Now it's your turn
Now that I've rushed my daughter and her friends off to school again today, I have a few minutes to file a quick blog entry, throw some clothes in a bag and grab every suit I own - at last count, that was two - and head to the warehouse to shoot the MASN commercial that I mentioned yesterday.
With all the wardrobe changes, it'll look like I'm hosting the Academy Awards.
I won't be within reach of my laptop for parts of the day, but I'll try to check in as often as possible. In the meantime, since the Orioles are having so much trouble crafting a workable rotation, maybe they're willing to take suggestions.
Here's the challenge: Give me five starters that you want to keep running out there through the end of the season. And it's OK if you're a proponent of a six-man rotation, since manager Dave Trembley indicated that he could go in that direction next month.
Heck, feel free to suggest a four-man rotation. Nothing wrong with going old school. Just don't include McNally, Palmer, Cuellar and Dobson.
The Orioles aren't going to call up Chris Tillman, but you can. Just don't try the impossible and make Hayden Penn healthy. You have a better chance of activating McNally, Palmer, Cuellar and Dobson.
Meanwhile, an early heads-up: OriolesREACH and second baseman Brian Roberts are hosting the third annual Brian's Baseball Bash fundraising event benefiting the University of Maryland Hospital for Children at the ESPN Zone in the Inner-Harbor on Sunday, Sept. 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Fans are invited to join Roberts and other Orioles players. There will be games, silent auctions, giveaways and a chance to add to your autograph collection.
"When I began my relationship with the hospital it was on a very personal basis, and this event has enabled me to be involved on a much greater level," Roberts said in a statement. "This is something that is close to my heart and I enjoy being around kids, and to combine the two is amazing. To be a part of it is both humbling and inspiring."
I've written and said it many times, but I don't mind repeating myself: Roberts is one of the truly good guys in baseball.
Last year's event raised more than $200,000 for UMHC. Tickets cost $200 for adults and $150 for children ages 12 and under. To purchase tickets or for sponsorship opportunities, call 410-328-6064.
6-man rotation for September
Guthrie
Cabrera
Waters
Liz
Bergesen
David Hernandez
I say bring up all the Norfolk pitchers when their season is over and use them along with Guthrie. Notice how all the Pre-andy McPhail O's pitching prospects cant pitch in the bigs? Use them for trade fodder(including Benetez,Julio er a... I mean Cabrera)and wait for Andy's troops to be ready sometime in 2009.
Guthrie
Waters
Liz
Bergesen
Cabrera (if any chance he's hurt, go with Hernandez)
After last night's game I'm not sure that I would show up for another Burres start this season. I feel bad for him, but it was pretty obvious watching him that he hasn't figured out what's wrong.
Since my seats are on the 3rd base side, I want to throw a little love at Huffy for some of those plays he made last night. In general the game wasn't much fun to watch, but Aubrey hustled and made some really nice grabs to add a couple positives to the game, at least for me.
Brian's Bash: Great Fun. Great Cause. Great Guy. Enough said, everyone should buy a ticket and go!
(this is assuming Cabrera is shut down for the season due to an injury)
Jeremy Guthrie (10-10, 3.28 in Baltimore)
Brad Bergesen (15-5 3.11 at Bowie)
Jason Berken (12-3, 3.37 at Bowie)
Andy Mitchell (12-7, 4.14 at Norfolk)
Chris Waters (2-1, 4.71 in Baltimore)
I was tempted to put Jim Johnson in the rotation, but that would leave a gaping hole at the back end of the bullpen. If Chris Ray were in the mix and effective, I'd give Johnson a start or three.
In the absence of that scenariom let's see what the kids can do. I'm sick of seeing the same old crap called up and sent down: Burres, Olson and Liz. Liz needs to be developed as a reliever. Burres is a middle reliever. Olson has no confidence in his stuff. If he can't get that, he'll never succeed.
If we are truly rebuilding, it's time to showcase some of this young talent and see what we really have. However, I'd shut down the youngest guys: Tillman, Erbe, Arrieta, etc. They won't be in Baltimore for a couple more years, so let them rest those arms.
Guthrie is the only sure thing. I think Liz has to be in there; his stuff is just too good not to give him some innings. Cabrera will be in by default. I like what I've seen from Waters (not long term though). I would go with:
Guthrie
Cabrera
Liz
Waters
Bergesen
Talk about a big night from the prospects... Riemold hits two homers while Tillman dominates the Yankees AA team. Erbe and Rowell look like they've turned the corner and are starting to light up the Carolina league while Snyder has come back from his injury to continue his hot streak. and boy is it nice to finally have a decent SS prospect in the organization.
anyway, my rotation for the rest of the year would be Guthrie, Cabrera, Waters, Liz & Olson. Put Burress in the pen as the long man and give him the first chance to start if one of the other guys falls apart. maybe bring up Bergessen, Berken and Hernandez once the Eastern League playoffs are done but put them in the pen and let them get a few innings with out the pressure of starting.
