MacPhail losing my support

[Slappy]

You're judging a GM by his stop gap signings. Way to go.

One of his problems is that he relies on stop gaps and reclamation projects. Hill, Atkins, Eaton, Lugo, and so forth. There is very little good footing to stand on when defending his free agency moves. Trades are a different story. At some point you need to address weaknesses at the major league level. You can't just keep saying that the fans have to accept losing while the youngsters cut their teeth for 3 years. That's unacceptable to me.

[eddie83]

Those problems are only part of the issue with this team.

I still believe the bulk of our problems this year are mental. It makes sense we are struggling some with Gonzalez Pie and Brob out. It is amazing we are 2-15. As bad as 6-11 would sound at least it wouldn't be such a gigantic hole. It is really hard as a fan to believe in a team that doesn't believe in itself.

[Abadie]

Miggys done well at 3rd before tonight. 1st game back, might be some rust there.

Roberts is hurt...Wiggy isn't your ideal 2nd baseman.

I'm just as frustrated as anyone else...but MacPhail isn't repsonsible for players performing well below their career averages so far this year. No one thought this team would suck this bad.

Miggy has NOT done well at 3rd before tonights game. In fact, the Sunday game against Toronto during our first homestand was lost because Tejada couldnt execute at 3b. We gave Toronto an extra out and they ran with it, hitting a HR off Millwood and costing us the ball game.

[eddie83]

Our starting lineup in 2007 the year MacPhail took over was

C Ramon Hernandez

1B Millar

2B roberts

SS Miggy

3B Mora

LF Payton

CF Patterson

RF Nick

DH Huff

Bullpen was Baez, Walker, Bradford and Ray and other no names

Rotation Cabrera, Bedard, Guthrie, Trachsel and Burres.

The man has had two drafts. Wieters, Reimold and some young pitching was here in the minors. This isn't the NFL where players play the first year they are drafted. He still has alot of work to do but he didn't exactly inherit a team that was on the verge of anything.

[SombodysMom]

Schmuck's blog this morning is titled, "O's can't think of October until they're no longer the April fools". New team nickname?

Next month....."The May Days"?

And then...."The June Swoons"?

What rhymes with July?

They make me cry.

The sun's in my eye.

How about some pie?

[JTrea81]

So in hindsight, Matt Holliday would have been a very good signing, at least in the short term, but nobody had the clairvoyance to see that last offseason.

People did.

Unfortunately MacPhail did not.

He needs to be replaced, but I'm not sure who we could get that would actually try to spend Angelos' money that he would actually listen to.

That's why I think it will take new ownership to finally make the changes that need to be made. Angelos seems to be using the Orioles to make a statement rather than trying to win, to try to change the economic landscape in baseball and MacPhail seems to be going along with it, therefore enabling him to do so.

[olehippi]

Schmuck's blog this morning is titled, "O's can't think of October until they're no longer the April fools". New team nickname?

Next month....."The May Days"?

And then...."The June Swoons"?

What rhymes with July?

The fans say....."Goodbye."

[Mad Mark]

This thread is a joke...but hey, thanks for the intellignent contribution,

So is our position in the standings.

MSK

The position in the standings is a result of the record and the record is a fluke.

No team is this bad, not even the original, expansion Mets. To get to 2-15 you need a perfect storm of improbable negative outcomes.

[Dannyboy]

People did.

Unfortunately MacPhail did not.

He needs to be replaced, but I'm not sure who we could get that would actually try to spend Angelos' money that he would actually listen to.

That's why I think it will take new ownership to finally make the changes that need to be made. Angelos seems to be using the Orioles to make a statement rather than trying to win, to try to change the economic landscape in baseball and MacPhail seems to be going along with it, therefore enabling him to do so.

[Mark Carver]

We don't have a major league first baseman on the roster. Our star second baseman is 34 with a career threatening injury. Our shortstop can't hit. I guess he's ok as a 9th hitter because he is one of the few guys on the roster that can field at an acceptable level. Our 3b is a slow, aging veteran with no power. Our center fielder shows flashes of brilliance followed by flashes of ineptitude. We have 4 left fielders. None of them can field and all of them are prone to long stretches where they can't hit the broad side of a barn. Our right fielder may be the only starting position player worth a damb and even he has been a disappointment. We are solid at DH because we have 8 guys that can hit a little and can't field. We don't have a closer. When Gonzalez comes back, we still don't have a closer. Our setup guy chokes every time the game is on the line.

