Being cheated out of a win was simple for Simon
The Red Sox won tonight, so the Yankees are eliminated.
I figured you might need cheering up.
As manager Dave Trembley approached the mound in the eighth inning to remove Alfredo Simon, second baseman Brian Roberts rushed over to give the right-hander a pat on the back. First baseman Kevin Millar also made sure to intercept Simon as he passed by and offer congratulations on a job well done.
Then Simon sat in the dugout and watched Jamie Walker give up the lead.
I can't wait to hear what Simon says.
Actually, none of us are sure that he speaks English. He hasn't exactly been inundated with interview requests.
I didn't expect Walker to stick around for four batters. But I also didn't expect Simon to give the Orioles 7 2/3 innings. Or not walk a single batter.
I also don't expect Walker to be an Oriole next season, but I've been wrong enough times that I won't guarantee anything besides my distaste for late-September doubleheaders.
Orioles magic, feel it happen!
Roch--And don't you have a bad taste in your mouth for how this win was taken away from Alfredo Simon?
No Daniel Cabrera and Jamie Walker next season. Make it happen, Andy.
I was watching the radar gun when Walker was pitching. 85 was his high with a few "fastballs" at 82-83. Thats the speed of some guys changeup. Either he's hurt or he's lost it.
Well, can we have Cintron drive him out of town?
Time for Trembley to bench himself for the next game... we look directionless, heartless, and hopeless. So far from the positives we saw early in the year! My hopes of consistent progress, a good set of maneuvers in July, and a respectable final two months were obliterated. We have really tossed a number of games out the window-- Perlozzo style. The management has not been big leagues lately. The post games rants are fine, but that's talking not managing. Respect the game and own up to this bullpen fiasco tonight. Don't put it on Jaime, he hasn't gotten anyone out all season long.
JAMIE WALKER, you are therefore sent to Hell!
That was from the Man upstairs. Make it happen, Andy.
Simon pitched actually better than I thought he would do. He pitched like a major league pitcher. Better than any of our "confident" pitchers (Yeah, I'm talking to you Olson!) and strike challenged pitchers (Cabrera, and everybody else).
This off season will be very interesting, to say the least. Andy MacPhail better make the right decisions or he'll face the wrath of the people.
I'm telling you Roch, I was initially a big suporter of Trembley, but his mishandling of the bullpen and simply being a push-button manager has greatly diminished my hopes for him. He is no different than Perlozzo. Someone needs to nail his shoes to the dugout floor. Our bullpen stinks. What makes him think they can do any better than the starter. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Time for Trembley to take a trip to the asylum. He's really peein' me off!!
The team looks tired. Simon was dominating though. Too bad. Trembley should have let Walker finish the game regardless whether his ERA blows up to 10.
Once again we see respect the game,Trembly style.Simon goes 7 2/3 innings,still has a 2 run lead.Okay,if you really think hes had,though Longoria is their cleanup guy and lately their best hr hitter-why Walker-He has been horrible.A pinch hitter was a given-all the regulars were on the bench.And after not only the 1st batter,but the 2nd,he still left him in.Your rested closer can't go 4 outs?
And didn't we waste our best hitters more than once with 1 out and runners on first and 2nd? Nick and Aubry.Yeah,talk about respecting the game.......
So, did Trembley say why Walker was not yanked after failing to get the first guy he faced. It's September, he should have a lot of guys down there. Why risk putting Walker in that situation given the year he has had?
No, Jared. Oriole TRAGIC, feel it happen!
After the game Gary Thorne talked about the Rays' "amazing comeback victory." Wrong, Gary, there was nothing amazing about it at all: Dave Trembley brought in Jamie Walker to pitch with the game on the line, for crying out loud! (No offense to Jamie, who's not been pitching up to his ability this season.) No THAT'S amazing!
It will be interesting to see whether Dave cowboys up in his postgame press conference and admits he gifted wrapped this win for Tampa Bay or whether he'll try to find some ridiculous way to excuse his manangerial ineptitude.
Honestly, I thought there was no way he could do worse than last night's lifting of Brian Bass in the middle of a no hitter, but he proved me wrong. Boy, did he!
I can see him taking out Alfredo Simon, who looked to be tiring finally after seven brilliant innings, but bringing in Jamie in a save situation? Jamie?! Better to leave Simon out there needing only one out to get out of the inning.
Granted the bases were empty when Trembley called for Walker, but so what?! It's Jamie, who has struggled all year and who should only be used in mop up roles, NOT when the game's on the line. Anybody who knows even a little about baseball should be able to see that, much less a major league manager!
What, George Sherrill can't go an inning and a third? Come on, let's get real. (But even if one opts for holding back Sherrill for the ninth, it's not like Walker's the only guy in the bullpen.)
One of the things the skipper's said from Day One was that it's up to him to use the talent he has on the roster in a way that gives the team the best chance to win. No one reading this (including you, Roch) can make a credible case that Walker was the Orioles' best option in that situation, and our inability to make that case makes Trembley's move all the more disturbing.
I say disturbing because Andy MacPhail extended his contract. Trembley has done a lot right with the club, particularly getting it to prepare for games and play hard, reestablishing a bit of the old Oriole Way. Yet the more I've watched the season unfold, the less I've liked his in game decisions. There are just too many moves like tonight's that makes me wonder if he isn't better suited to be a bench coach. I know that sounds harsh, but look at the results. This is a game that the home team should have won. (Mightn't the Rays still have rallied had someone else been brought in to pitch? Yes, but that's not he issue, it's whether bringing in a very hittable reliever against a good hitting team is the right thing to do in such spot, and the answer is an emphatic "No!"
Trembley in essence flushed Alfredo's fine start right down the commode with a move that defies all logic, UNLESS he's been told by the front office to come up with ways to lose all the remaining games to help the O's get a higher draft pick next year. That's the only thing that would make any sense for such a "doomed for failure" move.
If that's the case, then I need to make a profuse apology to Dave for my critical remarks here, as he's excuting the plan exceedingly well! Rather, I should be writing: Bravo, Captain Kirk! Bravo!
jamie walker = mike dejean
Roch,
As a loyal reader, I'm making a plea: Let's start talking about the 2009 Orioles preview. Dealing in the present is too arduous. How about some Roch-ish speculation on the 2009 lineup? Free agent targets? Jamie Walker may be gone, OK. Who else is outsky?