This and that
If I see one more advertisement that includes a talking pothole or dogs that save Christmas, my head might explode. But at least I can be reminded every 12 minutes that I need to buy diamonds or I'll die alone.
With the winter meetings coming up in three weeks, I find my thoughts drifting back to a few names that were tied to the Orioles at last year's gathering in Las Vegas.
Braden Looper drew their interest, and we kicked around the pros and cons of adding him to the rotation. He went 14-7 with a 5.22 ERA and led the majors with 39 homers allowed in 34 starts for the Brewers. They declined his $6.5 million option and he's back on the market.
Jon Garland sought a deal over the winter that was too rich for the Orioles, who kept waiting for his price to come down. He signed with the Diamondbacks, who traded him to the Dodgers, who declined his $10 million option after he went a combined 11-13 with a 4.01 ERA in 33 games. He's back on the market.
The Orioles were close to signing Matt Treanor as a backup catcher, but lost him to the Tigers. He appeared in four games, underwent hip and pelvic surgeries and is back on the market.
I wonder if we'll be discussing them again next month in Indianapolis.
Yesterday's Family FanFest in Sarasota drew more than 2,500 fans, far exceeding the original target of 1,000. A club official said the Orioles are "extremely excited" by the outpouring of support they've received from the residents and business community of Sarasota County.
The Single-A Frederick Keys, in partnership with its marketing colleagues and fans, have donated $375,000 to local charities, causes and schools in 2009. Area students were given more than $175,000 in free tickets as part of a reading program. The Keys took part in 136 community appearances this year.
 |
Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko Orioles |
I know what you mean about that pothole.
It's made me say the word "junk" more than
i'd like. Also looper and Guthrie yikes!
News on the Market the Orioles seem interested in Dan Uggla
maybe a Chorye Spoone or a Beato to get it done.
Don't look now but I got the orioles signing
Delgado he wanted to come here originally but
we didn't want to pay him because Pete was in his
whole Nats are hurting us phase, good times.
Ronnie Brown puts the Dolphins up Adrian
Peterson has 100 in 12 and not to forget
the skins are letting Marshall run all
over them, yikes!
Sometimes washington just make you
take in breath, blow it out play
your lips and walk away. But hey they found
a quarter back in that Punter to spell
Jason "I can't be accurate" Campbell.
More rumors coming to you later.
Thought I would bring to everyones attention that on this date in MLB history, Nov. 15th, our boy Cal Ripken Jr. became the first player to win Rookie of the Year and win the MVP award in back to back seasons.
See? Smile. Go O's
Real glad Treanor and Looper weren't signed last year. Garland would have benefited from a little more offense, as the Dbacks had little to none last season. with an ERA at 4 in today's league, you should get at least 15 wins, or at least be above .500.
The question with Garland is, would he have had that ERA if pitching in the American League, specifically the East, last year? I'd say he would probably have been in the 4.5 to 4.8 range. Better than some guys the team signed, but not good enough for 10 mil in today's economy.
What are the odds that "he will go to Jarrett" again this Christmas?
I would take Looper's 39 HR allowed to get the 14-7 record. However, with a 5.22 ERA and a team that has a past of not giving their pitchers alot of run support, I wonder if those numbers would be the same if he were on the Orioles.
Garland's price might have gone down because of that 11-13 mark, so he might be a good pick up for the Orioles.
Roch,
I was clicking buttons on the internet and noticed that the Orioles signed Michel Hernandez (C) who was outrighted by the Tampa Bay Rays. Do you think this means they are not considering re-signing Moeller? I liked him, and I would like to see him return next season.
As always, Thanks for the updates!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Hernandez will be another body in camp, like Robby Hammock, Guillermo Rodriguez and the others last spring. They still want Moeller in the organization. - Roch
Not only the Keys, but all of the Orioles affiliates are really good about giving back to the community. Kudos to all of them!
I find it ironic the Orioles are jubilent over the "excitement" of outpouring support in Sarasota when in fact, they don't give a rats butt about the "lack of" fan support here in Baltimore. Do they look at the daily game attendance sheets? Do they see many fans have given up on this organization's desire to field a winning team?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What facts can you present to back up your statement that they don't care about the lack of fan support? - Roch
Nestor,
I think the O's DO care about the fan base. I've never seen so many fan promotions as they had this past season. They went all out w/ discounts and giveaways. If you wanted to participate, the O's certainly gave you plenty of opportunities.
Roch,
This is starting to remind me of the good days last year when we were arguing about who to keep, Chris Gomez or Donnie Murphy. Good times.
Does anyone out there still think if the O's had signed Garland and/or Looper the season would have turned out differently?
It's probably NOT a good idea to bring a pitcher who allowed 39 HR in the NL Central to the AL East, 14-7 record or not.
