Breaking News: Dave Trembley Will Return as Orioles Manager

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun is reporting that Dave Trembley's 2010 option will be picked up, so Trembley will be returning as Orioles manager next year.

This had been a big topic of debate, especially with the Orioles September collapse. Andy MacPhail had said he was going to determine Trembley's job status soon, and his decision appears to be keeping him on-board.

I do not believe that Trembley should be the manager of the future for the O's, but for now I am fine with this call. The fact is the Orioles are not a competitive team, and it seemed like Trembley did the most with what he had as well as protecting the young players. The team likely could not have found anyone better than Trembley, so for now it is better to hold him here than get rid of him.

If nothing else, it is one less thing the Orioles have to worry about going into the offseason.

(Photo credit: AP)

So, 13-Game Losing Streak......

It is never a good thing when the hometown football team has more wins in two weeks than the baseball team does. In fact the Ravens have two more: in the last 14 days before today, the Ravens are 2-0, the Orioles are 0-13. After it looked like the Orioles would be heading towards a 65+ win season, the team is now in dangerous position to lose 100 games. To avoid that perilous number, the Orioles would have to go 3-1 in their final four games, even though the roster is being held together with bubble gum and tape. They complete their series against Tampa Bay tonight then return home for the final series against Toronto.

The missing players on the roster: Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold, Felix Pie, possibly Luke Scott, Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, Kam Mickolio, Brad Bergeson, Bob McCrory, among others. George Sherrill, Aubrey Huff, Gregg Zaun, and Oscar Salazar had already been traded.

Personally the Orioles should be happy Dave Trembley is keeping his cool and trying to focus on his job despite constant pressure from fans and the 13-game losing streak. Andy MacPhail has said he will evaluate Trembley's job status at the end of the season, but it is hard to see if anyone could win with this team right now. Obviously losing 13 games straight, the longest since 2004, is a disaster, but no manager in the league could do much better right now.

It would be in the Orioles' best interests to play their best the rest of the way. The fan base was lost nearly all interest due to the losing and the Ravens huge start. And really, the only thing the O's have to play for is to avoid 100 losses. It is hard watching the team go out this way, but 12 years of losing seasons in a row, most of us are not surprised.

(Photo credit: AP)

What Now for the Orioles?

This has not been a good start to the month for the Orioles to say the least. Not much seems to be going right. Other than the series win over the Rangers over the weekend, numerous events have left the Orioles in trouble:
--A series sweep to the Yankees at home, or at least in Baltimore.
--A two-game series sweep to Boston on the road, with the second game ending in yet another bullpen collapse.
--Adam Jones shut down for the year due to a severely sprained left ankle, the second straight year where an injury kept him out nearly a month.
--Kam Mickolio had to see a specialized doctor about a sore arm (reported by Peter Schmuck, Baltimore Sun)
--Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz will be shut down soon due to the front office deciding to limit their innings in their rookie year.

This month just got underway, and the Orioles still have a number of games left. It is perfectly reasonable to be careful with young players, but that will not comfort fans. Plus, the Orioles are now selling one-dollar tickets to get fans in the stands.

So what now? With many young players ending their seasons early, what will happen for the rest of the year? Really, there is not much left to do. We have seen from yesterday that Trembley will use numerous pitchers for short periods of time to take advantage of matchups, so he is trying to win games, as he should. Sure Wieters and the rest of the young birds can benefit from the time, but the vets who are playing already know what to do when the season gets down to the final days.

But these last few weeks will be about Dave Trembley. With all the talk about him at the end of the year, each game Andy MacPhail will analyze and determine if Trembley should return next season. Given the expanded roster he has, can he work his hardest to win games while still protecting his young players, all while keeping your cool if the Yankees, Red Sox and the rest beat you down? We have already seen Trembley and Juan Samuel call out their players on things a few weeks ago. With a number of games left against strong teams and a problematic roster, this could get ugly. But in this month, Trembley can be a manager of a team. He can call changes on the mound at will and do everything he can to win games as opposed to constantly having to look out for the young players.

I'm not sure if Dave Trembley is the manager of the future for the Orioles. I'm not sure who can be better at this point in time, but these last few weeks will determine if he has the skills needed to be a big league manager.

Get Ready for a Long Month O's Fans

We have to hand it to the Orioles. Even though the rotation is starting four rookies and the team is trading away many a number of its veterans, the team at least appears as though they will avoid the dreaded 100+ loss season.

But this could be a terrible September for the team, and everything that has happened supports this theory.

A lot of veterans have been traded away. Aubrey Huff, George Sherrill, Gregg Zaun and Joey Gathright have been sent to other teams for minor leaguers. The rotation has now gone to four rookies, with the best rookie pitcher, Brad Bergeson, likely out for the rest of the year, which leaves the Orioles relying on kids that will not pitch more than six innings a game most likely. To give an idea on how important Bergeson was, he has seven wins, second on the team; no bad considering he has not been playing for one-third of the season. The current lineup doesn't have a bad average, but nearly no power. Sure Felix Pie and a few others are coming on, but problems with Adam Jones have lowered his production as of late. History has shown that the Orioles often have a late collapse in the final month of the season. And to boot, the Orioles upcoming schedule is full of playoff-contending teams, including two series against the Yankees, two versus the Red Sox, one faceoff against the Rangers, and two against the Rays.

So with all of that, the Orioles will need to hold on and bear through September. Obviously they will want to fight for fourth place and avoid being last place behind the Blue Jays a second straight year, and they will need to make up four games in the standings to have a chance at them. If nothing else, try to finish above the Washington Nationals. That would require a collapse of large magnitude, but the Orioles still don't want that to happen. Also, with football season coming up, the fan support for the O's will look grim. The Ravens are easily king in Baltimore, and with them trying to build on an AFC Championship appearance last season, the Orioles will lose a lot of support.

A couple of questions are still in need of answering. Dave Trembley will be the manager through the end of the season, but he is no doubt on the hot seat. He has taken the approach that the front office expects him. The Orioles primary concern for the rest of the season is not winning games; not that they will broadcast that, but it is the case. They need to work with developing the young rotation and the young hitters. The rotation, especially Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz due to their potential, need to keep developing, as they will be on the starting rotation on Opening Day next year. Matt Wieters, Felix Pie and Nolan Reimold all have shown good stuff in certain parts of the year, and will need to continue learning for the season. With very few veterans of the future on the squad, this gives the young team a great chance to learn from each other.

