Bergy and some random notes
One more observation about Brad Bergesen from yesterday's game - or more accurately, after it ended:
The kid is smart enough to avoid second-guessing his manager in public.
Bergesen wasn't certain that he had enough left in the tank to complete the ninth inning, but he certainly would have given it a shot. The competitor in him wouldn't have shied away from the challenge. But he never expressed any disappointment or anger over being kept in the dugout, and went so far as to say that manager Dave Trembley made "the right decision" by bringing in the club's two best relievers.
And Bergesen made the right decision by choosing his words carefully and not coming across as an arrogant rookie who doesn't know his place.
He might have gotten three quick outs in the ninth. He might have labored and left a mess for Johnson. We'll never know. And neither will Bergesen, so better to tip your cap to the Red Sox, show the proper respect for the man in charge, and move on.
He'll be toting a 2.06 ERA over his last seven starts dating back to May 29.
It should be noted that any scout or executive in baseball who projects Bergesen as a future No. 4 or 5 starter is doing so because they believe Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta and Brian Matusz have a higher ceiling. It's more a nod to the Big 3 than a shot at Bergesen, who could end up being better than any of them. That's the great part about this game.
Tyler Townsend, the Orioles' third-round selection in last month's draft, recorded his first professional hit yesterday with Single-A short-season Aberdeen and added a double to go 2-for-3.
Shortstop Blake Davis went 3-for-4 while continuing his injury rehab assignment with the IronBirds. He's posted three multi-hit games with Aberdeen.
Double-A Bowie reliever Ryan Oullette, named to the Eastern League All-Star team, worked another perfect inning yesterday. He's posted a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings and held opponents to a .210 average since joining the Baysox on May 14.
Who's Ryan Oullette? He was a 13th-round pick in the 2006 draft out of Indian River (Fla.) Junior College who spent last season at Single-A Frederick.
The Orioles have added three more dates to their 2110 Eutaw Street promotion after selling all of the allotted tickets for that section of bleachers for the July 12 game against Toronto: Aug. 15 vs. Los Angeles, Aug. 30 vs. Cleveland and Sept. 5 vs. Texas.
Fans can purchase a seat and "I Live at 2110 Eutaw Street" T-shirt for $21. Nick Markakis and Adam Jones will toss baseballs into the stands throughout the game, and for every home run they hit, one fan in the section will receive a bat autographed by the player.
I don't believe they'll be chucking it into the stands along with the baseballs. Sounds too dangerous.
Tickets for the additional games went on sale today and can be purchased at www.orioles.com or by calling 1-888-848-BIRD.
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko Orioles |
Yes, Bergeson can be a US ambassador to somewhere, after he retires. Roch, any idea on what's going on in that international draft, where SS Miguel Sano is being auctioned?
Tyler Townsend is definitely a favourite for the Orioles All Same Initial Team.
Along with Melmo and Mussina.
OOps...and don't forget Doug DeCinces.
Roch, Any word on the bidding for Miguel Sano?
Did't Ouelette play for the Clippers.
Am I the only one who remembers the Clippers? ....and the days when the name "Aldo Guidolin" didn't sound as odd?
Roch,
Thank you so much for putting about the other 2110 Eutaw Street tickets.Now to get $63 for the other three games!
Roch,
International Free Agent Signing Period starts today. Any word on the O's chances to sign Miguel Angel Sano?
It would be funny if they did. I can see the headline now: Markakis sends two fans to hospital. Home run plates winning run in 7th.
Roch, you made the excellent point in the last post-- or at least alluded to it-- that Trembley's real mistake was pulling Johnson after the home run. Sherrill had been pushed to the brink the night before; the logic behind bringing him in was seriously flawed. Pulling Bergy wasn't so bad. A bullpen should be able to hold a 4 run lead for an inning.
Well said about the prospect's ceilings, MAN, if these guys come up and can pitch like Bergy...it'll be shades of 1970. Roch, any Huff to the Giants rumors?....they need a 1st baseman with a bat, and I seriously think with that pitching, if they start buyin' for the stretch, they can be a dark horse WS team in that weak NL.
"No Offer For Sano From Pirates Yet"
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/07/pirates-believed-to-make-offer-to-sano.html
"The Twins and Orioles are still in the mix and Baltimore could out-spend both teams.
12:24pm: MLB.com's Jen Langosch reports that the Pirates have not yet made Sano an offer."
So there is hope, at least, for the moment. I hope everybody on Orioles Talk can pick this up - I don't have the ability to post this over there.
Hey, Roch, what's up with the negotiations with our second rounder from this year's draft? Any progress?
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Don't believe anything's close, but will check. - Roch
roch
what are you hearing about zack britton ? has anyone said what he is projected as a 1-5 starter ? i love them comparing him to bedard !
man that m's series washburn , bedard and king felix ! go o's
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Only know that people like him in the organization, but haven't heard any projections. - Roch
Of course a rookie like Bergy isn't going to cal his manager out but it's easy enough to read between the lines.This kid has a ton of heart and like I've said before, once he becomes more established,he's going to be a team leader.He's also become a Balto. blue collar type hero which I think is at the root of the bitterness over yesterday's loss.Would everybody had been so up in arms if it was another starter? Probably to some degree but people want to see this kid get the ROY and that's going to be based on wins because the people that pick these winners are too lazy to dig into the stats.
