how embarrasing!!

[RShack]

let's face it - we could dig up Casey Stengel and have him manage this team from here out, the results will be the same.

Not quite: We'd have way goofier quotes from the manager ;-)

[SilentJames]

Fair argument. But my problem is the way they play against the Yankees and Redsox this year. Its just pathetic. This team is built better on paper than the past teams yet they play worse.

Can you really deny that?

Four our of the five starters right now can pitch a decent game at any time. They have decent relievers. They have depth, which they havent had in so long.

It should translate to some good competition against the better teams. Win once in a while ok?

These are teams built to win now with six digit payrolls one of which is a quarter of a BILLION dollars. How many all-stars are on each of these teams?

The Orioles get beaten around because we are one of the only teams that HAS to play them as much. You think the Indians or Athletics would fair any better over the course of 36 games?

the play against the Yankees bites - but I don;t know how you can possibly single out Trembley as the cause.

[nbrger]

I have to disagree with part of your statement-- we're not the old KC Royals or the KC Athletics-- we're closer to the Washington Generals of the old series the Globetrotters used to play- stooges for the predetermined winners: objects of ridicule to make the local favorites feel good.

This is the worst Oriole team I have seen in my 60 years of watching baseball. The body language of our bullpen is amazing. Johnson looked like he was scared to be out there, as did others. Shoulders hunched.. bent over... tentative movements.Instead of approaching the batters with determination, they all look like they're afraid to make a mistake.

Our young starters will probably be ok next year but we'll need an essentially all new bullpen since the starters don't seem to routinely be able to survive more than 6-maybe 7 innings.

Attitude and approach to each game on the field IS something you can blame on the manager and coaches.

[SilentJames]

What are the ERA's of Burnett, Pettite and Chamberlin? Over 4.

And their team also leads the universe in homeruns and runs scored. That helps a lot when you play in a gigantic launch pad that has single-handedly resurrected Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher's power numbers.

[tennOsfan]

This is just the latest in a long, long, long series of degradations upon the sport of baseball by this team.

I know we have a lot of young talent, but it's still hard to watch this group just fall apart at the sight of two certain teams.

[boogidownoriole]

bullcrap.

The young pitchers are holding their own - for being rookies - that is still an ERA near 5.00 last time I checked with a ton of homeruns given up.

Dude, Mora had good numbers in "their years" but look at their numbers THIS year.

please. You are looking for excuses.

Just last year Mora had his 2nd best year didnt he? Was it too much to ask that he even play 75% to that level? Instead he has been probably the worst in the league.

[ccbird]

Trembley's bullpen management was quite Perlozzo-esque tonight.

Horrible, simply horrible.

LOL. Explain. He put his best relievers in high stress spots tonight and 2 of them blew up. Tell me how exactly he mismanaged this game please.

Oh and call this reactionary all you want but if Sarfate shouldn't even get a ST invite next year. I'm beyond done with that guy.

[boogidownoriole]

And their team also leads the universe in homeruns and runs scored. That helps a lot when you play in a gigantic launch pad that has single-handedly resurrected Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher's power numbers.

But you brought up the pitching. This team was supposed to be a juggernaut on the offensive side.

[The Azman]

And their team also leads the universe in homeruns and runs scored. That helps a lot when you play in a gigantic launch pad that has single-handedly resurrected Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher's power numbers.

well put. definitely Lefty Friendly

[boogidownoriole]

This is just the latest in a long, long, long series of degradations upon the sport of baseball by this team.

I know we have a lot of young talent, but it's still hard to watch this group just fall apart at the sight of two certain teams.

Thats my whole point. And I suppose I am more frustrated that my New Yorkers just laugh in my face. At least in the past they played hard.

[SilentJames]

But you brought up the pitching. This team was supposed to be a juggernaut on the offensive side.

Dude - find me one person that said this team would be an offensive JUGGERNAUT as you put it.

People consider me to be a rainbow crapping optimist but even I said that we should expect Mora and Huff to be nowhere near their great 2009 seasons. If you genuinely expected that then I don;t know what to tell you.

This team was only going to go as far as the pitching took it, and we have some of the worst pitching in the league. Hopefully next year that won't be the case.

Hopefully next year Wieters, Reimold, Bell and Snyder all come into their own in the majors and our offense improves in a big way.

But if you expected this team to be an offensive "juggernaut" well then - man I have some land in Florida to sell you.

[ccbird]

Berken was pulled after 86 pitches, and had only given up 1 run to that point. Why not let him go the rest of the inning?

How about leaving Hendrickson in instead of pulling him for Mickolio? That backfired in a big way.

Trembley used at least two more pitchers than he needed to to get the job done.

I think Rshack nailed his post the other day when he said that you simply don't know the game of baseball that well.

[section18]

DT would have been toast in any other baseball town if he managed the last two games in their town the same way he did in Baltimore.

He brings in Ray to get blasted by his favorite team last night and tonight after rallying from being down 3-0 to 3-2 he let's Johnson get rocked and then brings Sarfate back a second time in two nights to give them some more batting practice pitching to blow a close game wide open as the Yankees put 7 runs on the board to win 10-2.

I've too many times complained about DT leaving relievers in to give up several hits and walks before pulling them for another reliever. Whatever happened to pulling a guy after they put two or three guys on base in a row? Please tell me? Girardi doesn't put up with it. He yanks his guys quickly if they don't have it.

It's going to be a long September.

[RShack]

We need to stop making excuses for this team.

... and do what?

Here's what I saw tonight:

• I saw a very good ballgame through 8.
• I also saw Berken showing that he's getting better and better. His pitch count was better, and he held the MFY's to 1 run.
• I also saw Pie, who supposedly can't hit lefties, go 2-for-3 off of Sabathia... after doing fine against Buehrle.
• I also saw an amazingly bad 9th inning. Most of their hits weren't even hit that hard, they mainly just had eyes.

So, of those 4 things, which do you think are the most important?

[JTrea81]

You know, I was listening to Heath Bell this afternoon on XM, and he was talking about being on the last place Padres in Sept.

There was no defeatist attitude, no "we hope" or "we'll see," but he said they weren't concerned about catching the DBacks for 4th, rather that this was their October and they were going to enjoy playing the spolier in playoff races, that they could knock teams out of races and eliminate them.

He said the young guys were all excited about coming to the ballpark and the Padres were trying to win every game they could just to win them because it was important to win games.

This is exactly what we are missing on this team. There is no desire from the players, no urgency, no commitment to winning games. None.