But make no mistake. This month is going to be very rough. A number of powerful teams are getting ready to take the Baby Birds on, and this could be a long September for Dave Trembley and the O's.

(Photo credit: AP)

Samuel Unprofessional in Attacking his Players

So Dave Trembley and Juan Samuel know exactly who is to blame for the baserunning errors that have cost the Orioles countless runs and wins this season. The players. That’s fine, and it has seemingly been known throughout the fan base that Trembley, who does put an emphasis on the fundamentals, cannot be culpable for the boneheaded decisions that have troubled both veterans and rookies alike. We talked about this a bit in Exhibit B of Trembley on Trial last week, and I couldn’t really find Trembley all that responsible. The coaches are doing the best they can, and it can’t really be their fault that his players don’t know to run on a 3-2 count with 2 outs when they should have been doing that since little league. However, Juan Samuel’s recent comments about their players were beyond the pale and irresponsible on a team struggling to stay unified as it endures another painful late-season collapse. This team need to stay together, and ripping your team to the media is just childish and is an unusual move for a coaching staff so accustomed to speaking responsibly about their players.

A few comments of Samuel’s in particular rubbed me the wrong way. When discussing the baserunning errors, the Orioles 3rd base coach stated, “They are major league players, or at least we think some of them are. To me, some of them are not. Some of them to me have to be thankful that expansion came because some of them wouldn't be here.” Is that really the message you want to send your players? That they don’t deserve to be here and are only up in the majors because the team needs bodies? On a young losing team they need something positive from their coaches, an expression of confidence of some kind- barring that, they need their coaches to just shut up and deal with things behind closed doors. I think that those players like Felix Pie who are struggling with their confidence and their instincts would be much better served talking with the coaches than being sliced and diced in front of the media. How can Samuel expect this team to be taken seriously- to even be watched- when he admits they may not even deserve to be at this level? NFL coaches deal with it with the line “we are very happy with who we have.” Apparently Samuel didn’t want to look across the parking lot to see how Harbaugh handled it when he didn’t have Derrick Mason. Yes you want better players, but you don’t tell your players they don’t deserve to be at this level. He should know better than that.

But Samuel just kept burying his team. “That's why you see teams that are up here [in the standings] and teams that are down here, because they don't want to be accountable. It's always somebody else's [fault], and that's a problem.” He must not have been referring to Felix Pie, who took complete responsibility for two losses on this recent road trip. Pie, if nothing else, seems racked with guilt over his mistakes, which only hinders his ability to play loose later. Since the beginning of the season he has played like a man with a gun to his head, nervous, awkward and unable to relax enough to make smart decisions. He has no problem with accountability. Nor have I heard any player come out to the media and blame the coached for anything, at least not publicly. And even if they blame the coaches behind the scenes (which I strongly doubt), at least they aren’t trashing anyone publicly and dragging their character through the mud.

Trembley had a better rationale, discussing player development and the de-emphasis on baserunning in the minors in favor of flashy hitting. He still put the blame ultimately on the players, and who wouldn’t? They are on the field. But he and Samuel still drew a line in the sand between the coaches and the players, and targeted the same men they rely on to keep their job. If a player smears his coach to the media he is disrespectful and deserving of a fine or suspension. Coaches should be given more leeway, but this staff shouldn’t be going to the press to express their dislike for their players’ mistakes. These players have shown Trembley, Samuel, and the entire staff too much respect, patience, and understanding in the face of so much losing that perhaps they deserve a bit of the same from their coaches. They are on the same team… right?

[Quotes from Baltimore Sun]

Trembley On Trial

At the end of the season, Andy MacPhail will be the judge presiding over the fate of Dave Trembley, who is hoping to continue as manager of the Baltimore Orioles for at least another season. There have been a series of charges levied at Trembley this season, building steam for the upcoming verdict in the Fall. Here at ATH we have compiled the following list of accusations made against the Orioles skipper, and evaluated the evidence to see whether the ubiquitous “Fire Trembley” comments on neighboring blogs have any merit. The charge: Negligence and incompetence detrimental to the team. Here’s the evidence:

Exhibit A: He pulls his starters too early.
Not lately, since the bullpen is exhausted, but he has done this for much of the season, sometimes with disastrous results. Well, so does Jim Leyland. In fact, living in Michigan I have been able to see a lot of Leyland and his management style isn’t far off from Trembley- and I believe that Leyland is a fine manager overall. When to pull your starters is an issue, but a lot of it comes down to chance- some guys tend to keep their pitchers in there and they get shelled, others pull their starters and the relievers give it up. It depends on the composition of your team, and in the end I think it mostly balances out. At least Trembley’s way gives the starters a bit more rest, which will be important with a young staff. So yes, he might let the Red Sox come back in the 9th inning after building up a 5 run lead and your starter on cruise control before being yanked after 103 pitches, but I am not sure he can foresee the bullpen breaking down. I would say he is guilty of occasional poor judgment, but it’s hard to know for sure.

Exhibit B: His players show a tendency to turn singles into outs by trying in vain to get that extra base.
This has been really ugly. The Orioles get runners on and they run into outs, or hesitate at third when they need to go home, or just flat out don’t know how many outs there are to begin with. I cannot put a number on how many runs they have lost, and I shudder to think of how much closer to respectability this team might be without those mental lapses. Wasn’t Dave hired to bring strong fundamentals to this team? When he was brought on they talked about how only the Twins did the kind of fundamental drills that the Orioles were going to do under their new manager. We were told that he was going to win with smart baseball and a strong foundation. On that count, the opposite has been true. And it isn’t just the young players, either. Before he was traded, Aubrey Huff had gotten a penchant for thinking he was Carl Crawford, and Ty Wiggington was charging full steam into that double that just wasn’t going to happen. I wondered if they needed contacts to figure out that the ball was a lot closer to the bag than they thought it was. But what is Dave supposed to do? Emphasize it more? How do you practice that except in games? You aren’t supposed to see veteran players regress mentally- what does that say about the young players when they mature under Trembley’s leadership?

I honestly don’t know what to equate this to, and I am not sure it directly is connected to Trembley. But if not him, who else? The buck stops with Dave.

