In case you didn't know

[ShaneDawg85]

Just another sign of the lack of perspective and reality that baseball is a marathon and not a spring that some people don't grasp. That said, it's going to be hard for them to kick it into overdrive if Tillman doesn't right himself. Forget pitching like an "ace," he needs to just get back to pitching like an average major league starter.

[El Gordo]

Just another sign of the lack of perspective and reality that baseball is a marathon and not a spring that some people don't grasp. That said, it's going to be hard for them to kick it into overdrive if Tillman doesn't right himself. Forget pitching like an "ace," he needs to just get back to pitching like an average major league starter.

In his last two starts he pitched at least like an average SP so that's a start.

[isestrex]

In 2005 they were 44-37.

Always the pessimist

[Nevermore]

Seeing Schoop have an immediate impact, along with Gausman in the rotation (who should be a big upgrade from Norris), a very formidable Ubaldo Jimenez, a solid Chen, and sometimes brilliant but otherwise solid Gonzalez?and we've got the starting rotation we need. Tillman could be a bonus if he gets it together, and he may not be far.

We have one of the best bullpens in baseball. The lineup has power almost everywhere but the outfielder situation is a merry- go round. Not great but still enough to contribute.Manny is having the season of his life. Hardy figures to step it up. Jones should get healthy, he looked better today. Davis and Schoop?Lots of strikeouts but lots of power too.

I don't know if we are good enough to win in the AL, but I think this team, if it simply plays to track record should be in the thick of the race until September. An major injury anywhere, like it is for anyone else, would call off all bets.

I'm with you, Roy. :agree:

[Frobby]

Seeing Schoop have an immediate impact, along with Gausman in the rotation (who should be a big upgrade from Norris), a very formidable Ubaldo Jimenez, a solid Chen, and sometimes brilliant but otherwise solid Gonzalez?and we've got the starting rotation we need. Tillman could be a bonus if he gets it together, and he may not be far.

We have one of the best bullpens in baseball. The lineup has power almost everywhere but the outfielder situation is a merry- go round. Not great but still enough to contribute.Manny is having the season of his life. Hardy figures to step it up. Jones should get healthy, he looked better today. Davis and Schoop?Lots of strikeouts but lots of power too.

I don't know if we are good enough to win in the AL, but I think this team, if it simply plays to track record should be in the thick of the race until September. An major injury anywhere, like it is for anyone else, would call off all bets.

I think it will boil down to the consistency of the rotation. In the final 80 games of 2014, our rotation posted a 3.09 ERA. That will be tough to match.

[weams]

I think it will boil down to the consistency of the rotation. In the final 80 games of 2014, our rotation posted a 3.09 ERA. That will be tough to match.

I'm with you, Roy. :agree:

Seeing Schoop have an immediate impact, along with Gausman in the rotation (who should be a big upgrade from Norris), a very formidable Ubaldo Jimenez, a solid Chen, and sometimes brilliant but otherwise solid Gonzalez?and we've got the starting rotation we need. Tillman could be a bonus if he gets it together, and he may not be far.

We have one of the best bullpens in baseball. The lineup has power almost everywhere but the outfielder situation is a merry- go round. Not great but still enough to contribute.Manny is having the season of his life. Hardy figures to step it up. Jones should get healthy, he looked better today. Davis and Schoop?Lots of strikeouts but lots of power too.

I don't know if we are good enough to win in the AL, but I think this team, if it simply plays to track record should be in the thick of the race until September. An major injury anywhere, like it is for anyone else, would call off all bets.

Yes. Yes it will be.

[bobmc]

Just another sign of the lack of perspective and reality that baseball is a marathon and not a spring that some people don't grasp. That said, it's going to be hard for them to kick it into overdrive if Tillman doesn't right himself. Forget pitching like an "ace," he needs to just get back to pitching like an average major league starter.

