Britton explains why Arrieta flourished in Chicago

[Stotle]

So if you see what you view as an obvious, correctable flaw, such as DJ Stewart's stance, you should just back down if the player is reluctant to change?

There's a middle ground that doesn't need to be glossed over. In that middle ground players and coaches put their heads together and figure things out. You seem to believe Jake had no interest in finding that middle ground. Reports from Britton and others seem to indicate Adair/Buck had no interest in finding a middle ground. Everyone good with leaving it here? Not sure what else there is to debate.

[PaulFolk]

I'll never understand why we didn't try Arrieta out of the pen. Never. I can only think Buck had given up on him. It's a damn shame we gave up on the best pitcher in baseball right now. A damn shame. He's exactly what we need.

FWIW, Arrieta made 6 relief appearances for the Orioles in 2012, and gave up 10 ER in 13.1 IP. Obviously that's a small sample size, though.

[Can_of_corn]

There's a middle ground that doesn't need to be glossed over. In that middle ground players and coaches put their heads together and figure things out. You seem to believe Jake had no interest in finding that middle ground. Reports from Britton and others seem to indicate Adair/Buck had no interest in finding a middle ground. Everyone good with leaving it here? Not sure what else there is to debate.

Sure I even admitted that I don't know exactly what transpired.

[OFFNY]

o

My apologies if this article has already been posted:

Britton Trying to Save Organization's Reputation

(By Roch Kubatko)

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/04/britton-trying-to-save-an-organizations-reputation.html

[DrungoHazewood]

Sure I even admitted that I don't know exactly what transpired.

How many times have I wished someone had used that statement instead of "Buck told Roch this thing that Rosenthal interpreted and some guy from SOSH's best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Arrieta pass out at 31 flavors last night. So it's totally true, and let's hang someone for it."

[Frobby]

I said at the time that the Orioles HAD to try Arrieta in the bullpen. His stuff was just too good. No one can tell me that Jake couldn't run it up there at 97/98 in short stints out of the pen. And yet we never tried him out there? Why not? Because Buck had given up on him. That's my theory.

When we finally tried Britton out of the pen, in many ways because we had too. Zach couldn't crack the rotation, was out of options, and we didn't want to lose him off waivers. And look at the success that Britton has had out there. He's LIGHTS OUT. One of the most dominant guys in baseball. And say what you want about Matusz (and he has never inspired confidence from me except when facing Papi), but Matusz has given the club value out of the pen.

I'll never understand why we didn't try Arrieta out of the pen. Never. I can only think Buck had given up on him. It's a damn shame we gave up on the best pitcher in baseball right now. A damn shame. He's exactly what we need.

We did try Arrieta out of the pen in 2012: 6 G, 13.1 IP, 13.5 K/9, 1.05 WHIP, but a 6.75 ERA. He allowed runs in 4 of his 6 appearances.

I recall going to one of those games, 9/24/12. Arrieta came in with runners on 1st and 3rd, nobody out, and struck out the side. The next inning, he loaded the bases, then got two outs without allowing anyone to score, then allowed a grand slam home run.

[Larry18]

How many times have I wished someone had used that statement instead of "Buck told Roch this thing that Rosenthal interpreted and some guy from SOSH's best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Arrieta pass out at 31 flavors last night. So it's totally true, and let's hang someone for it."

It was at Ben & Jerry's

[bluedog]

I think Jake should shoulder a lot more than 20% of the blame.

In the real world your bosses want you to do things a certain way, you do it that way. You don't let it consume you.

I'm not saying the changes were a good idea but it always looked to me like Jake was fighting the O's every step of the way.

Baseball isn't like "real world" jobs in my opinion. In the real world, if you don't like your boss you leave and go find another job. In baseball (and other similar sports) you are stuck in an organization working with coaches who are basically forced upon you. If you get a bad coach, you have no real recourse other than going off to Japan or leaving the game altogether.

The fact that we had a pitcher in our organization that had the stuff and makeup to become arguably the best starter in the game and then immediately blossomed once he was with another organization suggests to me that some aspect of the O's organization was 100% at fault. Remember, Arrieta was (and really still is) a very young man. It's the organization's job to put young players in a position that will to maximize their chance of success. The O's failed to put Arrieta in that position and the Cubs succeeded. Not sure if Jake can really be held responsible, regardless of his attitude or lack thereof.

[DrungoHazewood]

The fact that we had a pitcher in our organization that had the stuff and makeup to become arguably the best starter in the game and then immediately blossomed once he was with another organization suggests to me that some aspect of the O's organization was 100% at fault.

It's rare that anything is 100% anyone's fault. Sometimes people who work for/with you get in situations where it's just not working out despite efforts from both sides. We're all engaged in large amounts of speculation here. I'm not entirely sure even Jake Arrieta and Adair know exactly what the root cause was. Because he was a very young adult man you almost have to assume some of the blame is his, since most of us have been overconfident bullheaded 23-year-olds who absolutely knew the truth was BS. Until we grew up a little. Old guys don't always deal with bullheaded immaturity very well.

I get it that it's frustrating and everyone wants a do-over where Cy Arrieta is an Oriole and we can tar and feather the guilty and adopt the Cubs' wonderful methods for the future. I just want to be done with it.

[DJHJR86]

Because he was a very young adult man you almost have to assume some of the blame is his, since most of us have been overconfident bullheaded 23-year-olds who absolutely knew the truth was BS. Until we grew up a little. Old guys don't always deal with bullheaded immaturity very well.

This is exactly what I think happened. They even mentioned this on MLB network. They said that after the trade Arrieta kind of "snapped out of it" and became more focused.

[justice98]

Seems the only one using the cutter as the primary explanation is Britton. Nobody really knows. Joey Cora was trying to say it was because he changed his position on the mound. When the PED talk came up a couple days ago, Arietta and Maddon didnt mention the cutter. You would think, if people try to allege PEDs are the reason for your success and you know you just have an unhittable pitch, you might lead with that. It's probably a multitude of things all coming together at the same time making him a late bloomer.

[Going Underground]

I found this article interesting . Also that Art Fowler who was pitching coach and Martin's drinking buddy was there when Showalter was. Rick Adair is the nephew of Art Fowler.Baseball is such a small world after all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/sports/baseball/billy-martins-education-of-buck-showalter.html?_r=0

[Larry18]

I blame Lew Ford

[Redskins Rick]

I blame Lew Ford

Wait, I thought it was Felix Pie, or Andino's fault?

[Il BuonO]

I blame Lew Ford

Ford is despicable.