A look at some past Opening Day rotations

[tntoriole]

38 minutes ago, mdbdotcom said:

I'd rather watch Cortes, Mesa Jr. and Ynoa get hammered at the major league level than watch Tillman, Cashner and Vargas carry us to an 82-win season and leave us in the same predicament for 2019.

Fixed that for you...lol.  

[mdbdotcom]

Just now, tntoriole said:

Fixed that for you...lol.  

I'd rather get hammered while I watch them learn .

[atomic]

1 hour ago, tntoriole said:

Man, we have had some horrific rotations.    So bad I had blocked them out of my mind...PTSD from remembering them...lol.  

Ponson and Cabrera are two names I would like to forget.   

[now]

On the subject of more names to remember (and forget)...

Great perspective to bring, Frobby. Those are names I admit I was excited about because they were new, and they didn't fail to disappoint, year after year.

On the other hand, here are some more positive comps to think about. Foremost, of course, is that famous "Baby Birds" rotation of the 1960 pennant contenders, featuring:

Chuck Estrada (22)
Milt Pappas (21)
Steve Barber (22)
Jerry Walker (21)
Jack Fisher (21)

Hard to beat that combo, ever again! 

In the next few seasons, the Orioles introduced youngsters Dave McNally (20, 1963), Wally Bunker (19, 1964), Jim Palmer (19, 1965), and Tom Phoebus (25) and Jim Hardin (23) (1967). 

By contrast, I cringe at more of the kind of diet of mediocre/washed-up vets/"proven innings eaters" the FO has trotted out to the mound in the last 20 years:

1998 Doug Drabek (35), 6-11, 7.29
1999 Doug Linton (34), 1-4, 5.95
2000 Pat Rapp (32), 9-12, 5.90
2001 Jose Mercedes (30), 8-17, 5.82
2002 Scott Erickson (34), 5-12, 5.55
2003 Helling 7-8, 5.71; Daal 4-11, 6.34
2004 [youth movement]
2005 [youth movement]
2006 Kris Benson (31), 11-12, 4.82
2007 Steve Traschel (36), 6-8, 4.48
2008 Steve Traschel (37), 2-5, 8.39
2009 Adam Eaton (31), 2-5, 8.56
2010 Kevin Millwood (35), 4-16, 5.10
2011 [youth movement]
2012 [youth movement]
2013 Freddy Garcia (36), 3-5, 5.77
2014 Ubaldo Jimenez (30), 6-9, 4.81
2015 [returning rotation]
2016 Gallardo 6-8, 5.42; Miley 2-5, 6.17
2017 Jeremy Hellickson (30), 2-6, 6.97

And yes, sad to say, I had hopes that each of those disasters might have worked out also. But given the choice now of pinning hopes on second- or third-tier free agent vets, at the cost of limited $ resources and draft picks (or trading prospects for the same drek), and going with young guys with promising track records like Mesa, Cortes and Castro, I'd rather go with the latter. 

Can we be contenders with them? Maybe not, but it's not all on the pitching rotation. What about the unproven Hays and Santander that we have no problem pencilling in right; or similarly Cisco and Joseph, et al., behind the plate? Beckham at third; Davis and Trumbo flailing at pitches (or not); a declining Jones... the list goes on. So I, for one, relish seeing some new blood take their chances on the mound.
 

[sportsfan8703]

10 hours ago, mdbdotcom said:

I'd rather watch Cortes, Mesa Jr. and Ynoa learn at the major league level than watch Tillman, Cashner and Vargas carry us to an 82-win season and leave us in the same predicament for 2019.

Don’t forget about Castro. Anyone counting that guy out is crazy. 

[mdbdotcom]

37 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Don’t forget about Castro. Anyone counting that guy out is crazy. 

Good call. Cortes, Mesa Jr., Ynoa, Castro and Wright should be the main competitors for rotation unless they sign Cobb or Lynn or trade for a major league ready/proven starter with a few years of team control remaining.

[weams]

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