Bemboom DFA, O’Hearn is called up

[Jammer7]

19 hours ago, emmett16 said:

Full disclosure, I value flexibility a ton.  There are a few reasons for that.  I was taught and brought up in the school of thought that positional flexibility is the best way to improve your craft, help your team, and make yourself more valuable.  I think having positional flexibility at all ages  is very important from youth to MLB.

Baseball is a marathon, it’s not a sprint.  I’m not advocating for putting these guys out there in a short playoff series, obviously you play that differently, but over the course of the year there will be times players aren’t available.  In youth league kids get sick, go on vacation, & play other sports.  In HS & college players get hurt, get sick, and transfer.  In pro ball players get injured and need time off.  Being able to move bats around to keep them in the lineup and not hurt the team significantly can be a major advantage.

I call baseball players ninjas & jedis.  Though you will take 10s of thousands of reps, no two plays play will ever be the same.  Tracking balls from different angles and locations IMO only makes a player better.  There is no routine play in baseball; see ball, attack, make a play.  
 

Playing various positions is also a way to perfect and improve your primary position.  IFs who play the outfield get the perspective of where to position on cuts, have a better understanding of where the ball should go, and get an insight into how to make themselves better at their primary position.  Vice Versa for OFs playing IF as a secondary position. 
 

If you can hit, the bat needs to be in the  lineup, if there is someone who can hit playing your primary position, playing a secondary position  can keep your bat in the lineup.  As a player moves up the ladder they will run into a player above them playing their primary position.  
 

Positional flexibility allows manager to match up with opposing pitcher more easily.  And allows manager to get stronger bats into the lineup.  See Bryce Harper working out at 1b to help his team down stretch should an OFer become available or a need arises. 

Finally - Ohtani.  Yea he’s a superhero and we might not see someone like him, but he dreamed and dares to step outside the box and continues to make himself as valuable as possible.  I’m not a fan of doing things “the way they’ve always been done” I believe in thinking outside The box and making yourself as good as possible at all things baseball.  I think the self fulfilling prophecy is common place in baseball and that’s a shame.  These guys are finely tuned professional athletes.  I expect them to be able to perform at a high level . 
 

*Regarding Mateo - I balked at the thought of him playing CF when the idea came up in the past solely because his bat didn’t warrant it.  With his current bat, speed, and athletic ability.  I’d be inclined to see what he can do out there especially since it would open up a spot for another one of our young IF.  His career bb/k is .18 and is currently .33.  If he can continue that I want to keep his bat in lineup.  Sorry for long winded response. 
 

**Im not saying this is the best way to do it, the only way it should be done, or other thoughts are wrong.  This is just my opinion on how to build a team and how to maximize value of individual players and 26 man rosters. 

 

 

 

 

I agree with nearly all of that. Great post!

I value flexibility as well, except when it comes to certain positions. The SS needs to be THE SS, especially when he is as good as Mateo. He is different there than anyone else, and it means something to him. I can see it in the way that he plays SS over other places. He feels like he owns it. I also think Catcher is an obvious one, especially when you have Adley. You leave those guys there. You build a strong team up the middle, IMHO. And those two positions, in particular. 

When it comes to Gunnar, leaving him at 3B for now should help him get more comfortable and stop pressing so much. Take some pressure off him and let him settle down, slow the game down. He is nowhere near the SS that Mateo is, not from what I have seen. The range is the biggest thing, but it also looks like the game is a little fast for him there right now.

We can fill in all around those guys, as need be, with those guys with the flexibility you speak of. Anyone else in those two positions make us a weaker team, without question. Those two stay put as much as you can, while giving them rest when you can to keep them as fresh as possible. 

[emmett16]

57 minutes ago, Jammer7 said:

I agree with nearly all of that. Great post!

I value flexibility as well, except when it comes to certain positions. The SS needs to be THE SS, especially when he is as good as Mateo. He is different there than anyone else, and it means something to him. I can see it in the way that he plays SS over other places. He feels like he owns it. I also think Catcher is an obvious one, especially when you have Adley. You leave those guys there. You build a strong team up the middle, IMHO. And those two positions, in particular. 

