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Do you trust AM


Hooded Viper

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The latest sentiment is that Matusz will be a #2 at best.

The guy is going to be a really good pitcher, but he won't be among the best in baseball IMO.

You will, with few exceptions, rarely if ever see a guy projected as a #1. To be an "Ace" takes more than measureables. It takes skills that can really only be assessed once that player is playing against the best possible competition.

Your opinion may be grounded with facts, but it is hardly scripture. What we do know from scouting reports is he has all the measureables to succeed and the only evidence we have for the other aspects it takes to make an ace is that he handled himself as a 22 year old rookie facing some of the hardest competition in the league.

I'd tell you my opinion, but I don't think you want to hear it.

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The latest sentiment is that Matusz will be a #2 at best.

The guy is going to be a really good pitcher, but he won't be among the best in baseball IMO.

I still think Smoak will be worth more over the course of their careers, but that's something we'll just have to wait and see.

But since that 2008 draft, the positional talent available just hasn't been of the same level.

And the Orioles haven't exactly been doing much on the international front to find positional players that they can't draft as well under AM. The Pirates for example have become much more active on the international front than the Orioles and they've done it in half the time MacPhail has had.

What are you basing this on...your extensive scouting experience? You are so offense oriented that you just come to rediculous conclusions. We can have both man, and hey, the Yanks just won with 2 pitchers they paid over 200 thousand too. Oh and did they win because Tex tore it up in the WS or was it CC and AJ?

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This is just ignorant dude. I'm sorry, but it is.

Why'd the Yankees go out and get Sabathia and Burnett? They couldn't have just landed Tex and been able to win a title. Yes he played a huge part but they needed two arms.

It's always the pitching. Always, always, always. Why'd the Braves win their division every year in the 90's and early 2000's?

The Yankees were 14th in fewest runs allowed in MLB. It was their offense that won the title for them.

In fact the Yankees, Twins, and Angels were 6th, 8th and 10th in terms of runs allowed in the AL. Only Boston was in the top 5.

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The Yankees were 14th in fewest runs allowed in MLB. It was their offense that won the title for them.

In fact the Yankees, Twins, and Angels were 6th, 8th and 10th in terms of runs allowed in the AL. Only Boston was in the top 5.

Just because that is the way it was for one season, doesn't mean it will always be that way. I know how obsessed you are with small sample sizes though, so you will continue to run with this, ala OldFan.

BTW, the Yanks being that high in this category is actually pretty good considering their home park.

Pitching and defense...Preventing runs is just as important as scoring them.

We do need to add some offense though...Need to have the team OPS in the 800 range.

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I don't think we really know.

I mean, the payroll is very low, which I am sure PA is happy about.

It may just be that AM and PA are on the same page...Go cheap, keep the payroll down and see what happens.

I don't think we really know...I think everyone wants to assume the best but no one knows.

End of the day, AM still needs to be willing to do things he has never done before and then, it will depend on PA.

If we could get Lackey for 5/75 right now, do I believe AM would sign him to that deal? No way. Should he? Yes he should.

I think smart people know. AM hasn't mislead us with his statements to the press, and he has said many times that the owner is willing to open the checkbook. So unless you think AM is a liar, and I don't, then that's not an issue. He has also said the time may come when we will have to trade some SP inventory for positional needs, so I think that will happen when it is necessary. I look to 2011 when there will be a number of FA 1B bats available, for us to spend big, if Snyder makes it necessary. Also next year there will be many TOR SP FA available, and if our young guys aren't all panning out, I look for some money spent then.
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I think smart people know. AM hasn't mislead us with his statements to the press, and he has said many times that the owner is willing to open the checkbook. So unless you think AM is a liar, and I don't, then that's not an issue. He has also said the time may come when we will have to trade some SP inventory for positional needs, so I think that will happen when it is necessary. I look to 2011 when there will be a number of FA 1B bats available, for us to spend big, if Snyder makes it necessary. Also next year there will be many TOR SP FA available, and if our young guys aren't all panning out, I look for some money spent then.

Opening the checkbook could mean a lot of things though.

That could mean he will sign 2-3 Aubrey Huff-esque contracts or sign some mega deals.

We don't know and to act as if you know for sure is very foolish.

I do believe they will spend money....but how much? And will they spend the "right" money?

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The Yankees were 14th in fewest runs allowed in MLB. It was their offense that won the title for them.

In fact the Yankees, Twins, and Angels were 6th, 8th and 10th in terms of runs allowed in the AL. Only Boston was in the top 5.

Come on dude. First of all, look at SG's reply.

Second, you saw what Cliff Lee did in the Series. I'm assuming you did watch the Series. He simply shut them down. If thats not proof positive as to why good pitching is important, I don't know what to tell you.

The 1989 Orioles went from last to damn near first on the strength of pitching and defense. Fundamental baseball. To that point, Ripken had his worst season ever. Tettleton lead the team with an .877 OPS. Different era, sure...but even for that time the 89 Orioles hung with the teams that were considered the "heavy hitters" of the day.

Trea, you're essentially trying to take 100+ years of baseball strategy and thought and refute it. If you look in the annals of baseball history you'll find that there have been plenty of men in the sport who are smarter than you and know more than you who know what it takes to win. And it's pitching.

I know you'll probably ignore this post but I can't let it go without putting in one quote from someone who's pretty well respected around here:

"The only thing that matters is what happens on the little hump out in the middle of the field."
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Opening the checkbook could mean a lot of things though.

That could mean he will sign 2-3 Aubrey Huff-esque contracts or sign some mega deals.

