Trembley comments on Mickolio
In keeping with today's theme, I wanted to pass along manager Dave Trembley's comments on reliever Kam Mickolio that aired on the Scott Garceau and Anita Marks Show on MASN and 105.7 The Fan.
Trembley was asked whether Mickolio could evolve into a closer.
"That's not something that's going to happen next week or next month," he said. "I think down the road, maybe a year or so when he gets more experience, I think he has the ability to do that. He has the pitching arsenal. He's a big guy, he throws hard, very intimidating. I think one day he could move into that type of slot, but I don't think that's something that is going to happen before the season is over. It might not happen next year. It might happen somewhere down in the future, but he has the stuff to do that."
Trembley also provided a brief update on injured pitcher Brad Bergesen, who's been rehabbing at the minor league camp in Sarasota, Fla.
"Bergesen is going to start throwing," he said. "We're hoping that in early September that we'll get Bergesen back. He doesn't do very well when he's inactive. He's a very high-energy guy. We really miss him. I thought he was really headed toward a tremendous rookie season, and it's unfortunate that he suffered the injury that he did. But we just want to get him back and get him in the rotation and let him pitch."
Also, Luke Scott is starting again at first base tonight.
"We want to see if he can handle that going down the road," Trembley said.
"He's played three games at first base, and I'll be darned, they haven't hit a ground ball to him yet. But his footwork has been good around the bag, his positioning has been OK."
Dennis Sarfate will make another appearance at Triple-A Norfolk tonight. That's the final game scheduled for Sarfate on his injury rehab assignment, so the Orioles will follow his progress and decide what to do with him.
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko Orioles |
Roch, This may be hard for some who don't want, like and understand the PLAN but for those of us looking for the positive I did a little study between last year and this year of losses between the All Star break and August 20. As I understand 'The Plan" from Andy the first priority is to build up the pitching. Until the pitchers are there he is not going to add FA bats to the lineup. However, once the pitching is ready he will use Free Agency to plug the other needs.
Well I looked at the amount we have lost by this year and last:
Loss by 2008 2009
1 3 7
2 3 6
3 1 1
4 4 5
5 4 1
6 1 0
7 0 0
8 1 2
9 0 1
10 1 0
Total
Losses 18 23
% 3 39% 61%
or
less
The 1st column is how many runs we lost by. The 2nd is 2008 and the 3rd is 2009. We have 5 more loses this year in 1 less game, BUT the amount we lost by has decreased significantly in 2009. In 2008 39% of the losses were by 3 or less runs. In 2009 61% were by 3 or less runs. We have cut down on walks tremendously in 2009 but we have increased home runs. Part of the reason for the increase in HRs is that the pitchers are throwing over the plate but haven't yet learned the controll to place it were they want it over the plate. Thus a Chris Tillman has 3 bad pitches out of 101. That is a sign that our pitching is vastly improved over last year.
It is easy to just look at the loses and say we are worse then last year, but I think we are making progress and if we can get a couple of position players with some pop over the winter we will be competitive (baring injuries) next year.
Jerry,
Excellent research! Just more evidence that this team really is improving, even if it isn't shown in the win/loss column. Come next year, those 1 and 2 run losses hopefully will turn into wins!
roch, I disagree with dave T. on Scott's footwork, I saw a throw get by him that he stayed on the bag and didn't come off to protect against overthrow. granted it was a bad throw but you have to get the ball first even if you have to come off the bag.
I have never understood the move of JJohnson to closer. The guy could be a top of the rotation starter. IMHO they should move Berken to the set-up roll and Mickolio (or Ray) to the role of closer next year. I also fear Matusz is a #4 or #5 starter. You just can't make it as a legit top of the rotation starter maxing out at 89-90mph. There is only one Greg Maddux in the history of baseball.......
roch, trembley mentioned scott at first and his positioning has been o.k. a week or so ago trembley mentioned something to the effect that reimold played too deep. could you ask trembley why if he thinks reimold plays too deep why doesn't someone in the dugout position him where they want him and if scott's positioning is "ok" why don't they yell or wave to him where to play. to me it's absurd that if they see a guy out of position nothing is done right at that time. let's face it there is anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds between pitches and plenty of time between hitters to move guys in the field.
Jerry - I appreciate your stats, but a loss is a loss. Bottom line it doens't matter if it's by 1 run or 10 runs.
Brad M,
Johnson was a mediocre starting pitcher who didn't blossom until the Orioles converted him to a setup man. Knowing that he would only pitch an inning or two really improved his velocity and movement.
