You Mean To Tell Me That We Can't Do Better Than Flaherty?

[WNY Orioles Fan]

Dude is totally useless. Last year it was a struggle just to get above 200 and this year he's hitting 220? I'm being totally serious, we have to have someone in our farm system that can do a little better than that. Can't we at least make some sort of a

trade?

PLEASE, GET THIS BUM OFF THE TEAM.

[ChuckS]

Unfortunately all of our better options (about three of them in Norfolk) are second basemen. Flaherty is the backup SS. The simple option of moving Manny over to short on days where Hardy needs a rest would allow us to send him down. But Buck refuses to do this for some reason.

I agree, Flaherty is utterly worthless with the bat. For the third year in a row now. And he's 27, or is it 28 now? Development time is over. He's not going to get better.

[Guest]

Unfortunately all of our better options (about three of them in Norfolk) are second basemen. Flaherty is the backup SS. The simple option of moving Manny over to short on days where Hardy needs a rest would allow us to send him down. But Buck refuses to do this for some reason.

I agree, Flaherty is utterly worthless with the bat. For the third year in a row now. And he's 27, or is it 28 now? Development time is over. He's not going to get better.

He's a Buck guy. He's going no where.

[sfosfan]

He's a Buck guy. He's going no where.

Sadly, you might be right. But it really makes no sense to keep all three of Flaherty, Schoop and Lough even more so with Wieters out and Joseph and Hundley are here. Young looks like he's going to get more playing time, and since he's the only pinch "hitter" who can hit, we might get more of the same until Buck wakes up.

[olehippi]

The only thing totally worthless are the posts saying Flaherty is totally worthless. You are just pissed because he hit into a DP to end the game tonight. And you've obviously already forgotten that just 3 weeks ago, Flaherty's 3-run HR beat the Red Sox. The reality is, Flaherty is the consummate utility player, capable of playing every infield position, and the corner OF positions in an emergency. Plus, he has some power - 10 HR in only 246 AB's last year, including a walk-off 3-run HR against the Blue Jays. He is capable of getting key hits, but like most utility players, he won't hit for average.

And, the Orioles have no one anywhere near as versatile at Norfolk.

[claudecat]

The only thing totally worthless are the posts saying Flaherty is totally worthless. You are just pissed because he hit into a DP to end the game tonight. And you've obviously already forgotten that just 3 weeks ago, Flaherty's 3-run HR beat the Red Sox. The reality is, Flaherty is the consummate utility player, capable of playing every infield position, and the corner OF positions in an emergency. Plus, he has some power - 10 HR in only 246 AB's last year, including a walk-off 3-run HR against the Blue Jays. He is capable of getting key hits, but like most utility players, he won't hit for average.

And, the Orioles have no one anywhere near as versatile at Norfolk.

A post that makes sense in a thread fraught with hyperbolic knee jerk-ism. I'd maybe have let Caleb bat, but Flaherty is nowhere near as bad a hitter as his penchant for starting seasons with huge 0-fer streaks makes him appear. Flaherty hit .274 and slugged over .480 during the final four months of last season, and if you remove the 0-17 season start from his numbers this year, he's around .260. How's Schoop looking in comparison to that?

[El Gordo]

The only thing totally worthless are the posts saying Flaherty is totally worthless. You are just pissed because he hit into a DP to end the game tonight. And you've obviously already forgotten that just 3 weeks ago, Flaherty's 3-run HR beat the Red Sox. The reality is, Flaherty is the consummate utility player, capable of playing every infield position, and the corner OF positions in an emergency. Plus, he has some power - 10 HR in only 246 AB's last year, including a walk-off 3-run HR against the Blue Jays. He is capable of getting key hits, but like most utility players, he won't hit for average.

And, the Orioles have no one anywhere near as versatile at Norfolk.

This post is totally futile, it requires a modicum of baseball intelligence to understand, and there fore does not belong in this thread.

[Norfolk orioles]

This post is totally futile, it requires a modicum of baseball intelligence to understand, and there fore does not belong in this thread.

Really? So there's no case at all to be made that we could and should do better than Ryan flaherty?

The guy is apparently a jack of all trades, master of none or more precisely, sufficient at none.

If we don't have any better options in the organization, it's time to make a trade.

At least schoop is young, he has an excuse for his struggles. Flaherty's defense is vastly overrated, so he's a back up ss, who cares, if he really needs too, manny can play SS.