Roch,
I think last offseason we were kicking around those lower tier guys because we wanted feasible stop-gaps in a season that really lent itself to them. This off-season I hope we don't waste money on any stopgaps and actually try to get better starting pitching.
Roch,
You certainly don't need to print this one, but I detect a little bit of testiness in your answers to some of the crazy statements made by some, such as the front office not caring about declining fan support. I certainly don't blame you in the very least. There are five or six very negative people and they must think negativity sells, because they continue to blast the very hand that feeds them. At least we have a major league team here with an excellent F.O. guy in Andy McPhail. Try living in a city with no major league team in the area.
Anyway, I want to thank you for all you do on an everyday basis. I read the blog daily. Great job, Sir.
Oh yes - thanks for making Brummie toe the line. And I guess Jack must've left ? Great ! See - things ARE looking up !
Jim
Someone please explain to me why the O's would even consider signing either Looper or Garland for any amount of money? Clearly Looper's record last year was a complete fluke considering he had an ERA over 5. The O's already have 4 starters better than him in Matusz, Tillman, Bergesen and Guthrie and it makes no sense to block Arrieta or Erbe with a below average veteran who will command a salary near $5 million per year. I'll put Garland in that same category as well considering his 4 era in the NL west will turn into a mid to high 4 era in the AL east.
These are exactly the kinds of moves the o's have made for the past decade. They're finally on the right track, don't screw it up by taking a step back now. If they really feel it's necessary to add a starter (and I don't think they need to do that until one or more of the young promising pitchers they currently have fail), they need to look at an injury risk like Harden or Bedard. At least we know they'll be above average pitchers when and if they're healthy. No more settling for mediocrity. You'd think they'd have learned their lesson after Benson and Eaton - 2 perfect examples of pitchers who were merely average or even a tick below average in the NL who produced just as the O's should have expected in the AL - well below average.
On a related note, i really wish people would stop considering wins/losses as the defining statistic when determining a pitcher's value. Shouldn't we all realize by now that wins and losses are largely determined by the run support a pitcher receives, a metric the pitcher actually has no control over whatsoever. If the orioles target pitchers who give up fewer runs than the league average, the wins will follow, especially considering the young nucleus of hitters (wieters, markakis, jones, reimold and soon bell).
Call me crazy, but that talking pothole commercial gets a grin out of me every time.
I hope they stay away from all pitchers like Garland and Looper. I would rather take a chance on guys like Hernandez and Berken then proven bums like those two. I like the grow the arms philsopy, too bad free agency sucks this year to get bats..bunch of old guys looking for big paydays.
Craig...No Dots said:
Thought I would bring to everyones attention that on this date in MLB history, Nov. 15th, our boy Cal Ripken Jr. became the first player to win Rookie of the Year and win the MVP award in back to back seasons.
See? Smile. Go O's
Craig N.D.,
Your post did bring a smile. Thanks for pointing out the date's significance.
My current SSNR* is sitting at 1.956, down from a yearly high of 6.778, which took a hit after I shot off a few wisecracks at you for referring to me as "that guy."
*Sincereity-Support Neutral Rate: measures a poster's expected number of sincere statements per post, assuming he had league-average support for the ten most recent posts.
I'm so disappointed in you. The talking pothole is hilarious. One more annoying thing for me to imitate on a daily basis to keep myself amused and/or sane at work. All this coming from a girl who seems to remind more and more people of Progressive Insurance Flo every.single.day.
There is no discount for agreeing with me.
ANOTHER TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
IN JUNE, 1964, BEFORE BRUMMIE WAS BORN, WHEN THE ORIOLES COULD NOT AFFORD TO ADD EVEN AN UNBUDGETED INTERN, JACKDUNN’SBABY MAY HAVE BEEN THE FRANCHISE’S FIRST AND LOWEST PAID SIGNABILITY PICK
Today, fans have varied opinions about the sincerity of the Orioles’ commitment to spend the money required to restore their beloved team to a position from which it has the potential to compete every year; or, at least, have a “puncher’s chance” to every so often enter the last week of the season with a chance to earn a playoff berth.
In 1964, by contrast, I lived a young man’s dream to work for the Orioles in an era when 20,000 people at a twi-night doubleheader was a major accomplishment. However, it was also an era when hard work, the best scouts, and a once-in-a-lifetime-trade could – with a little luck for good measure – create a dynasty on a shoestring.
From June to September 1964, I worked for the Orioles under the simple terms of “a handshake agreement,” which placed me in the Orioles’ Public Relations Department as an intern, with the understanding that I would not be paid; and, almost as remarkable as landing the job … I was permitted to work an unlimited number of hours.
