Fanfest

[mall-O-cup]

1 minute ago, Hank Scorpio said:

I’m not sure what people are expecting from Duquette, here. We have an owner who has shown time and time again that he is perfectly willing to sabotage lots of hard work done by his baseball people and until someone can prove different, that’s my first assumption here.

Good luck hiring the next unwitting twit, PGA!!!! 

Can be real depressing around here at times. Part of being an Orioles fan, baby. Wear it.

Correctamundo!

The tone for this organization begins right at the top with Peter Angelos and trickles down from there.

[Camden_yardbird]

Dan says don't ask me how because the medicals aren't clearing the real decision makers?

[SteveA]

Long and Norris now interviewing Buck...

What's your to-do list before heading to Sarasota?

   -- we just got back, we had hte minicamp.   Checking health of pitchers, our trainer's been out with Zach checking on him, that's been going well, might be sooner than later.   We have 30-some pitchers going to camp, might be the most ever.   Met with support team about what we have to get accomplished, planning our presentation to the players.   I'm more interested in what we have here than looking at other players.   I think the last 7 years they've picked us to finish in last place and last year was the first time they could say I told you so.   We aren't worried about being competitive, we want to win.

Do you believe you have five starters you can go with now?

   -- it takes 8 or 9 starters.   Look at the WS & playoff participants, they were 8 or 9 weeks.   Don't tell Castro he can't do it, don't tell Cortes, don't tell Mike Wright who's been working with Brady for 3 weeks that he can't do it.  Look at the Cubs and Astros and look at al lt he top picks, they got because they were picking high because they were so bad.   Did the Astros do a great job rebuilding their team or did they just draft well because they were so bad for so long and had so many high picks.  Oh, and htey did a good job in Latin America.

(no followup question on Latin America)

  -- this is the best RUle 5 class i've seen in baseball, it will be tough not to keep all those guys, we have 4 counting Santana

[Tx Oriole]

3 hours ago, spiritof66 said:

You know how, when Manny makes a great play, announcers and the experts posting on the game thread will discuss whether Brooks would have made that play? I don't participate in those discussions because I can't tell what Brooks would have done on a ball hit 40 years after his retirement.

But I'm pretty sure this is one play Brooks would not have made.

Brooks wouldn't have promised to be somewhere for fans and not show up. I am pretty tired of these pampered athletes. 

[SteveA]

Asked about Gausman:

   -- there's another level for Kevin, and that consistency that you can pitch when you don't have your best stuff, he has to find that.   And a lot of other Ps have followed that pattern, it's taken them a while.   I managed Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, etc.

.

  

[Hank Scorpio]

8 minutes ago, interloper said:

Sure but I'd like him to not give dumb fans easy bait with a quote like that. 

I think at this point he’s probably in whatever mode.

[SteveA]

More Buck:

   -- everybody wear gloves today, we don't want this to be Flu Fest.

   -- asked about Super Bowl, he thinks the hardest thing to do is win when you are expected to win like guys like Popovich, Belichick do, everyone is taking their best shot at you

Can Tillman get back to that good form?

   -- "Yes.   I'm not going to advertise it too much because I don't want other teams to find out". 

Asked about Cisco's defense:

   -- BUckhas told him you have 4 at bats a night, you make 150 decisions with pitching.   SO which is more important.   What's going to separate Chance is whether he can call a game, in the tough AL East.   It's not a matter of if, but it's a matter of when.

Then he talks up Austin Wynn a lot.   You'll be hearing about him in spring, he can catch and throw, he and Chance will be fun to watch.

I'm typing fast and ignoring typos to get as much as possible.

Asked about Mancini:   He followed a path you don't hear much about anymore, everyone expects people to make big jumps, but he had success at Aberdeen, at Frederick, at Bowie, at Norfolk.   Each time he moved up a level, breaking ball command got better, he still had success.   Buck doesn't see another player in baseball who followed that path as well as Mancini is, mastering each level.

DIdn't expect Trey to be as good defensively as he is.   He "refuses to be mediocre".   He worked hard and got good in left, ht could play RF, I've tho ught about that.

[SteveA]

End of Buck interview.

[Tx Oriole]

24 minutes ago, interloper said:

To recap:

1. They know why Manny didn't attend, but Buck says Jon's reason is not good.

2. They wanted a Heyward return for Manny.

3. Manny confirmed to be at SS.

4. "We have some work to do on pitching or it'll be a rough year" says Dan. Paraphrasing.

5. When extensions and signing top tier pitchers was mentioned Dan responded with "I like your thinking", a gold level troll response.

Why is Manny not showing up for FanFest? That's okay by Buck/DD and Schoop's reason is not okay?

[SteveA]

1 minute ago, Tx Oriole said:

Why is Manny not showing up for FanFest? That's okay by Buck/DD and Schoop's reason is not okay?

He has a personal reason that the Orioles find acceptable.  

They think Schoop's agent told him not to attend and they don't find that acceptable.

[SteveA]

Brad Brach interview now.

New baby at home.   Slept 6 hours last night, he hears.r that's good for 5 weeks old.

Throwing, just fastball changeup now.   Running a couple days a week, working out 5 days a week.  

Spring training...looking forward to it, but it is long and by the end you are tired of the preseason, ready to play the real games.  

[Tx Oriole]

27 minutes ago, interloper said:

Dan says he knows they need to add pitchers but "don't ask me how", according to Meoli tweet.

Wow.

Good grief DD. You are a hopeless case. 

[backwardsk]

If Mancini can play RF adequately, that would be huge.  Opens up a spot for Stewart or Mountcastle in LF.

[Bahama O's Fan]

Just now, backwardsk said:

If Mancini can play RF adequately, that would be huge.  Opens up a spot for Stewart or Mountcastle in LF.

Can Stewart or Mountcastle play RF?

[Tx Oriole]

16 minutes ago, SteveA said:

He has a personal reason that the Orioles find acceptable.  

They think Schoop's agent told him not to attend and they don't find that acceptable.

Oh okay. Thank you for the info.