Exhibit C: This team is getting worse as the season has gone on, not better.
In fact, this might be the worst Orioles team in a long time right now, and that is saying something considering the teams we have seen over the last 12 years. Andy MacPhail said that he wanted to see improvement towards the end of the season- 8-24 since the All-Star break isn’t much of an improvement. But many of these games are close, ended by those boneheaded baserunning mistakes or a lack of clutch hitting (Melvin Mora is an inning-ending machine all by himself). The young pitching has been tough to watch to be sure, but shouldn’t these players be getting better? I mean, wasn’t Adam Eaton dropped for a reason, and Mark Hendrickson moved to the bullpen because there were better options? These are apparently it. While getting rid of George Sherrill was a huge blow, this team isn’t losing right now because of blown saves. While Aubrey Huff’s departure will hurt, he wasn’t exactly lighting it up and getting Luke Scott in the lineup more often might make this team better, not worse. However, this late-season swoon has happened like clockwork, so it may not matter who is managing this team, it just happens. But the right leadership keeps that from happening, the right leadership breaks losing patterns and creates a winner. This fanbase can’t just accept the swoon every year if they ever hope this team to be successful.

Closing Argument:
Dave Trembley is not a great manager. He looks like a manager, he talks like a manager, he acts like what people think a manager should act like. He has a presence that inspires confidence in a lot of fans and in his players as well, who have openly voiced their approval. There is other evidence against Trembley- his lack of playing experience, his lack of major league managerial experience, his losing record in the minors, and any number of other criticisms during his 2 ½ year stint here and before. But before we throw the man out, let’s ask ourselves, who will take over? There is no big-name manager who is willing to bank the next 3 years of his career on the potential of possibly winning while going up against the toughest division in baseball. No one the Orioles would want would be willing to do that. For all his faults, Trembley has shown a commitment to the franchise, and no one else is exactly waiting in the wings to take his spot.

Let’s also remember something about managers. They are not like head coaches in football, who can create new systems of play and wildly change a team, determining in many cases whether they fail or succeed (except Norv Turner, whose Chargers are a solid team despite him). Managers sort lineups, provide advice, decide who starts and sits, but at the end of the day baseball is baseball, and there is no wildcat or shotgun or spread offense to try out. You hit the ball and hope it drops, and cross the plate more times than the other guys. You could have any number of guys in as manager and maybe wins and losses will fluctuate by 5 or 10 but it won’t make a whole lot of difference. Managers are successful when they have good players and a good relationship with the team. Dave Trembley, for all of Melvin Mora’s grumbling, has a very good relationship with his players.

He’s not Tony LaRussa, Joe Torre, or even Lou Piniella, but he is worth another year. You’d be amazed the difference good players could make. Let’s see what he does when he has a decent team to work with.

"4M" News of the Weekend: Mora, Mason, Matusz, and More

What a weekend for Baltimore, wouldn't you say? Lots of Orioles news plus Derrick Mason returning all in the long weekend. Let's get to the news and my opinions on it:

Derrick Mason Unretires, Returns to the Ravens

Derrick Mason has returned to the Ravens after retiring after a few weeks ago. After he left the team, the front office tried out a number of wide receivers in hope of finding a temporary replacement, but after Drew Bennett's retirement the Ravens were short of options. But their #1 wide receiver has returned to training camp and will be playing for the Ravens again this season.

I'm not sure what happened to change Mason's mind or if he was serious about retiring in the first place. Maybe he wanted a new contract, maybe he was still upset about the recent murder of Steve McNair, or maybe he felt that it was his time to leave. But whatever the reason, he has returned and he is ready to play again. So I don't consider this to be a big deal, and with his great career and recent injuries, it would have been reasonable if he had retired. But he is back and that will ease some concerns at receiver.

But only some. Keep in mind that the talk around the draft and free agency was that the current pair was not enough for the Ravens offense. The wide receiver corps is still a problem, but at least now the Ravens have two reliable targets at receiver plus two good tight ends. And I still say trading for Brandon Marshall would be a huge mistake for the Ravens; some issues are not worth dealing with like that.

Melvin Mora Feels "Disrespected" by Dave Trembley

This was getting hot around the weekend, with Mora, the most senior Oriole who was benched for the third time in four games, saying that he feels "disrespected" by Trembley. Trembley says he is disappointed to hear that. Rumor is even going around that the Orioles may release him due to this.

Mora has been here nine years and has been a solid third baseman for most of the time. This season has been rough, hitting just .256 with just three home runs and 27 RBI in 79 games, his worst year since 2002 (.233, 19 HR, 64 RBI). He has only seven errors at third, which is about normal pace for him at third.

On the one hand, I understand that Mora is frustrated. It has been a tough year and he wants to play, and at 37, he may not have many years left. And he has done a lot for this organization in his time here, including nearly getting a batting title. On the other hand, Trembley is trying to win games plus prepare for the future. All signs point to Mora not returning next year, plus the fact that Ty Wigginton is doing pretty well right now. It is perfectly reasonable that Mora loses his spot at third, and although Trembley does not want to upset Mora, he needs to do his best to win right now.

I personally hope the Orioles do not release Mora. It would seem like a quick judgement based on recent events, plus it is unclear who in the short run would replace him.

Brian Matusz Called Up to Start Tuesday?

This comes as quite the surprise to many. In wake of Brad Bergeson's injury and another bad start by Jason Berken, the Orioles may send up their 2008 1st Round Pick Brian Matusz to the mound from the Bowie Baysox for Tuesday's start. Matsuz would be the second of the big three to come up; Chris Tillman is already with the Orioles and will have his second start today, while Jake Arrieta remains with the Norfolk Tides.

First off, Matsuz is tearing up his double-A competition. In eight starts he has a 7-0 record with a 1.55 ERA and 46 Ks to just 11 BB. No doubt he is ready to go up to the next level. Plus, chances are this is only a temporary move until the return of Bergeson, and because he is already on the 40-man roster his clock has already begun. The Orioles will not be worrying about options with Matsuz, as he will be in the orange and black permanently by next year.

