Mike Gonzalez

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How did steve hauschka get an orioles uniform

[Anonymous]

I would much rather have a bag of balls closing.

That would create all kinds of matchup problems for the opposition.

[SouthRider]

Pretty bad...

It may very well be the right move to take him out of the closer role, but Trembley is NOT going to make that move 4 games into the season unless AM orders him to do so.

A good manager would find a way to allow Gonzalez to work out his troubles while not jeopardizing wins. Dave has 24 other guys to think about as well and he can't keep allowing one guy to ruin everything. A good manager would do what is best for the team and not worry about salaries or why the GM signed the guy. This situation is a good test, IMHO, of Dave Trembley's managerial skills. It's a situation which separates good managers from the average. So there is at least that aspect.

[JayThomas]

No, let's not. He has been terrible. A one inning closer's job is to come in and get 3 outs. Putting 3-5 guys on base per before getting 3 outs is just plain awful, in any sense. We don't expect our starters to do it. We don't expect our middle relief pitchers to do it. We sure as hell don't expect our stoppers to do it.

Mike was awful in spring training when he kept showing nothing but assuring Trembley that he'd be ready. He blew 7 of 17 saves last year. He's clearly not ready to go and in all likelihood he isn't the type of pitcher that I want closing games anyway. MG, and GS before make things way too interesting way too often to be a close. At that point in a game every baserunner is critical and you literally are putting way more stress on the team than it should have to bear - even if you somehow get out of the mess unscathed.

We don't need a guy who pitches this style of ball in the closer role. We don't need a Wild Thing. We need someone who can come in and just plain get 3 outs. This is brutal.

Maybe there is some mechanical problem now that MG can fix. Maybe he needs more work on the side before he's ready for prime time. Then he should not be closing - he should be doing side sessions with Kranny until he gets it sorted out and maybe coming in in low leverage situations until he is more mechanically sound.

[JayThomas]

While Sherrill always made it interesting, once we got used to him we had confidence he'd work his way through it, which he did most of the time. I just don't think Gonzalez has proven to us at this point whether he's the type of guy who can work out of jams regularly.

Brings back the memory of that Cubs game where Breezy had the bases juiced with no outs and struck out the side. No question ice was running through his veins that night.

But this is crazy talk. Closers shouldn't get credit for getting out of jams that they initiate any more than firemen should get credit for putting out fires that they start. Closers shouldn't put men on base!

[Dipper9]

I don't know where to even put this, so I'll post it here.

I just back from the game, and I can honestly say this is THE most disgusted I have EVER been with an Orioles player. Putting aside the fact that we SHOULD now be 3-1 if the guy we're paying 6 million a year to would just do his job, but also it was an absolutely perfect day with my wife at Opening Day and it was ruined by this man.

I was not as miserable as Tony when he posted his 0-2 Thread the other day, but I KNOW I am there now. This is as low as I have EVER felt about this team. We had such high hopes, and now, all of our good efforts are being wasted by Gonzalez. Send him back to Pittsburgh. 10/17 in saves chances last year. 1 for 3 so far this year. This is unacceptable. A closer needs to come in and close the door. 11 out of 20, or 65%, is absolutely disgusting!

I am furious! I know one thing...if this continues, I will not waste my summer nights in front of the bube tube watching this team. Absolutely disgusting!

Edit: One last thing. I love Trembley, but if he remains stubborn with keeping Gonzalez in the closer's role, it is going to end up costing Dave his job. I sure hope I am wrong, but I don't think I am.

[Miller192]

I don't know where to even put this, so I'll post it here.

I just back from the game, and I can honestly say this is THE most disgusted I have EVER been with an Orioles player. Putting aside the fact that we SHOULD now be 3-1 if the guy we're paying 6 million a year to would just do his job, but also it was an absolutely perfect day with my wife at Opening Day and it was ruined by this man.

I was not as miserable as Tony when he posted his 0-2 Thread the other day, but I KNOW I am there now. This is as low as I have EVER felt about this team. We had such high hopes, and now, all of our good efforts are being wasted by Gonzalez. Send him back to Pittsburgh. 10/17 in saves chances last year. 1 for 3 so far this year. This is unacceptable. A closer needs to come in and close the door. 11 out of 20, or 65%, is absolutely disgusting!

I am furious! I know one thing...if this continues, I will not waste my summer nights in front of the bube tube watching this team. Absolutely disgusting!

