I am officially in the McKenna got to go camp

[foxfield]

7 hours ago, Jagwar said:

I agree SG, it is a SSS, but I think that makes it worse. He's made 3 mental/lazy errors in 12 games. Either a veteran/coach needs to pull him aside and tell him to focus or he should be demoted/released. 

I think you are giving the solution to your own issue.  Off the field, my guess is he has been spoken to about his play and reminded that there is plenty of talent on the rise.  IF he wants to keep his job in limited action, he is going to have to perform better.  I do not think releasing him is the answer...at least not today....but he would be on notice that his play is not up to expectations.

7 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

All the OFers have made a ton of mental errors. 
 

And it doesn’t make it worse. It makes it a SSS, one of which people are blowing way out of proportion.

 

6 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

As a back up player, you can’t do these things. I agree. But it happens, to everyone.

He doesn’t have a history of this. He doesn’t have a history of being a bad fielder. 
 

It’s a flukish thing that has happened and he will be fine.

Him dropping that ball is like Cust falling down. It’s all anyone wants to talk about/remember.

This whole thread is entertaining simply because it is you providing calm reassurance and objective forward thinking.  I almost don't know how to take it.. but as has been noted, it has been highly enjoyable.

5 hours ago, Pickles said:

For me, the issue isn't the mistakes.  It's the effort.  He's not good enough to be out there coasting and costing the team runs.  He did it twice last night.  It's unacceptable.

Yes, I think you are correct, but playing unacceptable baseball isn't uncommon and there is a fair amount going around for the O's.  I think the answer is more time.  I do not expect season long decisions to be made due to 12 games.  Nor do I expect anyone in the front office or staff to publicly say much about it.

It is fair to wonder what is being done.  And we have already seen an example in St. Louis where a starter was benched for unacceptable play and publicly called out.  In that case however, there were in house options to make an immediate change.  

I think the result of all of this is that McKenna is going to be on a pretty short leash and that his play will need to improve or another option will be explored.

[spleen1015]

2 hours ago, banks703 said:

Now you know how the rest of us feel reading your posts, good buddy. 

 

 

To be fair, SG is right about the reactionary posting. It gets out of hand very often.

SG might be abrasive and condescending at times, but he posts a lot of good points and knows what he's talking about most of the time, unlike about 90% of the posters here, me included.

[banks703]

30 minutes ago, spleen1015 said:

To be fair, SG is right about the reactionary posting. It gets out of hand very often.

SG might be abrasive and condescending at times, but he posts a lot of good points and knows what he's talking about most of the time, unlike about 90% of the posters here, me included.

That is fair and I was only poking at him. I actually enjoy his perspective and visible passion for our beloved Orioles. 

[jabba72]

2 hours ago, foxfield said:

I think you are giving the solution to your own issue.  Off the field, my guess is he has been spoken to about his play and reminded that there is plenty of talent on the rise.  IF he wants to keep his job in limited action, he is going to have to perform better.  I do not think releasing him is the answer...at least not today....but he would be on notice that his play is not up to expectations.

 

This whole thread is entertaining simply because it is you providing calm reassurance and objective forward thinking.  I almost don't know how to take it.. but as has been noted, it has been highly enjoyable.

Yes, I think you are correct, but playing unacceptable baseball isn't uncommon and there is a fair amount going around for the O's.  I think the answer is more time.  I do not expect season long decisions to be made due to 12 games.  Nor do I expect anyone in the front office or staff to publicly say much about it.

It is fair to wonder what is being done.  And we have already seen an example in St. Louis where a starter was benched for unacceptable play and publicly called out.  In that case however, there were in house options to make an immediate change.  

I think the result of all of this is that McKenna is going to be on a pretty short leash and that his play will need to improve or another option will be explored.

I hope Elias replaces him as soon as he deems Haskin or Cameron (or Cowser) ready. McKenna's head isnt in the game defensively, then he has negative value as far as im concerned. 

That drop in Boston stings when I see him make another gaffe starting in CF no less.

[SilverRocket]

So McKenna didn't come in today to pinch-run for Vavra in a spot where it would've made a lot of sense. Any chance this is related to the previous night's mishap, or is that not how it would work?

[banks703]

aannndddd that’s why I don’t have good feelings on Ryan. 
 

Can’t can’t can’t get thrown out at third

 

These are the types of plays that justify the criticism of Ryan McKenna 

[RZNJ]

33 minutes ago, banks703 said:

aannndddd that’s why I don’t have good feelings on Ryan. 
 

Can’t can’t can’t get thrown out at third

 

These are the types of plays that justify the criticism of Ryan McKenna 

Didn't see the play but usually a good risk with one out and bad with no outs or two.  He made an I'll advised throw home yesterday letting the trail runner take third.  Not the highest baseball IQ.

[Hank Scorpio]

We would be better with Westburg and Cowser instead of Frazier and McKenna, provided they could find Cowser at bats.

I still think someone has gotta go, perhaps one of those two gets packaged in a deal. 

[oriole]

The idea of McKenna is great. Plays all OF positions, runs well, hits lefties….but he’s been hard to trust this year. 

[Tony-OH]

McKenna is who he is as a player. He's a good defensive outfielder who can play all three outfield positions well. He runs well, and this year he's hitting left-handers well. He's the prototypical 4th outfielder.