But this still worries me to a degree. Normally it is not a good thing to rush a player up, and the Orioles especially have a bad history of rushing people too quickly. Jeff Fiorentino, Jim Hoey and Daniel Cabrera are prime examples. Brian Matsuz is a prospect the Orioles can not screw up with, as he is the most highly touted pitcher in the farm system. Why risk Matsuz when there are a few other players in triple-A that can go with no penalty? Players like Chris Waters and David Pauley would not be that solid in the majors based on their triple-A faring, but wouldn't they be safer options right now? The Orioles will not have Pauley or Waters as part of the future, but let's see if they can go with causing issues with the premier prospects.

I wish Matsuz well against Detroit, I just hope that this is not a mistake the Orioles will regret.

Other news:
--Darrius Heyward-Bey, former Maryland receiver and 7th overall pick by the Oakland Raiders, has signed five-year deal with $23.5 million guaranteed and a base salary of $38.5 million. (Facts courtesy of the Baltimore Sun)
--The trade deadline passed on Friday with no dealing from the Orioles after the Sherrill trade. George Sherrill has appeared in two games for the Dodgers, going 1.1 scoreless innings combined with three strikeouts and a walk with no hits.
--Michael Phelps earned five golds and a silver in Rome, continuing his dominance in swimming.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun (Matsuz), The Examiner (Mason)

Orioles Mid-Season Review

Well, we're at that time. The second half of the season is about to begin now that the All-Star game has come and gone (by the way, many congrats to Adam Jones for his go-ahead sac fly in the 8th inning), so before we move onward let's take a look back.

The first half of the season for the Orioles was marked by a confusing blend of stellar comebacks and inexplicable collapses, of youthful surprises and disappointments. Without a doubt the high point of the season thus far has to be the miraculous comeback against the Boston Red Sox, and the low point-- well, there are a few too many options for that one. Regardless, let's take a look at some of my team awards for the first half (and we'll throw in Expatriate and Falco's opinions for the heck of it).

MVP: Brad Bergesen (unanimous) - Without Brad Bergesen, this pitching rotation would have absolutely no stability. Bergesen didn't even start the season in the rotation, and despite the fact that his raw 'stuff' isn't dominant, he has the poise and guile of a veteran when he's on the mound. Unlike other rookies, Brad Bergesen knows how to make adjustments and because of that he's been able to rebound strongly from an early shaky stretch to become more and more dominant as the season's progressed. I thought last year that folks were underestimating Brad Bergesen when I wrote up my Prospect Report on him, but even I didn't see this coming.

LVP: Adam Eaton (Expatriate: Jeremy Guthrie, Falco: Rich Hill) - I don't see how this could be anyone but Adam Eaton. Adam Eaton only had one start that could be qualified as anything better than mediocre. Adam Eaton consistently put the Orioles in early deficits, destroyed the bullpen, and helped cement the Orioles position in last place very early on. Adam Eaton contributed nothing positive to this team, and so he was unequivocally the least valuable.

Rookie of the Year: Brad Bergesen (unanimous) - See above analysis on Brad Bergesen, nothing more needs to be said. Though I do give a quick shout to Nolan Reimold, who in almost any other year would be the deserving ROY for this team.

Gold Glover: Nick Markakis (Expatriate: Adam Jones, Falco: Nick Markakis) - While Nick Markakis doesn't always have the highlight reel catches, there is no greater model of consistency in right field that I can think of. Markakis very rarely takes bad routes to the ball as he reads them exceptionally well off the bat. Add onto that his ability to gun down runners (always at or near the top of MLB in assists), and he's the deserving gold glover. Not that he'll ever win one, because after all he's an Oriole. A quick mention though, that Robert Andino's play at short really has been fun to watch. I've been exceptionally impressed with his defense, though the award still easily goes to Markakis over Andino.

Most Surprising Player: Nolan Reimold (Expatriate: Oscar Salazar, Falco: Nolan Reimold) - Last year I did a Prospect Report on Nolan Reimold and I had the opportunity to watch him several times in person. His advancement from last year to this year has been one of the most astonishing transformations I've seen. His plate discipline has been exemplary, and while he's been slumping as of late, his ability to make adjustments is much improved. Nolan Reimold has come out and taken hold of the left field job, something that was doubtful at the start of the year. He's an emerging contender for ROY.

Most Disappointing Player: Jeremy Guthrie (unanimous) - Jeremy Guthrie was supposed to be, and needs to be, the ace on this team. He filled that role exceptionally well last year and his consistency indicated that he would do the same. Well, Guthrie is still scuffling along and it's still up in the air as to whether he'll get it back. He's been burned on some good pitches and he still has good stuff; we'll see how it plays out in the second half, but no doubt this is the one rotation struggle that O's fans didn't see coming.

Big Second Half: Nick Markakis (Falco and Expatriate: Aubrey Huff) - I'm bucking the trend of my colleagues here, but I have a strong feeling that Markakis will take off in the late summer, just as he has the past two years. Huff is a good bet, as he is a strong second half player. But just call it a hunch.

Drop Off in the Second Half: Luke Scott (Expatriate: Brad Bergesen, Falco: Luke Scott) - I love Luke Scott, but he is traditionally very streaky and I doubt that he can keep up this unreal pace. I understand the doubts about Brad Bergesen, but his ability to make adjustments and his positive momentum tells me he won't fall off all that much.

Grade for Dave Trembley: B (Expatriate: B-, Falco: B+) -He's kept this team together and he's managed the lineup as well as can be expected. His handling of young pitchers has also been superb, as shown by their successes this year. The only drawback is the continuing baserunning blunders which really comes back to the manager's responsibility.

Can Anything Be Done About the Rotation?

What we all believed would be the problem with the Orioles in the beginning of the season has come front and center. The starting rotation has been very bad lately, and there is no solution in sight.

Here is what the Opening Day rotation was, and where they are now:
--Jeremy Guthrie: still a starter, 6-8 record, 5.02 ERA (6.86 on the road)
--Koji Uehara: has not been bad when healthy, but often could not go longer than 6 innings a game and is always hurt
--Alfredo Simon: needed elbow surgery after two bad starts, out for the year
--Mark Hendrickson: relegated to the bullpen after many bad outings, but has become a decent long reliever
--Adam Eaton: released after posting an 8.56 ERA in eight starts, now playing for Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Rockies Triple-A club

And the rotation now:
--Jeremy Guthrie: 6-8 record, 5.02 ERA
--Brad Bergesen: a solid starter this season, 5-2 record with a 3.53 ERA, 4-0 in last eight starts
--Rich Hill: mostly bad outings with a few exceptions, 3-2 record with a 7.43 ERA, only twice going over 5.2 innings
--Jason Berken: may not be ready, 1-5 record with 6.25 ERA
--David Hernandez: only five starts but ok right now, 2-2 record with 4.15 ERA

It is no doubt that the rotation has been real problematic. Without Bergesen and solid work from the bullpen, the whole pitching staff could be lost. Certainly it was thought the rotation would struggle, but the difficulties with Guthrie and Uehara made things much worse.

