O's 2nd in the AL with a 3.04 team ERA

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, Ripken said:

It's super early but it would be great to think the development program is starting to show results.

It would be nice if a factual basis emerges to change the narrative about our pitching development.   Let’s see how it goes over the next few months.  

[Sports Guy]

9 minutes ago, Mooreisbetter27 said:

Thanks SG!

No problem.  Thanks for turning me onto that account.  Hadn’t seen it before.

[Sports Guy]

9 minutes ago, Mooreisbetter27 said:

Tate's is filthy and Zimmerman's is looking really good.  The good location makes me wonder how much the catcher is playing a part.  I know that's hard to calculate... but maybe its making somewhat of a difference.  

Well considering Hyde talked about wanting the C to just put the target in the middle, I’m not sure how much that matters.

Chirinos is likely making a mental difference, not a physical one.

I have to believe this is a larger development thing going on but of course, we need to see it over a long period of time before getting too excited about it but it’s better to see it than not.

[Going Underground]

From the Sun:

Entering Sunday, the Orioles threw 52.9% of their pitches for strikes — the highest rate in the league and the club’s highest since pitch tracking data became available through Statcast in 2008.

[Jammer7]

25 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well considering Hyde talked about wanting the C to just put the target in the middle, I’m not sure how much that matters.

Chirinos is likely making a mental difference, not a physical one.

I have to believe this is a larger development thing going on but of course, we need to see it over a long period of time before getting too excited about it but it’s better to see it than not.

I agree, mostly. My perception is that passed balls (and wild pitches) are down now that Seve has moved on, and just being able to catch the ball back there, makes me think Chirinos has made a physical difference. His framing/presentation is much much better as well.

To your point, I can imagine that when Chirinos calls for bouncing a breaking ball, the pitcher has a lot more confidence with runners on base. That, along with his calming presence, make him a solid addition for young pitchers. Bemboom has been pretty solid as well.

[wildcard]

1 minute ago, Jammer7 said:

I agree, mostly. My perception is that passed balls (and wild pitches) are down now that Seve has moved on, and just being able to catch the ball back there, makes me think Chirinos has made a physical difference. His framing/presentation is much much better as well.

To your point, I can imagine that when Chirinos calls for bouncing a breaking ball, the pitcher has a lot more confidence with runners on base. That, along with his calming presence, make him a solid addition for young pitchers. Bemboom has been pretty solid as well.

Zimmermann said he had a lot of confidence in Chirinos ability to read the hitter and call for the right pitch.

[Sports Guy]

8 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Zimmermann said he had a lot of confidence in Chirinos ability to read the hitter and call for the right pitch.

I’m not saying this isn’t true but you always hear pitchers say stuff like this. 

[wildcard]

26 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I’m not saying this isn’t true but you always hear pitchers say stuff like this. 

About Severino?

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, wildcard said:

About Severino?

Sure.  We heard that stuff.  It’s cliche.  It’s not like it means much.

Again, it doesn’t mean it’s not true but just because the praise is there, it doesn’t mean that we should put much weight into it.

[LookinUp]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

It seems to me that they really value the CU as a secondary pitch you throw a lot.  I personally love that. 
 

Do you mean it was a bad idea to take away Bundy's best pitch even though the most successful teams were featuring the cutter?

Really crazy what they were doing back then. The good news was the 85 Cardinals would steal fewer bases against us than just about anyone, so there's that.

[Going Underground]

Just now, LookinUp said:

Do you mean it was a bad idea to take away Bundy's best pitch even though the most successful teams were featuring the cutter?

Really crazy what they were doing back then. The good news was the 85 Cardinals would steal fewer bases against us than just about anyone, so there's that.

Bundy with 1 run allowed in two games and a .087 ERA Speaking of SSS,only 10 innings. 

[interloper]

I have to say I've rarely heard the broadcasters talk so openly about the catching position being such an upgrade from last year. Even Ben McDonald got in on it. Couple that with the fact that Hyde is dumping praise on Chirinos and Bemboom, and then the pitchers saying things... where there's smoke there's fire. We already knew that Severino was a bad blocker, but maybe he was also really bad about handling the pitching staff and calling games. 

Then also the fact that Elias so unceremoniously dumped all of Severino, Wynns, and Sisco and had no problem carrying exactly 0 catchers on his roster for months. It really seems like they said, yeah we're done with all these guys. And confidently so. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

4 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Do you mean it was a bad idea to take away Bundy's best pitch even though the most successful teams were featuring the cutter?

Really crazy what they were doing back then. The good news was the 85 Cardinals would steal fewer bases against us than just about anyone, so there's that.

This is immediately the first thing I thought of was Bundy (and other pitchers) not being allowed to throw the cutter during the reign of Buck & Duquette.

I'm glad to see stopping a pitcher from throwing one of their most effective pitches isn't a thing anymore. Also harkens back to Arietta asking the Cubs to let him pitch the way he wanted over the Orioles forcing him to be something he was not. 

[Going Underground]

10 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Sure.  We heard that stuff.  It’s cliche.  It’s not like it means much.

Again, it doesn’t mean it’s not true but just because the praise is there, it doesn’t mean that we should put much weight into it.

From the Sun,a few years back.

Orioles catcher Jesús Sucre is already earning praise from the pitching staff and manager Brandon Hyde for the way he handles a game behind the plate. His game-calling ability was on display in David Hess' no-hit bid Monday and again Tuesday as Andrew Cashner turned in his best start in nearly a year.

[SteveA]

2 hours ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

So while it is a SSS, it's better to be here in this position that having horrible pitching so far. 

Yep, and if our ERA was really bad right now, because that would mesh with expectations, a lot of the same people who are cautioning small sample size now would NOT be mentioning SSS, they would be piling on about what a disgraceful pitching staff we have.