The O's will lead all of baseball in home runs this year

[weams]

But it's an eye sore, it MUST have a negative effect on the actual baseball played on the field!!!!11!1! etc etc

I actually think it looks kinda good.

It's actually a good batter's eye.

[Can_of_corn]

What that myth/fact that the Hotel now keeps some HR balls in the park?

Is this fact or myth?

You have it backwards.

The hotel changed the wind patterns and made it easier to hit HR.

Or so the theory goes.

[weams]

If they lead the league in home runs again they will probably be near the bottom in least pitches seen per at bat. I know I'm repeating myself but this has been a problem for a while and I'm disappointed that the FO hasn't made more of an effort to fix it.

That said, hopefully Schoop continues to improve, hits for a higher average and has better plate discipline. He has a ton of upside both offensively and defensively and I'm glad the Orioles are being patient with him and letting him play.

You really have not paid a lot of attention to the changes in hitting since the Red Sox model fell on it's face. Have you? The number of pitches seen appears to no longer be something that smart baseball people look for. A good grasp of the strike zone. Yes. Limited pitches swung at outside the strike zone? Yes. Waiting for the starter to tire and rocking the bullpen. No.

[Can_of_corn]

How is seeing less pitches per plate appearance a problem?

You really have not paid a lot of attention to the changes in hitting since the Red Sox model fell on it's face. Have you? The number of pitches seen appears to no longer be something that smart baseball people look for. A good grasp of the strike zone. Yes. Limited pitches swung at outside the strike zone? Yes. Waiting for the starter to tire and rocking the bullpen. No.

I was really hoping he was going to take the bait.

[El Gordo]

You really have not paid a lot of attention to the changes in hitting since the Red Sox model fell on it's face. Have you? The number of pitches seen appears to no longer be something that smart baseball people look for. A good grasp of the strike zone. Yes. Limited pitches swung at outside the strike zone? Yes. Waiting for the starter to tire and rocking the bullpen. No.

Yep, with the advent of power arms in the pen, wanting to get into the pen is not always such a good idea. O's 3.81 P/PA was better than WS winner SF's 3.78 but a lot worse than bottom feeding BOS' 4.06. And that proves what?

[Herman]

Yes, you keep trolling the same thing over and over.

We get it, you don't like the FO.

How am I trolling? I am staying on topic and making logical observations that I can support. It isn't my fault if you disagree or have on your Orioles blinders. The Orioles have a bad owner and a GM who doesn't want to be here but you dismiss my concerns as trolling.

How is seeing less pitches per plate appearance a problem?

See my responses below

Didn't stop us from winning 96 games. How many pitches did the Royals see per AB?

This is true, they did win 96 games but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try to get better. Other teams in the division got better and the Orioles didn't get better so it is a bit of stretch to think that they will clinch the division in mid September again. The difference with the Royals is that they don't rely on home runs and have very good team speed.

You really have not paid a lot of attention to the changes in hitting since the Red Sox model fell on it's face. Have you? The number of pitches seen appears to no longer be something that smart baseball people look for. A good grasp of the strike zone. Yes. Limited pitches swung at outside the strike zone? Yes. Waiting for the starter to tire and rocking the bullpen. No.

I'll clarify what I meant - I have paid attention to the Orioles and as a team they collectively swing at bad pitches, don't draw a lot of walks and don't manufacture runs particularly well. All of these things are related pitches per at bat.

[Herman]

See my response above

[Frobby]

Don't know where they ranked in P/PA in MLB but I do know they did better in that dept. than DET, KC, LAA, and WS winner SF.

Major league average was 3.82 P/PA, O's were at 3.80 and ranked 17th of 30 teams. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2014-pitches-batting.shtml As usual, Boston (4.05, 1st in MLB) and New York (3.90, 3rd in MLB) were near the top, but guess what? Their offenses sucked.

There is exactly one offensive team stat I really care about: runs per game. I don't care how they get there, just rank high in that stat and nothing else really matters in terms of offense.

[Number5]

Major league average was 3.82 P/PA, O's were at 3.80 and ranked 17th of 30 teams. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2014-pitches-batting.shtml As usual, Boston (4.05, 1st in MLB) and New York (3.90, 3rd in MLB) were near the top, but guess what? Their offenses sucked.

There is exactly one offensive team stat I really care about: runs per game. I don't care how they get there, just rank high in that stat and nothing else really matters in terms of offense.

On a similar note, although many people now say it is a useless stat, I want my team to lead the league in pitching wins. If they do that, no other stat matters.

[Can_of_corn]

See my response above

If you were not specifically talking about PPA (I think you were) then you would have been better off saying something like: "The O's need to have a better approach at the plate.".

When you mention something as specific as PPA you are really limiting your argument in a way that might not be beneficial.

[Herman]

Major league average was 3.82 P/PA, O's were at 3.80 and ranked 17th of 30 teams. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2014-pitches-batting.shtml As usual, Boston (4.05, 1st in MLB) and New York (3.90, 3rd in MLB) were near the top, but guess what? Their offenses sucked.

There is exactly one offensive team stat I really care about: runs per game. I don't care how they get there, just rank high in that stat and nothing else really matters in terms of offense.

I agree, RPG is the most important stat. What happened to the boom or bust offense in 2012 and 2014 playoffs? You all are acting as though plate discipline and the ability to manufacture runs is a bad thing. Unfortunately, the Orioles are particularly strong at either which is why they had several games with 0 or 1 run.

[Herman]

You're right, I wasn't clear enough. I have made this point in a few other threads (hence Redskins Rick's comment) and I assumed that people who know what I was talking about.

[weams]

I agree, RPG is the most important stat. What happened to the boom or bust offense in 2012 and 2014 playoffs? You all are acting as though plate discipline and the ability to manufacture runs is a bad thing.

Playoffs are a Boom or Bust crap shoot. Two very average teams made it to the World Series. A pitcher on a phenomenal run won it. Plate discipline is not significant if it does not produce runs. Or if the relievers you will face are better than the starters.

[weams]

If you were not specifically talking about PPA (I think you were) then you would have been better off saying something like: "The O's need to have a better approach at the plate.".

When you mention something as specific as PPA you are really limiting your argument in a way that might not be beneficial.

It's not beneficial. Its so 2009.

[Can_of_corn]

I agree, RPG is the most important stat. What happened to the boom or bust offense in 2012 and 2014 playoffs? You all are acting as though plate discipline and the ability to manufacture runs is a bad thing. Unfortunately, the Orioles are particularly strong at either which is why they had several games with 0 or 1 run.

What happened in 2014 is that the Royals destroyed BABIP over a four game stretch.

I wouldn't read much more then that in it.

Everything they hit dropped in, everything the O's hit got caught.