But can anything really be done about it right now? As we often tell ourselves, the Orioles are not in contention right now. Not matter what deals can be done, the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays will likely be better. Signing a number of free agents likely will not help matters plus will cost millions of dollars. Trading also won't work, as you will not get anyone good and ready to go without giving up one of the big three, which is not an option, and Andy MacPhail will not do that.

The Orioles can keep tapping into Norfolk all they want, and that is what they will do. Already from the Tides came Bergesen, Berken, Hernandez, Radhames Liz, and Alberto Castillo from the pitching end plus Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold, Lou Montanez, and Oscar Salazar in the lineup. The Tides pitching staff has been real helpful to the Orioles, and they still have some people left, but eventually the Birds will need to stop bringing people up, if only because they will run out of them. Left that could help now are David Pauley and Chris Waters, but after that, the rotation will need to function on their own.

This whole situation is difficult for the Orioles, but it is one they will need to get through. Mainly because nothing really can be done about it unless the current pitchers can do better. Let's hope they do.

(Photo credit: AP)

Turnabout is Fair Play

As they said in the movie Coach Carter, "Not quite the storybook ending we hoped for."

Obviously this was not a fun loss. This is one of those losses that lingers for a few days. It is especially bad because it is the Red Sox; everyone wants to beat them, especially at home to win a series.

It is hard to place a lot of blame. You can't blame Dave Trembley for the ninth inning, as he was relying on the Orioles two best relievers to hold down a 4-run lead in the 9th. Jim Johnson can't be blamed, he gave up a home run on a good pitch to an All-Star hitter. George Sherrill may have been tired from the day before plus he did nearly get out of it.

It is even hard to blame the umpires. The last two home plate umpires were probably the worst strike zone callers ever for both the Orioles and the Red Sox. Tony "Rain Delay" Randazzo clearly wanted to go home quickly after the rain delay on Tuesday and on Wednesday Chris "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" Guccione wanted to end it quickly with a constantly moving strike zone. Both teams got terrible calls their way.

Basically though, with regard this series the Orioles will just need to move on. There is still plenty of time in the season and they need to move on. They have the Angels for a four-game series, and the O's normally don't do well against them. But the starting pitching for them is struggling, so they do have chances.

Jamie Walker Needs Another Chance

After giving up two home runs in Tuesday's loss to the Mariners, Jamie Walker's job in the bullpen could be in trouble. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports that Walker's time as an Oriole "may be numbered."

In the article Zrebiec quotes Dave Trembley as saying about Walker's future: "Obviously, I'd like things to be better; I'd like to see him be more effective against left-handed hitters. I'm aware of what's going on. Hopefully, it gets better."

Since he got here in 2007 from Detroit, his job has been to be a lefty-specialist, perhaps even be a setup man at times. His current line is not terrible, a 5.12 ERA with nine strikeouts and no walks. He has yet to earn a decision and has only blown one save. But opponents are batting .373 against him, and he has not been doing well in his job of getting out lefties. He was given another chance this season after struggling last year with injuries, and after starting well, he has done very poorly in the last four weeks.

But this is a little harsh to bring his way. No doubt Walker is struggling, and it is possible he is on his last legs at 38. But the Orioles will not be gaining much with losing Walker. No one will take him in a trade, and he won't go to the minors. Sure he isn't playing well, but he had a wonderful start to the season. Plus, another young arm would have to come up to replace him. The only person that could be brought up as a lefty specialist would be Alberto Castillo from Norfolk, but there is no telling that he will be any better. Chris Ray needs much more time and is not a lefty specialist, and no one else from the Tides would be a valid replacement. The only thing the team would gain by dropping Walker is salvaging a little bit of salary.

Obviously he needs to perform better or else the Orioles truly will need to release him, but for now, it is worth it to try to fix Walker's problems and keep him as an Orioles. Maybe he will be able to pitch better with more time from Matt Wieters. Maybe the pressure will get him to perform better. Give him the chance, for now.

(Photo credit: ESPN)

Reimold Rocks Blue Jays World

Normally leading eight to three against the Orioles is a sure thing win. After all, the Birds had never won a game this season when trailing into the eighth inning........until today.

The O's rallied back to tie the game at eight, and despite a home run by Aaron Hill in the 11th to give the Jays a 10-8 lead, Nolan Reimold capped off a second rally with a three run blast to win it for the O's 12-10, giving them their first three-game sweep of the season, coming against Cito Gaston's Blue Jays. Dave Trembley said this is a win he will remember for a long time.

Before this season started, Reimold was not expected to be a big part of the Orioles this season. The left field options were between returning Luke Scott, new acquisition Felix Pie, and Lou Montanez, who was the big contact hitter in Norfolk. But with injuries and/or lack of production from the above three, up comes Reimold after tearing up the Tides. He has not been a dominant player, but in just 13 games played he has hitting .265 with four home runs, including one dinger off Mariano Rivera.

It just goes to show that no matter what the situation, there is a place for those people that play well. Reimold in no way was expected to be an important part of the Orioles this season, but has likely earned a roster spot for a good while.

Another Baby Bird, David Hernandez, will take to the mound on Thursday. He'll be the second player from Norfolk to have their premiere this week, and third will be Matt Wieters on Friday. Should be a fun couple of days for Orioles fans.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

Free Kicks: Entirely Out of Place Wednesday Edition

When I sat down to write my piece for the middle of this week (Windsor had to cover for me yesterday), I couldn’t help but notice that I hadn’t written a true Free Kicks in a while. Additionally, with all the focus on the NFL Draft there were a host of stories that begged our attention. So, if you are not to aghast at moving things around, there were some thoughts I simply had to share. Let’s line up for the kick…

Freeling Unwanted
Sorry folks, I had to make that pun. When Ryan Freel was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in the Ramon Hernandez trade, I was just as excited as anyone to get Freel. His demeanor was supposed to maintain levity in the clubhouse a la Kevin Millar, provide a great utility option at a variety of positions, and give some veteran leadership to a young group. However, less than a month into the regular season, none of that has come to pass. Moreover, Freel is asking to get out of dodge, explaining that he doesn’t fit into the Orioles organization and isn’t happy with his role off the bench. Frankly, I don’t blame him for seeing it that way. Baltimore is stacked in the outfield, with Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Felix Pie as starters and Lou Montanez and Nolan Reimold tearing up the minors ready to take over for Pie at any point the young boom-bust project falters.

