Luis Hernandez

[cutfastball]

"Coherent numerology." God help us. And the O's.

[Leitch]

"Coherent numerology." God help us. And the O's.

If it makes you feel any better, the Orioles don't generally seem to agree with Drungo.

Of course, they've been losing forever, but you know whatever

[Chollie Eckman]

"Coherent numerology." God help us. And the O's.

What can I say...some people have a big vocabulary. I got mine after a mind meld with Italian Stallion.

[DrungoHazewood]

When did Drungo become god? What EXPERIENCE makes your conclusions so infalible that you can demean someone else? Some of the use of numbers by some of you stat heds gets out of hand. Baseball vets have always said strength up the middle is key to a winning team. I love Tejada, but he was inconsistent with the A's defensively, and he's worse now. If this team can make a trade that makes sense re: its needs, it should do it. A play missed here or there can make a BIG difference to a pitcher and a team---sometimes multiple runs and sometimes the ONE run that makes you lose----note all the one-run losses. Dumb plays or bad range have accounted for a number of them.

I only try and refute the arguments of those I think are being illogical. Saying you should move Miguel Tejada and his multiple All Star appearances and his MVP trophy so that a .600 OPS AA shortstop can get his glove in the lineup is illogical.

If you think that's playing god, you have a strange religion.

[cutfastball]

First of all, Drungo, I'm not shilling for Hernandez to be the starting shortstop. But I AM saying that given the skills he has and how young he has been in the leagues in which he's played, you don't know his ceiling, nor do I. But I'm saying based on MY fairly practiced eye, he has a CHANCE to be decent. How decent, I don't know. My MAIN point is, I'm fairly convinced by watching tejada this year that this team can't win with him at SS unless it gets A LOT more offense. And you're right: He has diminished value at any other position (except perhaps 3B.) If this team in the short run doesn't want to spend 16 skillion bucks to compete, then it's got to do it with pitching and "D" and acceptable offense. And from reports, that sounds like where Andy M. is leaning.

[blueberryale77]

That's an absurd position. A very good hitting shorstop who's only adequate in the field will be many wins better than the same player playing out of position in left field, or contributing nothing on defense as a DH. Tejada as a DH + Hernandez at short would cost the Orioles many wins compared to Tejada as a shorstop and a good hitter at DH. No question.

Because it's a hyperbolic exaggeration, and moving him to another less-demanding defensive spot takes away from his value to the team. There are only so many players with the ability to play shortstop. Making Tejada play elsewhere is using him at 80% of his full value.

It's almost as if you're arguing against ever moving a player to a less demanding position because it hurts their value. Certainly there are cases where the move is necessary for the player's own good as well as the team's. Was it a bad idea to move Ripken to third late in his career? To move Alfonso Soriano and BJ Upton from 2B to the outfield? Why isn't Brian Roberts still playing SS? Wouldn't he be "more valuable" there? What if the mediocre shortstop could learn to be an outstanding leftfielder and your current left fielder (or combination thereof) is hurting the team both offensively and defensively?

There can be and has been plenty of legitimate debate over whether or not Tejada is at a point in his career where moving from SS to a less demanding position is in order. If he is not there now, it's quite likely that he will be before his current contract is up. Shortstops, even as they are aging and losing range, are usually quite adept at moving to other positions because the other positions are, for the most part, less demanding. Just for a close-to-home example, Chris Gomez has shown he can be adequate almost anywhere in the field. The middle of a season is not the time, but moving Tejada from away from SS is far from a ridiculous (or new) suggestion.

Now, whether Tejada at DH and Hernandez at short is better than Tejada at SS and Millar at DH adds a dimension, but not a realistic one since Millar rarely plays DH. What you're really talking about is Huff or Gibbons and at this point, their bats aren't helping a whole lot more than Hernandez's. The defensive difference is not tiny. Tejada may still be average overall at SS but the difference between him and Hernandez at short is something even a casual fan can readily recognize. Hernadez not only covers more ground, he is consistently in the right place at the right time, makes plays more quickly and smoothly and throws more accurately; thereby making the players around him better as well. That certainly doesn't make up for a .200 hitter (if he can even do that on the ML level) with no power vs a .300+ hitter with moderate power, but if what you are throwing out there at DH is Jay Gibbons/Aubrey Huff ca. 2007 it is not a ridiculous idea to think about giving Hernandez occasional starts at SS with Tejada DHing at least until Mora gets off the DL.

I'm not actually advocating for Hernandez to start at SS in the major leagues. Far from it. I like Hernandez and I really hope he stays in our minor league system and miraculously learns to hit. I don't think Eli Eon's idea is something the Orioles should consider doing at the moment, but if we had a shortstop with Hernandez's defensive ability who had a legitimate chance of hitting his weight --- something that several semi-regulars on our team currently filling offense-first positions are not doing --- moving Tejada to a position where he had a chance to become well above average instead of leaving him where he is mediocre and likely only to get worse would be a good idea in the long run.

You need a certain amount of offense and a certain amount of defense to have a good team. What position the defense comes from matters, what position the offense comes from doesn't as long as it's there somewhere. As long as you keep Tejada in the lineup and you don't remove someone with significant offensive value from the lineup in favor of a vastly inferior player, moving him to a position where he handles the ball less is not going to hurt the team. (Unless of course he protests by intentionally dropping the ball every time he touches it.)

