against. Of course, he's motivated now to do even better.

Playing 81 at Baltimore in a closer's role would have exposed Balfour's mediocrity. Nobody believed in him as a closer until Oakland's hand was forced in 2012 following Brian Fuentes ineptitude. Even then, the A's removed Balfour as closer in favor of Ryan Cook for two months mid-season prior to reinstalling him. And we know how greatly O.co Stadium benefits pitchers, especially those pitchers who are merely serviceable, not dominant. I expect Balfour would have lost the closer's role in Baltimore by the 2014 All-Star break.

[gpolee]

We watch the musical chairs at closer each and every year. Yet we forget that there are only a few dominant closers in MLB, e.g. Nathan, Holland, Kimbrel. The rest, like Balfour and Rodney, are just temps, waiting for one of the other 60 or 70 MLB pitchers who could do equally as well in the closer's role to supplant them.

[El Gordo]

While ignoring the homerism, would you agree that the comments to the media about Machado's injury by Tampa's team doctor were inappropriate? I also think his public comments about Balfour were inappropriate too, but maybe you think otherwise? I'm curious.

I don't know the context of CoCo''s comments on Machado, but I assume it was at the moment, with someone sticking a mike in his face. I don't think it's a big deal. S to Balfour, I just think that TB is an extremely well run organization, and if they had any problems with Balfour's health they wouldn't have signed him. They can't afford to risk that much money on their budget. I also think they hire excellent medical people. I know their pitcher conditioning program is state of the art. I can't say the same about the O's organization. I also know the PA has a history of using medicals to stop deals he doesn't like. So I guess there's nobody in here but us chickens right?

[gpolee]

He still might get that chance, assuming that he stays healthy for the entire season, and depending on how the 10 games that the Rays play in Baltimore go.

Then I hope he gets that chance in Toronto, Boston or NY.

[Dipper9]

I don't know the context of CoCo''s comments on Machado, but I assume it was at the moment, with someone sticking a mike in his face. I don't think it's a big deal. S to Balfour, I just think that TB is an extremely well run organization, and if they had any problems with Balfour's health they wouldn't have signed him. They can't afford to risk that much money on their budget. I also think they hire excellent medical people. I know their pitcher conditioning program is state of the art. I can't say the same about the O's organization. I also know the PA has a history of using medicals to stop deals he doesn't like. So I guess there's nobody in here but us chickens right?

Pray tell Gordo...in Angelos' 20+ years of owning the Orioles, how many times has HE (not that I believe it was Angelos, but I'll play along) veto a deal based on a poor physical.

Take your time with the research, I'll wait.

[El Gordo]

Pray tell Gordo...in Angelos' 20+ years of owning the Orioles, how many times has HE (not that I believe it was Angelos, but I'll play along) veto a deal based on a poor physical.

Take your time with the research, I'll wait.

I have heard a number of former GM's attest to this. Of course you can't prove it. But then there's nobody in here but us chickens right?

[weams]

I have heard a number of former GM's attest to this. Of course you can't prove it. But then there's nobody in here but us chickens right?

The number is Two.

One of them told me personally the other night that he thought the Orioles Dr. made a mistake. But he also had come out initially on that side of the argument. And he has good integrity. I like him as a person. I don't think he is particularly invested in his viewpoint. If he's wrong, he'll just shrug it off. In our conversation he said "I guess we will know soon enough." It certainly was not based on any knowledge that he had. He just thinks Balfour will pitch fine this year. As the Orioles Dr's actually thought as well.

The other one I would never trust on the subject of the Orioles about anything.

But they may both be right. Balfour might be fine! he may pitch great. We will have to see. Who knows what traces of what those Dr.s may have seen during that exam to advise against spending 15 million on him. He may well have reason to be raging about all of this.

[weams]

I have heard a number of former GM's attest to this. Of course you can't prove it. But then there's nobody in here but us chickens right?

Jim Duquette said that the Burnitz deal got cancelled after Jeremy heard what type of physical he was going to be given and he rejected the contract based on that. You know, the Drs. CAN look for all types of symptoms to make their recommendations. That is not against the CBA.

[weams]

Sele's physical turned up issues in his labrum and the Dr's recommended that a two year maximum be placed on the contract. Angelos did ask Wren to rework it and got himself all worked up about it.

Frank Wren cost the Orioles the entire Xavier Hernandez contract because he announced it before X failed his physical. He never pitched again.