Magically Mediocre: your 2017 Baltimore Orioles

[Three Run Homer]

Whatever else you want to say about this team, you cannot say that it lacks Oriole Magic.  The Orioles are 12-2 in extra inning games, best in the majors.  They are 20-15 in one run games, one of the best markes in the majors.  Entering today they had a 7-63 record when trailing after 8 innings, meaning that they had won 10 percent of games when trailing after 8 innings.  The league average is 5 percent, and no other recent Oriole team has come close to winning 10 percent of the time when trailing after 8 innings.  

So this team does all of the heroic things that a magical team should--it wins close games, it wins in extra innings, it wins coming from behind (sometimes way behind), it wins on walk off home runs and walk off singles.  But overall the team is barely over .500, mostly because the starting pitching is terrible and puts the team in too many desperate situations early in games.  

Oriole Magic is fun to watch but I'd prefer to watch a team that was less magical and less mediocre.  

[Frobby]

Good point, and I can't disagree with you.    I'd far prefer to watch a team that wins some boring games where the starting pitcher actually holds the other team down and we win in routine fashion.   

[Tbone83]

Yes this could be (and is at times) a fun team. But the starting pitching is just so god awful. You can certainly ponder what may have been if the Orioles had a couple decent starters. I try not to because it is so frustrating. 

[OFFNY]

16 minutes ago, Tbone83 said:

 

Yes, this could be (and is at times) a fun team. But the starting pitching is just so God-awful. You can certainly ponder what may have been if the Orioles had a couple decent starters. I try not to, because it is so frustrating. 

 

o

 

The fact that the Orioles are still a couple of games over .500 this late in the season with the overall starting pitching that they have had is a testament to the bullpen and the offense.

The bullpen has faltered somewhat, but considering the number of innings in which they have had to pitch, that is hardly a serious negative critique of them.

 

o

[Frobby]

Here's a few numbers I find interesting:

- At the end of five innings, the O's have led in only 54 games, while trailing in 70 (19 games were tied).

- The O's have had more games where they were trailing than they were winning going into every inning but the second.

2nd 34-34 (75 tied)

3rd 49-52 (42)

4th 52-60 (31)

5th 54-70 (19)

6th 57-73 (13)

7th 54-71 (18)

8th 63-71 (9)

9th 60-74 (9)

It's miraculous that the team is 71-72 to this point.     They've been playing from behind all year.

 

[Flash- bd]

Basically, we've seriously over-achieved once again, and it's only been good enough for a .500 record (thereabouts). Worrisome...

[capyy]

The last dose of Orioles magic was September 3rd. Trumbo wins it in the 12th. Then Trumbo got a pie to the face, twice. Then he got angry about it. The Orioles are 1-6 since. Players who get upset about things like that are bad for the clubhouse. 

[ORIOLE33]

1 minute ago, capyy said:

The last dose of Orioles magic was September 3rd. Trumbo wins it in the 12th. Then Trumbo got a pie to the face, twice. Then he got angry about it. The Orioles are 1-6 since. Players who get upset about things like that are bad for the clubhouse. 

I'm kind of 50/50 on the pies myself. To me, it's the player who won the game moment. Not Adam Jones'.

[capyy]

1 minute ago, ORIOLE33 said:

I'm kind of 50/50 on the pies myself. To me, it's the player who won the game moment. Not Adam Jones'.

That's fine, but if it's clearly a thing the team enjoys, and you are the only guy who gets mad about it, the problem is you.

Mostly kidding about the impact, but I do think things like that matter some.

[ORIOLE33]

11 minutes ago, capyy said:

That's fine, but if it's clearly a thing the team enjoys, and you are the only guy who gets mad about it, the problem is you.

Mostly kidding about the impact, but I do think things like that matter some.

I disagree with that. Pies to the face isn't apart of the game. Just because everyone else "might" enjoy it, doesn't mean I'm any less of a team player than anyone else.

[capyy]

1 minute ago, ORIOLE33 said:

I disagree with that. Pies to the face isn't apart of the game. Just because everyone else "might" enjoy it, doesn't mean I'm any less of a team player than anyone else.

 It does make you less of a team player for not playing along with harmless joking clubhouse traditions. Plain and simple. 

[ORIOLE33]

1 minute ago, capyy said:

 It does make you less of a team player for not playing along with harmless joking clubhouse traditions. Plain and simple. 

If I'm Trumbo or anyone else, my contract states that I show up on time and play baseball. 

Since you're so set on this, if no pies to the face is making this team play the way that it's been playing, then shame on them. It definitely seems to affected Adam Jones.

[capyy]

4 minutes ago, ORIOLE33 said:

If I'm Trumbo or anyone else, my contract states that I show up on time and play baseball. 

Since you're so set on this, if no pies to the face is making this team play the way that it's been playing, then shame on them. It definitely seems to affected Adam Jones.

I'm not saying you're wrong for "just playing baseball", but you are less of a team player. And that can have an impact on a team. Though, as noted above, I'm at least somewhat kidding. It would be a shame if it was having a big impact. 

I think this has gotten off topic, so I'm just going to stop here. 

[maybenxtyr]

The hardest part for me to digest about this team is the fact that they have had 2 top 10 MVP seasons and a top 2 or 3 ROY campaign just to be hovering around.500. There really isn't a lot to look forward to for next season at this point.

I can't imagine Angelos will let DD spend on enough pitching to hide the massive holes in the offense and defense. Even the BP has been just good rather than great. 

Some of this is frustration speaking but I am concerned about the future of the team.

[Frobby]

10 hours ago, capyy said:

The last dose of Orioles magic was September 3rd. Trumbo wins it in the 12th. Then Trumbo got a pie to the face, twice. Then he got angry about it. The Orioles are 1-6 since. Players who get upset about things like that are bad for the clubhouse. 

The last dose of Orioles magic was Sept. 5, when Manny hit a walk-off, come from behind homer with 2 outs in the 9th.    To ascribe any connection between Trumbo's pie in the face and our recent losing streak is silly.