Saying all that, McKenna also is who he is when it comes to game awareness. While fast, he's not always going to make the right decisions on the base paths and he's not a good base stealer with only four in his career so far.

Defensively, as noted by others, he's going occasionally throw to the wrong base or miss a cut off man and he'll occasionally dog a play that he should have hustled on. A good example is this pop up that he had a 95% catch percentage of making but jogged on because I think he felt it wasn't his ball.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=4fea17f0-0645-4c33-9b8a-d76396b4142c

By the way, his OOA is still -1 in LF due to that dropped ball and play linked above.

He's having a nice year overall though but there's always going to be those headscratching moments with him on the field.

[banks703]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

McKenna is who he is as a player. He's a good defensive outfielder who can play all three outfield positions well. He runs well, and this year he's hitting left-handers well. He's the prototypical 4th outfielder.

Saying all that, McKenna also is who he is when it comes to game awareness. While fast, he's not always going to make the right decisions on the base paths and he's not a good base stealer with only four in his career so far.

Defensively, as noted by others, he's going occasionally throw to the wrong base or miss a cut off man and he'll occasionally dog a play that he should have hustled on. A good example is this pop up that he had a 95% catch percentage of making but jogged on because I think he felt it wasn't his ball.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=4fea17f0-0645-4c33-9b8a-d76396b4142c

By the way, his OOA is still -1 in LF due to that dropped ball and play linked above.

He's having a nice year overall though but there's always going to be those headscratching moments with him on the field.

All fair and I root very hard for Ryan as he is essentially a better version of myself. If I could hit a little more, who knows how much further I might’ve gone. With that personal connection and affinity to the grinding, scrappier guy that he is, he just HAS to realize at some point that while he is currently a Major League Baseball player (one of only a few hundred in the entire world) he is limited in his ability to impact games. Is he going to OPS .830+ for an entire season in a limited role? Probably not. He has value as that fourth/fifth outfielder who can do the things that you mentioned but good grief.
 

The game the other night he threw home when he had zero chance at the play, which allowed the runner to advance to third, killing the possibility of a force-out there. If he throws to third and keeps the force alive perhaps they pitch the next better different and the Angels only score the one run there.

Ryan doesn’t do enough to positively impact the games at the major league level that they can long-term accept his miscues. It’s going to cost them more games. It seems like he makes one of these dumbass plays every game that he starts. I can’t think that they are OK with that. I sure am not OK with it and I root for the guy probably more than any other player on the team, the exception being Hays because he’s my current favorite player. 
 

 

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, banks703 said:

All fair and I root very hard for Ryan as he is essentially a better version of myself. If I could hit a little more, who knows how much further I might’ve gone. With that personal connection and affinity to the grinding, scrappier guy that he is,

 

 

I can't consider a guy a "grinding" "scrappier" player when they have his predilection to lapses of concentration.

To me, a player with those monikers has their head in the game at all times.

[banks703]

40 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I can't consider a guy a "grinding" "scrappier" player when they have his predilection to lapses of concentration.

To me, a player with those monikers has their head in the game at all times.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Ryan is not elite at any one thing (maybe sprint speed) but has somehow managed to carve out what’s likely to be a pretty long major league career for himself, barring injury or just complete fallout of his physical skills. He is scrappy in that sense that he’s gotten to where he is while not being an elite prospect and without the pedigree but he doesn’t seem to have the high baseball IQ that we would typically see from someone in that mold. It’s disappointing because he could be really valuable to them in the role that he currently fills but man he makes me hold my breath anytime he’s involved in a play, on either side of the ball. 
 

Ryan Flaherty was scrappy as a major leaguer even though he was an elite college player and had pedigree. If only McKenna had Flaherty’s baseball sense. 

[BRobinsonfan]

I think Tony said it best.  He's a prototypical 4th outfielder.  He has a .3 WAR over the last 3 seasons.  For a 4th Outfielder he does a lot of things pretty well.  That's why Hyde puts him in as a defensive replacement so often.  He's managed to get in around 100 games a season (and he'll likely do it this season) by playing this role.  If he were a better outfielder he'd probably be starting somewhere, or at least a platoon.  He's fine for what he is... a 4th outfielder.  He'll be gone as soon as they feel they have a better option... but until then... he has value to this team.  

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by BRobinsonfan

[Safelykept]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

McKenna is who he is as a player. He's a good defensive outfielder who can play all three outfield positions well. He runs well, and this year he's hitting left-handers well. He's the prototypical 4th outfielder.

Saying all that, McKenna also is who he is when it comes to game awareness. While fast, he's not always going to make the right decisions on the base paths and he's not a good base stealer with only four in his career so far.

Defensively, as noted by others, he's going occasionally throw to the wrong base or miss a cut off man and he'll occasionally dog a play that he should have hustled on. A good example is this pop up that he had a 95% catch percentage of making but jogged on because I think he felt it wasn't his ball.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sporty-videos?playId=4fea17f0-0645-4c33-9b8a-d76396b4142c

By the way, his OOA is still -1 in LF due to that dropped ball and play linked above.

He's having a nice year overall though but there's always going to be those headscratching moments with him on the field.

Good overview of his year so far. By the way that recent Frazier thread were their were posters who made some good points that went against your opinions of Frazier. I wanted to reply and agree with them, but you dont agree with any body thats pro Frazier, so you lock it down. So now if Frazier keeps doing what he what brought here to do  we cant talk about him? You are doing a great job Tony.