Flaherty really does not bring much value to this team other than the ability to give multiple guys "off days".

If we really want to be playoff contenders, we need to upgrade second base and no, this isn't an overreaction to tonight, quite a few of us have been saying this for a while.

Rickie weeks, Daniel Murphy, brad miller, maybe chase utley.....there are quite a few available options out there better than flaherty/schoop.

We have an array of young arms that can't all pitch at the major league level, is be fine with flipping someone like E-rod+ another lesser prospect for a second baseman from the above list.

Heck give up a little more if we can get utley or Murphy. But a playoff team can't afford a light hitting catcher, a struggling SS and a black hole at second base.

A .500 or worse team can, but a legitimate playoff contender has to upgrade that position, especially with wieters out for the season, hardy and Davis struggling and no guarantee manny rounds back into form.

Time to take an HONEST look in the mirror, flaherty and lough aren't good enough role players for this team if we want to catch the blue jays and stay ahead of the Yankees.

[MrOrange82]

This post is totally futile, it requires a modicum of baseball intelligence to understand, and there fore does not belong in this thread.

Flaherty has 20 ABs as a pinch hitter in his career. He's 4-for-20 in those ABs (which may or may not include last night's appearance...not sure if BBref and fangraphs have updated yet) with 0 extra base hits, 0 walks, and 0 RBI.

Y'all insist on maintaining your love affair with Flaherty for his "versatility," despite the evidence that he's no better than average at even his best position (2B), fine. At this point, there's obviously no stopping you. But Flaherty shouldn't be starting games, and he shouldn't be a pinch hitting option. Versatility does absolutely nothing for a .214 BA.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Flaherty has 20 ABs as a pinch hitter in his career. He's 4-for-20 in those ABs (which may or may not include last night's appearance...not sure if BBref and fangraphs have updated yet) with 0 extra base hits, 0 walks, and 0 RBI.

Y'all insist on maintaining your love affair with Flaherty for his "versatility," despite the evidence that he's no better than average at even his best position (2B), fine. At this point, there's obviously no stopping you. But Flaherty shouldn't be starting games, and he shouldn't be a pinch hitting option. Versatility does absolutely nothing for a .214 BA.

This would be wrong. He has almost 800 innings at second base. Both DRS and UZR show him as above average to date.

[Norfolk orioles]

This would be wrong. He has almost 800 innings at second base. Both DRS and UZR show him as above average to date.

I find that very very hard to believe.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I find that very very hard to believe.

Look it up if you don't believe me. Not that hard.

[mark_beckens]

Really? So there's no case at all to be made that we could and should do better than Ryan flaherty?

The guy is apparently a jack of all trades, master of none or more precisely, sufficient at none.

If we don't have any better options in the organization, it's time to make a trade.

At least schoop is young, he has an excuse for his struggles. Flaherty's defense is vastly overrated, so he's a back up ss, who cares, if he really needs too, manny can play SS.

Flaherty really does not bring much value to this team other than the ability to give multiple guys "off days".

If we really want to be playoff contenders, we need to upgrade second base and no, this isn't an overreaction to tonight, quite a few of us have been saying this for a while.

Rickie weeks, Daniel Murphy, brad miller, maybe chase utley.....there are quite a few available options out there better than flaherty/schoop.

We have an array of young arms that can't all pitch at the major league level, is be fine with flipping someone like E-rod+ another lesser prospect for a second baseman from the above list.

Heck give up a little more if we can get utley or Murphy. But a playoff team can't afford a light hitting catcher, a struggling SS and a black hole at second base.

A .500 or worse team can, but a legitimate playoff contender has to upgrade that position, especially with wieters out for the season, hardy and Davis struggling and no guarantee manny rounds back into form.

Time to take an HONEST look in the mirror, flaherty and lough aren't good enough role players for this team if we want to catch the blue jays and stay ahead of the Yankees.

Saw your name, knew exactly what was coming. :2yay-thumb:

[MrOrange82]

This would be wrong. He has almost 800 innings at second base. Both DRS and UZR show him as above average to date.

What are the stats, specifically?

[MrOrange82]

What are the stats, specifically?

Actually, never mind. I looked for myself. DRS has him at +3. According to fangraphs, "0" is average and "+5" is above average. So we can split hairs over that one if you want, but it's not crystal clear that he falls comfortably into either category. UZR does put him into the above average category at 2B, so I'll concede that.