A few nuggets....

[JTrea81]

This team always mails it in during August and September. My guess is if that happens again, Trembley will be let go.

If he's such a good motivator as everybody says, this won't be a problem.

[Dipper9]

Despite all the love people heap on the man on OH and in the O's clubhouse, the team is one of the most fundamentally unsound teams I've ever watched play the game.

Between poor baserunning and poor defense and all around horrible baseball IQ, it would be hard as an objective observer to not find fault with the coaching staff. Especially given the fact that Trembley seems unwilling or incapable of actually holding anyone responsible for anything negative that they do.

Now before people tar an feather me, I like Trembley a lot. I think he's gotten the most out of this particular group of players that could be expected and if we had the personnel and were trying to win right now, I'd like to see him back.

But as the O's move through the rebuilding process, I'd like to see a manager who holds his players responsible for their mistakes and isn't afraid to bench anyone (regardless of popularity, veteran status or whatever) if their level of play or lack of hustle dicates.

I feel like too much has been made of the clubhouse atmosphere with the O's this season. At the end of the day we're a sub .500 team in last place in our division and making enough fundamental baseball mistakes on a game by game basis that opposing team's commentators are shocked and openly comment on how bad we are after only watching us for 3 or 4 games.

As the manager, Trembely didn't choose the players he had to work with, but he certainly is responsible for coaching fundamentals like baserunning, defense, hustling and making smart game decisions. The only measure of his success can be how the O's perform in those disciplines and by any measure I'd give them a solid "F" on fundamentals thus far in 2008.

So I'm not shocked (or dismayed) by BBs revelation on this point at all. I am saddened that Trem hasn't addressed these issues and thereby potentially saved his job.

Man this wrong on so many levels. Holding people accountable? Benching guys regardless of status? The only guy I routinely see making dumb plays is Hernandez (and maybe Mora to a point). If they are not ready to bring up Wieters, then you gotta keep playing him in case someone (Marlins) is scouting him. So, last night Kakes made a dumb baserunning blunder. Do you bench him for it to hold hime accountable. Players make mistakes, especially when they are trying to hustle. Routinely making mistakes is one thing, but you don't bench a guy every time he screws up. Plus, how about SS? Trembley has used 5 shortstops this year. He DOES bench those guys when they mess up, but he's got nobody else to go to. Same at catcher. The ONE exception where I think they need to bench a veteran and don't is Mora, and to be honest, I wouldn't bench him as much as move him to ss. Anyway, bottom line, there are some fundamentals not being followed, and Trembley may be to blame, but you can't just bench the guys every time they screw up. That is not fixing the root cause, which is overall lack of talent and depth on the team.

[Dr. FLK]

Thanks bigbird.

I can honestly say I'm not surprised that Millar and Hernandez aren't drawing much interest. And to tell you the truth, I'm surprised that any team is scouting Payton.

I'm scratching my head over the Bradford-Hall trade. If this is true, MacPhail needs to pull the trigger TODAY. MLBTradeRumors.com called Melvin Mora the worst starting 3B in the league, and they're not far from the truth.

As much as I like Trembley, I don't think he walks on water. I can't say the same for the rest of our posters.

Neither do I. But, I don't think he's one of the problems with this team that has overachieved so far this season. Who expected this team to be anywhere near .500 in July?

[The Wedge]

As much as I like Trembley, I don't think he walks on water. I can't say the same for the rest of our posters.

I don't think he walks on water...it just seems completely counter productive to not give him at least another year.

[big leagues 23]

It's not like Trembley hasn't tried to fix the fundamentals. Aren't the Orioles one of the few teams in the league who actually take infield at the beginning of every series. If I recall correctly a few series ago I remember Dave Trembley saying in a post game press conference he was going to talk to the coaching staff on how they can fix the base running problem. Now I don't know if they ever did find a way, and obviously the base running has not really improved, but Dave and the coaches are trying to figure it out.

[Tony-OH]

Despite all the love people heap on the man on OH and in the O's clubhouse, the team is one of the most fundamentally unsound teams I've ever watched play the game.

Between poor baserunning and poor defense and all around horrible baseball IQ, it would be hard as an objective observer to not find fault with the coaching staff. Especially given the fact that Trembley seems unwilling or incapable of actually holding anyone responsible for anything negative that they do.

Now before people tar an feather me, I like Trembley a lot. I think he's gotten the most out of this particular group of players that could be expected and if we had the personnel and were trying to win right now, I'd like to see him back.

But as the O's move through the rebuilding process, I'd like to see a manager who holds his players responsible for their mistakes and isn't afraid to bench anyone (regardless of popularity, veteran status or whatever) if their level of play or lack of hustle dicates.