In that scenario, there is no room for Freel except as a utility guy, something he is suddenly unhappy with (compared to when he arrived here). I am not bitter, but I am a disappointed that Freel would do this so publicly after starting the season 2-15 and doing little to merit additional playing time. The O’s should try to work out a deal to get something for the versatile right-hander, but it won’t be much in this climate.

Grieving Vasquez
Most Terps fans met the news of Greivis Vasquez entering the NBA Draft with a shrug, and perhaps for good reason. Vasquez did not hire an agent, and may soon discover that he is not worth quite as much to the NBA as he would like, and would be very wise to stay another year with Maryland and make a run next season. He needs work on his ball distribution in running the point and generally needs to tighten up his game at the pro level- he won’t get away with a lot of his shots against professionals who won’t be duped by a simple step back jumper. To an NBA team, he is an incredible talent who needs time to develop- might as well do that development in the ACC.

And then there is the Lance Stevenson saga. Stevenson has been strongly linked with the Kansas Jayhawks over the last month or so, but that could change with CJ Henry bolting the Calipari-less Memphis squad for Lawrence. Lance wants to go one-and-done, and battling another (higher rated) top recruit for playing time can’t be that appealing. However, Stevenson has not expressed any additional interest in Maryland since Henry’s commitment to Kansas, so it is unlikely he will wind up a Terp. But if I had to choose between one year with Vasquez and one year with Stevenson, I will take the known commodity.

Was it a Balk? Does it Matter?
I don’t know if Jamie Walker’s pickoff throw to first was a balk or not- I have been traveling since Sunday and didn’t get to see it live. But honestly, it doesn’t make a difference to me whether it was or wasn’t. What was important was the reaction. Trembley’s emphatic defense of his pitcher was inspiring, and Walker’s defiance (and possible suspension) could help bring this team together. Sometimes in a season a team needs moments like these to rally around one another, get fired up, and take on that “us against the world” mentality. Seeing the manager get ejected always brings back memories of Earl Weaver for Orioles fans, but this move wasn’t just about the call. It was about giving a boost to a team whose energy was flagging after their hot start. I am a big fan of Dave Trembley, and he knows when to get upset. This was one of those times, and it could help jumpstart the club over the next few series.

Orioles Win Series Against Yankees, Looking For a Sweep

The Orioles have started their season off well, winning their first two games of the season against the hated New York Yankees at sit in first place in the AL East. Now they look to sweep the Evil Empire tomorrow night. Yes we all know this is only two games out of 162, but Baltimore sure is happy tonight. They have the chance to win their first three games for the first time in over a decade.

The two Baltimore starters, Jeremy Guthrie and Koji Uehara, both earned wins. Each game involved a destruction of the Yankee starter, either C.C Sabathia or Chien-Ming Wang. Neither lasted more than 4.1 innings and neither notched a strikeout. The O's bullpen has had its shaky moments, but in the end they have at least held to win each game.

But this team seems to have developed some character and an image. Some were wondering if the departure of Kevin Millar and the depression of last season would hurt the clubhouse. But this team seems to be having a good time. From Gregg Zaun learning some Japanese to help Uehara to Adam Jones smiling in the outfield to a strange Aubrey Huff catch, to Dave Trembley working well with the team, this team seems to be enjoying themselves and not being afraid of their opponents. This could be because of the winning, but it is a nice sight to see considering last season. The fans are also getting more into the game. Despite that it was clear a Yankees contingent was in Camden Yards, the park was clearly in the hands of the Orioles fans. The constant booing attack on Mark Teixeira has clearly bothered him during this series. All in all, this has the look of a different Orioles team.

But make no mistake, this season has just started. Guthrie and Uehara are Baltimore's most reliable starters, and the O's don't have anyone else that is proven in the long term. Starters like Alfredo Simon and Mark Hendrickson will need to be ready. The bullpen has held on in the end in both games, but if the back of the rotation does not hold up, then the bullpen will fall with it. The Orioles look good to start, let's hope they can continue the success.

Tomorrow Alfredo Simon gets the call against A.J. Burnett as the O's go for the sweep.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

After Sluggish Start, O's Offseason Surprisingly Successful

Congratulations Orioles fans, after a frustrating start to the offseason, things have certainly picked up. The long quiet after the Hernandez trade left many O’s fans feeling frustrated, as though Andy MacPhail was done and standing pat on a farm system that looked to have way too many young players pulled up before they were ready (particularly with Jeremy Guthrie being the only starting pitcher we were assured of having a starting role). Once again however, with the acquisitions since, Baltimoreans have been left surprised and should be very happy with what they see.

Despite having nothing of value to trade, the O’s managed to bring in former Cubs star prospect Rich Hill, who until recently was projected to become one of the better young pitchers in baseball. He will rejoin former coaches Rick Kranitz and Alan Dunn in attempting to regain his command, which had dropped to Daniel Cabrera-esque levels over last season and into the winter league. However, we at ATH won’t waste your time on stuff you can read on the Sun. We are here for analysis. This is a win-win situation. The Orioles, with the acquisitions of Hill, Dave Pauley, and Koji Uehara and the return of a healthy Matt Albers, Hayden Penn, and even Troy Patton (possibly), now have a glut of pitchers to take up those last starting spots. In fact, so many of them are in their last chance to make the major league roster before having to pass through waivers that this should be one incredible competition in Spring Training. The competition is wide open, and these arms will be fighting for all three spots. Who could have seen this coming back in December? These small moves might not seem like much at the moment, but taken together it looks as though MacPhail has made a series of low-risk, high reward chances on pitchers that might form out into a halfway decent rotation of young arms.

