Wow, Kim is untouchable

[crawjo]

Can you imagine the craziness that would be going on if we would have cut him in spring training and he would be doing this on another team. Yikes! Glad that patience won out!

Indeed. It's embarrassing that Kim had to be the one to stand up for himself to make sure he stayed on the roster. Showalter is lucky.

[pastorfan]

Indeed. It's embarrassing that Kim had to be the one to stand up for himself to make sure he stayed on the roster. Showalter is lucky.

Its not embarrassing, its life. No one is going to give you anything. Kim has proven to be mentally tough in a very mentally weak world. I have great respect for this guy.

[allquixotic]

Its not embarrassing, its life. No one is going to give you anything. Kim has proven to be mentally tough in a very mentally weak world. I have great respect for this guy.

I agree with this. When you have as terrible of a spring training as Kim had, you can expect people not to have a lot of confidence in you. This is just how the game works. I mean, he was just downright dreadful for the entire spring with very few bright spots. How do you, as Buck or DD, decide you want that guy in your lineup at all, let alone 100+ games?

See, when you're a baseball player and you're having a terrible time performing, there is NO way to get peoples' respect back -- and thus get more opportunities to play, increase your worth, etc. -- than to start playing well. Which is exactly what Kim has done. You can't expect people to sympathetically give you a chance. For every marginal player out there, there are a thousand other people who would love to have the same opportunity and are around the same skill level (AAAA) or even better. Being in the MLB is an extreme privilege, not a right.

It's Kim's actual results in the first third of this season that have rightfully put him back in the spotlight. Had he not performed, we'd be perfectly justified in slamming him, even if he had "great potential". Show me results or go home.

[JKOriole]

I agree with this. When you have as terrible of a spring training as Kim had, you can expect people not to have a lot of confidence in you. This is just how the game works. I mean, he was just downright dreadful for the entire spring with very few bright spots. How do you, as Buck or DD, decide you want that guy in your lineup at all, let alone 100+ games?

See, when you're a baseball player and you're having a terrible time performing, there is NO way to get peoples' respect back -- and thus get more opportunities to play, increase your worth, etc. -- than to start playing well.

I think you're letting DD and Buck off the hook too much. It's in the past now and everything has worked out for the best for the O's and Kim so that's great. But no one is saying that Kim should have just charitably been given a roster spot. What those of us who supported Kim early on felt was that he was not given a fair shot to prove himself in ST and was ceremoniously benched with 10 days left in ST. And then the whole media leaks fiasco just added to the mishandling of the situation.

At the end of the day, kudos to Kim for believing in himself and his abilities when his coaches did not. He believed he could be a productive player in the MLB and so far he has proven his doubters wrong

[Aristotelian]

I agree with this. When you have as terrible of a spring training as Kim had, you can expect people not to have a lot of confidence in you. This is just how the game works. I mean, he was just downright dreadful for the entire spring with very few bright spots. How do you, as Buck or DD, decide you want that guy in your lineup at all, let alone 100+ games?

See, when you're a baseball player and you're having a terrible time performing, there is NO way to get peoples' respect back -- and thus get more opportunities to play, increase your worth, etc. -- than to start playing well. Which is exactly what Kim has done. You can't expect people to sympathetically give you a chance. For every marginal player out there, there are a thousand other people who would love to have the same opportunity and are around the same skill level (AAAA) or even better. Being in the MLB is an extreme privilege, not a right.

It's Kim's actual results in the first third of this season that have rightfully put him back in the spotlight. Had he not performed, we'd be perfectly justified in slamming him, even if he had "great potential". Show me results or go home.

I don't disagree, but what you have said is not entirely accurate. He was not terrible for the "entire" spring. He was shut down after about 40 ABs while his status on the club was up in the air and the club was actively attempting to ship him back to Korea on the basis of his first 21 ABs.

[DrungoHazewood]

I agree with this. When you have as terrible of a spring training as Kim had, you can expect people not to have a lot of confidence in you. This is just how the game works. I mean, he was just downright dreadful for the entire spring with very few bright spots. How do you, as Buck or DD, decide you want that guy in your lineup at all, let alone 100+ games?

