Schmuck throws in the towel on D-Cab...

[markdublya]

I'm not QUITE there yet, but it is understandable that someone else could be.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-schmuck0312,0,3306750.column

[JTrea81]

Schmuck's article is off base. Cabrera is working on his changeup, something the Orioles have wanted him to do. I'd rather see him walk tons of people this spring if he can develop enough confidence in the pitch to throw it for strikes in the regular season.

[mapierce]

Schmuck's article is off base. Cabrera is working on his changeup, something the Orioles have wanted him to do. I'd rather see him walk tons of people this spring if he can develop enough confidence in the pitch to throw it for strikes in the regular season.

Same here. I've kinda written him off myself so that I don't get my hopes up. That way if he does improve it's just gravy.

[CmonOs]

Schmuck's article is off base. Cabrera is working on his changeup, something the Orioles have wanted him to do. I'd rather see him walk tons of people this spring if he can develop enough confidence in the pitch to throw it for strikes in the regular season.

Agreed. ST performance is nothing to get worked up about for a variety of reasons. DCab must have said something after the game that Schmuck didn't like.

[orayole]

The guy would be lights out if the light ever went on, but how much longer can the Orioles wait for that to happen?

Well you could at least give him this season. It's a rebuilding year. The best time to give someone like DCab a chance. Maybe Kranitz can do something with him. The season hasn't even started. Give Kranitz time. If at the end of the season no significant progress has been made, then I'd say it's time to move on.

[markdublya]

DCab must have said something after the game that Schmuck didn't like.

Seems like the interview REALLY grated PS's nerves...

[dkdc]

I think the article is pretty unfair. Schmuck doesn't come right out and say it, but he's suggesting that Cabrera isn't stepping up his game because there's something fundamentally wrong with his approach.

Isn't it possible that Cabrera is trying his hardest, but he just doesn't have the talent to be anything more than a below-average starter? I'm sure that it's enormously frustrating for Daniel that he's unable to consistently locate his fastball (it's frustrating for O's fans too, of course, but that's beside the point)?

Does Peter Schmuck have a concrete suggestion for Daniel about what he should do differently other than "throw strikes"?

The whole article has the stink of a bitter reporter who wanted better sound bites. I guess the Sun needs a new punching bag with Bedard gone.

[NewMarketSean]

Yeah, if Cabrera is doing this in June, which I fully expect him to be, then you can throw in the towell. But he is working on pitches, who knows what else, in the spring.

[Mackus]

Count me as someone who thinks he has a 5% chance of being a very good, #1/#2 type starter, a 20% chance of being a solid middle of the rotation starter, a 50% chance of being a mediocre to bad back of the rotation starter / long reliever and 15% chance of being an average late inning reliever and a 10% chance of being a very good late in reliever / closer.

I'd say he's got about a 30% chance overall of being something that we want to have around.

[byrdz]

Even if he works on his change up during the regular season, does it really matter? We're not trying to compete this coming season, what do we have to lose by letting him go at it again this season?

And what's with all of the media whining, seriously, that's what's getting old.

[theobird]

What a Schmuck! Look, Daniel Cabrera is working on some things and this is spring training. He already has a spot in the rotation, and he does not have to win a job in this rotation. I am frustrated with the guy too, but c'mon. Lets see what the guy has to offer when the games really count. If he can't find the strike zone 5 games into his season, demote him and bring on an Albers or Penn or Olson. But I am not going to cut the cord on him for his ST performance.

[olehippi]

So Cabrera gets "salty" with the press, because he is tired of hearing the same questions they have asked him for years, and is suddenly transformed from a talented headcase with untapped potential to a talented headcase with potential that will never be tapped.

Maybe Schmuck and the other sports writers should come up with some different questions. Or better yet, just stop asking him questions, period.

IMO, this sounds like Schmuck just being a smuck.

[66-70-83-??]

Agreed. ST performance is nothing to get worked up about for a variety of reasons. DCab must have said something after the game that Schmuck didn't like.

It looks like I am in the minority on this one....

You are selling Schmuck short in my opinion.

Schmuck, imo, is one of the last guys out there who would be vindictive in print for trivial reasons.

Like him or not (and it took years of reading him to me to appreciate him) he is fair. He doesn't look to start trouble (calling Mike Preston ).

He was difficult and sarcastic, chiding reporters he has known for years for their inability to come up with new and original ways to ask him why there are so many times he couldn't find the strike zone with a Garman.

If the above is true- why make excuses for DCab and attack the messenger?

[JTrea81]

You are selling Schmuck short in my opinion.

Schmuck, imo, is one of the last guys out there who would be vindictive in print for trivial reasons.

Like him or not (and it took years of reading him to me to appreciate him) he is fair. He doesn't look to start trouble (calling Mike Preston ).

He was difficult and sarcastic, chiding reporters he has known for years for their inability to come up with new and original ways to ask him why there are so many times he couldn't find the strike zone with a Garman.

If the above is true- why make excuses for DCab and attack the messenger?

Maybe he thinks he'll have a Bedard like breakthrough, if he acts like Bedard to the media?

[MemorialStadKid]

Yeah, if Cabrera is doing this in June, which I fully expect him to be, then you can throw in the towell. But he is working on pitches, who knows what else, in the spring.

I have consistently said the same thing ever since signing up with this board: DCAB NEEDS TO BE TRADED TO A LOW PRESSURE NATIONAL LEAGUE team.

He simply can't do it in Baltimore, for whatever reason he just shuts down and loses whatever kind of talent he has whenever we really need him to perform. He won't be the first kid with a ton of talent who just doesn't make it all come together.

He needs to be off of this team no later than early summer.

MSK