Austin Hays

[Pat Kelly]

22 minutes ago, weams said:

Seth tonight. 

So I guess Hayes was brought up by Duquette.  No reason to start Smith.   Play Hayes might save a run in RF ...last game in OPACY for 10 days.  Art Howe - Billy Beane moment?

[Frobby]

16 minutes ago, Pat Kelly said:

So I guess Hayes was brought up by Duquette.  No reason to start Smith.   Play Hayes might save a run in RF ...last game in OPACY for 10 days.  Art Howe - Billy Beane moment?

I expect Smith to play most or all of the games vs. RHP.     That's what he was brought here to do, and he's done a good job of it.    It would be very risky to assume that a guy with an .874 OPS vs. RHP in AA/AAA is going to outperform a guy with an .813 OPS vs. major league RHP.     It's unusual to replace a guy who is doing a good job in his role with some guy who has no experience but you hope will do a better job.

I would start Hays vs. LHP and use him as a pinch hitter/defensive replacement in the other games.    

[Tony-OH]

3 hours ago, Fuzzball22 said:

I think the answer to this question is no, but would Hays be eligible for the postseason?

Not unless an injury occurred to an eligible player.

[FlipTheBird]

39 minutes ago, Pat Kelly said:

So I guess Hayes was brought up by Duquette.  No reason to start Smith.   Play Hayes might save a run in RF ...last game in OPACY for 10 days.  Art Howe - Billy Beane moment?

Seth Smith has a .357 OBP and .813  OPS against righties this season. He's going to start against them.

If Hays sits against a starting LHP, I'd be more curious. But it's doubtful he starts against a RHP, unless Buck wants to spell Mancini for a game.

[Pat Kelly]

12 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I expect Smith to play most or all of the games vs. RHP.     That's what he was brought here to do, and he's done a good job of it.    It would be very risky to assume that a guy with an .874 OPS vs. RHP in AA/AAA is going to outperform a guy with an .813 OPS vs. major league RHP.     It's unusual to replace a guy who is doing a good job in his role with some guy who has no experience but you hope will do a better job.

I would start Hays vs. LHP and use him as a pinch hitter/defensive replacement in the other games.    

It would be great to start Hayes at home and as Buck would say ambush Sonny Gray etc...the Stats backup playing Smith but it's not like he is a key, top of the lineup player, can always PH for Hayes later in the game if he looks overmatched.   Hayes is high energy player and would bring something unknown.   Cleveland only has one LHP.   Not starting tonight  means he doesn't start until Toronto series.

[Luke-OH]

4 minutes ago, FlipTheBird said:

Seth Smith has a .357 OBP and .813  OPS against righties this season. He's going to start against them.

If Hays sits against a starting LHP, I'd be more curious. But it's doubtful he starts against a RHP, unless Buck wants to spell Trumbo for a game.

Fixed it for you.

[O's84]

12 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Not unless an injury occurred to an eligible player.

This opens up a lot of bad player injury jokes.  Yes Ubaldo, step right over here. Whoops! 

obviously kidding.

[weams]

14 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Not unless an injury occurred to an eligible player.

You mean like Craig Gentry?

[FlipTheBird]

Just now, phillyOs119 said:

Fixed it for you.

I'm working in reality, here. We know that's not happening.

And right now, I'm fine with it. Mark has a modest 7-game hit streak going, and he's not hurting anything defensively at DH. If he can go on a heater, which we know he's capable of, it'd be a nice little September gift.

[FlipTheBird]

5 minutes ago, Pat Kelly said:

It would be great to start Hayes at home and as Buck would say ambush Sonny Gray etc...the Stats backup playing Smith but it's not like he is a key, top of the lineup player, can always PH for Hayes later in the game if he looks overmatched.   Hayes is high energy player and would bring something unknown.   Cleveland only has one LHP.   Not starting tonight  means he doesn't start until Toronto series.

Which is fine. The only thing it's testing is your patience.

We could see Hays on any given night as a pinch hitter against a LHP.

[PaulFolk]

43 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I expect Smith to play most or all of the games vs. RHP.     That's what he was brought here to do, and he's done a good job of it.    It would be very risky to assume that a guy with an .874 OPS vs. RHP in AA/AAA is going to outperform a guy with an .813 OPS vs. major league RHP.     It's unusual to replace a guy who is doing a good job in his role with some guy who has no experience but you hope will do a better job.

I would start Hays vs. LHP and use him as a pinch hitter/defensive replacement in the other games.    

I think you're right. But if that's the case, why call him up this week? The Orioles are facing a RHP in Gray today, then going to Cleveland, which doesn't have any lefty starters. So the earliest they might face a left-handed starter again is the series in Toronto next Monday-Wednesday if Happ or Anderson starts.

So if Hays isn't going to play against righties, why didn't the Orioles just let him stay in Bowie for the playoffs through Sunday before calling him up? Do the Orioles need him off the bench that badly for the next four games?

EDIT: Just saw FlipTheBird's post above about Hays being a pinch hitter against lefties. I guess that's possible, but the only starter the O's would pinch-hit for against a southpaw is Smith. So that's a very limited role that might not even come up in the next few games.

[Pat Kelly]

13 minutes ago, FlipTheBird said:

Which is fine. The only thing it's testing is your patience.

We could see Hays on any given night as a pinch hitter against a LHP.

Let's hope to see this.   I think Buck was not ready for this move in the same way he was in 2012 when Machado took over at 3B.   RF has been a problem Defensively for awhile, looking forward to seeing this change. 

[Pat Kelly]

9 minutes ago, PaulFolk said:

I think you're right. But if that's the case, why call him up this week? The Orioles are facing a RHP in Gray today, then going to Cleveland, which doesn't have any lefty starters. So the earliest they might face a left-handed starter again is the series in Toronto next Monday-Wednesday if Happ or Anderson starts.

So if Hays isn't going to play against righties, why didn't the Orioles just let him stay in Bowie for the playoffs through Sunday before calling him up? Do the Orioles need him off the bench that badly for the next four games?

EDIT: Just saw FlipTheBird's post above about Hays being a pinch hitter against lefties. I guess that's possible, but the only starter the O's would pinch-hit for against a southpaw is Smith. So that's a very limited role that might not even come up in the next few games.

And this is the issue, if he can't help the team win now or Buck doesn't see him as a primary option then no reason to add him to the 40-man, start his service time clock etc.  Having said that when Hayes does get in he will do something to help the team win - John Shelby in 1982  says hi - and then Buck won't be able to sit him.

[Pat Kelly]

So tonight's game is rained out.  Buck likely knew that would be the case?   Let's see what happens with the lineup tomorrow. 

[DirtyBird]

11 minutes ago, Pat Kelly said:

So tonight's game is rained out.  Buck likely knew that would be the case?   Let's see what happens with the lineup tomorrow. 

The Baysox will probably be rained out too.