I feel like too much has been made of the clubhouse atmosphere with the O's this season. At the end of the day we're a sub .500 team in last place in our division and making enough fundamental baseball mistakes on a game by game basis that opposing team's commentators are shocked and openly comment on how bad we are after only watching us for 3 or 4 games.

As the manager, Trembely didn't choose the players he had to work with, but he certainly is responsible for coaching fundamentals like baserunning, defense, hustling and making smart game decisions. The only measure of his success can be how the O's perform in those disciplines and by any measure I'd give them a solid "F" on fundamentals thus far in 2008.

So I'm not shocked (or dismayed) by BBs revelation on this point at all. I am saddened that Trem hasn't addressed these issues and thereby potentially saved his job.

Sorry, but I disagree. Trembley has addressed these issues and he does it through personally talking to players as well as working through his coaches like John Shelby, who's in charge of base running.

The coaches can not go out there and make runners use common sense on the base paths. Mora by himself has always been this kind of player. He's never been a good base runner and takes way too many chances on the base paths in poor situation.

Some of the mistakes on the base paths this year have been because of over aggressiveness and a lot of that comes from the fact that the team is not exactly an offensive juggernaut and even when they are scoring they know with their current starting rotation that they better score a lot.

For the most part, the team seems very sound fundamentally in the field and the only blemish has been the terrible base running, which to me has more to do with the players than the coaching staff.

Seriously, if you don''t know how to run the bases by the time you reach the majors, no coaching is going to get through now.

[Lucky Jim]

Seven years?

Of late-stage Melvin Mora-like production?

I mean, what does this kind of production offer us, even if he's 28:

2007	Mil	136	452	59	115	35	0	14	63	40	128	4	5	.254	.315	.425	.7402008	Mil	82	269	31	63	17	0	12	39	20	74	3	5	.234	.294	.431	.725

[Dr. FLK]

It's not like Trembley hasn't tried to fix the fundamentals. Aren't the Orioles one of the few teams in the league who actually take infield at the beginning of every series. If I recall correctly a few series ago I remember Dave Trembley saying in a post game press conference he was going to talk to the coaching staff on how they can fix the base running problem. Now I don't know if they ever did find a way, and obviously the base running has not really improved, but Dave and the coaches are trying to figure it out.

The best way is to get better base runners.

[ChaosLex]

If we hire Girardi I will cry. I loathe that man with all that is in my soul. If I had to chose between hiring Girardi or Hitler, I'd call it a push.

My ancestry is primarily Austrian, so I'd have to give the Fuhrer the benefit of the doubt.

[bluedog]

Our base running stinks. Use of the bullpen is questionable. In play decisions by players is also bad. These things should be corrected and they're not.

I wonder if we're watching the same team that others here are watching BB.

If the manager isn't responsible for fundamentals, who do they think is?

And if the players who are on the team can't or won't play fundamentally sound baseball, why are they still starting?

I don't get this.

[Dr. FLK]

Of late-stage Melvin Mora-like production?

I mean, what does this kind of production offer us, even if he's 28:

2007	Mil	136	452	59	115	35	0	14	63	40	128	4	5	.254	.315	.425	.7402008	Mil	82	269	31	63	17	0	12	39	20	74	3	5	.234	.294	.431	.725

I was agreeing with you in sorts. I don't think he's great. But, he has had 2 seasons in a row (before this year) with an OPS > 800. Mora has only had 3 over 800 in his career. I don't think that he's a lock to be a star, but judging him only on this season doesn't seem like the best way to go when it means ignoring an 837 and 899 OPS.

[SilentJames]

Read into these as little or as much as you want....

Trembley is not a lock to return in 2009

This disturbs me. This really disturbs me.

[JTrea81]

The best way is to get better base runners.

Or not let them run. I would say being more aggressive on the basepaths has hurt us more than it has helped. So somebody needs to throw up the stop sign.

[Dipper9]

I wonder if we're watching the same team that others here are watching BB.

If the manager isn't responsible for fundamentals, who do they think is?

And if the players who are on the team can't or won't play fundamentally sound baseball, why are they still starting?

I don't get this.

Because we have no one else. Again I ask...would you bench Kakes because of his bad judement (aka baserunning) last night? Or is it just players you don't like that you would bench?

[JTrea81]

This disturbs me. This really disturbs me.

Remember Trembley and the second half of 2007. If that happens again I don't want him back...

My guess is this 13 pitcher thing isn't MacPhail's idea and he probably thinks it's not necessary. Also Albers' injury probably didn't thrill him either...

It's not like the guy doesn't have any flaws. We shouldn't have to have 13 pitchers. And Trembley is burning through the bullpen because he refuses to call up a guy like Bergesen who could help.