When it comes to Gunnar, leaving him at 3B for now should help him get more comfortable and stop pressing so much. Take some pressure off him and let him settle down, slow the game down. He is nowhere near the SS that Mateo is, not from what I have seen. The range is the biggest thing, but it also looks like the game is a little fast for him there right now.

We can fill in all around those guys, as need be, with those guys with the flexibility you speak of. Anyone else in those two positions make us a weaker team, without question. Those two stay put as much as you can, while giving them rest when you can to keep them as fresh as possible. 

I tend to agree with that because SS is the most physically demanding (non-C) position on the field.  CF is #2.  However, with that said the SS is always going to be the best athlete on the field.  IMO any MLB SS should also be able to play CF.  Yes - that’s very demanding, but that’s where rest science comes into play.  The Robin Yount stud CF/stud SS would be a close second marketing freak show to the Ohtani P/DH.  That’s elite athleticism on par with Jordan level stuff and I think it’s only good for Major League Baseball as a brand

Edited April 14, 2023 by emmett16

[Jammer7]

16 hours ago, emmett16 said:

I tend to agree with that because SS is the most physically demanding (non-C) position on the field.  CF is #2.  However, with that said the SS is always going to be the best athlete on the field.  IMO any MLB SS should also be able to play CF.  Yes - that’s very demanding, but that’s where rest science comes into play.  The Robin Yount stud CF/stud SS would be a close second marketing freak show to the Ohtani P/DH.  That’s elite athleticism on par with Jordan level stuff and I think it’s only good for Major League Baseball as a brand

Sure, Yount shifted when he was no longer the best option at SS. If, for instance, Joey Ortiz is the best SS, then so be it. Move Mateo then. But for now, I don’t think moving those guys around is wise. Development is one thing, but not at MLB level. Not guys who are at the top of the food chain. 

[emmett16]

1 hour ago, Jammer7 said:

Sure, Yount shifted when he was no longer the best option at SS. If, for instance, Joey Ortiz is the best SS, then so be it. Move Mateo then. But for now, I don’t think moving those guys around is wise. Development is one thing, but not at MLB level. Not guys who are at the top of the food chain. 

That’s true and makes sense.  Like I said, it’s just an opinion and I very likely could be way off base.  
 

Agree that moving Mateo off SS right now would be a tough hole to fill.  He’s playing at an elite level.  Agree that he shouldn’t be moved unless someone can come darn close to filing that hole in his absence. 

[Yardball85]

On 4/14/2023 at 1:39 PM, emmett16 said:

In 3 games he’s struck out 5x in 12ABs since going to Norfolk.  So that’s 8ks in 16ABs on the season.  Gotta hit the ball for the power to play.   

Right sure, but that's still only 12 ABs and after he had not been playing.  He needed to be playing every day, getting regular at bats (again, the regular at bats at Norfolk are a tiny sample size) before we could draw any real conclusions. 

[emmett16]

That’s fair.  I wasn’t saying that as a a reason TO send him down, I was just providing context as to WHY he was sent down as opposed to Vavra.  I want him up asap and taking shots at the warehouse.  

[RZNJ]

16 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

That’s fair.  I wasn’t saying that as a a reason TO send him down, I was just providing context as to WHY he was sent down as opposed to Vavra.  I want him up asap and taking shots at the warehouse.  

First, I want to see Stowers deposit a few over the wall at Norfolk.   3 homers last year with the Orioles.  None in spring training.   No extra base hits so far with Norfolk.   I'd like to see him get that power stroke going again.

[emmett16]

24 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

First, I want to see Stowers deposit a few over the wall at Norfolk.   3 homers last year with the Orioles.  None in spring training.   No extra base hits so far with Norfolk.   I'd like to see him get that power stroke going again.

Very little power in 24 AaA ABs so far.  Wonder if he’s dealing with something we aren’t privy to.  

