Schmuck on Tex

[olehippi]

Thers is plenty to doubt about it. Tex without pitching accomplishes very little.

Agree 100%. Teixeira, without a talented supporting cast, will not make the Orioles a winning franchaise. And if we sign Tex for the sum he will likely demand....hometown discount or not....I don't think we'll be able to afford buying the other necessary cast members. We'll have to grow them.

[Mike B]

You are being sarcastic about Tex only getting us to 77 wins, and then saying he may have to choose between Tex and Burnett.

Burnett certainly don't give us 6-8 wins like Tex will, and he certainly won't help us in 2011-2012 as much as Tex would.

Sorry but no pitching in the world is going to save us when we need a whole new infiend in 2010.

I could not disagree more that a Burnett or any other solid pitcher does not improve us 6 to 8 games. With all due respect a veteran starter who wins 15-18 games, pitches 200 innings not only contributes that but contributes much in a trickle down effect.

1. He helps keep the bull pen from burning out in August. His 7 or 8 innings saves 20 % wear and tear on the BP (1 of 5 starts).

2. He gives the young guys a resource to draw on to help their progress.

As for the whole new infield in 2010 that is something we are going to have to address one way or another.

I would love to see Tex wearing our new uniforms in 2009 and above but IMO if we do not add 2 solid, veteran pitchers (No Garland, Bryd etc.) then the crushing August and September disasters will continue. Tex can not stop that, and more than likely will not come here unless we fix the pitching.

I think it is unlikely that Arrietta, Tillman, Matusz etc. arrive in 2010 and turn our fortunes without a few foundation blocks for them.

History tells us that it is unlikely that all 3 become instant success stories. We will be fortunate if one hits the ground running.

Solid pitching makes you successful. You can be a winning team with top pitching. Name me a team who has been a consistent winner without solid pitching.

[Sports Guy]

Well since yours is just an opinion as well, I guess we're even. You rely on Tex having family in the area as a MAJOR factor in his choosing us over the competition even though when asked about that very siutation, Tex said he also has family in Atlanta as well as another city or 2 that have baseball teams. He implied that family ties to Balitmore was not an advantage and that he wanted to play for a contender first. Now you and Mackus discount these comments as propaganda but they are the only facts available which is the basis of my opinion. What is your opinion based on?

My opinion is that he will play with the team that gives him the best contract...The track record of Boras clients say that i am right.

The reason we don't blow him away, IMO, is that he wants to be here.

[TonySoprano]

This is the kind of attitude that has brought us to this point in the first place: the plan isn't working in the short-term, so instead of building towards a goal we should shift gears without hitting the clutch and hope for the best.

I'm not for scuttling the plan, but modifying it, allowing for the acquisition of free agent pitching. The current plan fits Einstein's definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

[Sports Guy]

Agree 100%. Teixeira, without a talented supporting cast, will not make the Orioles a winning franchaise. And if we sign Tex for the sum he will likely demand....hometown discount or not....I don't think we'll be able to afford buying the other necessary cast members. We'll have to grow them.

This is true with or without Tex.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Well since yours is just an opinion as well, I guess we're even. You rely on Tex having family in the area as a MAJOR factor in his choosing us over the competition even though when asked about that very siutation, Tex said he also has family in Atlanta as well as another city or 2 that have baseball teams. He implied that family ties to Balitmore was not an advantage and that he wanted to play for a contender first. Now you and Mackus discount these comments as propaganda but they are the only facts available which is the basis of my opinion. What is your opinion based on?

Burnett has "family in Baltimore".

Teixeira grew up here as an Orioles fan.

Slightly different.

[JTrea81]

Well since yours is just an opinion as well, I guess we're even. You rely on Tex having family in the area as a MAJOR factor in his choosing us over the competition even though when asked about that very siutation, Tex said he also has family in Atlanta as well as another city or 2 that have baseball teams. He implied that family ties to Balitmore was not an advantage and that he wanted to play for a contender first. Now you and Mackus discount these comments as propaganda but they are the only facts available which is the basis of my opinion. What is your opinion based on?

Damage control, Boras style...

"I grew up as a diehard Orioles fan, there's no secret about that," said Teixeira, the switch-hitting slugger and Gold Glove infielder who was Maryland's High School Player of the Year in 1997-98 for Mount St. Joseph's.

"My family still lives in Severna Park [Md.], and they'll probably live there the rest of their lives. So, it's definitely a good story. I don't think about [playing for Baltimore] too much, because I'm a Texas Ranger. In a year and a half, we'll have some fun conversations."

About coming back home:

"It really does [mean a lot]," Teixeira said. "It's real touching for my family and I to have a bunch of people say, 'Hey, when is Mark going to come back home and play?' That's really nice.

