Connolly: Heads may roll today

[sportsfan8703]

6 minutes ago, clapdiddy said:

Sometimes I wonder where the team would  be if we had just let Duquette go to Toronto a couple of years ago. 

That’s when DD should’ve been given total control. 

[Ripken]

7 minutes ago, clapdiddy said:

Sometimes I wonder where the team would  be if we had just let Duquette go to Toronto a couple of years ago. 

Yeah, at first I was upset about the possibly of DD leaving, but the more that dragged on I wanted him gone.  Things here have never been right since that clusterF.

[Frobby]

56 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

The problem with your analysis is that you have chosen a side here. So duquette had nothing to do with acquire any major league agents this offseason, that was on Brady. What Duquette did was go out and do what he always did, find cheap, available players with major league experience who could provide depth.

Unfortunately, with injuries and and poor performance, they have played a lot more than anyone had hoped they would have to play. Duquette didn't resign Tillman and he doesn't start him every five days. He doesn't bat Davis 4th behind Manny Machado and he wasn't the guy who signed him to that large contract. He traded for one year of Trumbo and got great value while dumping a bad contract. From what I know he was not the guy who resigned him.

 

And that’s just pathetic.   What a stupid way to run an organization.    Compared to this, the Beattie/Flanagan two-headed GM was a genius move.    

[wildbillhiccup]

3 minutes ago, Finisher said:

Probably in the same place. DD lost most of decision making and Buck and Brady assumed it. Would've happened regardless.

It really makes me wonder if this wasn't going on (to some extent) before the Toronto incident. Maybe that's why Duquette was open to the idea in the first place. Because he was being undermined by ownership, Buck and Brady. Just a thought...

[LookitsPuck]

55 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

The problem with your analysis is that you have chosen a side here. So duquette had nothing to do with acquire any major league agents this offseason, that was on Brady. What Duquette did was go out and do what he always did, find cheap, available players with major league experience who could provide depth.

Unfortunately, with injuries and and poor performance, they have played a lot more than anyone had hoped they would have to play. Duquette didn't resign Tillman and he doesn't start him every five days. He doesn't bat Davis 4th behind Manny Machado and he wasn't the guy who signed him to that large contract. He traded for one year of Trumbo and got great value while dumping a bad contract. From what I know he was not the guy who resigned him.

 

Who else is batting 4th if not Davis? That's my point. 2/3 of the position players are batting under or near .200 and have OPS's well under .600. So basically who do you have more faith to be a productive hitter? Chris Davis or the Gentry/Santander/Valencia/Alvarez/Joseph/Sisco/etc. of the world?

Who signed Gentry? 

Who continues to play the Rule V draft like it's a replacement for free agency?

Who continues to sign platoon players who are essentially DHs year in and year out?

Not Brady. 

That's my point.

And to add to my point: who in the minors can be called up to replace better than the above and be standouts defensively? 

And therein lies the rub. The minors are largely barren of impact positional players. Especially ones that are ready. And that is 100% on Dan Duquette.

Fin.

[Just Regular]

Assuming Dan is odd man out, it's interesting to see how Brady v. Buck plays out if both stay in the organization.

Strategically, I like that Brady is an Early Adopter, whether training regimens, nutrition, etc.  I think Big Data is changing the game so fast now (I basically see Gerrit Cole as a drone being piloted by the Astros front office, with amazing synergistic results) that stubborn traditionalists are going to have a hard go.  Nothing's going to stay the same very long anymore.  I think enlightened players will embrace what the analysts give them, and the very best will tell the analysts what to give them.  I don't think Adam Jones and Buck are doing that.

Buck is a near Hall of Famer, and a first ballot Oriole Hall of Famer who saved the organization.  He may have run his run, and should get to go early if he wants (ala 2010).

[esmd]

I don't think that decisions made among a consensus of ownership, the FO, and the Manager is necessarily a bad thing, BUT, all of the parties need to be rowing in the same direction, so to speak.  It seems like here there are too many cooks in the kitchen.  Next year if it's Brady and Buck, with some combination of PGA, Lou, or John, it could work.  I think they key is, the father and sons need to decide to let one of them take the lead in working with Brady and Buck.  Having all 3 involved is probably a big part of the problem.

