MacPhail: "A remarkable year in the minors"
Andy MacPhail, the Orioles president of baseball operations, has been in the game over 30 years. He's helped improve the farm systems for three Major League teams.
But he says he's never seen a minor league system have a year quite like the 2009 Orioles organization is having.
"It's been a remarkable year, I haven't had anything like it in my entire baseball career. We've had everything going. Individuals performing very well, teams performing very well, players that get promoted to the Majors performing very well. You seldom get that kind of result.
"It's early yet, we are in June, but right now it's been remarkable. Best I've ever been through in my career in terms of uniformity of success by however you choose to measure it in our minors."
MacPhail has seen successes at all level of the O's minors.
"We've really pushed Avery and Hoes to the South Atlantic League a year out of high school and the fact they're doing as well as they are is a testimony to development and scouting. They can handle the South Atlantic League a year out (of the draft)."
A couple of years ago the O's farm system was considered among baseball's worst. MacPhail said that was not exactly correct.
"Going to the Twins when I did and the Cubs when I did, those systems were far more depleted than this one was. This one has had an influx of talent recently as well. Wieters, Arrieta and Matusz are all fairly recent. Then trades have brought in guys like Tillman and Patton.
"As you see now, you clearly weren't void of prospects because you wouldn't have guys like Hernandez, Berken and Bergesen up here pitching the way they have at this point. Reimold is doing well, Brandon Snyder is doing well at Bowie."
In MacPhail's plan to rebuild the Orioles, a strong minor league system is critical.
"We have made a considerable investment in the farm system, not just in dollars and bonuses. We have upgraded facilites where we can, we've upgraded our computer reporting system. It's an investment in energy.
"We see our teams often. I'll be watching Bowie soon. I've already been to Norfolk. Wayne Krivsky, Lee MacPhail and Bruce Kison have been out throughout our system. That's in addition to our normal compliment of minor league people like David Stockstill and Tripp Norton and our coaches and instructors.
"We are investing not only dollars, but a considerable amount of energy to make it good, because we need it to be good."
COMING TOMORROW - Check this blog on Wednesday. Andy MacPhail discusses Felix Pie. Does he have a future with the Orioles?
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Categories (click for archive)Orioles News | Steve Melewski |
Wonder if Flanagan gets props for hiring Joe Jordan? Frankly the 05 draft may turn out to be a monster for the Orioles. Didnt we get Bergy, Berken, Reimold, Snyder in that draft? If only 06 will ripen the same way.
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Flanagan for sure gets props for bringing in Joe Jordan. Previous scouting director Tony DeMacio should get some props as well. He drafted Bergesen in round four in 2004. He drafted Jim Johnson. He drafted Bedard in round six and we know how many players they got in return for him.
Reimold and Snyder were 2005 draft and Berken was 2006. There's a lot of credit to go around when the farm system performs like this. How about pitching co-ordinater Dave Schmidt, roving hitter instructor Denny Walling to name just a few more who deserve some credit. - Steve
steve i think our top ten prospects rank among the best now---wieters,arrieta,berken,reimold,snyder,bergensen,david hernandez,tillman,britton,erbe,wilfredo perez,bascom,floriman and joseph.did i leave anyone out?? spoone,lebron,patton,avery?
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It is, as Andy said "remarkable." - Steve
yes we have so many prospects i forgot brian matusz things are looking up steve!!
I love the job McPhail is doing. It is remarkable all he has accomplished in 2 years. I do think Flanagan deserves some credit, too. Most of the guys performing well were here, including Wieters. Flanagan drafted him and McPhail got him signed. The drafts have been awesome for the last several years and most of the nucleus(Markakis, Roberts, Huff, Wieters, Reimold, J. Johnson, Guthrie) is from the Flanagan regime. Good job by Flanagan and McPhail.
The O's should have a statue of Andy MacPhail erected on Eutaw St. He is a Godsend!
What's the other draft besides the First Yr Player draft? And who gets drafted in that draft... College graduates? Do the teams pick in the same order in that draft?
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There is no other draft besides the first-year draft in June. Unless you mean the Rule 5 draft in December.
High School and some college players (they need to be eligible) can be selected in the first year draft. Teams with the worst records draft first. They select players over 50 rounds. - Steve
It's a shame that some of the readers on Roch's blog don't see the positive change. Like most I have been following the Orioles for about my whole life and for the first time in awhile it feels good to be interested. I don't even care about the team going to the WS I just want improvement rather then stagnation.