Can we bring up Wieters as a starter? It may be the only way Trembley will bring him up.
Guthrie
Tillman
Waters
Wieters
Bergesen
Hernandez
Six-Man Rotation:
Guthrie
Cabrera
Waters
Bergesen
Hernandez
Olson
Rotation
Guthrie
Palmer
Markakis
Jim Johnson
Waters
Bullpen
D. Cabrera - Long
Olson - Lefty#2/Long
Randor Bierd - Mid
F. Cabrera - Chad Bradford role
Alberto Castillo - Loogy
Dennis Sarfate - SU
Liz - Closer
How many times do I have to suggest my rotation for Andy MacPhail to take notice?
Here is my 6 man rotation:
1. Jeremy Guthrie
2. Bradley Bergesen
3. Jason Berken
4. Radhames Liz
5. David Hernandez
6. Daniel Cabrera (if he's hurt, then Andy Mitchell)
I wouldn't call up Arrieta, Tillman, all these young kids, and they're right in doing that, at least, for once. But Bergesen, Hernandez, and Berken have to be called up after Bowie's season ends or the playoffs, whichever comes first. I'm sick and tired of repeatedly saying the same thing, and here I go again.
I don't want to see Brian Burres, Olson, Liz, all these starters we continue to shuffle up and down like a yo-yo, all the while knowing that they cannot pitch at all! I mean, Brian Burres last night fired these pitches into the middle of the plate like he was aiming darts. He cannot do that with a weak 86-90 mph fastball, and a curve and slider that just comes into the righthanders' happy zones, which is what happened last night.
Come on, Front Office, show us something new and different like the Bowie rotation. Pretty please with cake on top.
You know, I can't even say who'd I move into the rotation for the rest of the year. I know my job would be in jeopardy trying to be patient w/these guys who just won't throw the ball over the plate. One thing I do know is Cabrera is the person they put out there every fifth day and he may be the worst of the bunch. I'm all for trading him away for NOTHING! The only bad thing about sending him to the minors now would be we'd buy an extra year service time which we did in the past and I can't fathom watching him for 8 years in an Orioles uniform.
I don't think it's realistic to think they are going to bring up young guys who are not on the 40-man roster. Doing so wastes an option on guys who probably won't be ready to be in the majors next year. So, I think Peter is the only one so far with a realistic rotation. Tillman isn't getting called up this year folks. If you think otherwise, you don't get it.
Instead of my rotation picks for the O's, I'm listing my picks for other ads I want Roch to do after he finishes his MASN spot:
1. The Money Store. I don't live in Balto anymore, but I'm hoping Jim Palmer isn't still their pitchman.
2. Gebco Insurance. Scenario: Roch locks his keys in his car, calls Gebco, and says, "I need insurance!" Then he kicks it with the Go Gebco dancers.
3. Roch could be the one white guy in the Mr. Ray's Hair Weave commercial. He'd have to grow out his mullet first, of course.
4. Kim's Karate. Roch smashes something with his head--possibly his car window, as he has locked his keys in his car again, leading to a tie-in to his Gebco commercial.
5. Roch stands on the courthouse step, arms raised in victory alongside Stephen L. Miles. They shout in unison, "There's no fee, unless we ROCH!!!!"
I have a season long bet going that the Orioles will win less than 65 games. That being said, my suggestion for the rotation is as follows:
Cabrera
Cabrera
Cabrera
Cabrera
Cabrera
I don't care who they are as long as NO PITHER ON A TEAM IN THE PLAYOFFS IS RECALLED UNTIL THEIR SEASON IS OVER. It is really important for these guys to have that experience. That gives them a taste that they won't get pitching in Baltimore in September. They need to learn how to win together so when they do make the big club they expect to win and not loose.
Guthrie
Waters
Liz
Olson
Bergeson
When (not if) one of them falters in a start, we'd have two "long-men" in the bullpen that can knock off 3-5 innings at a time (Buress and Sarfate). Activate Ray and Aquino, and they can eat some innings at the back end of the bullpen too.
We need to let kids like Waters, Liz and Olson just pitch through whatever their problems are, regardless of the results. At this stage of the season, getting experience pitching to MLB hitters when nothing real is on the line has big value.
