Interview with Marc Topkin/Tampa Times on Beckham

[Ruzious]

9 hours ago, eddie83 said:

I get that your run doesn't matter but it isn't like he took off on a pitch 3 feet from the catcher. 

This is a die hard Orioles board. We all know those bricks are there, that said that perfect bounce back is nearly impossible. I never recall seeing that. I just think it was a natural reaction. The pitch missed his mitt by a mile. 

Normally I would rip a guy over that myself.  

Yes, it was a mistake, but EVERY player who can run even a little bit would have instinctually run on that play.  And to pick on that play on a day when he went 4 for 4 is ridiculous.    

A true base-running blunder was when Adam Jones tried to go from 1st to 3rd on a single with 2 outs and got easily thrown out - a few games ago.  Did anyone post about that?  Maybe in the game thread - but I'm guessing nowhere else.  

 

[clapdiddy]

After he cools off a bit and JJ takes the starting job back, Beckham will probably start complaining/sulking and we'll wish for him to be gone.   Buck isn't going to put up with poor fielding at shortstop.  This team can't afford it.

[weams]

14 hours ago, spiritof66 said:

Thanks for posting this. In talking about Beckham as our likely SS, keep in mind that we may be looking for a 3Bman pretty soon as well.

I haven't seen the reaction of Rays' fans to trading Beckham. Has somebody gathered them all in a room to ask them?

I have room that they fit in. 

[Frobby]

I finally had a chance to listen to this.    There was one funny moment where Connolly was commenting on Beckham's speed, and Topkins said, "if you think he's that fast, then you haven't seen too many fast guys." That's certainly true for us Orioles fans.     Topkins said Beckham has decent range but not as good as before he had knee surgery a few years ago.    Plenty of arm.    Was well-liked by teammates but "plays with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder."    It sounds like Beckham has lapses in focus/concentration that will bother us at times.     I see him as a project, but a worthwhile project.   He's clearly got some gifts.  

[Enjoy Terror]

I was at the game last night. Beckham running to third was absolutely the correct play. That pitch sailed wide a mile high. By the only the grace of god did it one hop perfectly into the catchers glove off the backstop brick. 100% of runners from Billy Hamilton to Bartolo Colon take third on that play.

[foxfield]

15 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

So what does that have to do with the posted interview? I think this gives us a great glimpse into why the Rays traded him to a rival in the middle of a wild card race. I found this part interesting:

I think we've already seen this with Beckam out of position on a throw to second base on a close play and of course the ball that went between his legs that should have ended the inning. But we've also seen what he looks like when he's good offensively hitting four extra base hits in his first three games.

The good news it appears his teammates love him so whatever problems he's had with the media of the team leadership when things are not going well, he seems to want to play hard now and his teammates appreciate that about him.

Now for me, I don't think he's going to be consistent enough for Buck at SS and when Hardy returns, Buck will put JJ back out there, especially if the Orioles are in some kind of contention. That means he's going to sit and we've already heard he tends to sulk when not starting and that was one of the reason the Rays traded him to begin with.

So far he's looked great with the bat, but his track record suggests when it gets ugly it will get real ugly then if the Orioles miss the playoffs and Tobias Myers keeps climbing the ladder fans will start wondering why Duquette sacrificed a good young arm for a streaky mediocre middle infielder.

All of the above may well be true...but Tobias Myers was not pitching for Baltimore in the next 24 months.  And as far as I can tell we will have to play all of our games in that time frame with a short stop.  Getting one with high upside (as we have seen) with warts and issues that are well documented for a pitcher that might...might be a good one is just worth it.  It's smart baseball.  Regardless of what other moves we hoped for or needed, this one is a good one.  Again, it might work out really really well.  Maybe just so so.  But we have to have a shortstop.  Right?

I will agree that it will be interesting to see how Beckham's consistency plays with Buck.  But again, its a good risk.  IMO.  And the Orioles will likely miss the playoffs either way and I don't think Tobias Myers matters much either way.  Although I do wish him well.  I find it interesting that the Orioles are consistently considered to have little to no talent in the minors but every one we give away is so highly regarded.  We have had trades that have been more questionable and will have more in the future.  But I have to give this one thumbs up.  And caution everyone that Beckham probably won't have multiple hits every night.  