[Eli Eon]

I only try and refute the arguments of those I think are being illogical. Saying you should move Miguel Tejada and his multiple All Star appearances and his MVP trophy so that a .600 OPS AA shortstop can get his glove in the lineup is illogical.

If you think that's playing god, you have a strange religion.

Did you watch the game and see that great backhand play Hernandez made that not only took a run scoring hit away but turned an unbelievable double play?That one play very likely saved a big inning and broke the back of the Rays. That ball most likely either goes by Tejada or off his glove, a run scores and Tampa has runners at first and second with one out.

That means Bedard has to throw more pitches and the bullpen comes in earlier. Great defense has much more of an impact over the whole team than you wish to give credit for. I don't know if you ever played organized baseball but if you did you should know this.

Your stating my take is illogical makes no sense if you played the game or even watched what has been going on since Tejada has been replaced at short. The difference is astounding at the plays they are now making.

[Moose Milligan]

I've seen Tejada make great plays out at SS before. Let's not make believe he has feet made of bricks and hands made out of stone.

Eli Eon, cutfastball, etc...you can't prove that Tejadas defense has cost us games.

We're a better team with his bat in the lineup and we don't lose a whole whole lot defensively.

People like to try and make believe he's Jose Offerman out there. He's not.

Drungo ain't God, but at least his arguments provide statistical analysis to back up what he has to say. I'm not a huge stat guy myself but after reading his posts they DO make sense.

At least his arguments don't revolve around "I don't know if you've ever played baseball before...you must not cause you don't understand how much better this team is without a .300/.360 OBP hitter with a solid glove instead of a no hit all glove player..."

[DrungoHazewood]

Did you watch the game and see that great backhand play Hernandez made that not only took a run scoring hit away but turned an unbelievable double play. That one play very likely saved a big inning and broke the back of the Rays. That ball most likely either goes by Tejada or off his glove, a run scores and Tampa has runners at first and second with one out.

That means Bedard has to throw more pitches and the bullpen comes in earlier. Great defense has much more of an impact over the whole team than you wish to give credit for. I don't know if you ever played organized baseball but if you did you should know this.

Your stating my take is illogical makes no sense if you played the game or even watched what has been going on since Tejada has been replaced at short. The difference is astounding at the plays they are now making.

You're just amazing. I'm giving up. You're exaggerating things to a ridiculous degree. It's impossible to debate someone when every statement is stretching the limits of credibility.

If you really think Miguel Tejada is as bad in the field as you've written I question if you "even watched what has been going on."

[Eli Eon]

I've seen Tejada make great plays out at SS before. Let's not make believe he has feet made of bricks and hands made out of stone.

Eli Eon, cutfastball, etc...you can't prove that Tejadas defense has cost us games.

We're a better team with his bat in the lineup and we don't lose a whole whole lot defensively.

People like to try and make believe he's Jose Offerman out there. He's not.

Drungo ain't God, but at least his arguments provide statistical analysis to back up what he has to say. I'm not a huge stat guy myself but after reading his posts they DO make sense.

At least his arguments don't revolve around "I don't know if you've ever played baseball before...you must not cause you don't understand how much better this team is without a .300/.360 OBP hitter with a solid glove instead of a no hit all glove player..."

Can't prove it? What is there to prove that your own eyes can't see? Its like trying to say Kyle Boller is as good as Steve McNair. You don't need stats to tell you just watch the dang games. Also there is a big difference in playing the game and anyalizing mere stats. You can't factor in the human element that you get when you have played the game. It is called momentum and is immeasurable but has altered many a game's outcome.

[Eli Eon]

You're just amazing. I'm giving up. You're exaggerating things to a ridiculous degree. It's impossible to debate someone when every statement is stretching the limits of credibility.

If you really think Miguel Tejada is as bad in the field as you've written I question if you "even watched what has been going on."

Compared to Hernadez, Fahey, and Gomez he is inferior.

[DrungoHazewood]

Compared to Hernadez, Fahey, and Gomez he is inferior.

Oh, I agree 100%. In fact, I'm in favor of moving Tejada, Mora, and Roberts to other positions (or trading them for whatever we can get) so that we can play Hernandez, Fahey, and Gomez full time at third, short, and second. I think that level of defensive prowess would probably save 8-10 runs a game, if not more.

[Moose Milligan]

Can't prove it? What is there to prove that your own eyes can't see? Its like trying to say Kyle Boller is as good as Steve McNair. You don't need stats to tell you just watch the dang games. Also there is a big difference in playing the game and anyalizing mere stats. You can't factor in the human element that you get when you have played the game. It is called momentum and is immeasurable but has altered many a game's outcome.

My eyes see a decent SS.

We as O's fans have been spoiled by Belanger, Ripken and Bordick.

So what if Tejada isn't on their level? He never claimed to be! It's not even what he's known for! So you're gonna hold it against him?

He's not a great defensive SS, but he's not downright horrible either. There's a spot in between and somewhere in the middle lies Miguel Tejada.

[Leitch]

I just don't understand why people think that:

A. Tejada is some kind of liability in the field, or even that Tejada isn't a plus defender

B. We have some kind of problem with run prevention(4.52 RA, 4th in AL), or giving up too many hits(8.31, 1st in AL; .713 Defensive Efficiency, 3rd in AL)

C. Hernandez is Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel and Mark Belanger and Adam Everrett all rolled into one.

[Sports Guy]

Compared to Hernadez, Fahey, and Gomez he is inferior.

He is inferior to Hernandez, defensively...Not the other guys.