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

[66-70-83-??]

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

LOL

As superstitous as ballplayers are- can you imagine what it would be like in the clubhouse if it works!

[orayole]

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 ).

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

Because the reporters need to do a better job. If they can't come up with better questions then don't ask.

Someone on this board has a quote in their sig saying something like "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time is insanity." That's what the reporters are doing with asking the same stupid questions over and over.

edit: found it, from byrdz.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -- Albert Einstein

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

I disagree. He has had good games against teams like the Yankees. I don't know how much more pressure you can get. It's not the pressure, it's just being consistent.

[Moose Milligan]

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.

You're kidding, right?

I've said it before, I've said it a 1,000 times and no one seems to want to answer it...

If he can't throw his fastball or breaking ball for strikes...what makes you think a changeup will magically help? If he can't get the most BASIC pitch over the plate when he wants, how do you think he's going to throw the changeup for strikes?

[joeride]

There's an article below in the one that was linked that says Cabrera has a new attitude.

If I knew how to link it I would. sorry

[BaltimoreTerp]

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

I don't know; why did Schmuck feel the need to do so, too?

Sounds to me like Cabrera is frustrated, and the writers asking the same questions aren't helping.

Don't know why someone wouldn't come out and say that Cabrera IS working on pitches if that is the case, since that seems like it would have prevented this.

[BaltimoreTerp]

You're kidding, right?

I've said it before, I've said it a 1,000 times and no one seems to want to answer it...

If he can't throw his fastball or breaking ball for strikes...what makes you think a changeup will magically help? If he can't get the most BASIC pitch over the plate when he wants, how do you think he's going to throw the changeup for strikes?

Since some of the complaints about his fastball are that it doesn't move, maybe that change of speed will make a straight pitch at least a little more effective.

[MemorialStadKid]

I disagree. He has had good games against teams like the Yankees. I don't know how much more pressure you can get. It's not the pressure, it's just being consistent.

You do have a point here, and he has been consistently bad. That's like going to a restaurant ten times and six times you visit you would get lousy food, horrible service and high prices.

You would be a fool to say, "well, at least four of those times it was good."

DCab is like that. Sometimes he is great, but most times he isn't. And we need better than that to compete -- and I don't care if this is a rebuilding year or not, the goal is to WIN games -- but DCab no longer belongs in Baltimore. He just doesn't.

All the people saying we should wait ANOTHER whole year to trade him are deluding themselves to the highest possible degree. Why hold on to someone who has REPEATEDLY shown that he can't throw a strike?

I mean seriously folks, DCab can't throw strikes. Repeatedly.

Think of all the current pitchers who WIN games: Santana, Beckett, Wang, Petitte, etc... they throw strikes. That's baseball 101.

DCab seems to have failed that class.

MSK

[olehippi]

You're kidding, right?

I've said it before, I've said it a 1,000 times and no one seems to want to answer it...

If he can't throw his fastball or breaking ball for strikes...what makes you think a changeup will magically help? If he can't get the most BASIC pitch over the plate when he wants, how do you think he's going to throw the changeup for strikes?

The purpose of a change up is to upset the timing of the batter and used to set up other pitches. He doesn't necessarily have to throw it for a strike to be effective.

While he does have to throw his fastball for strikes on a consistant basis, he doesn't necessarily have to throw the slider for a strike. In fact, his slider is seldom in the strike zone, but is a very effective K pitch when he is consistantly throwing the fastball for strikes. The same would hold true for a changeup.

[mikezpen]

Raw talent is having a great arm. But it's also having the hand-eye coordination or whatever else it is, not throw the ball where you want to.Daniel Cabrera might not have that level of control. So he might NOT have the raw talent to cut it in the Majors to any extent. aybe we've been asking too much.

[JTrea81]

All the people saying we should wait ANOTHER whole year to trade him are deluding themselves to the highest possible degree. Why hold on to someone who has REPEATEDLY shown that he can't throw a strike?

MSK

Because we have nothing to lose. DCab's value is low, now it could get lower, but there is also a chance it becomes higher as well. We've still got two weeks left in ST. Let's see how DCab does over his next couple of starts. Also you don't have to throw strikes to get guys out, but you do have to get them to swing and miss at the pitch. As SG has mentioned, as long as DCab's K's go back up and his HRs go down, there is no reason why he can't be a solid #2-#3 starter for us, even with the walks.

[Moose Milligan]

Since some of the complaints about his fastball are that it doesn't move, maybe that change of speed will make a straight pitch at least a little more effective.

His fastball lost movement when he tried to slow it down. When he opens the choke and goes full throttle, his two seamer has a ton of movement.

http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player_media.jsp?player_id=425555

Look at his highlight reels from the 2006 season.

The most important pitch is strike one. Any pitcher will tell you that...because if you don't get strike one, you're behind....and if you're behind, you become predictable....and in CaBBrera's case, you start walking everyone.

Everyone thinks that a changeup is the magic cure all because its the one pitch he doesn't throw. It's not that simple.

Can I get a little Vatech here?

[Moose Milligan]

The purpose of a change up is to upset the timing of the batter and used to set up other pitches. He doesn't necessarily have to throw it for a strike to be effective.

While he does have to throw his fastball for strikes on a consistant basis, he doesn't necessarily have to throw the slider for a strike. In fact, his slider is seldom in the strike zone, but is a very effective K pitch when he is consistantly throwing the fastball for strikes. The same would hold true for a changeup.

No, he doesn't have to throw it for a strike for it to be effective.

He needs to throw the rest of his stuff for strikes for it to be effective.

When does he consistently throw his fastball for strikes?

Very rarely.

[osfan83]

Maybe reporters will stop asking the same questions once he stops repeating the same problems.

If he walks better than a batter an inning every time he takes the hill, he's going to be contnually asked why. Sorry but reports are going to ask questions based on performance.

If a hitter strikes out 3 times a game for two straight years, should reporters just ignore the strike outs and just ask questions about the one time per game the batter manages to fly out?

[JTrea81]

No, he doesn't have to throw it for a strike for it to be effective.

He needs to throw the rest of his stuff for strikes for it to be effective.

When does he consistently throw his fastball for strikes?

Very rarely.

I'm not sure about all the walks he's issued this ST, but I know a couple have been on close calls with his changeup that should have been strike three, and a few have been because he's been working on his curve and changeup after having a 1-2 or 0-2 count with his fastball and slider.

[Moose Milligan]

I'm not sure about all the walks he's issued this ST, but I know a couple have been on close calls with his changeup that should have been strike three, and a few have been because he's been working on his curve and changeup after having a 1-2 or 0-2 count with his fastball and slider.

Thats nice, but how many times have we been teased in spring training by Daniel Cabrera? How many posts/threads have been made that are along the lines of "ZZZZOMG!!! THIS IS IT!! He's turning the corner, he's found it!"

And then how many times has he utterly disappointed us?

Remember the hullabaloo on the board after he dominated the WBC?

What's the old saying? Fool me once, shame on me...Fool me twice...