Thank God for our starting pitching. Unfortunately, you can't win 0-0 games. It's time to face facts. Instead of a young, improving team, it's time to start over again.

BTW - our 2nd baseman is 32 years old...

[brianod]

You forgot about our catcher.

Our catcher, like every young player on this team other then Matusz, is under performing. I love the kid. Since Markakis isn't going to be a superstar, we really need Wieters to be one. Looks like he'll be good, maybe very good. But not great. Too early to tell. One thing I am sure of is that I would like a different coaching staff here to fully develop him.

[Guest rochester]

So would you rather see us do nothing and let our talent sink or swim? What happens if it all sinks? Then what?

I'd rather support our investment so they don't sink. The future is riding on the development of Wieters and Jones primarily and the young arms. If they don't succeed the team is sunk.

If you are going to spend 100+ million on a player for more than 6 years, they are part of your core, no matter what, so what's the harm in getting them a year or two early? You need to acquire the talent when it is available to you, otherwise it may not be there when you think you need it - aka Teixeira...

We are supposed to be winning games this season, but MacPhail's offseason didn't really help that cause. This is not supposed to be a rebuilding year. We are supposed to go for it next year, which is why it made sense a year ago and last offseason to go for that difference making talent.

We are supposed to be winning now.

You know everyone JTrea is right - look at Gonzalez? If we bought a few more we would be...oh that's right.

Saying that, what are we spending this year on Gonzalez and Atkins? $10M - and Miggy at $6M.. Could that $16M been spent better?

JTrea, IMO I would not be upset that we are not spending $$ it's how it is being spent.

[ledzepp8]

We don't have a major league first baseman on the roster. Our star second baseman is 34 with a career threatening injury. Our shortstop can't hit. I guess he's ok as a 9th hitter because he is one of the few guys on the roster that can field at an acceptable level. Our 3b is a slow, aging veteran with no power. Our center fielder shows flashes of brilliance followed by flashes of ineptitude. We have 4 left fielders. None of them can field and all of them are prone to long stretches where they can't hit the broad side of a barn. Our right fielder may be the only starting position player worth a damb and even he has been a disappointment. We are solid at DH because we have 8 guys that can hit a little and can't field. We don't have a closer. When Gonzalez comes back, we still don't have a closer. Our setup guy chokes every time the game is on the line.

Thank God for our starting pitching. Unfortunately, you can't win 0-0 games. It's time to face facts. Instead of a young, improving team, it's time to start over again.

I'm sure Brian Roberts and his mother will be interested in the breaking news that he's actually 34 years old.

Oh and unless you thought that this team, through the first month of the season, would hit 227 and have an OPS of 654, then I don't see how you can say that MacPhail has made a mess.

You fail sir.

[Mackus]

If this poor start isn't making people have some serious doubts about MacPhail's plan, nothing will.

If we don't get things turned around in a big way, I'm gonna be pretty pessimistic about the future. Not because we don't have a few big stars right now, anyone who thinks we're bad because MacPhail has already screwed up in not bringing anyone in is simply delusional, but if the young guys we have are so terrible this year, how much hope is there that they bounce back enough to be the players we need them to be next year?

Andy has cast his lot with this bunch, if they can't make us winners then he's gonna end up a loser. We still need to add 1-3 big free agents, but this core is what is gonna win or lose things for us If they make it, we can be good even with mediocre free agent signings, if they don't then we won't win no matter how many high priced free agents we bring in.

[ledzepp8]

So would you rather see us do nothing and let our talent sink or swim? What happens if it all sinks? Then what?

I'd rather support our investment so they don't sink. The future is riding on the development of Wieters and Jones primarily and the young arms. If they don't succeed the team is sunk.

If you are going to spend 100+ million on a player for more than 6 years, they are part of your core, no matter what, so what's the harm in getting them a year or two early? You need to acquire the talent when it is available to you, otherwise it may not be there when you think you need it - aka Teixeira...

We are supposed to be winning games this season, but MacPhail's offseason didn't really help that cause. This is not supposed to be a rebuilding year. We are supposed to go for it next year, which is why it made sense a year ago and last offseason to go for that difference making talent.

We are supposed to be winning now.

You just said that we should trade all of the pitching prospects for bats. You are so backwards man...

Who said we were supposed to be winning now? You guys take one quote and twist it around to mean something totally different. And we would be winning if the lineup wasn't performing significantly lower than their career averages. That couldn't be predicted.

RVABird is right. You guys think the worse this team does the more you were vindicated. That's completely ridiculous.