Offense Observations After Boston Series

[Frobby]

Nick has never hit 34 homers in a season, and I don't think he quite has the power of Huff. The other thing I like and admire about Huff, he seems to be very good at doing the little things like hit a sac fly when the opportunity presents itself. He just is a smart veteran hitter. Stuff like this doesn't always show up in mere numbers. I also like the fact that Huff hits the same no matter what spot you put him in the lineup. He can bat third or fourth and it seems to make no difference.

I like those things about Huff, too. I just think you are selling Nick a bit short. His "clutch" numbers started off poorly this year but they are now very solid. And though Nick has never hit 34 HR in a season, he's 24 and his best years are in front of him. Huff hit 8 HR when he was 24.

[Old#5fan]

I like those things about Huff, too. I just think you are selling Nick a bit short. His "clutch" numbers started off poorly this year but they are now very solid. And though Nick has never hit 34 HR in a season, he's 24 and his best years are in front of him. Huff hit 8 HR when he was 24.

I do agree that Markakis has more potential in having an even better career than Huff if he stays healthy, but right now, this season, with the game on the line the Oriole I want hitting is Aubrey Huff, not Nick Markakis. I also think Huff is the MVP of the Orioles team so far this year. Nobody will change my mind on this, and I think I am not alone in feeling this way this season. Huff has seemed to be able to get it done this year moreso in winning games than anyone else on the team. He easily gets my vote, if there was voting on the OH for Oriole MVP!

[Burg]

I do agree that Markakis has more potential in having an even better career than Huff if he stays healthy, but right now, this season, with the game on the line the Oriole I want hitting is Aubrey Huff, not Nick Markakis. I also think Huff is the MVP of the Orioles team so far this year. Nobody will change my mind on this, and I think I am not alone in feeling this way this season.

Nobody will change your mind on anything and that's why a large number of posters find you intolerable.

[Old#5fan]

Nobody will change your mind on anything and that's why a large number of posters find you intolerable.

That is not true, and I seriously doubt you are sitting in a big auditorium posting madly side by side with a "large" number of posters to make such an outlandish statement. :confused:How about just talking baseball? Who would be your Orioles MVP this season if you had a vote and why?

[Sports Guy]

Markakis has a higher OPS with RISP than Huff does.

Also, they have the same number of RBIs, with Markakis having 5 more at bats.

Huff will always have more chances than Markakis because he has BROb and Nick hitting in front of him.

Teams will also go after Huff more than Nick because they know Markakis is the better hitter.

[Old#5fan]

Markakis has a higher OPS with RISP than Huff does.

Also, they have the same number of RBIs, with Markakis having 5 more at bats.

Huff will always have more chances than Markakis because he has BROb and Nick hitting in front of him.

Teams will also go after Huff more than Nick because they know Markakis is the better hitter.

Who is your Orioles MVP so far this season and why? If I had time I would post a poll with this question, but I have to go now (to work).

[Sports Guy]

Who is your Orioles MVP so far this season and why? If I had time I would post a poll with this question, but I have to go now (to work).

Very tough to say but I would put Guthrie, JJ, Markakis and BRob ahead of Huff.

We are seeing how important Albers was as well.

[Frobby]

I do agree that Markakis has more potential in having an even better career than Huff if he stays healthy, but right now, this season, with the game on the line the Oriole I want hitting is Aubrey Huff, not Nick Markakis. I also think Huff is the MVP of the Orioles team so far this year. Nobody will change my mind on this, and I think I am not alone in feeling this way this season. Huff has seemed to be able to get it done this year moreso in winning games than anyone else on the team. He easily gets my vote, if there was voting on the OH for Oriole MVP!

The race for team MVP would be very close, in my opinion, with BRob, Markakis and Huff all in the running among the offensive players. There are 69 games to go, so we'll see who finishes strongest. Hopefully all three finish strong and they make it interesting!

[Burg]

That is not true, and I seriously doubt you are sitting in a big auditorium posting madly side by side with a "large" number of posters to make such an outlandish statement. :confused:How about just talking baseball? Who would be your Orioles MVP this season if you had a vote and why?

We differ on our ideas of "talking baseball". I think that it means engaging in a give and take with other posters while keeping my mind open and more likely than not learning something.

