Connolly article on pitching

[LA2]

4 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

The 2012-16 team had plenty of holes (SP, outfield defense, OBP). We don't need to rebuild in exactly the same mold to have the same level of success.

I acknowledged those holes earlier in the thread. I assume any dominant team needs a good third baseman and shortstop, and bullpen. I assume we're not going to build an extraordinary starting rotation.

[Aristotelian]

56 minutes ago, LA2 said:

I acknowledged those holes earlier in the thread. I assume any dominant team needs a good third baseman and shortstop, and bullpen. I assume we're not going to build an extraordinary starting rotation.

Good, yes. Does not have to be Manny Hardy Britton level of we have other strengths. I could easily see a rotation built around Grayson and Means having more upside than what we had with Tillman Gausman Chen.

[OriolesMagic83]

Well Elias is going to have to work some of that analytics magic if the O's are going to compete.  I remember that Elias brought this analytics wizard from the Astros, Mejdal (sorry I know I butchered his name).  We haven't heard much from him lately.  The starters for the rest of the rotation need to come from somewhere, and its disappointing what we have seen so far.  Akin and Kremer have been spectacular failures after a promising beginning.  Charges should be filed against the O's for repeatedly throwing Lowther into major league starts when he is struggling in AAA.  Spencer Watkins looked like a bright light, but that has faded too.  Unfortunately this isn't the NBA and you can't build a championship on a couple of #1 picks. 

[Frobby]

On 8/21/2021 at 11:28 AM, Philip said:

Ummm hate to correct a lawyer but that sentence, though awkward, is grammatically correct.

I didn’t say it was grammatically incorrect.   I said it had a double negative.   It did not accurately convey what wildcard was trying to say, and it was very difficult to read.  As soon as I pointed it out, wildcard changed it.   So, I stand uncorrected.   

[SteveA]

On 8/20/2021 at 2:39 PM, Sports Guy said:

So, they are keeping him comfortable in a role he has never had before and they are keeping hiM comfortable by going from multi inning low leverage situations to single inning high leverage situations?  
 

I don’t see how that’s comfortable.

Also, in terms of keeping the innings down, I get that.  That would and should have even the plan early on but once he started to show more and once we saw that none of our young starters were doing good and the vets sucked, it became time to start to stretch him out.

Instead, since 4th of July, he has only pitched more than 1 inning 1 time.  The other 6 outings were an inning or less. They are going the complete opposite way.  If they are keeping his innings down this much, it doesn’t bode well for him to start next year.

Again, im Not saying he shouldn’t get the chance.  He should be getting it right now.  But they don’t see it that way and I don’t see why we would think they will see it that way other than just hope or some kind of WAG because there is certainly no factual evidence saying they are going to do it.

Or it just means they have decided not to ramp him up to starting length innings this late in a season after a year where he didn't pitch at all the previous year.

**IF** they intend him to be a starter next year, they can prescribe an offseason program with that in mind, and then they can build him up with the rest of the starters in the normal spring training progression, assuming that we have a normal spring training next year for the first time in 3 years, and with the labor situation that is no guarantee.

I don't think that keeping him in a relief role this year is any indication one way or another about what they want to do with him next year.

[SteveA]

On 8/21/2021 at 11:23 PM, OriolesMagic83 said:

Well Elias is going to have to work some of that analytics magic if the O's are going to compete.  I remember that Elias brought this analytics wizard from the Astros, Mejdal (sorry I know I butchered his name).  We haven't heard much from him lately.  The starters for the rest of the rotation need to come from somewhere, and its disappointing what we have seen so far.  Akin and Kremer have been spectacular failures after a promising beginning.  Charges should be filed against the O's for repeatedly throwing Lowther into major league starts when he is struggling in AAA.  Spencer Watkins looked like a bright light, but that has faded too.  Unfortunately this isn't the NBA and you can't build a championship on a couple of #1 picks. 

Mejdal has been in the Winnebago in the desert with test tubes and bunsen burners formulating the undetectable sticky substance that will return our pitchers to greatness.   Leave him alone and let him do his work.

[Sports Guy]

59 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Or it just means they have decided not to ramp him up to starting length innings this late in a season after a year where he didn't pitch at all the previous year.