Steve, are there a lot of teams with that many prospects in their farm system?
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Yes, Boston has a strong farm system, so does Tampa. The LA Dodgers have a lot of prospects to name just a few teams. But the O's system hasn't been this good for a long time in terms of winning teams and players getting to the Majors.
Steve
I have to say that I was very skeptical of Macphail until the Wieters signing got done. Ever since then he's made some great moves (Tejeda & Bedard trades) and the organization has made several steps forward including upgrading their out of country presence which can only help long term.
Steve, Mike Flanagan was the Orioles' VP when Matt Wieters was drafted. I think people need to keep that in mind before they go bashing him. Flanny needs to get some real credit for rebuilding the O's.
Yes, Andy MacPhail's taken some giant steps in rebuilding the team, but he wasn't the first. The future "face of the Orioles" was signed by MacPhail, but not chosen by him. Flanagan deserves his due; he wasn't as bad as some make him out to be.
Oh, by the way, what's Mike doing these days? He seems to have dropped into some black hole in terms of the media.
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Yes, a thousand times yes, Flanny deserves some credit. As to what he is doing, no one knows. He's been asked many times by media for interviews, but declines. The hope is he is working on some deal to stay with the organization that he loves.
Steve
Reminds me a little of the Kiddie Corp of 1960, although this group is more talented. And of course it was AM's father, Lee, along with Paul Richards and--damn I forget that long time scout's name, Jim someone?--a few others who put those teams of the 1960s and 1970s together. I hope that Andy will re-establish the "Oriole Way" in the minors, where they taught fundamentals up and down the farm system. Everyone coming up knew how to hit a cutoff man, how to be positioned and what to do in every situation, and just generally, they learned how to be pros. It was a remarkable 2 decade plus run.
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I believe you were thinking of scout Jim Russo. - Steve
Jim Russo--right you are! Thanks.
Let me get something off my chest. I'm glad to see Flanagan get some kudos from Ken, Jerry and Robert. He's the real hero of the rebuilding and his name isn't on the Orioles Hall of Fame for nothing. He's a true Baltimore Oriole Great! I can't believe the Sun or anyone hasn't wondered out loud what's going on with Flanagan's disappearance. Does everyone really believe MacPhail put together this fantastic farm system on his own? Do they really think these players came along in the last two years? Give me a break! Flanagan was the instrument for the present success. These players were identified on his watch. When MacPhail suddenly dropped in out of nowhere, Flanagan was there to help him transition into the organization. Who else could have helped introduce the entire system to him? Angelos? Sports Illustrated "Worst owner in Baseball"? Flanagan got this thing together while MacPhail was blowing smoke into Angelos' "ear". It's touching that he went to elementary school in his Oriole uniform. But let's be clear - the real Oriole, the guy who pitched when he was hurt; worked his butt off to build the team, who needs to be given his due. Instead an unappreciative owner insults him by bringing in an outsider. I saw the look on his face when a reporter asked him what he thought of MacPhail's hire? He was shocked. Angelos didn't even have the decency to give him a heads up. If the owner didn't appreciate what he had, Orioles fans should.
Let it start here!!! Where's Flanagan and why isn't he in the picture???
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As I stated in an earlier post, every reporter on the beat has pretty much asked Mike at one time or another recently to do an interview or update us on his status - myself included. Mike chooses not to do this. Out of respect for one of the classiest guys around, we don't push the issue. Again, Mike himself chooses not to update us. Repeating myself again, I hope they are working on a new deal with him, one that is to his liking and keeps him in the organization for as long as he wants. He clearly deserves that.
Both MacPhail and Flanny would tell you, they do not select the draft picks. The scouting directors (DeMacio and Jordan) make those calls. They are involved in the process but do not make the picks. It happens on their watch, but you can't credit Flanny for peronsally drafting Reimold anymore than than you could MacPhail for personally taking Matusz. - Steve
PS - Arthur, if you read the article you heard MacPhail say the farm system was far from depleted when he got here and that scouting and player development get a lot of credit. - Steve
Steve,regarding Flanagan;Perhaps the reporters should be asking John or Peter Angelos (not Flanagan)why they can't find a position for a guy that has been with the team in many capacities for the last 35 years.
Cy Young Award winner,All Star,World Champion,Pitching coach,broadcaster,GM,etc.You would think ownership would be able to find a productive position for a guy like that.