Of course I'm rooting for Reimold also but think about it, what does it say about this year's crop of rookies that he leads in the triple crown catagories with 9 homers and 20 rbis at the halfway point.I think he just got started too late to be a serious competitor for ROY not to mention other teams pitching around him.That said he could still hit 20 homers this year which would be an impressive stat for a rookie.
I guess the big question is Porcello the real deal or just got off to a hot start? I don't think he's effortlessly mows down hitters like Bergy does.
The thing is Berken and Hernandez could be as effective as Bergy if they would just pitch lower in the zone.Bergy's getting very low strikes called because the umps see that as normal for him.Then again Zaun has been catching Bergy a lot lately so you wonder if his success has to do with Zaun knowing the hitters better than Wieters.
Are the Orioles starting to rely on minor league gimmicks to get fans into Camden? Do you know of any other ballparks that use similar ploys?
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This is probably the first one that would resemble something you might see in the minors. Really don't know about the other parks, though the Dodgers have Mannywood, or Mannyland, or something along those lines - when he's not serving his suspension, of course. - Roch
That call against varitek for the 3rd out was on a check swing. It was close and maybe could of went either way. But with that said it looked like a strike at least compared to the ones that were called against the orioles hitters! Even if he didnt swing. Of course the red sox fans say neither and bergesen was getting a big strike zone!! All in all we would not be talking about this game at all if the umpires would of called varitek out!!! And of course, it all went downhill after that.
Goods Pts on Bergesen & the second guessing Roch.
Like everything else, it seems, Brad handled it like a seasoned pro.
Guthrie needs to go deep tonight and being on four days rest I would expect it. Can't see Sherrill or Baez being available.
Roch, Well put. I couldn't agree with you more about Bergy. The more I see him pitch and hear him interviewed, the more I'm convinced the Orioles have a keeper in him. What he said about Trembley's decision is really impressive, as he made no attempt to show up his manager, while at the same time acknowledging the ability of his teammates in the bullpen.
And on the mound he's showing why he was a deserving winner of last year's Jim Palmer Award for best pitcher in the Orioles farm system. Not only does he have a really good idea about what it means to pitch, in all that term conveys, but he has great composure and tenacity when he's on the mound.
While he has a long way to go to even come close to having the kind of the career Greg Maddux had, he does have many similarities to the future Hall of Famer. Aside from a devastating changeup, Maddux never had really exceptional stuff (his fastball averaged around 89-90) and relied on pinpoint control and changing speeds to get outs. Once Maddux said, "I could probably throw harder if I wanted, but why? When they're in a jam, a lot of pitchers...try to throw harder. Me, I try to locate better." I could imagine Brad Bergesen saying something similar.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/greg_maddux_quotes.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8z0cV2blXE [Must-see video of Maddux interviewed]
Also like Maddux, Bergy is stingy with walks, having yielded only 19 in 91.2 innings. If he's going to get beat, the other team will need to earn it, he's not going to give it to them. Brad fields his position very well, which also recalls the future Hall of Famer, who won 14 Gold Gloves, including 14 in a row.
when he played Maddux was known as both "Mad Dog" and "the Professor," the former, while a play on his last name, also indicated his fierce competitiveness and the latter his cerebral approach to the game. Bergy seems to have these traits, as well. Finally, there was a quiet confidence with Maddux, who nevertheless was humble and unassuming. Ditto Brad.
For me anyway, Maddux was the best of his generation when it came to the sheer craft of pitching, and no one was really a close second. If a game Maddux started was on TV, I'd watch it regardless of who the Braves were playing, just to marvel in his art. (The only other pitcher I felt that strongly about watching in the past 20 years was Nolan Ryan, but for a different reason: Every time he took the mound there was a good probability of a high strikeout game and a decent chance for a shutout or even a no-hitter.)
Bergy's a pitcher I'm beginning to want to see whenever he pitches!
Dylan said:
Roch, you made the excellent point in the last post-- or at least alluded to it-- that Trembley's real mistake was pulling Johnson after the home run. Sherrill had been pushed to the brink the night before; the logic behind bringing him in was seriously flawed.
Seriously flawed, really! I would bet you. Dollar to a donut that 95% managers would have done the same thing. You have one of the best closers in baseball, your not going to lose with him sitting in the bull pen. He only pitched one inning the game before. Could you imagine what everyone would be saying if he had left JJ in the game and they lost, with Sherrill look on from the pen. Seriously flawed, come on!
I feel so bad for Bergy, but he handled it like a pro. Very graceful, just like Jeremy after the Mother's Day Massacre. I wonder if Bergy was holding his breath when he saw Sherill come in. I sure was. I do every single time. I know his numbers may not be that bad, but he is just not a good closer, and I can't stand the "Mr. Excitement" crap--even when we come out on top. One guy should not be allowed to tank a whole team (or come close) so often. All Star, my a@@. It doesn't seem to be done in baseball much, but I hope Sherill at least apologized to Bergy. Ok, well I had been trying not to let it kill my "high" from the historic 11-10 game...
Anyway, back to voting for Nick, Adam, and Brian. They need our votes big time.