Edit: One last thing. I love Trembley, but if he remains stubborn with keeping Gonzalez in the closer's role, it is going to end up costing Dave his job. I sure hope I am wrong, but I don't think I am.

I have a feeling that we'll get the closer thing worked out and then something else will start taking on water.

[WannabeGM]

Yeah, when even the (moderately ) rational posters start piping in with bandwagonesque irrationality, it's probably time to step away from the site for a while.

I may not be a long time poster like several of you are, so you can't know if I'm the "bandwagonesque irrational" or if these post are from a long time member of the hangout who just doesn't feel the need comment on every single thing. I consider myself an intelegent O's fan and yeah I drink the Kool-Aid sometimes, but the events over the past 4 nights have me enraged.

Why, because i finally see a team that can complete. Maybe not for the AL East or even a Wild Card this year, but they can compete for respectability.

All i am saying right now is out of the 7 guys in the pen, Gonzo should not be the one given the responsibility to get the 27th out. Plain and simple, he aint gettin it done, and its not even close. I've seen what the others can do, this year and in previous years, it may not be pretty all the time but i' willing to look at anything else right now.

Make him earn that pay check by pitching a few innings in the middle of the game the next time Bergesen doesn't have it. What has he done this spring except pitch in minor league games and complain about his back? He is a big boy who collects a big pay check. He was given a role that his salary says he deserves, now in my eyes he's lost it. Mike, if you really deserve it then earn it back.

Hey Dave, remeber its about wins and losses this year ad it doesn't look good right now.

[LookitsPuck]

How did steve hauschka get an orioles uniform

...or Billy Cundiff for that matter.

[WannabeGM]

Well, i guess you can tell i've been hear for 6 years now since it says it under my name, but that still doesn't change how pissed i am...

[Hank Scorpio]

Little known fact.

His middle name is DeJean.

And yes, I kid.

Look at the bright side, he'll get better - after all, he can't get worse. Right?

He definitely can't get worse.

I don't have worries about his windup, per se... but his mechanics are all over the map. He has a Radhames Liz-esque bailout, except his fastball is about 6 mph slower.

Obviously it's early, but I don't like what I've see thus far. Not speaking results wise - speaking delivery wise.

[The Epic]

I was not as miserable as Tony when he posted his 0-2 Thread the other day, but I KNOW I am there now. This is as low as I have EVER felt about this team. We had such high hopes, and now, all of our good efforts are being wasted by Gonzalez. Send him back to Pittsburgh. 10/17 in saves chances last year. 1 for 3 so far this year. This is unacceptable. A closer needs to come in and close the door. 11 out of 20, or 65%, is absolutely disgusting!

Question...does it count as a blown save if you give up a lead in the eighth? If so, that would kind of skew the numbers a bit, I'd think.

First off, I'm pissed. Royally so. Until further notice, he's replaced Frank Walker and Larry Drew on my Crap List.

That said, I still think he's just having a stretch where he's lost his stuff. Just put him in low-pressure situations (blowouts, 3-run saves, sixth innings), and let him get himself together. He'll likely be fine. If he isn't, then oh well. Not like we haven't spent too much money on relievers before. Just be glad we didn't back up the truck for BJ Ryan and move on.

One thing, though...this is probably the first time I was around a bunch of fans at a game, and they actually were talking about the youngins/farm system. A lot of guys were saying, "Mickolio would have closed that out". I think that has to count for something.

[Sports Guy]

He definitely can't get worse.

I don't have worries about his windup, per se... but his mechanics are all over the map. He has a Radhames Liz-esque bailout, except his fastball is about 6 mph slower.

Obviously it's early, but I don't like what I've see thus far. Not speaking results wise - speaking delivery wise.

Same here...But he has always posted very good numbers and I have to assume he "looks" like he always has...in terms of his delivery and mechanics.

He does throw the timing off for the hitter but his shoulder flying open isn't good...hard to believe that is how he has always done it.

[Hank Scorpio]

Same here...But he has always posted very good numbers and I have to assume he "looks" like he always has...in terms of his delivery and mechanics.

He does throw the timing off for the hitter but his shoulder flying open isn't good...hard to believe that is how he has always done it.

Right, I haven't seen him throw a fastball below anyone's waist yet. (Unless he did it today, I couldn't really see from my seats behind the plate.)

Certainly worth concern, IMO.

[Miller192]

Right, I haven't seen him throw a fastball below anyone's waist yet. (Unless he did it today, I couldn't really see from my seats behind the plate.)

Certainly worth concern, IMO.

He bounced a couple of FBs in the dirt.