We don't know and to act as if you know for sure is very foolish.

I do believe they will spend money....but how much? And will they spend the "right" money?

I think smart people know what "open the checkbook" means. I think people with agendas will pretend that they doen't.
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I think smart people know. AM hasn't mislead us with his statements to the press, and he has said many times that the owner is willing to open the checkbook. So unless you think AM is a liar, and I don't, then that's not an issue. He has also said the time may come when we will have to trade some SP inventory for positional needs, so I think that will happen when it is necessary. I look to 2011 when there will be a number of FA 1B bats available, for us to spend big, if Snyder makes it necessary. Also next year there will be many TOR SP FA available, and if our young guys aren't all panning out, I look for some money spent then.

Ok, so dumb people don't know for certain.

I would right that down but I don't no howell to spel

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No poll is necessary. It is basically a do you trust AM to get us back to the playoffs and beyond thread?

I say the man really has done what he has said. I can't point to one quote where he has lied. Now does he let us in on everything, clearly not, but everything he has talked about has basically come true, right? So yes, I trust the man and I honestly think we will look back on him with reverance.

Flame away!

Let's put it this way, I trust Andy MacPhail as much or more than any other GM with his financial and organizational restrictions. I hate to call the 2008 Rays a fluke, but until they do anything like that again they were. The Blue Jays, Rays, and Orioles have little chance in the AL East with the Red Sox and Yankees to be honest. The Red Sox and Yankees have the means to fix mistakes quickly as they have the money and prospects to do so. If you sign the wrong guy to a large deal and half ways through he doesn't perform well, then you just promote his replacement up from the minor leagues or more likely (sign the top free agent replacement).

Those who think the Orioles could "easily" increase payroll to the $110 Million range might be right, but thinking that the Orioles can compete with the Yankees and Red Sox financially is without a doubt an invalid stance. Both of those teams have had the luxury of being two of the most beloved teams in all of baseball. The amount of inventory they move at the stadium is also greater then ours and they get to keep that money. When you can sign anyone you want you have an added advantage of promoting prospects on your schedule. Andy MacPhail is kind of forced in that those young guys have to come up and play well. Expecting the Orioles to go out and get Holliday, Uggla, Lackey, Hardy, and Bedard/Haren in one offseason is never going to be AM's MO IMO.

I would like to see a thread where OH members are asked "What did you expect Andy MacPhail to do that he has not delivered upon thus far?" Two years ago we gave Andy until 2011 to compete with the playoff's in our future in 2012+. Now we get a taste of the young guys and their promise and many fans want us to break the bank on players that we might not need if guys we currently have develop and perform up to their potential. I think we just have to be realistic, but we have lost for what feels like forever and we are greedy! :laughlol:

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Come on dude. First of all, look at SG's reply.

Second, you saw what Cliff Lee did in the Series. I'm assuming you did watch the Series. He simply shut them down. If thats not proof positive as to why good pitching is important, I don't know what to tell you.

The 1989 Orioles went from last to damn near first on the strength of pitching and defense. Fundamental baseball. To that point, Ripken had his worst season ever. Tettleton lead the team with an .877 OPS. Different era, sure...but even for that time the 89 Orioles hung with the teams that were considered the "heavy hitters" of the day.

Trea, you're essentially trying to take 100+ years of baseball strategy and thought and refute it. If you look in the annals of baseball history you'll find that there have been plenty of men in the sport who are smarter than you and know more than you who know what it takes to win. And it's pitching.

I know you'll probably ignore this post but I can't let it go without putting in one quote from someone who's pretty well respected around here:

I would say it was pitching. But good pitching is harder and harder to find in the expansion era, and teams are depending now more on their offenses to win games IMO.

Good pitching may win playoff games, but it doesn't neccessarily mean that you will get to the playoffs unless you have a stellar offense to go with it.

However, you can have a mediocre staff and bash your way to the playoffs, that has been proven.

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There are just too many instances that could be quoted for this, but for all the comments about pitching not being that important and Justin Smoak, I think that the Rangers are a pretty good example of why pitching is so important. They are always in the top 10 of runs scored and the only reason they were in the race as long as they were in 2009 was because they finally had some effective pitching (not THAT effective, but better than usual).

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I think smart people know what "open the checkbook" means. I think people with agendas will pretend that they doen't.

If you are saying I have an agenda, well then I hope you aren't including yourself in the "smart people" group because you clearly fall short there.

Opening the checkbook means raising payroll....It doesn't mean giving out 100 million dollar contracts...Now, I am not saying we have to do that but they are going to have to give out some high dollar contracts at some point in all likelihood...Or, AM is going to have to be willing to deal a big portion of his inventory to get the player(s) we need to put us over the top.

But obviously, if AM ups the payroll 30-40 million dollars this offseason, he will have opened up the checkbook...Doesn't mean he will be adding high impact players though either.

When he does those things, it will pretty much be the first time he has done that.

Not saying he won't but it goes back to what i originally said...we really don't know yet.

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However, you can have a mediocre staff and bash your way to the playoffs, that has been proven.

That's what got the Yankees a first round exit from the playoffs in so many recent years. That's not what I want from my playoff team, thanks.

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I would say it was pitching. But good pitching is harder and harder to find in the expansion era, and teams are depending now more on their offenses to win games IMO.

Good pitching may win playoff games, but it doesn't neccessarily mean that you will get to the playoffs unless you have a stellar offense to go with it.

However, you can have a mediocre staff and bash your way to the playoffs, that has been proven.

This just isn't true.

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