Your idea appears to be:

1. Make outlandish and unverifiable statements.

2. Ignore all posters that attempt to correct your outlandish statements with facts and stats usually by ignoring them.

3. If you do address them, its only to claim that their stats and logic are gibberish and equivalent to witchcraft.

4. Change the subject by making another outlandish and unverifiable statement.

5. Rinse and repeat.

As long as you continue 1-5 we can never "talk baseball".

[Frobby]

Very tough to say but I would put Guthrie, JJ, Markakis and BRob ahead of Huff.

We are seeing how important Albers was as well.

Even though Guthrie has pitched extremely well, I'm not sure how the MVP can go to a pitcher who is 5-7, when the team is 9-11 in the games he has pitched. Of course I realize that he has had poor offensive and bullpen support, and that his record (and the team's) should be much better, but in the end, for MVP purposes, the record is what it is. Unfortunately, he hasn't contributed to very many games that the team has won.

[Dr. FLK]

Even though Guthrie has pitched extremely well, I'm not sure how the MVP can go to a pitcher who is 5-7, when the team is 9-11 in the games he has pitched. Of course I realize that he has had poor offensive and bullpen support, and that his record (and the team's) should be much better, but in the end, for MVP purposes, the record is what it is. Unfortunately, he hasn't contributed to very many games that the team has won.

They are 9-11 in his starts. That means they are 9-11 in games where they get less than 4 runs per game. Imagine how many of those games they would have lost with any of our other pitchers on the mound. We would have been under the illusive .500 mark long ago...

[Frobby]

They are 9-11 in his starts. That means they are 9-11 in games where they get less than 4 runs per game. Imagine how many of those games they would have lost with any of our other pitchers on the mound. We would have been under the illusive .500 mark long ago...

That's not a bad way to look at it.

[Dr. FLK]

That's not a bad way to look at it.

I'm not saying that it makes him the MVP...but, I think he belongs in the top 5.

I'd probably rank my top 5.

1. Markakis

2. Huff

3. Sherrill (he was huge for most of the first half)

4. Brob

5. Guts

[J.D.]

I do agree that Markakis has more potential in having an even better career than Huff if he stays healthy, but right now, this season, with the game on the line the Oriole I want hitting is Aubrey Huff, not Nick Markakis. I also think Huff is the MVP of the Orioles team so far this year. Nobody will change my mind on this, and I think I am not alone in feeling this way this season. Huff has seemed to be able to get it done this year moreso in winning games than anyone else on the team. He easily gets my vote, if there was voting on the OH for Oriole MVP!

Markakis has a higher OPS with RISP than Huff does.

Also, they have the same number of RBIs, with Markakis having 5 more at bats.

Huff will always have more chances than Markakis because he has BROb and Nick hitting in front of him.

Teams will also go after Huff more than Nick because they know Markakis is the better hitter.

Exactly. A quick look through the stats will show you that Nick's a better hitter. I get the love for Huff because he's been a great player this year (and as larrytt corrected me on, a few times over his career). But there's no way that he's a better hitter or means more to the Orioles than Nick does right now.

Roberts is probably my first-half MVP, followed by Nick, Huff, J.J., Guthrie, and Jones.

[BRobinsonfan]

I can't disagree with this. The record speaks for itself:

March 31 - April 19: .386/.470/.596 (66 PAs)

April 20 - May 14: .164/.224/.230 (67 PAs)

May 16 - June 30: .291/.373/.658 (134 PAs)

July 1 - July 13: .081/.171/.108 (41 PAs)

Hopefully Scott comes back from the all-star break in his "hot" mode.

I'm curious as to why you drew the above sample the way you did? Why not just do it month to month?

If you look at Scott's production just by month:

April .795 OPS

May .782 OPS

June 1.093 OPS

July .279 OPS

In July, thus far he's clearly been biting the big one.

Huff, by comparison

April .833 OPS

May .704 OPS

June 1.001

July 1.096

So there's a bigger "up and down" variation in Huff's numbers from April to May to June then there were for Scott.

I think Scott's absolutely horrid July - after a strong June - has helped to inflate reputation as a "streaky" hitter.