The Silver Lining Report: Game 1/162

[interloper]

12 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Well done, @interloperthis should go a long way in making things tolerable this year.

I will add...Thorne/Palmer. Not sure how much longer we'll have that pair, so savor it.  

And yeah I figure this will either make it tolerable OR these threads will get so comically ridiculous/annoying in the face of, like, an 0-27 start or something. By game 40 these threads will just be downvoting and atomic losing his mind in the replies.

Either way sounds good.

[Answerman]

To help extend the shelf life to September, would it be feasible to include positive stories from the prospects as well. In seasons like this one, I find much of my baseball encouragement from the farm.

[HowAboutThat]

A brief diversion to just once again say that Lorenzo Cain is an amazing centerfielder. Also, congratulations to Joey. I’m not sure how many other guys on this team could’ve made this play, but I am very well aware of two that would not have. If we have a honorable defense, this team will be watchable.

[NCRaven]

I've seen Mancini and Trumbo make diving catches before.  It's usually because they were to slow to make it routine.  At least with Rickard, I doubt that was the case.

[interloper]

20 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

I've seen Mancini and Trumbo make diving catches before.  It's usually because they were to slow to make it routine.  At least with Rickard, I doubt that was the case.

In my estimation, that was a ball that legitimately required a running diving catch by a speedy OFer in order for it to be caught. 

[foxfield]

47 minutes ago, Philip said:

A brief diversion to just once again say that Lorenzo Cain is an amazing centerfielder. Also, congratulations to Joey. I’m not sure how many other guys on this team could’ve made this play, but I am very well aware of two that would not have. If we have a honorable defense, this team will be watchable.

If I were not honorable, there is much that could be done here.....      But alas, it's the silver lining thread and I refuse to cross the lollipop guild on day one!!!

[LookinUp]

1 hour ago, interloper said:

In my estimation, that was a ball that legitimately required a running diving catch by a speedy OFer in order for it to be caught. 

Rickard's not Griffey Jr., but it really was an excellent play. 

[bobmc]

10 hours ago, interloper said:

Welcome to my rainbows and unicorns  thread that I am going to force upon you all for

Every.

Single.

Game.

The idea here is that there will obviously be enough threads voicing frustrations and talking about the losing, and I will be participating in those threads as well. However, I cannot do another season like last year where I'm focusing on the negative. I am committed to the process that Elias is enacting and seeing the tiny slivers of good things and/or funny things about this season of Orioles baseball. 

If you're here to tell me this is dumb or wrong or bad or that Davis should be released, surely there is a better use of your time on this earth. If you're here to say "sure, but they did these other things badly" (and I will surely agree with you), I kindly point you to any of the other threads, though I expect this will be mostly ignored. I do not do this to invalidate your own frustrations or despair about this season. I just want to point out the stuff our good good baseball sons have done on the field for each game. Because while I may stretch to find it, there will always be something. 

And yes: unless the mods find a problem with it, I will be creating a new thread for every single game, give or take extenuating life circumstances. 

Without further ado:

• Trey Mancini: 3-4, 2B, RBI. Likes to DH. 
   
• Rio Ruiz: good play on a hot shot at 3B, got the O's on the board with a sneaky RBI single up the middle.
   
• Cedric Mullins: BB, 4.5 pitches/PA to lead the team.
   
• Joey Rickard: Excellent diving catch on a very shallow ball to RF.
   
• Richie Martin: Turned a couple of double plays smoothly, looked unfazed out there.
   
• Dwight Smith Jr.: Handled a number of deep fly balls to LF smoothly, looks like a natural OF.
   
• Hanser Alberto: Entered the game late and got a hit off Chapman.
   
• David Hess: Nice max effort stuff out of the 'pen, the only O's pitcher to post a positive WPA.
   
• Held Tanaka to 5 Ks, 3 of which were Davis, so they put the ball in play against him.
   
• Errors: 0
   
• Hits: 8 to the Yankees 9, including 1 off Britton and 1 off Chapman.
   
• Weird play: Dropped pop-up by Jesus Sucre was turned into a DP against the Yankees who ran into some outs.
   
• Brandon Hyde: Smooth debut. PH Nunez for Davis against Chapman, a welcome sign that Davis will only be put in positions he is most likely to succeed. Yanked Cashner at the right time, I thought, while still getting about as much as you could from him. Got through what was a sure loss without warming up or using Givens, Bleier, or Castro. Got every batter into the game other than Pedro Severino. 
   
• Gary Thorne: "Better his wife than mine!" I don't even remember what they were talking about.
   
• Mike Elias aviator game: Strong. 

See you for Game 2. 

Good thread - sounds like one in which @Frobby will participate and @atomic might boycott - not sure though.  

I saw a discussion that the ball that Jesus was not blessed to secure was judged an "Infield Fly" and thus was an out already.  Voit was the only player moving incorrectly.  Agree that Davis was squeezed a few times.  Dwight Smith also had the highest EV on his single off the wall but sub-100 mph.

The team did not look intimidated.  I felt like Hyde did a great job getting nearly everyone in there including Nunez batting for Davis.  There's a new sheriff in town and I like it!

As bad as the final score was, it could have been so much worse.  I'm expecting a W in NY this trip!

[Moose Milligan]

6 minutes ago, bobmc said:

Good thread - sounds like one in which @Frobby will participate and @atomic might boycott - not sure though.  

I saw a discussion that the ball that Jesus was not blessed to secure was judged an "Infield Fly" and thus was an out already.  Voit was the only player moving incorrectly.  Agree that Davis was squeezed a few times.  Dwight Smith also had the highest EV on his single off the wall but sub-100 mph.

The team did not look intimidated.  I felt like Hyde did a great job getting nearly everyone in there including Nunez batting for Davis.  There's a new sheriff in town and I like it!

As bad as the final score was, it could have been so much worse.  I'm expecting a W in NY this trip!

This thread is @atomic's kryptonite.  

Wait, that'd imply that he's Superman.  Anyone have a better analogy?

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

5 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

This thread is @atomic's kryptonite.  

Wait, that'd imply that he's Superman.  Anyone have a better analogy?

This thread is nuts and Atomic has a nut allergy. 

[weams]

29 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

This thread is @atomic's kryptonite.  

Wait, that'd imply that he's Superman.  Anyone have a better analogy?

Ant Man to the Taskmaster

[Can_of_corn]

8 minutes ago, weams said:

Ant Man to the Taskmaster

Squirrel Girl to Thanos?

[foxfield]

Wile E. Coyote, Genius

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Moose Milligan said:

This thread is @atomic's kryptonite.  

Wait, that'd imply that he's Superman.  Anyone have a better analogy?

Blue kryptonite is the one that’s lethal to Bizarro Superman, right?

[Moose Milligan]

26 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Blue kryptonite is the one that’s lethal to Bizarro Superman, right?

Beats me, was never big into comic books but I'll go with it.