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Montanez not playing is a joke

mikezpen

By mikezpen
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mikezpen Major Leaguer

mikezpen

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Seems like most agree at least in principal. I have nothing against Payton; I think he's an asset if he comes back next year as a fourth outfielder.But you don't play bunch of 36 year-olds with no significant future over a 26 year-old who's hit the way Montanez has, not when you're dead last and going nowhere.Stick Markakis in center a few games and/or juggle the lineup the way Mackus suggests-that's fine.

What you have here is what you have every year in Baltimore. It doesn't matter how lousy the team is or how lousy its players are. The veterans play because they've punched in and drawn a paycheck all year. Merit has absolutely nothing to do with it.Dave Trembley is supposed to be this refreshing new kind of manager-well-all I'm seeing now is another Hargrove.

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Mackus Hangout Grand Counsel

Mackus

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Sports Guy and somebody else(Hank Scorpio?), have both said that they are hearing Payton is a huge problem in the clubhouse. Evidently he's always whining and complaining.
I haven't heard/seen that at all. The only thing this year is when someone asked him how it was going and he replied with something like "nothing a trade won't fix." Some people flipped out about that, I just took it as an offhand joking comment.

Maybe there is something behind the scenes going on that we don't know about, but he's said everything the right way publicly.

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Big Mac Veteran All-Star

Big Mac

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I haven't heard/seen that at all. The only thing this year is when someone asked him how it was going and he replied with something like "nothing a trade won't fix." Some people flipped out about that, I just took it as an offhand joking comment.

Maybe there is something behind the scenes going on that we don't know about, but he's said everything the right way publicly.

http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1438781&postcount=153

I've also been to a game this season where he flipped off a fan in my section.

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

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getxstoked Major Leaguer Cup of Coffee

getxstoked

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Montanez may never even be a 4th OF... but that is to be determined... you know Payton won't even be an Oriole next year... there is no reason to start Payton over Montanez...

Except that Payton is a competent (not good, not great, but serviceable) centerfielder, and they'd rather not have 3 OFs out of position...

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getxstoked Major Leaguer Cup of Coffee

getxstoked

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Who cares? You are already in last place.... you dont have a ton of youth on your pitching staff anyway, that you have to protect with defense...

And while Payton may be slightly better defensively vs Montanez...... Payton will not be back in 2009... it is a waist of time to give him at-bats...

BTW you have to factor in the fact that Payton has a 654 OPS overall, and a 523 OPS against RHP...

I think you're way off here, Payton is there because he's the best option in CF, and like it or not, Dave Trembley's job is to put the Orioles in the best position to win games, no matter how far out of the pennant race they may be, and at this moment, putting Payton in CF is what he has to do.

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Jenius AA

Jenius

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I think you're way off here, Payton is there because he's the best option in CF, and like it or not, Dave Trembley's job is to put the Orioles in the best position to win games, no matter how far out of the pennant race they may be, and at this moment, putting Payton in CF is what he has to do.
This is the most accurate and insightful post in the thread so far, IMO. On a personal level, I'm disappointed Montanez isn't starting tonight...was looking forward to seeing him. Frankly, not many of us as fans WANT to see Payton playing with any regularity. I am certainly in the majority there. But I will concede that Trembley probably feels he has no choice defensively. Montanez and Markakis are both emergency CFs and not guys you really want there for any extended period. Payton, the last time he played full time in CF (for COL in 2004) had the 2nd best Zone Rating among MLB CFs. Granted that was 4 years ago, but I would estimate he's still one of the best fielding LFs in the league and probably average in CF.

Again, his bat is going to hurt us, but IF as I suspect Trembley feels no choice (and I think the frequency with which opposing hitters are putting balls in play against our pitchers is a factor here), then all this discussion about veterans getting too much slack, no commitment to rebuilding, etc. is moot.

Does anyone think Tike Redman would be preferable to Payton in CF? (an honest question...Redman played well for us down the stretch last year then fell off the map when we got Jones)

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Big Mac Veteran All-Star

Big Mac

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...Millar just hit a two-run homerun

And he is a FA after this season, it would be better to see what the kid can do.

For the record, I don't think you have to bench a particular person.

Huff can play first or 3rd every now and then in place of Mora and Millar, this allows Lou to play LF and Scott to DH. You can also give Luke some days off, he is pretty banged up.

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