The situation amongst position players should be even more reassuring. No, they don’t have many star hitters, but what they lack in production they make up for in depth. The acquisition of Ty Wiggington and Felix Pie, along with Cesar Izturis and Ryan Freel earlier in the offseason, leaves the Orioles with a stacked bench of veteran talent and young potential. I don’t know where Wiggington will play, or if he will come off the bench and play a utility role, but I can see that Andy is taking the same approach with his position players as he is with his pitchers. He is trying to put as many decent players as he can in spring training to compete and see how it all shakes out. If Aubrey Huff struggles defensively at 1st, or if Melvin Mora’s age starts to show at 3rd, Wiggington will be able to take over there. In fact, even if Brian Roberts is traded (increasingly unlikely but possible), Wiggington could act as a short-term replacement there as well- and not as though the Orioles needed more outfielders, but he could go there too.

But this move could cause some anxiety in the club house, with Luke Scott wanting to start in left despite the acquisition of the talented former top prospect Felix Pie, and Aubrey Huff determined to start at 1st and respond to questions of his defensive capabilities. The Warehouse has put perhaps too many bodies in this competition, and it is possible that in this traditionally positive clubhouse, we could have some disgruntled players come April 1st. Luckily for Andy MacPhail, this will be Dave Trembley’s job to sort out. Hopefully Trembley will have the tools to forge a somewhat respectable club out of the pieces he’s been given.

Christmas Comes Early for Maryland Sports Figures

Even though the economy is down (understatement, I know, but bear with me), we here at ATH have a wealth of generosity in our hearts, and an overabundance of the giving spirit this time of year. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa (please comment if you celebrate Kwanzaa, I have yet to meet someone who does), you must agree that our Maryland sports figures are in need of gifts as much as anyone else. Here are some gifts we had in mind for our favorite (or least favorite) athletes, coaches, and executives…

Michael Phelps: Acting lessons for a year. Trust me Michael, or have you not seen that episode of Saturday Night Live yet?

Joe Flacco: Eyebrow trimmer/tweezers. Those things are out of control, and with his success this season he has to look good for those offseason interviews.

Ralph Friegen: A blindfold. That way, he won’t know whether the Terps are playing a good or a bad team that week. I know it isn’t on him, but I couldn’t very well give them to the players!

Nick Markakis: A contract extension. No joke here, get this man his extension before his price tag goes through the roof- the cost of this great player is only going up with time.

Cal Ripken Jr.: $398 million. That is the value of the Baltimore Orioles according to Forbes. Yes, Peter Angelos has given up some of his power to Andy MacPhail, but the man is still in charge and still has the final say over what this team does. Am I the only one who sees a time bomb ready to blow up this rebuilding project? Buy it, Cal.

Andy MacPhail: 2 starting pitchers. It is the least we can give him, though it might be tough just to get one.

Rex Ryan: A head coaching job. I want him to stay as badly as anyone, but if you need a motivator and a leader, this is your guy.

John Harbaugh: A candy cane. I know the offense seems to be reverting, but someone please tell coach it’s okay to smile sometimes, even to Ray. Maybe that’ll help him cheer up some.

Gary Williams: A big man. Braxton Dupree can’t seem to play his size, and in a wide open competition, no one else was able to set up. He needs a big man who can play up to his size and occasionally score.

Mark Teixeira: A Nationals uniform. Look, I don’t want him elsewhere in the division, and I am not sure that the money on him couldn’t be spent better elsewhere. Let him lose 90 games a year for 3 years, then opt out, then maybe sign with the O’s when they are good again.

Ed Reed: Defensive Player of the Year Award. Just give it to him already. Right now.

Dave Trembley: Position prospects in the minors. It won’t do him much good right now, but he’ll thank me later.

Daniel Cabrera: Nothing. I think Baltimore already gave him everything they could, including way too many chances to be successful.

Good luck shopping everyone!

Free Kicks

Whew, is it the evening already? Are there still sports to report? Not the Orioles at least. The Ravens are short a quarterback (or three), the Terps can’t decide what to do with their quarterbacks (though Jordan Steffy’s hand is helping clear that up), and Shun White is so good Navy might not even need a quarterback. Oh well, I guess the quarterback position is overrated. Or at least if you are a Maryland sports fan you should hope that’s true… You know, back in the 50’s even the quarterback would line up for the kick.

The Redskins are NOT Ready for Some Football
The Giants/Redskins opener to the NFL season was… disappointing. All of this 365 day a year coverage of the NFL and we get that on day one? I mean, everyone is always clamoring to cut the number of NFL preseason games, but with all that extra practice (Coach Zorn actually elected to play his starters into the 4th preseason game), Jason Campbell didn’t complete a pass until deep into the second half! Do you think the Giants are missing Michael Strahan much? If you watched that defensive line it didn’t look like it. This defense might be thin, but last night they looked absolutely dominant. It could be that Jim Zorn is still adjusting to being a head coach, it could be that the offense hasn’t had sufficient time to be installed, or maybe the Redskins are not that great after all. I know it’s only Week One, but the Redskins haven’t been consistently good since the 1980’s and without am emotional run over the last 6 games last year, they would not have even made the playoffs.

Are the Yankees Done?
Yes, let’s move on.

Choosing the Right Option
In the most predictable move of the Orioles offseason checklist, the front office has elected to exercise Dave Trembley’s option for 2009, adding an option for 2010. This is great news if you are an O’s fan, but was it too little? I mean, will we be having the same conversation next year? Things are likely to get worse before they get better, or at least that is what we signed up for. The job of a major league manager is about far more than in-game management. Rarely is a team a bad team because of the manager. The manager is more important in how he is able to relate to the players, connect with their needs and get them to play hard every day. He is essential for the morale of the club more than anything else- though Trembley’s emphasis on fundamental exercises has certainly helped the club more tangibly. Qualities like that are necessary for a losing ballclub like the O’s. If the front office believes in this man, they need to lock him up to a longer deal. After the Mazzilli and Perlozzo failures I understand the caution over a long term deal, but a 2 or 3 year guaranteed deal would have gone a long way with Trembley and the team. Still, in the meantime it was enough. I have questioned a good number of his moves, but he is too good a manager and too good a man not to be retained. He deserves a trip to the postseason one day, and I hope the O’s can give that to him.

