Why Pie now?

[Orioles18]

Those are two entirely different situations.

Hill is "ready" but was sidelined by an injury. The guy can pitch.

Pie took his lumps in LF this Spring, but the winds of Ft Lauderdale can make a lot of OF'ers look silly - especially if you have never played in them before.

Something tells me the LF in Camden Yards is a lot easier than the LF in Lauderdale.

Great points! Plus it's not like we gave up the farm to get these guys, we got Hill for a PTBNL and Pie for Olson. If they fail, so what. If they become all-stars then we got a steal from the Cubs. I'm in the camp of just let these guys play (when Hill is ready) and see what happens, who cares what their previous stats are it's not like this team is going to do anything this year anyway.

[wildcard]

And what better practice than actual game situations with a team thats not going to even sniff competing this year?

Why is everyone acting like Pie is going to stop us from competing this year, that was NEVER going to happen in the first place. IMHO just shut up, let Pie play and see what happens. Sorry for the little rant, just getting frustrated with all the Pie hate.

Embrassing yourself in front of 30,000 booing fans is not the way to build confidence. Going into full houses in the new Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park and having them laugh and jeer at your poor play is not the way to learn. That is what Pie is in for if he does not improve his fielding before he is sent out there.

[Orioles18]

Embrassing yourself in front of 30,000 booing fans is not the way to build confidence. Going into full houses in the new Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park and having them laugh and jeer at your poor play is not the way to learn. That is what Pie is in for if he does not improve his fielding before he is sent out there.

You honestly think there will be 30,000 booing fans in this stadium? Only when the Sux or the Skankees show up, normally it'll probably be closer to MAYBE 10,000 if we're lucky.

Plus these guys in NY and Boston would boo their own mothers.

On another note, if that crap destroys their confidence then they weren't going to be good ML players anyway. A good player (regardless of what level they're at) can play through that and not care what the fans are doing.

[Frobby]

Great range is not stopping him from doing 360s try to track the ball, or his late breaks, or his wrong angles. He needs practice to overcome these problems.

I do expect Pie to struggle a bit defensively at first, but that wouldn't stop me from putting him out there from the start. The only way you learn is by reacting to ball hit off pitches thrown at game speed by hitters who are trying their hardest to whack the ball. Otherwise the spin, trajectory and velocity of the balls that are hit to you simply are not the same. I've played hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours of fungo in my life and it is just not the same, nor is shagging flies in batting practice.

I also think that (1) the wind and sun problems won't be as troublesome in OPACY and in the other major league parks compared to Florida, and (2) even though Pie will look a bit ugly out there from time to time by taking wrong angles or getting turned around, there will be other times where he gets a good read right away and gets to balls that Luke Scott would not have been within ten feet of. In a month or two, I expect we'll be laughing at the fact that we were ever worried about Pie adjusting to LF.

[wildcard]

Those are two entirely different situations.

Hill is "ready" but was sidelined by an injury. The guy can pitch.

Pie took his lumps in LF this Spring, but the winds of Ft Lauderdale can make a lot of OF'ers look silly - especially if you have never played in them before.

Something tells me the LF in Camden Yards is a lot easier than the LF in Lauderdale.

Hill was wild all last year. No one is really sure why. Injury maybe. But all year? Fact is he could not control the ball, until he does, he does not belong on a major league mound. The O's know that. That is why he is going to extended ST and then on rehab to the minor before he joins the major league pitching staff.

That is what Pie needs. Get him playing well before you throw him out there. It will not help him to play poorly in front of large crowds. That is not a good situation.

[Dipper9]

I dont mean to sound rude but, what are you basing this on? His whole 260 ML at bats? That is a RIDICULOUSLY (sp?) small sample size to formulate an opinion on. I say let him start every game in LF is season and see what his stats are at the end. If he sucks, then let Reimold be the everyday LF'er next season. We NEED to see what Pie can do as an everyday player, plus if he fails it's not like we gave up much to get him... or did we :scratchchinhmm:... :laughlol::laughlol::laughlol:

If Trembley and MacPhail had the same attitude they'd have already released him.

They clearly think he has the ability to be a major league left fielder. There is no reason at all to not give him 300 PAs by the All Star break. If he's lost, hitting .190 or something by then you reevaluate.

He has the highest ceiling of any LF candidate. He's young, he's talented, he has a good MiL track record, and he's good enough on the basepaths and in the field to be a decent major league player even if he hits poorly. We can debate this all day long, but he's getting the starting job until he proves beyond any reasonable doubt that he can't play. That's just the facts. So you need to realize that every "I think Pie is going to fail" thread is pointless for at least a couple of months.

I'm sorry, but having 260 ML AB spread out over 2 years during 4 separate call-ups, does not tell you whether Pie can hit ML pitching.

To all of you who quoted me and killed me for not giving Pie a chance, please go back and read the second half of the sentence where I said I have no problem giving him a chance this year. Just because I don't think he's the second coming that a lot of you do doesn't mean I won't give him a chance. I stand by my OPINION that Reimold should be the one getting this chance and that Olson should be in our rotation to give HIM a chance, but that trade is water under the bridge, so we gotta see what Pie can do....which I am of the OPINION won't be much.

[wildcard]

I do expect Pie to struggle a bit defensively at first, but that wouldn't stop me from putting him out there from the start. The only way you learn is by reacting to ball hit off pitches thrown at game speed by hitters who are trying their hardest to whack the ball. Otherwise the spin, trajectory and velocity of the balls that are hit to you simply are not the same. I've played hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours of fungo in my life and it is just not the same, nor is shagging flies in batting practice.

