Eaton and Atkins

[JTrea81]

I just dont see how people can continue to say this with a straight face.

Check Burrell's stats during his last 4 years in Philly and and Atkins' last 4 years in Colorado. BIG difference.

I think Burrell hates being a DH, similar to Luke Scott and hits better when he plays the field.

[AgentOrange]

And if they can't come up to replace them, then we'll have wasted a year on stopgaps.

This is the problem with MacPhail, he keeps trying to sign mediocre players hoping they'll overachieve to buy time for unproven internal options to take over.

The more stopgaps he signs, the further he pushes away the chance of the Orioles competing. Because those internal options are going to go through a curve as well like we are seeing with Wieters and Reimold even if they do make it to the majors.

We need established players that will make a difference, not stopgaps that we hope will overachieve and make a difference.

We shouldn't have to wait for the minor leaguers to come up in order to compete. The core to do that is already on the ML roster.

I have already stated that next year is the year I expect him to go after top end talent. If he doesn't, I will be more on your side. But not this year.

[Mike B]

Uhh, Burrell had a .875 OPS before he signed with the Rays.

That is nothing like Atkins. We all knew Atkins would suck, Burrell sucking is actually a big surprise.

Not if you go back and look at the splits for 2008. Burrell was atrocious in the second half. He also benefitted by a bnd box stadium. To me Atkins and Burrell are very similar. Signing him to a multi year contract was a mistake Think Friedman would do the deal again??? Of Course not.

[Sports Guy]

Fine... but you are also dismissing the fact that there was a day when Atkins was considered good and the next year he wasn't. Nick Johnson or any other player could (emphasize could but not likely) end up in a career downfall like Atkins did.

Again, not disagreeing with you, but now willing to totally dismiss it like you appear to have.

I am not dismissing anything...Any player could fall of a cliff...Whether it be Atkins, Burrell, Johnson, Markakis or BRob. It can happen at anytime for various reasons.

But when their are obvious signs of it and signs that have been going for a few years, those are moves you don't make...If their are no indications of a players decline and you sign them to a sensible contract and they start to suck, that's just bad luck.

There is a difference between that signing and a signing like Atkins...Atkins and Eaton were horrible signings that represented something much larger...Signing Burrell was a poor signing...it was a solid signing that went bad. There is a HUGE difference.

[hobokenPauli]

One additional thing to consider about the Atkins signing, is the amount of time and energy that Terry Crowley put into this "project". Did that time and energy subtract from regular work with players who started slowly like Adam Jones, Luke Scott, Markakis, Reimhold and even Tejada. It seems to me that last year something similar happen with Felix Pie being a project and some of veterans like Huff, Mora, Markakis and Jones in the second half...slipping.

In 2010, the offense right out of the gate seemed ill prepared for the season, individually and as a group. Especially the lack of overall patients. The fact is, entering the BoSox series, the Orioles were the least patient team in the AL and the NL with a team P/PA of 3.68. That's changed big time in the last 4 games (noticed how our offense is doing much better).

Anyway, its the batting coaches responsibility to prepare the offense for a consistent team wide approach to the opposing pitcher(s). That was completely lacking in the first five series. Tejada and Jones were swinging at everything. The whole offense was just, out of sorts.

Did Terry Crowley have too much on his plate entering the 2010? Was Atkins a perfect waste of Crowley time?

IMO when MacPhail signed Atkins (and told Crowley to get to work) this was a massive subtraction by addition? Because if Atkins wasn't project #1, then he was certainly up there....

"Uh Terry. We got a special project this year named Garrett Atkins. And make sure Felix Pie doesn't slip. And Jones needs some work on patients and going the opposite field. And Markakis needs to drive the ball. And make sure Reimhold doesn't lose his swing after the surgury. And can you do something about Luke Scott streaky-ness. And Izturis too. Oh yeah Weiters."

Something had to give. And it did give 2-16.

[Satyr3206]

I guess Atkins isn't getting the same benefit of the doubt, and the time to work on things, as Pie did. Interesting.

[Sports Guy]

I guess Atkins isn't getting the same benefit of the doubt, and the time to work on things, as Pie did. Interesting.

You do understand the difference here, right?

[Mackus]

Isn't Burrell kinda Friedman's Atkins-esque mistake?

No.

Burrell was a decent signing that flopped. He wasn't a mistake from the get-go.

Burrell had a 875, 902, 890, and 892 OPS in the 4 years prior to coming to TB. Their park is definitely a hitter's park, but those are still impressive numbers anywhere and very consistent.

Atkins had a 650, 780, 853, and 965 OPS in the 4 years prior to coming to Baltimore.

[Satyr3206]

You do understand the difference here, right?

The difference I see is Pie had never been a proven hitter in the ML's. Atkins was. What's your point?

[Mike B]

I think Burrell hates being a DH, similar to Luke Scott and hits better when he plays the field.

MAybe so, but I saw a lot of Phillies games in person in 2007 and 2008 and Pat the Bat is horrible in left field. Horrible with a capital H. He makes Luke look like Brady Anderson, in the early 90's when he along with Rickey Henderson was the best left fielder in the game.

[Sports Guy]

I guess Atkins isn't getting the same benefit of the doubt, and the time to work on things, as Pie did. Interesting.

You do understand the difference here, right?

The difference I see is Pie had never been a proven hitter in the ML's. Atkins was. What's your point?

Guess not.

[NewMarketSean]

[/b]

Not if you go back and look at the splits for 2008. Burrell was atrocious in the second half. He also benefitted by a bnd box stadium. To me Atkins and Burrell are very similar. Signing him to a multi year contract was a mistake Think Friedman would do the deal again??? Of Course not.

Burrell had a .725 OPS in the second half...not atrocious. Bad for Burrell, yeah, but not horrible. Horrible is Garrett Atkins last year and now.

It's funny how some people blast other team's players but give guys like Adam Jones a pass when he's had 2 good months in a career of mediocre to poor results.

All the sudden a .725 OPS is "atrocious".

[Satyr3206]

Guess not.

You do realize it's not even May yet? You know, small sample size.

[NewMarketSean]

Also, Atkins was signed to be a 1B!!! Had he been signed for 3B and was sucking right now, I would still be willing to wait on him to get better. After all, Mora last year shouldn't be that hard to improve upon. But 1B? Even the most ardent AM and Atkins supporters have to be thinking that was a WTF moment.

[Mackus]

The difference I see is Pie had never been a proven hitter in the ML's. Atkins was. What's your point?

Pie was struggling to adjust to MLB, but continued to hit when back in the minors.

Atkins is in a death spiral.

I'd rather be on a brand new plane with tons of exciting bells and whistles that the mechanics are having some trouble getting everything working right on in the shop than one that used to fly great but is in a tight death spiral that is impossible to pull out of.

The first plane may never be able to fly, but if it does, it'll fly great. The second one is guaranteed to crash, its just a matter of how long until it crashes.