The importance of a J.J. Hardy bounce-back

[Frobby]

The Orioles gladly would take a healthy season from shortstop J.J. Hardy, who's had an assortment of injuries over the past two years that zapped his power. Hardy reported early to the Ed Smith Stadium complex after working out over the winter in the detached garage at his Arizona home.

Hardy is swinging the bat with full force over his first couple of days in camp, the left shoulder no longer barking at him like the neighbor's mutt. He's confident that he'll put up numbers again as he's usually done when healthy, the exception being in 2009 with the Brewers.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/02/time-for-the-first-official-workout.html

I continue to think that Hardy's health will be a huge factor in our season. I'm not expecting to see 20 HR from him again, but an OPS in the upper .600's and say 12-15 HR with his usual defense would be a huge boost compared to last season. I think that's a realistic hope.

[backwardsk]

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/02/time-for-the-first-official-workout.html

I continue to think that Hardy's health will be a huge factor in our season. I'm not expecting to see 20 HR from him again, but an OPS in the upper .600's and say 12-15 HR with his usual defense would be a huge boost compared to last season. I think that's a realistic hope.

I'm with you. Especially at the bottom of the order. As you've pointed out before, we win when he's on the field.

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[Redskins Rick]

Hardy is a winner, and a key force to this team's success.

An "aging" Hardy is lightyears better than what we had here in 2008, and I never ever want to relive that ineptness at SS.

[Redskins Rick]

Luis Hernandez!

Please don't remind me! LOL

[Redskins Rick]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Baltimore_Orioles_season

An incredible roster to behold. Holy cow.

Oriole at pretty much their worst, what a terrible time period.

Which is why I refuse to dump on DD, true, he has made mistakes.

Bottom line, Andy started the rebuild and the combination of Buck and DD, has made this team a winner again, and even last season, was so much better than 2008, to be honest, not even show how they won 68 games that year.

[big_sparxx]

It's probably the main question I have going into the season. I'm more than accepting of the fact that our starting rotation will never be "prime-time", but my lingering question is whether or not we should realistically count on JJ.

I understand why people have an emotional bond with him, I love the dude, but sometime soon we'll have to put head over heart and recognize that his best days are definitely behind him.

Do we have a better option at the moment? Probably not, but it's something we should be addressing...hopefully sooner than later.

[Redskins Rick]

I will say, I do have a soft spot for Corey Patterson and Kevin Millar. Shoot, Millar got on base .374 and .365 his first 2 years with the O's.

Ha, that was the year the O's gave Adam Stern some charity ABs.

True, Patterson and Millar, but other than that, wasn't much to cheer for, or about.

[Frobby]

True, Patterson and Millar, but other than that, wasn't much to cheer for, or about.

Patterson wasn't on the 2008 Orioles. Not sure why, but dan-O's post linked to 2007, when Tejada was still our starting SS.

Actually, the 2008 offense was pretty good, relative to other years in that era. Nick had his best season that year, and Aubrey Huff had an excellent season, as did BRob, Melvin Mora and Luke Scott. The pitching was unspeakably abysmal, both in terms of the rotation (only Guthrie had an ERA under 5.00) and the bullpen (58% save rate).

[Redskins Rick]

Oop, right you are.

Paul Shuey, man. Paul Shuey.

So good, they went out and won 68 games.

But, you are right, they were even worse in 2009.

[canonfaz]

J.J. Hardy wakes up in the morning and pisses excellence.

Here's to staying healthy all year!

[25 Nuggets]

Actually, the 2008 offense was pretty good, relative to other years in that era. Nick had his best season that year, and Aubrey Huff had an excellent season, as did BRob, Melvin Mora and Luke Scott. The pitching was unspeakably abysmal, both in terms of the rotation (only Guthrie had an ERA under 5.00) and the bullpen (58% save rate).

Min 10 IP

2.23 Jim Johnson

2.45 Chad Bradford

3.42 Matt Albers

3.63 Jeremy Guthrie

3.81 Alberto Castillo

4.03 Lance Cormier

4.71 Brian Bass

4.73 George Sherrill - closer

4.74 Dennis "Sarfarte"

4.91 Randor Bierd

5.01 Chris Waters

5.13 team average

5.25 Daniel Cabrera

5.40 Fernando Cabrera

6.04 Brian Burress

6.23 Alfredo Simon

6.35 Rocky Cherry

6.65 Garrett Olson

6.72 Radhames Liz

6.87 Jamie Walker

8.02 Adam Loewen

8.39 Steve Traschel

[Camden_yardbird]

My biggest concern about Hardy is that the Orioles don't have a viable replacement for him if he gets hurt. And by replacement I mean someone who is not in lineup elsewhere every day. Flarehty as a regular scares me and I can't even tell you who the next guy up would be (Tolleson?).

[CaptainRedbeard]

Min 10 IP

2.23 Jim Johnson

2.45 Chad Bradford

3.42 Matt Albers

3.63 Jeremy Guthrie

3.81 Alberto Castillo

4.03 Lance Cormier

4.71 Brian Bass

4.73 George Sherrill - closer

4.74 Dennis "Sarfarte"

4.91 Randor Bierd

5.01 Chris Waters

5.13 team average

5.25 Daniel Cabrera

5.40 Fernando Cabrera

6.04 Brian Burress

6.23 Alfredo Simon

6.35 Rocky Cherry

6.65 Garrett Olson

6.72 Radhames Liz

6.87 Jamie Walker

8.02 Adam Loewen

8.39 Steve Traschel

Hilarious. The best and most inexplicable Thorn-ism.

[backwardsk]

My biggest concern about Hardy is that the Orioles don't have a viable replacement for him if he gets hurt. And by replacement I mean someone who is not in lineup elsewhere every day. Flarehty as a regular scares me and I can't even tell you who the next guy up would be (Tolleson?).

If Hardy hits the DL, I see them adding Janish and bringing him up. Hopefully Flaherty gets the second most starts at SS.

[abbott]

90 is about league average for a SS.

Also, the point about his PA dropping each of the last three years is true, but meaningless. Hardy played in 159 games in 2013, so the fact that he had fewer PA in 2012 doesn't really reflect anything. The drop the last two years obviously does mean something, but let's not exaggerate and act like Hardy missed any significant time in 2013.

Anyway, I'm not expecting a full bounce-back. Just read the OP.

His OPS+ has been below 100 all but once since 2008 and is 89 as an Oriole. His OBP is below .300 as an Oriole. He had occasional HR power which is needed for a player with a poor OBP and who strikes out about 3times more than he walks.

As we all know Gold Glove is a PR and popularity contest as much as a deserved award

He's been good for us, but he's merely a placeholder for Manny now. He'll bat 8th and play solid defense for 130 games if we're lucky. He's not integral to winning a WS, but he's needed to be steady and play.