See, when you're a baseball player and you're having a terrible time performing, there is NO way to get peoples' respect back -- and thus get more opportunities to play, increase your worth, etc. -- than to start playing well. Which is exactly what Kim has done. You can't expect people to sympathetically give you a chance. For every marginal player out there, there are a thousand other people who would love to have the same opportunity and are around the same skill level (AAAA) or even better. Being in the MLB is an extreme privilege, not a right.

It's Kim's actual results in the first third of this season that have rightfully put him back in the spotlight. Had he not performed, we'd be perfectly justified in slamming him, even if he had "great potential". Show me results or go home.

Maybe you could trust your scouts and a decade of performance in Korea over his first 2-3 weeks of adjusting to a new country and a harder league?

You say show me the results or go home. What does that really mean? You seem to be implying that going 2-for-25 in the spring trumps the guys in the organization who said he was worth a 2-year MLB contract based on both observations and performance records. Would you have cut/demoted/benched Cal after he started his career hitting .152 in his first 118 ABs? Nick Markakis had a .615 OPS on Memorial Day of his rookie year.

Reminds me of that bit from The Natural:

Roy: Is Carson your chief scout? He said he had the authority to sign me.

Pop: Yeah, well, he don't have.

Red: Let me talk to you just a minute. He has, Pop. You said so yourself, if he ever found anybody decent.

Pop: I know, but look at this guy. We don't need no middle-aged rookies.

Red: Well, we sure need somebody.

Pop: Hey, fella. All right, you come at a bad time. Like Red says... Scotty Carson seen something in you. Go find Doctor Dizzy and suit up. Red, I should've been a farmer.

[24fps]

I agree with this. When you have as terrible of a spring training as Kim had, you can expect people not to have a lot of confidence in you. This is just how the game works. I mean, he was just downright dreadful for the entire spring with very few bright spots. How do you, as Buck or DD, decide you want that guy in your lineup at all, let alone 100+ games?

See, when you're a baseball player and you're having a terrible time performing, there is NO way to get peoples' respect back -- and thus get more opportunities to play, increase your worth, etc. -- than to start playing well. Which is exactly what Kim has done. You can't expect people to sympathetically give you a chance. For every marginal player out there, there are a thousand other people who would love to have the same opportunity and are around the same skill level (AAAA) or even better. Being in the MLB is an extreme privilege, not a right.

It's Kim's actual results in the first third of this season that have rightfully put him back in the spotlight. Had he not performed, we'd be perfectly justified in slamming him, even if he had "great potential". Show me results or go home.

With Kim it's a right barring a trade. It says so right above the dotted line with Dan Duquette's signature on it.

[OFFNY]

o

(vs. RANGERS, August 4th)

NUMBER 4

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[Aristotelian]

Anybody thinking extension yet? It is going to kill me to see this guy play for another team.

[bluedog]

Anybody thinking extension yet? It is going to kill me to see this guy play for another team.

Absolutely. Just thinking the same thing. I think next year Kim hits 20 HRs. He's worth a lot more than we are paying him.

[LA2]

Anybody thinking extension yet? It is going to kill me to see this guy play for another team.

Me too. Signing him to an extension would, I hope, go a long way to dissolving any bad feelings remaining from ST and the early season. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned us down: Once he's a free agent, the competition for him will be tough and probably beyond our budget.

[Redskins Rick]

Yet all the armchair keyboard GMs had this guy back to Korea.

[Scrat1]

Yet all the armchair keyboard GMs had this guy back to Korea.

The actual GM almost had this guy back to Korea.

[Creamsicle]

The actual GM almost had this guy back to Korea.

I wonder if Hon was right, refusing the AAA assignment.

[Aristotelian]

Me too. Signing him to an extension would, I hope, go a long way to dissolving any bad feelings remaining from ST and the early season. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned us down: Once he's a free agent, the competition for him will be tough and probably beyond our budget.

He has certainly shown a terrific plate approach and at least adequate defense. Still isn't quite a complete player. Power isn't there yet, defense isn't great, and still hasn't been used against LHP. I could see something like Markakis money. Do you think he would say no to a 4/$40M extension?