Still think this team didn't choke under pressure?

[SteveO]

4 minutes ago, baltfan said:

I don’t care about the legos.  They aren’t the problem. The problem is we have guys like Gunnar who are too high strung and guys like Adley and Cowser who seem a bit too passive.  Westy is the only guy I want up in a big spot. 

To be fair Gunnar is 23 he will mature some

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Barnaby Graves said:

Adley better show up to camp "in the best shape of his life," not sure that fixes all his problems but I thought it was one of them.

I'm fully expecting it to come out that he had an injury that he could play through but that he needs surgery to fully fix.

My money is on a sports hernia.

The dropoff points to injury but why wouldn't they stick him on the IL when the team had a 99%+ chance of getting to the playoffs in late July?

[ChipTait]

3 minutes ago, baltfan said:

I don’t care about the legos.  They aren’t the problem. The problem is we have guys like Gunnar who are too high strung and guys like Adley and Cowser who seem a bit too passive.  Westy is the only guy I want up in a big spot. 

I'd rather they play Legos than play roulette at a casino until 8am.

Is James McCann ready to make the jump from player to manager?  He seems like a guy the others look up to.  And he's obviously tough as nails.

[OriolesUpAndDowns]

Well, we got nothing this year from our top prospects when they were called up.  We were hoping for a boost but Holliday and Mayo literally hit like two of the worst hitters in the league.  And Mayo can't be trusted to play in the field at any position.

We traded Norby and Stowers for a guy we had to send to Triple AAA.  When we literally had the same exact player in Cole Irvin.  Not a good use of assets.  

Our All Star catcher was one of the worst hitters in the league the second half of the year.  The O's try to DH to keep him fresh but it didn't help.  Then there is also the fact his receiving is horrible and he can't throw.  

Heston Kjerstad?  Who even knows what we have with him.  The O"s jerked him around all year.  Wasted year of control and development.  

Cowser?  All he does is swing for the fences.  

Grayson?  Dude is a china doll.  I expect him to need to TJ in the next year or two.  

Gunnar?  Giant chokejob in the playoffs again.  Hasn't been the same superstar he was in the first half.  Also, his fiance nor he have posted on Instagram since the all star game.  Maybe OnlyOneOriole was on to something there.  

 

Next year?  Our starting pitching needs big help.  Burnes is gone and I don't expect Suarez to put h this well again.  

 

Okay, I feel slightly better now.  

[Just Regular]

Well, we didn't have any miscommunications on hit-and-run plays this series.

Rubenstein failed to bag anyone important in his honeymoon, though with the timing of his approval only extensions were really in play.    Now he has an offseason budget cycle, and there are some notable personnel needs.

I don't think there's anything Elias' AAA staff can teach Samuel Basallo more than MLB pitchers can, so I'll hope for a Jackson Chourio kind of thing, and that generally the club's top talents are readier.     

100 is heady, but I agree with @wildcard it will be a very successful regular season team.    There's also not much they can do there to ease anxiety about these first 2 October's failures.     Gunnar levels up from 8 wins to Witt's 10 - it is just a bigger monkey on his back a year from now.

[Hallas]

I still think we should make a real push for Soto.  He can be this generation's Frank Robinson.  He's been there, he's only 25 so he has at least 6 years of peak ball left.  Splits don't matter with him because he hits everyone.  We have a hole in at least 1 corner spot.  We can afford him right now despite his price tag because we're not paying anyone.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, ChipTait said:

I'd rather they play Legos than play roulette at a casino until 8am.

Is James McCann ready to make the jump from player to manager?  He seems like a guy the others look up to.  And he's obviously tough as nails.

Bah, you hit a bag of nails with a ball and they don't bleed all over the place!

[Barnaby Graves]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'm fully expecting it to come out that he had an injury that he could play through but that he needs surgery to fully fix.

My money is on a sports hernia.

The dropoff points to injury but why wouldn't they stick him on the IL when the team had a 99%+ chance of getting to the playoffs in late July?

This makes a lot of sense, and would also affect his ability to work out.  Of course it doesn't stop him from eating his broccoli and switching to skim milk.

I hate to say it but I'm thinking they need someone more forceful than Hyde.

[Sanity Check]

5 minutes ago, baltfan said:

I don’t care about the legos.  They aren’t the problem. The problem is we have guys like Gunnar who are too high strung and guys like Adley and Cowser who seem a bit too passive.  Westy is the only guy I want up in a big spot. 

Westy and Frazier. 

Oh, and it's been alleged in the forums here that the fact that Jackson Holliday got married and Adley Rutschman has a girlfriend were impactful on how both of them played this year.  And, that's why I believe Elias has to start drafting ugly guys.  Guys like Bartolo Colon from the neck up, or as some old-schoolers may remember, Don Mossi.  Then we wouldn't have girlfriend problems.

[baltfan]

5 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'm fully expecting it to come out that he had an injury that he could play through but that he needs surgery to fully fix.

My money is on a sports hernia.

The dropoff points to injury but why wouldn't they stick him on the IL when the team had a 99%+ chance of getting to the playoffs in late July?

Problem with sports hernia is his throwing got noticeably better.  I can’t imagine that wouldn’t have been affected. 

[Just Regular]

9 minutes ago, Barnaby Graves said:

Adley better show up to camp "in the best shape of his life," not sure that fixes all his problems but I thought it was one of them.

Maybe more likely he'll be married with a baby due around October 2025..

[turtlebowl]

I think the O’s need to learn from the Blue Jays failures. 5 years ago we thought they would be a dynasty. Can anyone explain what happened?

These guys are young. They are all experiencing money, fame, travel and everything that goes along with it together.  You better have people in place to keep them in line and guide them to do the right things. I could imagine how I would have been at that age with money and friends my age traveling the country. Also they can’t feel too comfortable. An athlete that feels challenged is one that is typically motivated. I think it is possible the core on the Blue Jays just became complacent together. That is a real concern.

Edited October 3 by turtlebowl

[Gurgi]

2 minutes ago, Sanity Check said:

Westy and Frazier. 

Oh, and it's been alleged in the forums here that the fact that Jackson Holliday got married and Adley Rutschman has a girlfriend were impactful on how both of them played this year.  And, that's why I believe Elias has to start drafting ugly guys.  Guys like Bartolo Colon from the neck up, or as some old-schoolers may remember, Don Mossi.  Then we wouldn't have girlfriend problems.

Women will marry anyone with money.  Looks don't matter for guys.  Look at Jay Z.  

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, baltfan said:

Problem with sports hernia is his throwing got noticeably better.  I can’t imagine that wouldn’t have been affected. 

I've had a hernia and you have good days and bad days. 

I only really missed work with mine when it became incarcerated.

Btw, you get a hernia, go get it fixed, it's stupid to wait.

Of course it could very easily be a back issue or something else.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Gurgi said:

Women will marry anyone with money.  Looks don't matter for guys.  Look at Jay Z.  

Dude, she's worth 800M without him.

Also, he cheated on her, if all she wanted was the money she's have left with half.