[RZNJ]

2 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

Very little power in 24 AaA ABs so far.  Wonder if he’s dealing with something we aren’t privy to.  

I imagine it's mostly a timing thing.  He was swinging well in ST but he wasn't lifting the ball much.   Line drives.

[sportsfan8703]

47 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

First, I want to see Stowers deposit a few over the wall at Norfolk.   3 homers last year with the Orioles.  None in spring training.   No extra base hits so far with Norfolk.   I'd like to see him get that power stroke going again.

Cordero should be in the Vavra role, but we can’t fix that now. It’s pretty obvious, Stowers was never going to be given ABs outside of ST. So then you’re going OF for OF, Cordero was by far the much better choice. It is what it is. 
 

I’m not high on Vavra but I think his only selling point right now is that he can’t bat behind Mateo and take pitches to let Mateo steal. But we are doing ourselves are disservice by not having a big bat in a traditional big bat spot. RF. Especially considering that Vavra is no whiz defensively. 

[RZNJ]

2 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Cordero should be in the Vavra role, but we can’t fix that now. It’s pretty obvious, Stowers was never going to be given ABs outside of ST. So then you’re going OF for OF, Cordero was by far the much better choice. It is what it is. 
 

I’m not high on Vavra but I think his only selling point right now is that he can’t bat behind Mateo and take pitches to let Mateo steal. But we are doing ourselves are disservice by not having a big bat in a traditional big bat spot. RF. Especially considering that Vavra is no whiz defensively. 

Hindsight is 20/20 but even if Stowers didn’t make the team, O’Hearn and Lester were better choices over Cordero based on defensive versatility.  Cordero is not a good 1B and he’s below average in the OF.  O’Hearn can play a decent 1B and Lester looked passable at 3B and 1B.

[LA2]

11 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Hindsight is 20/20 but even if Stowers didn’t make the team, O’Hearn and Lester were better choices over Cordero based on defensive versatility.  Cordero is not a good 1B and he’s below average in the OF.  O’Hearn can play a decent 1B and Lester looked passable at 3B and 1B.

O'Hearn has also looked very calm at the plate, although I know it's only 7 PAs (3 hits, 1 BB, no Ks). He hit 26 homers and drew 59 walks in the 477 ABs of his first two seasons with KC (2018-19)--the Orioles seem to believe that he can find some of that again.

[LA2]

I can't wait till our 3rd catcher hits a bomb and the announcers exclaim he's lowered the Bemboom on the opposing pitcher.

[sportsfan8703]

13 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Hindsight is 20/20 but even if Stowers didn’t make the team, O’Hearn and Lester were better choices over Cordero based on defensive versatility.  Cordero is not a good 1B and he’s below average in the OF.  O’Hearn can play a decent 1B and Lester looked passable at 3B and 1B.

I can't figure out what was the deal with Stowers.  Did they think his defense was that bad?  Did they value Vavra's contact skills more?  Stowers appears to be the much better athlete and at least he is a power threat.  Even if he strikes out, he's still probably going to see as many pitches as Vavra.  It takes three pitches to strikeout.  haha.  Now we have O'Hearn up, who is nothing more than a just pick the ball up and throw it back in type of OF.  

 

I'm not giving up on Vavra.  It's a 162 game season.  I think the role they are trying to carve out for him is a pinch hitter/high OBP at the bottom of the lineup with passable defense in RF/2B.  I hope he gets there because we will most certainly need bench players going forward because we don't want "prospects" sitting.  

 

I'll state the obvious.  This team needs a Delmon Young type or even a Danny Valencia type.  We'll see what O'hearn and Vavra do.  I think we might have to tap into Westburg or Norby eventually to fill that role.  

[Aristotelian]

27 minutes ago, LA2 said:

I can't wait till our 3rd catcher hits a bomb and the announcers exclaim he's lowered the Bemboom on the opposing pitcher.

I was thinking "Bem-BOOM goes the dynamite!"