I also think that (1) the wind and sun problems won't be as troublesome in OPACY and in the other major league parks compared to Florida, and (2) even though Pie will look a bit ugly out there from time to time by taking wrong angles or getting turned around, there will be other times where he gets a good read right away and gets to balls that Luke Scott would not have been within ten feet of. In a month or two, I expect we'll be laughing at the fact that we were ever worried about Pie adjusting to LF.

If you put Pie out there when he is not ready and he doesn't field well and he doesn't hit well all that you are proving is that he was not ready when he fails.

If you get him ready, then give him an extended trial, he is in the best situation to succeed.

Yes, Pie will show flashes of talent right now because he has talent to show. But that will not overcome the triples that he gives up with two runners scoring. That is what people will remember. And that will be alot to overcome.

[Mark Carver]

Embrassing yourself in front of 30,000 booing fans is not the way to build confidence. Going into full houses in the new Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park and having them laugh and jeer at your poor play is not the way to learn. That is what Pie is in for if he does not improve his fielding before he is sent out there.

Your basing all of this on a few games in Ft Lauderdale, where the weather does come into play, especially the wind? Well, so far in 122 games with the Cubs, at the ML level. Pie has played 635 innings, made 182 outs and made ZERO, NADA, ZILCH errors.

Relax. Take 2 aspirins and call me in the morning....

[Dipper9]

Your basing all of this on a few games in Ft Lauderdale, where the weather does come into play, especially the wind? Well, so far in 122 games with the Cubs, at the ML level. Pie has played 635 innings, made 182 outs and made ZERO, NADA, ZILCH errors.

Relax. Take 2 aspirins and call me in the morning....

But...but...its already morning!

[wildcard]

Your basing all of this on a few games in Ft Lauderdale, where the weather does come into play, especially the wind? Well, so far in 122 games with the Cubs, at the ML level. Pie has played 635 innings, made 182 outs and made ZERO, NADA, ZILCH errors.

Relax. Take 2 aspirins and call me in the morning....

And 14 innings in LF. Pie can play center. That is not the question. Can he play left without embarrassing himself? That is a huge question mark for him.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=6475&context=fielding

[Anonymous]

Yes, Pie deserves an extended look in the OF. But why now? He is not adjusted to LF and he is not hitting. Whether he will hit or not is a question but with practice he should be able to play a good if not great leftfield.

So put Scott in LF, Wiggy at DH/1B and Pie on the bench for two months. Hit him a million balls over that period and work on his fielding. Then when he is ready put Pie in LF. Then the O's have a great fielding LFer who is trying to prove he can hit. Right now Pie is struggle at the plate and in the field.

This is a thoughtful point, wc.

I could be happy with Pie playing now or sitting now and playing later -- as long as I had confidence that the decision was based on a careful assessment of what's in Pie's long-term developmental best interest. I don't lean either way. I sure hope and expect that Trembley and MacPhail are giving this some deep thought rather than merely going with the plan as orginally laid out.

[Sports Guy]

Can't adjust to LF from the bench.

I continue to be amazed about how people lack the ability to see the big picture.

[Oriole Baseball]

I do expect Pie to struggle a bit defensively at first, but that wouldn't stop me from putting him out there from the start. The only way you learn is by reacting to ball hit off pitches thrown at game speed by hitters who are trying their hardest to whack the ball. Otherwise the spin, trajectory and velocity of the balls that are hit to you simply are not the same. I've played hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours of fungo in my life and it is just not the same, nor is shagging flies in batting practice.

I also think that (1) the wind and sun problems won't be as troublesome in OPACY and in the other major league parks compared to Florida, and (2) even though Pie will look a bit ugly out there from time to time by taking wrong angles or getting turned around, there will be other times where he gets a good read right away and gets to balls that Luke Scott would not have been within ten feet of. In a month or two, I expect we'll be laughing at the fact that we were ever worried about Pie adjusting to LF.

This is correct. Being in LF during practice and being in LF during a game are two entirely different things. Just like hitting in BP is alot different than hitting during a game. Pie has the whole year as far as I'm concerned to learn the position. Who cares if he makes a fool of himself in April? If he can't get over that then he doesn't belong here. If Pie succeeds, no one will remember that pop-up he dropped against the Rays in April, not even Pie himself.

[O'sWhyNot52]

Embrassing yourself in front of 30,000 booing fans is not the way to build confidence. Going into full houses in the new Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park and having them laugh and jeer at your poor play is not the way to learn. That is what Pie is in for if he does not improve his fielding before he is sent out there.

He is a professional baseball player and a highly gifted athelete...he may take a few lumps along the path of adjusting from center to left but you make it sound like we are trying to put some slug out there! Talking about people laughing and pointing and him is ridiculous....you really think he will be that bad and no one in the organization has that foresight except for you?

I need to agree with SportsGuy here...people need to take a step back, breathe, and let the people who get paid to make these decisions proove you wrong.

[LookinUp]

I actually have some relevant experience on this topic.

I had a terrible Algebra 2 test in high school. I got a 47% on it. The teacher knew I was a good student so she let me re-take the exam. I knew I was overwhelmed, so I decided to just study Algebra 1 over the next couple of days. Lo and behold, I aced the Algebra 2 test.

Actually, that's a lie, it never happened and it wouldn't have worked if I tried.