Shut down Cabrera, regardless of whether he's hurt. Nothing good can come of running a "veteran" like him out there with the stuff he's shown since the All Star break. Hopefully he can get his head on straight by spring training.
GOOD for Brian Roberts!!!! A very noble endeavor.
I am having deja vue or is it really late Aug '07?
My 5 man staff.....
1)Guthrie
2)Cabrera (if healthy)
3)Waters
4)any leftover hurricane remnants
5)ditto
Roch, I don’t have a set 5 or 6, but you have to go with Guthrie, of course, and Waters who, while he’s probably not a long-term solution, has shown more in his short time here than many of the more highly regarded young pitchers have (two quality starts within recent memory). It’s easy to justify seeing more of him considering what we’re seeing from others. I guess if I were pressed for 3 more, I‘d go with an injury-free Cabrera, Liz, and perhaps Bergesen, but wouldn’t be disappointed with anyone not named Burres.
It’s unfortunate that we’re in August and yet again we have major questions about our pitching staff. Since it’s a rebuilding period, I suppose this is to be expected, though I think most of us were hoping that there would be some progress and perhaps one or two of the young starting pitchers would’ve emerged and been on the right path. Daniel Cabrera has been his usual frustrating self—just when you thought he was improving, he got worse—and we’ve lost Adam Loewen as a pitcher for good. We’ve seen enough of Olson, Liz, and Burres to not wonder where they fit in but to question whether or not they will ever succeed in the majors.
So, it looks like next year, we’ll be heading into the season with some of the same questions as next season. Who will start for the O’s in 2009? This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a team that’s rebuilding; in fact, this is one of the hurdles you have to expect and have to be patient about. If you’re expecting the team to go out and sign someone like Mark Teixeira during the offseason, though, this is bad news. Regardless of where Teixeira comes from, how can you convince one of the best free agents available to sign here when you’ve finished in last place, have 11 consecutive losing seasons, and don’t have anything near a starting rotation? Teixeira’s bat would be a benefit, of course, but the team goes nowhere without pitching no matter who’s in the lineup. And it’s not that we’re just counting on some pitchers to go from being below average to average or average to better. Rather, we’re not even sure we have any major league starting pitchers beyond Guthrie. It’s a bad spot to be in to try and convince the best players to come aboard.
OK everyone here clearly is forgetting the lack of flexibility on the 40-man roster and the risk the Orioles run by having to move others off of it.
My proposed rotation:
1. Guthrie
2. Cabrera (pending exam)
3. Waters
4. Olson
5. Burres
6. Liz
The way I look at it, only one of Waters, Olson, and Burres should stick in next year's rotation, and since they are so similar we need to see who's best of the three. This rotation would admittedly not be pretty.
Also, should Cabrera go down, I'd like to see Penn get a shot (given that he's healthy too).
All of that being said, if there's a way to get Scott Moore, Eider Torres, and/or Fredy Deza off the roster, I'd be in favor of adding Bergesen, Hernandez, or Berken (in that order) for a couple spot starts. It's obvious that roster adjustments need to be made at some point in the offseason to accommodate all the returning players from the 60-day DL and to add starters for 2009.
Rotation until end of season:
Guthrie
Olson
Waters
Liz
Bergesen
Hernandez
Please, please no more Burres. I've seen more movement from a chronically constipated octagenarian.
Hmmm rotation... ok
1. Guthrie
2. Mitchell
3. Berken/ Bergeson
4. Guthrie..if there is a day off following a 3 game series/ Waters if there isn't.
I actually believe that Guthrie could pull that off!
The rest of the season is a wash. Guys who have been successful in the minors but struggled in the pros should continue to get a chance no matter how dreadful they have been...lets hope they are working through growing pains???
1 - Guthrie
2 - Liz
3- Olson
4 - Cabrera
5 - Waters
Guthrie
Bergesen
Hernandez
Arrietta
Liz
Roch, et al, you're dreaming. I did too until I checked the best pitchers at AA and AAA. I saw the best were Waters, Burres, Liz, and Olsen. Maybe we could also try a semi-successful reliefer like... Sarfate. Everyone should realize that we have tried the best we have down there currently and they simply haven't worked. I agree Bergesen deserves a try but he has been outpitched by the aforementioned horror brigade (except for W-L record).
Guthrie
Cabrera
Waters
Liz
Olson
Don't players called up in September have to be on the 40 man roster? I would bring up Salazar, Fahey, Mickolio, and McCrory. Aquino and Jones will also be back. Maybe Ray too.
If Cabrera is truly hurt, add Andy Mitchell to the 40 man roster. I think the Bowie pitchers will get enough work in their playoffs.