**IF** they intend him to be a starter next year, they can prescribe an offseason program with that in mind, and then they can build him up with the rest of the starters in the normal spring training progression, assuming that we have a normal spring training next year for the first time in 3 years, and with the labor situation that is no guarantee.

I don't think that keeping him in a relief role this year is any indication one way or another about what they want to do with him next year.

Maybe not and they certainly can change things..but I don’t think reducing his innings is a way to show they plan on ramping up innings but sure, maybe.

[Philip]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I didn’t say it was grammatically incorrect.   I said it had a double negative.   It did not accurately convey what wildcard was trying to say, and it was very difficult to read.  As soon as I pointed it out, wildcard changed it.   So, I stand uncorrected.   

That made me laugh.

[Big Mac]

On 8/21/2021 at 10:23 PM, OriolesMagic83 said:

Well Elias is going to have to work some of that analytics magic if the O's are going to compete.  I remember that Elias brought this analytics wizard from the Astros, Mejdal (sorry I know I butchered his name).  We haven't heard much from him lately.  The starters for the rest of the rotation need to come from somewhere, and its disappointing what we have seen so far.  Akin and Kremer have been spectacular failures after a promising beginning.  Charges should be filed against the O's for repeatedly throwing Lowther into major league starts when he is struggling in AAA.  Spencer Watkins looked like a bright light, but that has faded too.  Unfortunately this isn't the NBA and you can't build a championship on a couple of #1 picks. 

Charges should be filed against the O's for yanking Lowther around between AAA and the majors and never letting him settle into a routine anywhere.  Of course he's hurt now, but the damage was done before that and we've now essentially got back to back wasted seasons for him.  

However, Lowther has started exactly one major league game, so the number of starts he was given this year is hardly the issue here. 

[OriolesMagic83]

3 minutes ago, Big Mac said:

Charges should be filed against the O's for yanking Lowther around between AAA and the majors and never letting him settle into a routine anywhere.  Of course he's hurt now, but the damage was done before that and we've now essentially got back to back wasted seasons for him.  

However, Lowther has started exactly one major league game, so the number of starts he was given this year is hardly the issue here. 

I thought he had started more than 1 game, I stand corrected.  He was definitely treated like cannon fodder by the O's.  It's as if they had given up on his major league prospects before he had even been given a chance. 

[Big Mac]

1 minute ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

I thought he had started more than 1 game, I stand corrected.  He was definitely treated like cannon fodder by the O's.  It's as if they had given up on his major league prospects before he had even been given a chance. 

He certainly was not treated like a guy they view as a long-term piece. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

4 hours ago, SteveA said:

Mejdal has been in the Winnebago in the desert with test tubes and bunsen burners formulating the undetectable sticky substance that will return our pitchers to greatness.   Leave him alone and let him do his work.

[NCRaven]

On 8/21/2021 at 10:48 AM, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Hall worries me at this point and I can't put him in the same class as Grayson Rodriguez. If DL Hall becomes a good #3 starter then great, but Elias should be planning like Hall won't be available when building out the pitching staff.

Maybe Hall's injury problems will subside the next couple years, but it usually doesn't work that way with pitchers. 

If you were rating them on pure "stuff" I think that Hall would come out higher.  But, Rodriguez has better, more consistent command of his stuff so that's what puts him higher.  I'm with you on the injury concerns, but they do seem manageable.  We'll see, I still have high hopes for DL Hall. (Now I'm waiting for Corn to imbed a video of Sinatra.)

[Frobby]

23 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

If you were rating them on pure "stuff" I think that Hall would come out higher.  But, Rodriguez has better, more consistent command of his stuff so that's what puts him higher.  I'm with you on the injury concerns, but they do seem manageable.  We'll see, I still have high hopes for DL Hall. (Now I'm waiting for Corn to imbed a video of Sinatra.)

I have complete confidence in Hall’s repertoire.   For me the two big concerns are (1) will he stay healthy and (2) will his command be good enough for him to remain a starting pitcher?   Of those two, health concerns me the most.   Even if he ends up a reliever, I think we’re talking about a Josh Hader/Andrew Miller level pitcher.