"I've got some friends [in the Orioles' clubhouse]. Corey Patterson, I work out with a little in the offseason. And Brian Roberts is a good dude over there. I root for those guys, and I root for the Orioles, except when they're playing us."

On Wieters:

"They got a great guy," Teixeira said of the Orioles' fifth overall Draft pick. "Hopefully he signs, because he's a great athlete and so poised. He's really in the mold of Jason Varitek. I'm hoping he signs with the Orioles and has a great career. If he wants to pick up the phone, I'd love to talk to him."

So of course he's not going to say Baltimore has an advantage. He doesn't want to turn away prospective bidders. The more the Yankees and Red Sox bid him up, the more money he'll get from the Orioles. I have no doubt Boras coached him after these comments so he wouldn't limit his market...

[Mike B]

So, you don't think the upgrade from Millar to Teixeira, with the same staff, would have ANY improvement fromt his year?

That is not what I said, but unless the present staff shows incredible improvement, we will collapse again in September and winn 70-74 games with Tex.

Pitching is the ultimate trump card in baseball. Always was and always will be. That is not an oppinion but a fact.

[Sports Guy]

I could not disagree more that a Burnett or any other solid pitcher does not improve us 6 to 8 games. With all due respect a veteran starter who wins 15-18 games, pitches 200 innings not only contributes that but contributes much in a trickle down effect.

1. He helps keep the bull pen from burning out in August. His 7 or 8 innings saves 20 % wear and tear on the BP (1 of 5 starts).

2. He gives the young guys a resource to draw on to help their progress.

As for the whole new infield in 2010 that is something we are going to have to address one way or another.

I would love to see Tex wearing our new uniforms in 2009 and above but IMO if we do not add 2 solid, veteran pitchers (No Garland, Bryd etc.) then the crushing August and September disasters will continue. Tex can not stop that, and more than likely will not come here unless we fix the pitching.

I think it is unlikely that Arrietta, Tillman, Matusz etc. arrive in 2010 and turn our fortunes without a few foundation blocks for them.

History tells us that it is unlikely that all 3 become instant success stories. We will be fortunate if one hits the ground running.

Solid pitching makes you successful. You can be a winning team with top pitching. Name me a team who has been a consistent winner without solid pitching.

What 2 pitchers do you want us to sign and for how much money?

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'm not for scuttling the plan, but modifying it, allowing for the acquisition of free agent pitching. The current plan fits Einstein's definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

But we aren't doing the same thing. We're adding in new inputs and expecting a different output.

In other words, the same thing that free agent pitching does, only not quite as expensive.

[Fan4Life]

Burnett has "family in Baltimore".

Teixeira grew up here as an Orioles fan.

Slightly different.

How about the hometown discount for his hometown Orioles? Says Teixeira, “I have family in Baltimore. But I have family in Georgia. And I have family in New York.”

I suppose we can all read these comments and interpet them differently. But any interpetation has as much value as any other.

[Lucky Jim]

Just to make this clear, there is zero evidence to suggest this being true...Its your opinion and one that i think is way wrong but its your OPINION nonetheless.

Other than the "fact" that Tex is from Maryland, what have you said re: Tex in this thread that isn't opinion?

[BaltimoreTerp]

That is not what I said, but unless the present staff shows incredible improvement, we will collapse again in September and winn 70-74 games with Tex.

Pitching is the ultimate trump card in baseball. Always was and always will be. That is not an oppinion but a fact.

74 games is six more than this year. A couple pitchers develop, and that goes up. A couple more holes filled, and that goes up.

So while you set fire to your strawman, take some time to show how getting Teixeira (especially when there isn't much free agent pitching worth being able to afford, let alone us being willing to spend the money on that kind of risk) would not be a help to this team.

[JTrea81]

That is not what I said, but unless the present staff shows incredible improvement, we will collapse again in September and winn 70-74 games with Tex.

Pitching is the ultimate trump card in baseball. Always was and always will be. That is not an oppinion but a fact.

All MacPhail has to do is point to Arrieta, Tillman and Matusz as three of the best pitching prospects in baseball that are almost ML ready.

And then George Sherrill, Chris Ray and Jim Johnson in the bullpen.

The Orioles are not completely void of pitching. The have a strong bullpen but a weak starting rotation. Improve the rotation and then you've got a competitive team.

[Sports Guy]

How about the hometown discount for his hometown Orioles? Says Teixeira, “I have family in Baltimore. But I have family in Georgia. And I have family in New York.”

I suppose we can all read these comments and interpet them differently. But any interpetation has as much value as any other.

I really hope you can see the difference between:

I grew up there, was a fan of the team all my life and have a lot of family and friends there.

vs

Uncle Jim leaves in Albany