[Finisher]

8 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

It really makes me wonder if this wasn't going on (to some extent) before the Toronto incident. Maybe that's why Duquette was open to the idea in the first place. Because he was being undermined by ownership, Buck and Brady. Just a thought...

It's always been going on. Why do you think Gillick, MacPhail couldn't wait to GTFO. Every GM under Angelos has to deal with interference, moves forced on them, etc. It has always been the case and will continue to be.

[clapdiddy]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

The problem with your analysis is that you have chosen a side here. So duquette had nothing to do with acquire any major league agents this offseason, that was on Brady. What Duquette did was go out and do what he always did, find cheap, available players with major league experience who could provide depth.

Unfortunately, with injuries and and poor performance, they have played a lot more than anyone had hoped they would have to play. Duquette didn't resign Tillman and he doesn't start him every five days. He doesn't bat Davis 4th behind Manny Machado and he wasn't the guy who signed him to that large contract. He traded for one year of Trumbo and got great value while dumping a bad contract. From what I know he was not the guy who resigned him.

 

This was my suspicion all along.   I'm guessing that DD has been in the Angelos doghouse since the Toronto fiasco. 

[Moose Milligan]

1 hour ago, PaulFolk said:

Nothing will make this team significantly better this season, but incremental changes would help for now. Once trading season heats up, the Orioles can make more significant changes.

I agree, I'm all about the incremental changes.  I am doubtful, however, that firing Buck and replacing him with someone in the middle of the season is going to be an incremental change in the positive direction.  

All for trading everyone, though.  

[Slappy]

At this point, the only thing that would make me hopeful is if there was an announcement that the team was being sold.

Aside from that, I don't see the dysfunctional management structure improving any time soon.  Sounds like the head of the snake is still run like a buddy-buddy club.

[wildbillhiccup]

2 minutes ago, OrioleDog said:

Assuming Dan is odd man out, it's interesting to see how Brady v. Buck plays out if both stay in the organization.

Strategically, I like that Brady is an Early Adopter, whether training regimens, nutrition, etc.  I think Big Data is changing the game so fast now (I basically see Gerrit Cole as a drone being piloted by the Astros front office, with amazing synergistic results) that stubborn traditionalists are going to have a hard go.  Nothing's going to stay the same very long anymore.  I think enlightened players will embrace what the analysts give them, and the very best will tell the analysts what to give them.  I don't think Adam Jones and Buck are doing that.

Buck is a near Hall of Famer, and a first ballot Oriole Hall of Famer who saved the organization.  He may have run his run, and should get to go early if he wants (ala 2010).

Cole has been MUCH better this year because of a change in pitching philosophy. He also hated playing in Pittsburgh those last few years and had an ongoing feud with management. it's hard to imagine that didn't have an effect on his game. His turnaround has nothing to do with "nutrition and what exactly does Brady know about pitching philosophy. Grouping him in with the young data driven GM's / managers is an insult to each and every one of them. 

[Finisher]

14 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

Who signed Gentry?

Not Brady.

Guys like Gentry and Wright are Brady pet projects and are only on the roster because of Brady. He relates to guys struggling for their careers because he was in that place at the start of his. Expect more of those AAAA and non major league types with DD out of the picture and Brady fully at the helm with Buck. Something to look forward to.

[wildbillhiccup]

4 minutes ago, Finisher said:

It's always been going on. Why do you think Gillick, MacPhail couldn't wait to GTFO. Every GM under Angelos has to deal with interference, moves forced on them, etc. It has always been the case and will continue to be.

I'm well aware of Angelos' meddling, but Brady / Buck are a new wrinkle. I certainly wouldn't want to work in that environment. 

[wildbillhiccup]

Just now, Finisher said:

Guys like Gentry and Wright are Brady pet projects and are only on the roster because of Brady. He relates to guys struggling for their careers because he was in that place at the start of his. Expect more of those AAAA and non major league types with DD out of the picture and Brady fully at the helm with Buck. Something to look forward to.

So Brady will sign them and Buck will give them entirely too much rope? Yep, that sounds about right.