Call me crazy, but I still like watching him "hurl"! He battles, gives his all, he grinds - but they just keep fouling off his "pitcher's pitches". :cussing: He needs to come up with another "pitcher's pitch"! :scratchchinhmm: vatech?

[DrungoHazewood]

I see a flawed team that might win the East and might finish under .500.

I don't see much worth in pointing out that last year's 96 win team had an identical record after 81 games.

For the record I didn't care much for Sosa either.

All teams have flaws. Of course the most appropriate response to posting the record through 81 games would be to go a couple more steps and figure out the mostly likely record and standard deviation of teams with the same or similar records through 81 games over the past X years. And then also using estimates of true talent to figure out a likely distribution of wins. Or you could just use the identical records as a single point of reference that allows for the possibility of success going forward and leave it at that.

[LA2]

I think it will boil down to the consistency of the rotation. In the final 80 games of 2014, our rotation posted a 3.09 ERA. That will be tough to match.

With continued inconsistency from the AL East teams and the O's more balanced offense and, assuming no crippling injuries to our Gold Glovers, a better defense, we won't have to match that ERA or need to come anywhere near last year's second-half .667 (54-27) winning percentage.

On the other hand, Ubaldo, Chen, and Gausman (in his two starts), are already under 3.09. If Tillman finally hits his stride and Gonzalez just continues at his current pace, we may well be able to match last year's starting rotation.

[Frobby]

With continued inconsistency from the AL East teams and the O's more balanced offense and, assuming no crippling injuries to our Gold Glovers, a better defense, we won't have to match that ERA or need to come anywhere near last year's second-half .667 (54-27) winning percentage.

I have said all along that if we won 92 games, no other AL East team would match it. To do that, we'd need a 50-31 (.617) second half. It might not take that to win, but I suspect that's about the number. Someone is bound to be better in the second half than they were in the first half, so it might as well be us.

I think our offense has played a little over its head to this point in the season. Currently we are 3rd in runs/game, compared to 6th last year. I'll be surprised if we keep that up, which is why I think the starting pitching (currently 9th in the league at 4.15 ERA) will need to step it up fairly significantly.

[DrungoHazewood]

I think it will boil down to the consistency of the rotation. In the final 80 games of 2014, our rotation posted a 3.09 ERA. That will be tough to match.

Feel free to skewer me for this, but it's quality, irrespective of consistency. I'd be unhappy if the rotation gave us four innings, four runs every start from now on out. That would be both perfectly consistent and horrible. Just as I'd be happier with 80% great starts and 20% subpar starts over 100% decent starts.

[Can_of_corn]

Always the pessimist

On the bright side I am happy with some of the moves made recently.

[Frobby]

Feel free to skewer me for this, but it's quality, irrespective of consistency. I'd be unhappy if the rotation gave us four innings, four runs every start from now on out. That would be both perfectly consistent and horrible. Just as I'd be happier with 80% great starts and 20% subpar starts over 100% decent starts.

Yes, I understand what you are saying, from a theoretical point of view. From a practical point of view, I don't really think we can expect much more from Chen and Jimenez, and probably only a little more (if anything) from Gonzalez. So, it comes down to getting better starts more often in the other two spots than we got from Tillman and Norris in the first half. I think in this case better quality and more consistency will turn out to be the same thing from a practical point of view.

[LA2]

I have said all along that if we won 92 games, no other AL East team would match it. To do that, we'd need a 50-31 (.617) second half. It might not take that to win, but I suspect that's about the number. Someone is bound to be better in the second half than they were in the first half, so it might as well be us.

I think our offense has played a little over its head to this point in the season. Currently we are 3rd in runs/game, compared to 6th last year. I'll be surprised if we keep that up, which is why I think the starting pitching (currently 9th in the league at 4.15 ERA) will need to step it up fairly significantly.

Only Tillman needs to step it up significantly now that Norris, a major ballooner of the ERA, is part of the pen. And if we need fewer wins this year, maybe we can get by with a higher ERA.

I'm curious: which part of the offense, aside from Paredes, do you think has played over its head?