Roch: Ubaldo Did Not Throw While A Free Agent

[scOtt]

That's ok. He's an Oriole. So folks would day that is reason enough to bash him. There were many pitchers worse than Ubaldo last year. And he did not weigh in Thursday at 307 lbs. He strikes out a bunch of guys, does not give up homers, and has a fastball that has crazy movement.

All these years later and we're still picking on Ponson.

[Nevermore]

What is his twitter?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not sure because I don't have a Twitter account. His Facebook account is

https://www.facebook.com/UbaldoJimenez22. And I believe that his Twitter account is #UbaldoJimenez22.

[weams]

I'm not sure because I don't have a Twitter account. His Facebook account is

https://www.facebook.com/UbaldoJimenez22. And I believe that his Twitter account is #UbaldoJimenez22.

I think that is instagram. But thanks.

[weams]

I think that is instagram. But thanks.

[Nevermore]

My point is, he had the same issues as every year. I like Ubaldo and I hope he does good. I don't see though how one offseason is to blame for something that has been an issue his whole career. Hope he wins 20 this year.

Ubaldo didn't have Buck Showalter, Wallace, or Chiti in previous years. The best thing that happened to him was when Buck demoted him to the bullpen. Buck didn't care about whether the team would have a $40 million mop up man. Buck wanted a winning team, but he also wanted to do what was best for his players. Ubaldo finally got the message -- listen to his coaches, fix his mechanics, or else continue to pitch mop up. At Fanfest, at the pitchers' forum, the pitchers were asked about the pitching coaches. When it was Ubaldo's turn, he said that the pitching coaches are "everything."

[stomperspc]

My point is, he had the same issues as every year. I like Ubaldo and I hope he does good. I don't see though how one offseason is to blame for something that has been an issue his whole career. Hope he wins 20 this year.

The walks were a far bigger issue for him in 2014 than any other season in his career. His 13.9% walk rate was significantly higher than his previous career highs (11.8% in 2012 and 11.9% in 2008) and significantly higher than his 10.8% career average. I have no clue whether that had anything to do with not throwing over the winter but his walk issues were far more prevalent last season than anytime in his career. There is at least some reason to believe that last year was an outlier than can be corrected (whether that's by having a real spring training, adjusting his mechanics or whatever).

[Nevermore]

The walks were a far bigger issue for him in 2014 than any other season in his career. His 13.9% walk rate was significantly higher than his previous career highs (11.8% in 2012 and 11.9% in 2008) and significantly higher than his 10.8% career average. I have no clue whether that had anything to do with not throwing over the winter but his walk issues were far more prevalent last season than anytime in his career. There is at least some reason to believe that last year was an outlier than can be corrected (whether that's by having a real spring training, adjusting his mechanics or whatever).

The walk issue, caused by bad mechanics, can be corrected by good, consistent coaching. Fortunately, the Os have this avaialble.

[sportsfan8703]

I like Ubaldo. I really do. But just to be accurate, didn't he OPT to NOT want to be with his teammates in the playoffs because he wasn't on the roster?

Yeah but what competitor wants to watch something they aren't competing in. How many nfl players don't watch the Super Bowl. I'm sure he followed and rooted us on. But hey the O's were the ones that left him off the roster. So we expect a person to not want to go home to his family after a full mlb season. Oh yeah, but we accept when guys miss gameS because the birth of a child.

[weams]

Oh yeah, but we accept when guys miss gameS because the birth of a child.

I still believe that messed us up.

[Nevermore]

I still believe that messed us up.

I remember during the ACLS when Zach Britton's child was on the verge of arriving. Zach got on a plane to California (where he lives) and was there for his son's birth. Then he hopped on a plane and hurried back to OPACY. He was exhausted from all of that flying (and the jet lag) and when he came out to pitch, it was one of the few times he got really walloped. Maybe he should have stayed one more day in California.

[Norfolk orioles]

Players are usually more susceptible to inconsistency when they are young. The older and more experienced a pitcher is, the more refined he usually becomes at his craft. Older guys who don't figure out how to be consistent usually get shown the door as soon as they lose their great stuff.

Ubaldo is now a veteran. He will have ZERO excuses this year. It's time to put up or shut up because his fastball velocity isn't getting any better than it is right now any time soon.

But as others have said, maybe with a solid regiment, a steady catcher to throw to behind the plate (last year we had what, 4 different guys for him to get used to between clevenger, wieters, hundley and Joseph) and a full year under our pitching coach, we can finally get him straightened out.

Having a good routine and faith in your catcher can count for a lot for a pitcher. Constantly having new guys to start the year may have played a factor as well in addition to the very little offseason throwing he was able to get done after signing.

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he is able to find the consistency this year that he so badly lacked last year. If he can find it, the Orioles season should be a memorable one!

[UpstateNYfan]

No matter what Ubaldo does this year, a few here will always flaws in his game. He could win a game, give up 1 run in seven innings, strike out 10, but walk 5 and some will highlight the walks and he could have completed the game if he didn't walk so many.

I would not mind if he has 15 games like that. He has to improve his strike throwing. Batters wait him out and if you can't hit him, look for a walk. He frustrates me when he has a batter 0-2 or 1-2 and he tries to get the K with an exclamation point (much like Arietta). Just throw what worked early in the count. I don't believe he has the luxury of throwing a waste pitch because if he gets out of rhythm, it is difficult for him to get it back. I also think(without any data to support) that sometimes the plate umpires get fooled by any pitcher with exceptional movement. He has to prove to them he has control.

[weams]

He could win a game, give up 1 run in seven innings, strike out 10, but walk 5

That would be an exceptional pitcher. Maybe the best. Much like they guy who pitched second half of 2013.

[spiritof66]

Yes, he wanted to be on the roster but Roy is accurate in that he did opt-out of being with his teammates. I found this from Roch's blog the other day interesting:

I asked Showalter about pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez's decision to return home while the Orioles were being swept by the Royals in the American League Championship Series. Jimenez left the team after being left off the roster.

"I understand the disappointment," Showalter said. "His family lived with him and I think he was getting them back to the Dominican. In a perfect world... you know? We took him in the first round and he might have been back for the next round, but I understand his disappointment. Everybody handles it differently.

"Some people just don't want to be around something they wanted to be a part of. Is that selfish? That's open to interpretation. I'm sure there are some guys who have some thoughts on it, but I don't think they'll share it. They've kind of moved on."

For the collection of shortest Oriole-related books: Buck Showalter's Regrettable, Embarrassing and Just Plain Dumb Statements on Potentially Touchy Subjects.

It seems like he always says the right thing, while not dodging these questions outright.

[MurphDogg]

I remember during the ACLS when Zach Britton's child was on the verge of arriving. Zach got on a plane to California (where he lives) and was there for his son's birth. Then he hopped on a plane and hurried back to OPACY. He was exhausted from all of that flying (and the jet lag) and when he came out to pitch, it was one of the few times he got really walloped. Maybe he should have stayed one more day in California.

The kid was born late Tuesday night, he rejoined the team on Thursday and pitched on Friday in game one where he walked the bases loaded, the following batter hit a groundball and they got the force at home and then O'Day came in and got a double-play groundball. That doesn't entirely fit your narrative.