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Any news on Miguel Sano today?

is that June 15, 2010 Roch?

On a more serious note.....since Tillman has logged over 70 innings at AAA, and has pitched very well at that level (starters wins/losses are all but meaningless compared to whip, era, k numbers I trust we can agree on that) is there any real reason to keep him at Norfolk?

The best reason I can come up with is that there is no real "need" for him up here yet, meaning........Berken and Hill haven't been bad enough to justify removing them from their roles. I don't really buy that he needs more seasoning time. He's done well.

roch

any news on the orioles progress with the shortstop Miguel Angel Sano? i know we are considered one of the teams with alot of interest.
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Nothing hot at the moment. Check out my latest entry. - Roch

When is the futures game and is it on T.V?
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I believe it's the day before the All-Star Game. Definitely on ESPN2. - Roch

Roch,

I'm not a member of the "Fire Trembley" chorus, but I'm very disappointed in how he has handled some bad umpiring and calls this season - particularly in the Dead Sox series.

I can't believe that he chose not to argue:

1. The three foot wide strike zone for Lester on Tuesday night.
2. Varitek being "hit" by the pitch
3. The empty glove tag on Pie
4. The check swing by Varitek yesterday
5. Ellsbury's double that looked foul

I have no problem with him taking Bergesen out yesterday, but he's got to do SOMETHING is those situations.

Do you have any thoughts on DT's seemingly lack of fire?
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I've seen him come out of the dugout to argue a few times over the last couple of games, and I'm sure he's been yelling from the dugout - the plate umpire was turned that way and looked like he was ready to toss somebody the other night. But yeah, I would have been tossed yesterday. No doubt. Then again, I've been told that I need to relax more, so maybe that's not a good thing. - Roch

Roch.

Speaking of "International" any news on making an offer for Sano? Also, now that 100 mph pitcher Aroldis Chapman has defected from Cuba and some are comparing him to Strasburg any word if the O's are interested?

The Yanks have already plucked down 4 million on International signings the first day on catcher Gary Sanchez 3 mil and another mil on a pitcher and shortstop.

Any buzz on the O's plans on Sano or Chapman?
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Doesn't look like the Orioles will be active. Check out my latest entry. - Roch

Is that June or July 15th?

I’ve gotten impossibly far behind. Too much darn work distracting me. But you’ll be relieved to know that I’ve been taking notes for posts going back to Tuesday afternoon:

1. Rich Hill. Steve had predicted Hill would go 3.2 innings and give up 7 runs, which I’m going to have to call sheer brilliance. I had written, prior to the game (but didn’t get around to posting): “I’m just hoping Hill *makes* it to the fourth. The Sox are Rich Hill’s nightmare; they’ll make him throw strikes. That the O’s are 6-2 in Hill’s starts shows you how little W-L records mean. I’m glad he’s here, but I don’t think he has a long future in this division.” I'm not sure I'd change anything based on what we saw.

Ever notice that Dave’s highest compliment is, “I didn’t see any panic. He didn’t look intimidated out there”? Well, I’ve never heard him say that about Hill. Or Olson or Penn or Liz, for that matter -- none of whom is here anymore, not coincidentally. (I’ve gone on record here as seeing fear in Brian Bass’ eyes, which I’m sure Dave has seen too, and which is why he fares better in underdog situations.) I’m not saying Hill’s at the end of his leash, but command of the fastball is the first prerequisite, and he simply doesn’t have that. He was totally worth the low risk, and maybe he’ll have a major turnaround, but I’m afraid he’s looking like a stopgap. Hill has managed to concentrate his badness to some extent, which is helpful, but don’t fool yourselves. He’s been bad. His ERA+ is 64 (average=100), much, much worse than he ever performed for the Cubs. That’s not quite Adam Eaton bad (53) but it’s not a long drive. So let’s have a moratorium on mentioning that the O’s at 7-2 in his starts, unless you believe, like Peter Schmuck, that “winning pitchers win,” or at least don't lose, in which case we have nothing to talk about.

2. Intensity. WestcoastO’s paid tribute to the Red Sox' intensity, which is a topic I've harped on since 2004. Youkilis personifies it, but you see it throughout their lineup, all the way down, or up, to friggin’ Julio Lugo. That’s what some people see as missing in Brian sometimes, although I think his intensity is there when it matters most, to wit his game-winner over the Phils and his wonderful should-have-been-a-double Tuesday when Dave pulled the trigger late on pinch running for Wieters. Of all the O’s I’ve watched over the past several years, Brain has been the one who always looked the most ground-down by all the losing. I really think that winning more frequently, and having better starting pitching, will result in more consistent intensity, from him and everybody. Expecting 100% effort when you're losing 32 of 36 games just isn't realistic. If you think players can maintain full intensity when they're getting their brains beaten in, you've never played baseball. Or sports.

3. Felix. He’s taken a huge beating on this blog, but I’m really enjoying his presence on this team. When he was first interviewed after the O’s picked him up, his English skills didn’t sound so great, which I’m sure affects his ability to interact with his teammates, yet he seems to be a jubilant presence in the middle of every celebration, and along with his bad moments (I’m not denying they’ve been many) there are more and more good ones. And it’s a blast to watch him run the bases. I hate seeing Melvin and Aubrey and Ty get thrown out, but Pie is a whole different story. And for all the people who talk about his terrible instincts, how about that slide in front of the ball coming into third?

