Gio Gonzalez: The Orioles Will Swing at Anything

[OFFNY]

o

 

Granted that there may be some truth to what Gonzalez said, but the timing of his comments (coming off of getting beat by the Orioles) is rather questionable.

 

 

"The only thing that beat us tonight was the long ball," Gonzalez said. "If they take it, they're strikes. The only one that was not a strike was Trumbo."

And that one?

"Fastball over Trumbo's head," Gonzalez lamented. "Maybe throw it at the backstop, they'll swing at those."

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370508101

 

o

[schittenden]

I read that.  Some truth in it, but it kind of sounds like sour grapes coming when it did.  Sorry the swing-for-the-fences Birds tagged you for basically as many runs as you gave up in all your other starts.

[schittenden]

I should say though, I do feel like we're seeing some improved plate discipline from some of our free swingers this year.  I haven't checked the numbers to see if my impression is right, but it does seem like we've seen some more walks than usual from some of the guys.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Yikes, someone has some butt hurt.  Gio you know the Orioles can hit home runs, that is on you man.   

[DirtyBird]

2 runs were scored by guys who walked. 

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, schittenden said:

I read that.  Some truth in it, but it kind of sounds like sour grapes coming when it did.  Sorry the swing-for-the-fences Birds tagged you for basically as many runs as you gave up in all your other starts.

Strikes me as a lighthearted comment about Trumbo's homer, rather than sour grapes.   They said on TV that it was the highest pitch anyone had hit for a homer since 2008.    

[oriole]

It's like a morbidly obese person getting upset when someone calls them overweight. No reason the O's should feel insulted, Gio is just being candid.

[NickM21]

Not shocking to me at all that Gio would have some sour grapes. Seems like a lot of Nationals pitchers over the years have had similar things to say about the Orioles every time we play them, usually after we throw crooked numbers on them. I remember that dude with the glasses specifically anyway.

[BohKnowsBmore]

46 minutes ago, schittenden said:

I should say though, I do feel like we're seeing some improved plate discipline from some of our free swingers this year.  I haven't checked the numbers to see if my impression is right, but it does seem like we've seen some more walks than usual from some of the guys.

AJ currently has a 6.6% BB%, which is his highest since 2009.  

[Emory Eagle]

I mean he's right, the O's will swing at anything.  Would I like us to have a better, more OBP friendly approach? Definitely.  Do I really care so long as we are winning?  Not at all. 

 

[OFFNY]

35 minutes ago, oriole said:

 

It's like a morbidly obese person getting upset when someone calls them overweight. No reason the O's should feel insulted, Gio is just being candid.

 

o

 

Except that you generally don't expect those types of comments from somebody immediately after they had just gotten the hell beaten out of them by said obese person.

 

o

[Bradysburns]

28 minutes ago, oriole said:

It's like a morbidly obese person getting upset when someone calls them overweight. No reason the O's should feel insulted, Gio is just being candid.

I candidly declare Gio's comments to be classless and kind of embarrassing. "If it weren't for all those silly home runs they lucked into..." etc. It's the same as a hitter saying: "You know, I would have hit four home runs tonight, were it not for those stupid strikeouts the pitcher kept laying on me." When you look really closely at what he's saying, it's totally stupid. 

[Ruzious]

I don't know how much Gio said was tongue in cheek, but lifetime against Baltimore - he's 1-6 with a 4.40 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP (so he's let a ton of base-runners on), 45 K's v 29 W's in 59.1 innings - so he's at nearly 1 walk per 2 innings - so they don't swing at all of his stuff.  

[esmd]

Lol....the only pitch that was a ball was Trumbo's.  Of course you're not going to get beat if the other team doesn't swing.  I agree, stupid to say.  Just keep your mouth shut next time, dude.

[BohKnowsBmore]

2 minutes ago, Emory Eagle said:

I mean he's right, the O's will swing at anything.  Would I like us to have a better, more OBP friendly approach? Definitely.  Do I really care so long as we are winning?  Not at all. 

 

I'm not sure I agree with this 100%.  There seems to be a bit of orthodoxy that has developed suggesting that patient, long PA with more walks and less attacking is indisputably the best way to approach offense.  I'm not sure more patient PA are an ends unto themselves.  If the team's approach works, all the power to them.  Runs scored and wins is the ends I want them to achieve.

Obviously all things equal, I would like them to walk more (and 2B more, and SB more and HR more).  I'm just not sure I want the team to potentially sacrifice one of it's players' best attributes in search of that.