Thinking Outside the Pocket
Has it ever occurred to Ralph Friegen that perhaps there isn’t one quarterback who can do everything? I mean, Jordan Steffy is great in practice but an emotional mess in games. Chris Turner can win when the odds are against him but not when he is handed a cupcake opponent. We keep being told that Josh Portis can’t seem to grasp the offense but is such a great athlete (I recommend just have someone next to him with the call and he will instinctively cheat off their paper). Why doesn’t Ralph rotate QB’s according to the situation? I mean, clearly the offense isn’t working that well so who cares whether Josh can completely understand it? Put Steffy in to protect a lead, put Turner in when you are down, and put Portis in when you need to keep that drive going and change the pace. With Virginia Tech doing it successfully last year and countless other college programs breaking the old adage that “If you have more than one quarterback you don’t have any quarterbacks,” why can’t Maryland? We constantly hear that none of these quarterbacks have come out and taken the job. Fine, don’t let any one of them have it.

Star Treatment

Let me set the scene for you in case you didn’t get to see the game last night. It is the bottom of the 8th, and the Orioles lead the Yankees, 6-1. Daniel Cabrera is cruising through the game, and Bobby Abreu is at the plate. Abreu lines to right field, bouncing to Nick Markakis as he launches a rocket to Juan Castro covering second base. Castro tags Abreu out as he attempts to slide into seond, but is called safe. It was a close play, I will admit that much. However, the umpire was in perfect position to see the Orioles shortstop apply the tag to Abreu’s back. Nevertheless, I take a deep breath and await the next pitch, this time to Alex Rodriguez.

“Plunk.” Rodriguez is hit in the shoulder and takes a long walk around the backstop, milking his time for all it’s worth. At first I wondered whether it was retaliation, but for what? Either way I expected nothing more than a bench warning. I watch Daniel Cabrera suddenly stare open-mouthed at the umpire behind home plate- he has been tossed from the game. He raises his arms in genuine disbelief as Dave Trembley comes out on the obligatory argument.

Cabrera is known as one of the wildest pitchers in the major leagues. He regularly ranks among the top of the majors in walks and hit batters as Joe Angel indicated, and had made close to 100 pitches in the game by this point. If you don’t expect Cabrera to make a bad pitch, then you don’t know your pitchers. And clearly they must, as the strike zone seems to shrink when the umpire sees Cabrera step up to the mound. There was no warning, not hesitation, no angry rant before tossing Cabrera from the game. The moment A-Rod was plunked, Cabrera was gone.

And for what? Retaliation? So what if Rodriguez had fired a home run at this previous at bat? The Orioles were leading by 5 runs; there was no sense in making things interesting by adding another batter. Did the umpire think that Cabrera was trying to send the Yankees a message? Look, if A-Rod can put up with divorce, Madonna, and the crippling paralysis he endures every October, he can certainly handle a wild pitch. Moreover, this is not Trembley’s style. He wants to win- he would never risk a game by hitting batters. I have seen the O’s get banged up by wild or vindictive pitchers and managers, but I have never once seen Trembley go after them in response. He believes in the purity of the game. He would gladly take his bases and not give them back to the opposition.

It is no secret that the calls get fewer and farther between when you are playing the Yankees. It is what we in Maryland experience whenever the Terps travel to Cameron Indoor, or when the Patriots visit the Ravens (I still get chills from last year’s stolen win).

What followed this travesty in judgment? Jim Johnson was forced in early without having warmed up, and quickly loaded the bases and allowed two more runs to score, aided in no small part by Adam Jones’ fielding mistake. A bad call or a rash decision can have a tremendous impact on a baseball game. The down time allowed between plays allows tension and distraction to sink in; it is incredibly difficult to keep your focus through the long pauses between pitches. Sure enough, in the 9th inning Sherrill continued the team’s implosion, allowing a walk, single, and double, struck out A-Rod, allowed a two-run single before striking out the last two batters to end the game.

Not only was Cabrera forced to exit a game he could have completed, he was charged with two more runs to ruin one of his only strong performances of the last two months. The Orioles were compelled to use up their two best relievers in Johnson and George Sherrill in a game that should have been over at that point.

After Cabrera was ejected I sat down to start writing this post and I heard something on the radio behind me. “…and it doesn’t look like the Orioles will get the call.” Don’t hold your breath.

(AP Photo)

Off-Day Musings

With the O's (save for Georgie) taking a much-needed break, this gives an opportunity to settle on a couple topics.

Radhames and the Rotation -- Expatriate has already addressed this issue but I feel it warrants some additional consideration. As of right now it would not be feasible to send Liz down to the minors, because let's face it, who would replace him? Not Hayden Penn, who even when not on the DL has had inferior numbers at AAA. Certainly not one of our hot Double-A starting pitchers such as Brad Bergesen or David Hernandez; Bergesen started the year at Frederick and although he has torn through Double-A he hasn't proven it for nearly long enough, and David Hernandez is brilliant but raw just as Liz was/is last year/this year. By sending Liz to the minors and bringing up a Hernandez or a Bergesen we ask for the EXACT SAME problem to develop as it becomes evident that we've rushed yet another promising prospect. And the final option (other than Trachsel-esque FA pitcher or a trade) would be to use Jim Johnson, but that would make the now legendary Albers hole in the 'pen pale by comparison.

In the end, we need to let the young guy work it out. Stick him as the fifth starter, skip his spot occasionally to keep the other starters on normal rest, easing some pressure. Let Kranny work with Liz and get things figured out. Remember -- he has the arsenal of pitches to be very successful - Plus fastball in both movement and velocity, along with an improving slider and change-up. Radhames is the best option we have, and he deserves nothing less than the utmost patience, because he's giving it everything he has.


Keeping Perspective -- Just a short blurb here, guys. Everyone remember where this season began? What the expectations were? This has been a fantastic first half, especially considering the cards that this team has been dealt. Trembley has shown that he can handle a delicate balance of veterans and youth, and although he's had some managerial growing pains with handling starters deep in ballgames, the overall bullpen management has been far better than his predecessors. People know where they stand, know their role, and he sets the right tone. Hopefully the team can stay competetive in the second half-- if the team stays competitive down the stretch, a certain free agent (TEX TEX TEX) might be more inclined... Although now, I might be losing perspective.

(Photo Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)