My impression is that Felix is also a better outfielder than he gets credit for. Nolan absolutely forced the issue with his level of play at Norfolk, but I'm just as interested in seeing what Pie can do. His upside defensively seems to be very high, and Nolan hasn't wowed me in that department.

4. Outfield defense. On that note I looked up the UZR/150’s from FanGraphs on the O’s outfielders so far this year. UZR/150 rates how many runs above or below average a player is based on 150 games played. Here’s the data, for what it's worth:

Felix: +21.4
Nolan: -12.1
Adam: -11.7
Nick: -17.3

Wow. All four outfielders have plus arms, but only Felix has plus range so far this year, apparently a very important factor in tabulating UZR. So what gives? Everyone talks about what a great defensive outfield we have. Okay, so then I looked at their 2008 ratings and, what do you know, Nick and Adam were both near the top. So I’m not sure what to do with this information. How could a factor as seemingly stable as range be so different from one year to the next? Sheets? Anybody?

There’s more, but I’ll shut up. Don't get your hopes up. It won't last.

Ryan Freel DFA'd !

Hmmm, these guys sure would look good in the orange, white and black. They seem pretty ready to me.

To quote MacFail: "If guys think they can get major league hitting out, they'll find a way onto this team."

But Andrew likes Baez, Hill and Sherrill, so they must deserve roster spots more than Tillman and Miller.

As usual Andrew is a day late and a step slower than everyone else.

Let's hope the weather is nice for his tee time at Pebble Beach today!

Twins, Pirates, and Orioles are the finalists for Miguel Sano. MLBTrade Rumors is reporting that The Orioles could outspend all three. If this happens it should again put to rest here that the Orioles are afraid to spend money. Maybe this is a tradeoff for drafting Hobgood. O's take a solid first-round pick they knew they could sign with little trouble and have money left over to get Sano.

Have to be impressed that the team spent three days recently with this kid.

Whatever happens, he won't be signed today. Major League Baseball is still checking to be sure his age is legit.

Really nice headline, by the way, Roch. As was your Felix the Cat reference. The wit here is a great perk.

why all the losses? Poor defense behind him or is he not pitching that well? His numbers aren't exactly stellar but they don't look that bad before you see the win loss. Just wondering

Everyone is saying trade Sherrill! Then what?? Who is the closer???Not that i would think sherrill wouldnt love it especially to a contender!I feel he doesnt want to be here. He voiced his opinion when seattle traded him and retracted it to make it sound a little better. He saves games to help himself find a better team not to help the orioles. Roberts name has come up . He may have wanted to be traded too but i think this is his best offer money wise. He doesnt have the fire like last year!! He is not hitting and getting on base and when he does he is not trying to steal bases like before. All this talk about being competitive in a couple of years sort of takes the wind out of his sails. I know how he feels!!

You mean July 15? Any idea if it will be on TV?
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Right. Sorry. ESPN2. - Roch

Roch, I hope there isn't some underlying injury with Tillman. It's good to see Miller rebounding nicely.

I've read your comments on the Bergesen decision and found them to be very perceptive. I wanted to make final responses on three in particular before moving on to other topics:

You wrote, "we don't know what Trembley and pitching coach Rick Kranitz saw from the bench."

Well, true, but assuming the bench is located in the same time-space continuum as the rest of us, they surely saw a determined young pitcher who had held the mighty Boston lineup to just one run over eight innings. If you're suggesting they might have seen signs that he was gassed, I guess, but (I've gone over this before, but it's worth covering again) there's a big difference between being a little fatigued and gassed.

I define signs of a pitcher being gassed at losing the strike zone and repeatedly getting behind in the count so the other team is getting walks and hitting him hard. Neither of those apply to Brad last night. Hearing Dave in his postgame remarks convinces me that even he wasn't sure if he made the right move. Typically, Trembley defends his managing in a direct, decisive manner; agree or disagree with him, you understand what he was thinkingm but I didn't get from him on this, so I'm guessing he was conflicted.

You wrote, "If Johnson strikes out the side, are we even having this discussion?"

I still would have brought it up in passing to disapprove of the decision, while noting that it worked out okay in the end, so no foul.

You wrote, "if it's me, I let the rookie have the ball - knowing deep in my heart that it's not the best thing for him."

We're agreed on the point about letting Bergy start the ninth, but I wouldn't have the same trepidation. What is it about the situation that would make you think it's not the best for him, when I think it helps him grow as a quality big league hurler? And if you have such a feeling that it might not be good for him, why put him at risk? I mean you're always the one reminding us--and rightly so--that a win right now shouldn't take precedent over the development of a youngster and the long range rebuilding of the team.
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Tillman is fine physically, so no worries there. As for Bergesen, you could argue that sparing his arm another inning, and however many pitches, at this early stage of his major league career, with so much of the season left to play, and with the Orioles "comfortably" ahead at that point, was the responsible move if we're looking at the big picture here. But maybe he could be spared another time, when he's ahead, 12-1, in the 7th. That would be ideal. Retiring Drew on one pitch to end the eighth yesterday certainly makes you want to send him back out. I agree there. - Roch

Roch, you rock with the content of you O's blog posts. Here, you make the case for your clever writing in just a headline alone. Superb.

This Boog is still hopeful of a final record coming very near .500.