I think that everyone agrees that after Guthrie the rotation is a crapshoot. But has there been any thought of moving Liz to Bullpen especially while Sherril was/is hurt. A lot of scouts projected him as more of a late innings guy anyway. Wouldn't this have been a perfect opportunity to test this. If they want to try him back in the rotation next year, they would still be able to do that.
Roch,
4 man starting rotation:
Guthrie
Waters
Cabera
Liz
#5 Start goes to the bullpen by committee
1,2 innings Bierd
3,4,5 Sarfate
6,7 Hernandez
8,9 Johnson
Random thoughts about last night's game:
Why have the exageerated shift on for Griffey? He's leading off and you are already down a few runs. The guy can still pop the ball every now and then but with the open infield gaps you invited what happened. Miscue to the manager.
Roch,
4 man starting rotation:
Guthrie
Waters
Cabera
Liz
#5 Start goes to the bullpen by committee
1,2 innings Bierd
3,4,5 Sarfate
6,7 Hernandez
8,9 Johnson
Random thoughts about last night's game:
Why have the shift on for Griffey? He's leading off and you are already down a few runs. The guy can still pop the ball every now and then but with the open infield gaps you invited what happened. Miscue to the manager.
All the more reason why the first priority in the off-season should be in signing Brian Roberts to a three year/$30 million extension. If that does not do it, I would go as high as $35 million. He's one of the best at what he does . . . . leadoff hitter, defensive 2nd baseman, and basestealer. Signing him in October or early November sends the message to Texiera and others that we are serious about rebuilding quickly.
As for the pitchers, here is what I would like to see once the Eastern league playoffs are concluded. Guthrie, Bergesen, Waters, and a choice between Cabrera or Liz and Hernandez or Bergen. I understand there would need to be some shifting in the 40 man roster to get Bergeson and Hernandez/Bergen here.
TWA said:
I agree Bergesen deserves a try but he has been out-pitched by the aforementioned horror brigade (except for W-L record).
----------------
Perhaps, he has been out-pitched by the "horror brigade" but he has the wins, the impeccable control, and the makeup. I think I would prefer these traits better than having somebody out-pitch me.
Practice this line repeatedly:
Hey kids, get off that couch, are you trying to RUIN IT?
Hello this is a test
I agree with the last few posts... do nothing. Relax-- we don't have the ammunition to compete so please reframe your goals. See what pitchers may have a role for next year. If they get tagged, so be it. We don't currently have major league pitchers, but they are clearly working over AAA batters. Why continue the present merry-go-round? What purpose does it serve besides making them insecure about every bad outing? It was foolish to send Olson back down, for example. He needs to feel comfortable giving up a moonshot every once in a while. It happens. SHould we bring up our AA guys who have 3+ ERAs when the guys who had less than 1.00 ERAs get shelled?
Time to put in in perspective-- the offense made great strides and the defense and pitching seemed to have stalled out. This is alarming as I'm sure everyone thought at least 3 rotation spots would sort themselves out by this point. THe Birds showed fire this year, but I don't know if I would call it a "successful" year with the present pitching woes. I think the move to JJ in the rotation could have made a difference, but we would still be inadequate. I love the upcoming pitching but they haven't proved anything at the ML level. Outlook: cautiously optimistic...
My two cents worth....
1) Guthrie
2) Bergesen
3) Liz
4) The Jim Johnson experiment (it's the end of the season, what the hey)
5) Waters
...and no matter how bad they get shelled, they pitch at least 5 innings every start, a little tough love never hurt anyone.
Guthrie, Matusz, Tillman, Hernandez, Bergesen .............
In 2010.
So Peter Angelos: give Andy time and money.
Until 2010 be cautious with the young guns.
So, finish the year with Guthrie, Waters, Olson, Johnson and Steve Trachsel(!)
Get Liz to close, Sherrill to set up, Walker on the shelf to have him fresh after 08 and get veterans out of the minors to fill the pen.
9 man rotation since 8 of them are only good for four innings.
1. Guthrie
2. Olsen/Sarfate
3. Cabrera/Burres
4. Waters/Liz
5. Cormier/Traschel(i'm certain he's not doing anything better)
Hell I'd just like to see Trembley let the starters go at least 5. I don't care if they let up 5 runs already. Too many time I have seen Trembley come get a kid out in the 5th inning with 1 out and a couple guys on. they made the mess. See if they can get themselves out of it.
I'd also like to see the guys in the minors go at least 7 innings. I keep seeing Tillman taken out after 6. We do not need a 6 inning starter. They should all be trying to go 9 every game. Not a max of 6.
Guth
Rock head [DC]
Leeeeeez
Andy Mitchell