He has become a different pitcher since he came to the pen. This is where he belongs. (He also doesn't have a quality third pitch that most SPs need to get through a lineup three or four times).
nebraska_jeff: Of course a loss is a loss, but the point of Jerry's stats is to predict the future, not to describe the past. If the O's were getting blown out every night it would bode ill for next year, whereas losing close games gives reason for hope. Over a large sample like a year you can just look at run differential, but over a smaller sample like the last 30 games or so, Jerry's point is well taken.
nebraska_jeff, The bottom line this year isn't about the won-loss record. It is about improvment and growth toward next year and after. Anyone who thought that 2009 would be successful based on the won-lost record of the O's was destined to be disapointed. This year was about showing improvement in the areas that have been lacking up to now. Things like number of walks, pitchers give up a run and then loose it and give up 5 more for a blow out etc. This year the walks are way down and the pitchers for the most part (there are exceptions but not like last year) that give up a solo HR and then loose concentration and give up 4 or 5 more runs are much better.
I am not saying that there aren't areas we need to work on such as not giving up runs the inning after scoring run. Overall I think this crop of pitchers shows tremendous improvement over last year at this time. My point is that according to the plan we aren't going to sign FA hitters until the pitchers are ready to compete. I think that maybe they have shown tht they are so hopefully we can entice some FA's to sign here.
Why are they playing Scott at first unless they plan on taking the cheap way out in the offseason?
John: You answered your own question
18 yr olds
Wirsch---1-0 2.08 GCL
Castillo-1-3 4.50 DSL
Rojas----0-6 6.99 DSL
19 yr olds
Beal------5-3 3.73 Blufield
Bundy-----2-6 5.24 Blufield
Hobgood---1-1 6.35 Blufield crushed last night
Cespedes--3-3 2.41 GCL
Princivil-2-3 2.01 DSL last 3 app. were starts
20 yr olds
Frabizio--4-3 3.05 Blufield
Moore-----4-2 3.48 Blufield
Tavarez---2-2 1.57 GCL
Petersime-3-2 4.46 GCL
Jimenez---5-6 3.00 DSL
21 yr olds
Tillman-1-1 4.80 Baltimore
Erbe----3-3 2.26 Bowie
Johnson-0-1 3.00 Bowie
Britton-8-6 2.86 Fredrick
Ramirez-2-2 2.78 GCL playing 1st base @DSL now
Noel----4-4 2.88 DSL
22 yr olds
Matusz---2-2 6.75 Baltimore
Beato----0-1 5.63 Bowie
Zagone---0-3 6.14 Fredrick
Moreau---5-3 3.40 Delmarva
Drake----8-7 3.73 Delmarva
Haughian-6-2 2.05 Aberdeen nice !
Allen----1-5 5.94 Aberdeen
DeLaCruz-3-2 3.28 GCL
Sanchez--4-4 2.47 DSL
23 yr olds
Bergesen----7-5 3.43 Baltimore
Arrieta-----5-6 4.23 Norfolk he can smell it !
Patton------1-3 6.45 Norfolk done till '10
Gleason-----4-6 4.86 Fredrick
Nery--------4-5 5.00 Fredrick
Moreland----3-1 5.10 Fredrick c'mon Kenny
Spoone----- -- ---- Fredrick
McCurry-----5-8 3.01 Delmarva comin on
O'Shea------8-5 3.33 Delmarva
Kantakevich-2-4 3.65 Aberdeen Cantakethis
Almanzar----1-3 4.45 Blufield
24 yr olds
Hernandez-4-5 4.20 Baltimore
Bascom----2-7 4.22 Bowie
Sexton----2-6 3.99 Aberdeen
25 yr olds
Berken---2-11 6.72 Baltimore
Liz------0-3 5.68 Norfolk DL
Mariotti-2-9 3.72 Bowie
Salberg--2-2 3.91 Delmarva
26 yr olds
Pauley-8-10 4.50 Norfolk
Tanaka-0-1 2.34 Bowie
27 yr olds
no one
28 yr olds
Simon-0-1 9.64 Baltimore
29 yr olds
Hill---3-3 7.80 Baltimore
Waters-9-5 4.35 Norfolk
30 yr olds
Guthrie--7-12 5.66 Baltimore
Mitchell-9-5 5.49 Norfolk the suns boy
34 yr olds
Uehara-2-4 4.05 Baltimore
Thanks for the space Roch