Fukudome, Kuroda, Kobayashi

[Moose Milligan]

Doesn't this mean we should get better at scouting and digging up players who'll come to the US cheaply, rather than just punt on a whole country or continent? I just don't understand the logic of saying that Hideki Irabu didn't provide a good return on investment, so we should ignore a country of 130M people who treat baseball as their #1 sport and have a domestic league that's second only to Major League Baseball.

The Orioles can't afford to ignore anything that gives them a leg up in finding new talent. If they're smart they'll radially realign the budget so more goes to scouting and analysis and less to payroll. They need a budget so that no area of the globe is ignored.

Right, but they should at least master one continent first...their own.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...time and time they haven't gotten it right here, what makes you think we'll all of a sudden be pulling off heists in getting quality under the radar guys from the Pacific rim?

[Flip217]

Right, but they should at least master one continent first...their own.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...time and time they haven't gotten it right here, what makes you think we'll all of a sudden be pulling off heists in getting quality under the radar guys from the Pacific rim?

Well, don't you believe that even thought they haven't gotten it right time and time again, they will make the changes they need to, and start getting it right? I mean, if you just think they'll suck forever...too depressing to think about.

I agree that they need to get the system right first before they start sending scouts off on globe trekking missions around the globe; but I think the very fact that they don't seem to do as good a job at identifying international talent argues that they have to start fishing in a bigger pool.

[Lt Melmo]

Would signing Kobayashi make Keyser Soze more attracted to signing with Baltimore?

[PaulFolk]

agree with the post, but I think we can leave [Antarctica] on the backburner

I've heard there's this penguin with a wicked curveball.

[TonySoprano]

Boys, grab your machetes, mosquito netting, and extra malaria vaccine; we're headed to the Amazon rain forest to go prospect hunting.

[DrungoHazewood]

Boys, grab your machetes, mosquito netting, and extra malaria vaccine; we're headed to the Amazon rain forest to go prospect hunting.

Who's to say that the head-hunting Jivaro don't have some raw athletic talent?! At least they have something in common with Daniel Cabrera.

[Tx Oriole]

They should but they won't.

[o'sman458202233]

are they going to have to bleep out Fukudome's name on television

[srock]

Thank you, I totally agree with you. There are far more complete busts than superstars or even average players coming over.

This is equally true of the Dominican, Venezuela, and even the amateur draft. It is the nature of baseball. Even the best hitter, scout, or GM is only successful about 1/3 of the time.

[DrungoHazewood]

This is equally true of the Dominican, Venezuela, and even the amateur draft. It is the nature of baseball. Even the best hitter, scout, or GM is only successful about 1/3 of the time.

And it's also true of free agents in general. I'd guess 20% of free agents unquestionably earn their contracts.

You have to remember that almost all Japanese players coming to the US are nearing or in their 30s, and are more comparable to a regular free agent than a Dominican or Puerto Rican signing. The vast majority of Japanese players in the US are past their peak before they've seen a US major league pitch. I'm not suggesting this is a reason to not sign them, just a reason to temper your expectations.

[ChaosLex]

are they going to have to bleep out Fukudome's name on television

Haha! You know someone's going to slip up and say the wrong thing. Just like Shepherd Smith's comment (on Fox News) about J-Lo a few years back.

[TGO]

Boys, grab your machetes, mosquito netting, and extra malaria vaccine; we're headed to the Amazon rain forest to go prospect hunting.

We don't have to go as far as the Amazon, but there's some truth in this joke. Why not go someplace other teams are not scouting very hard? For instance, Edgar Renteria, his brother, and Orlando Cabrera (all Colombians) are setting up facilities in Colombia for youth baseball and to eventually host a winter league. Why don't the O's get in on that? They would probably be the only team with a major presence in Colombia. Granted, the Colombians have not been playing beisbol as long as the Cubans and Dominicans have, so many of the players may not be as developed there, but you could say the same thing about Venezuela 15 years ago and look at the players coming out of Venezuela now.

Panama is another great option. Nicaragua. El Salvador. Use El Presidente, Dennis Martinez. The O's could be the kings of Central America and Colombia while everyone else is following the herd in the DR and Venezuela.

[DrungoHazewood]

We don't have to go as far as the Amazon, but there's some truth in this joke. Why not go someplace other teams are not scouting very hard? For instance, Edgar Renteria, his brother, and Orlando Cabrera (all Colombians) are setting up facilities in Colombia for youth baseball and to eventually host a winter league. Why don't the O's get in on that? They would probably be the only team with a major presence in Colombia. Granted, the Colombians have not been playing beisbol as long as the Cubans and Dominicans have, so many of the players may not be as developed there, but you could say the same thing about Venezuela 15 years ago and look at the players coming out of Venezuela now.

Panama is another great option. Nicaragua. El Salvador. Use El Presidente, Dennis Martinez. The O's could be the kings of Central America and Colombia while everyone else is following the herd in the DR and Venezuela.

Exactly what I've been saying. The O's seem two or three steps behind, so why not do something innovative instead of trying to play catchup in areas where they're already way behind? Why be the 29th team to establish a good academy in the Dominican when they could be the first with one in Korea or Columbia or Trinidad or India? Why not look 10 years in the future, instead of trying to get to where the Sox and Yanks and 10 other teams were in 1998?

This is the real Moneyball lesson. If you're failing to beat the other teams at their game, invent your own game and outflank them.

[DrungoHazewood]

Here's a thought - you know how host nations get automatic bids to field Olympic teams? China is desperately trying to catch up to the rest of the world in baseball to field a team in 2008. The Yanks are establishing a presence there. The Chinese are getting involved in the winter leagues.

The O's have already missed out on that boat. I guess they could make an effort, but the Yanks already have their foot in the door. But in 2012 the Olympics are in London. Why don't the Orioles start forming partnerships with sporting clubs in England? Especially ones that play cricket? Why don't we have cultural exchanges, bring young talent over here, send coaches over there? There is a fledgling, embryonic British Baseball Association. Why not offer some support, help grow the game there in anticipation of the Olympics? Get the O's involved in the effort to play a major league game at The Oval in Kennington?

[srock]

Here's a thought - you know how host nations get automatic bids to field Olympic teams? China is desperately trying to catch up to the rest of the world in baseball to field a team in 2008. The Yanks are establishing a presence there. The Chinese are getting involved in the winter leagues.

The O's have already missed out on that boat. I guess they could make an effort, but the Yanks already have their foot in the door. But in 2012 the Olympics are in London. Why don't the Orioles start forming partnerships with sporting clubs in England? Especially ones that play cricket? Why don't we have cultural exchanges, bring young talent over here, send coaches over there? There is a fledgling, embryonic British Baseball Association. Why not offer some support, help grow the game there in anticipation of the Olympics? Get the O's involved in the effort to play a major league game at The Oval in Kennington?

This is the kind of forward thinking the front office is deeply in need of.

Seriously, Orioles, do something interesting! The current methods clearly aren't working.

How about Brazil? They took well to basketball...