[Frobby]

1 minute ago, foxfield said:

All of the above may well be true...but Tobias Myers was not pitching for Baltimore in the next 24 months.  And as far as I can tell we will have to play all of our games in that time frame with a short stop.  Getting one with high upside (as we have seen) with warts and issues that are well documented for a pitcher that might...might be a good one is just worth it.  It's smart baseball.  Regardless of what other moves we hoped for or needed, this one is a good one.  Again, it might work out really really well.  Maybe just so so.  But we have to have a shortstop.  Right?  

The counter argument would be, we're not going to contend the next two years with or without a decent SS, so better off keeping the long term asset and if the team is worse, that improves our draft position.    

[foxfield]

Just now, Frobby said:

The counter argument would be, we're not going to contend the next two years with or without a decent SS, so better off keeping the long term asset and if the team is worse, that improves our draft position.    

That is not a counter argument if the obvious goal of ownership and management is we have a 2 year window and damn it we are going to try to keep it open.  But sure, IF we had traded and made the decision to rebuild over 2 years and play to lose....

[Frobby]

Just now, foxfield said:

That is not a counter argument if the obvious goal of ownership and management is we have a 2 year window and damn it we are going to try to keep it open.  But sure, IF we had traded and made the decision to rebuild over 2 years and play to lose....

I agree with you.   I think the move made sense in anything but a "burn it down" scenario, even though Beckham has serious flaws.

[wildcard]

11 minutes ago, foxfield said:

All of the above may well be true...but Tobias Myers was not pitching for Baltimore in the next 24 months.  And as far as I can tell we will have to play all of our games in that time frame with a short stop.  Getting one with high upside (as we have seen) with warts and issues that are well documented for a pitcher that might...might be a good one is just worth it.  It's smart baseball.  Regardless of what other moves we hoped for or needed, this one is a good one.  Again, it might work out really really well.  Maybe just so so.  But we have to have a shortstop.  Right?

I will agree that it will be interesting to see how Beckham's consistency plays with Buck.  But again, its a good risk.  IMO.  And the Orioles will likely miss the playoffs either way and I don't think Tobias Myers matters much either way.  Although I do wish him well.  I find it interesting that the Orioles are consistently considered to have little to no talent in the minors but every one we give away is so highly regarded.  We have had trades that have been more questionable and will have more in the future.  But I have to give this one thumbs up.  And caution everyone that Beckham probably won't have multiple hits every night.  

Thanks for this.  It made me laugh.    " I find it interesting that the Orioles are consistently considered to have little to no talent in the minors but every one we give away is so highly regarded."

[foxfield]

Agreed, the hope is obviously, that the flaws are mental and not physical and therefore perhaps fixable.  I have no reason to think so, but I hope that this is a lightning in a bottle moment for Beckham and the rest of the Orioles.

 

[eddie83]

15 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Thanks for this.  It made me laugh.    " I find it interesting that the Orioles are consistently considered to have little to no talent in the minors but every one we give away is so highly regarded."

The key for me is that he is 27 with 3 more years of control after this year. The FA SS class is awful. 

I think because our starting pitching has been so bad people are gun shy about moving any pitcher in the system. There is this great fear. 

[wildcard]

9 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

The key for me is that he is 27 with 3 more years of control after this year. The FA SS class is awful. 

I think because our starting pitching has been so bad people are gun shy about moving any pitcher in the system. There is this great fear. 

What interesting to me is that Dan picked up Castro for cash and now he may join the rotation in Sept and next year.  

[eddie83]

6 minutes ago, wildcard said:

What interesting to me is that Dan picked up Castro for cash and now he may join the rotation in Sept and next year.  

I love the Castro pick up but him becoming a solid starter is still a long shot for me. 

[ORIOLE33]

2 hours ago, clapdiddy said:

After he cools off a bit and JJ takes the starting job back, Beckham will probably start complaining/sulking and we'll wish for him to be gone.   Buck isn't going to put up with poor fielding at shortstop.  This team can't afford it.

You guys are ridiculous. Sounds like you want him to fail. Dude goes out there and post a 4-4 with a HR and you're thinking about JJ's old ass. 

Unbelievable.