When I interviewed with Jerry Sachs, Director, Public Relations Department, early on I must have blurted out that I was so eager to work for the Orioles that I would work free.
Mr. Sachs, didn't miss a beat, and immediately replied, "That's good, because we can't afford to pay you." I believe those were his exact words; if NASA quits fooling around, I am certain that, someday, a probe will catch up with those immortal words.
My duties were varied, mundane, and exciting. I had full “backstage” access to Memorial Stadium,including the field, both clubhouses, press box, and the most excellent place in Memorial Stadium - the Press Box Lounge, where thick, very thick, cheeseburgers, among other manly food items, were prepared for Orioles executives and the working press. Everyone high in the pecking order was treated like royalty by Bertha and her daughter Dolores.
I was not even on the bottom rung of that ladder – I was just there to steady the ladder. Bertha and Dolores were never unfriendly, but I learned quickly to let the early-innings-traffic thin out before thinking about placing an order.
When the ladies realized that Jack Dunn III knew my name -- and, after I had turned up the wattage of my electric personality -- I finally arrived … first inning burgers and a "Jack Dunn Special" – three scoops of ice cream in a two-scoop cup!
I ventured into the visitor’s clubhouse for the first time when the Yankees were in town. I was sent behind enemy lines to ask Elston Howard if he would be willing to meet a fan, or something equally innocuous – I can’t remember the exact nature of the request, but I have a vivid recollection of asking to see the Yankee catcher, and waiting a couple of minutes for him to appear out of a side room, preceded by a screen of three teammates who seemed to be giving me the stink-eye as if they had been tipped that I was there to secure a urine sample from their buddy.
I was cut off from Howard by a semi-circle of three Yankees (Maris, Mantle, and ?) using a maneuver perfected by the Romans when their legions “pacified” Germanic tribes, or the Picts OF Northern England who, coincidentally, painted themselves with blue pinstripes* (You could look it up.)
The bodyguards were wielding 46-oz. bats (Don’t bother looking that up) as they began asking me, who I was, what did I want from Howard and basically, “Why don’t you leave this man alone?”
The obvious explanation – everyone except Elston Howard had a speaking part – was that his teammates knew that their guy was vulnerable for a reason -- or reasons -- unknown to me. I vaguely remember getting Elston’s consent before I hastily backed away and out of the clubhouse.
The scene in the Yankee Clubhouse is reminiscent of Mark Harris’ novel Bang the Drum Slowly in which a star pitcher makes personal and professional sacrifices to preserve the dignity of his friend, a slow-witted player, whose life is being taken from him by Hodgkin’s disease.
In 1965, the IRS conducted a routine audit of The Baltimore Baseball Club, Inc., which was completed shortly before I returned to my non-paying position in Public Relations after completing my junior-year exams.
The Internal Revenue Service looked at the books sometime in June 1965 and discovered my uncompensated employment and the IRS informed the Orioles and me that I could not work free even if I signed a waiver of my right to receive minimum wage and swore that I had proposed the arrangement.
The problem stemmed from the Orioles participation in interstate commerce, which required them, under federal employment statutes, to pay every employee no less than the prevailing minimum wage, which was a robust $1.25/hr.
The Orioles were ordered to pay me for hours worked in 1964 - a high number of hours because I chose to work 16-hour days during home stands. The Orioles never objected to me working 16-hour days, Monday – Saturday, on home stands; on Sunday, I worked 10-11 hours because day-games started at 2 PM in the era over which Maryland’s Blue Laws held sway.
I vaguely remember that my total hours in ’64 added up to approximately 1,100, including about 50 over-time hours per week of home games. The O’s cut me a check to pay me for the hours in ‘64 when I blissfully assumed that I was working free … the only rate at which the Orioles would have permitted me in the door.
A small portion of the audit had a major impact on me:
1. The O’s owed me a relatively handsome sum.
2. I was forbidden to work free.
3. I pleaded, in person, to the IRS Agent and offered to sign a wage-waiver in blood. She ruled that I couldn’t do it – a technically correct ruling; and
4. The O’s, feeling a little put out by the ex post facto pay day, were not prepared to continue my employment as a paid employee - even if I avoided working no more than eight hours per day.
I was crushed.
I had just been separated unceremoniously from my dream employment. Non-tendered -- by my Orioles -- from a job that I was willing to do for nothing.
In a very cynical moment, I thought to myself that My Congress finally got one right by understanding the wisdom of enacting a blanket protection, without loopholes, for every person engaged in business, which crossed state borders.
Suddenly, I was unemployed with no prospects. I had as much chance of returning for my second season as Wiggy has of laying off a first pitch fastball.
Just as suddenly, I experienced an epiphany of biblical proportions -- I came up with a hidden ball trick worthy of Little Big League, a “Hail Mary,” an anchor punch the IRS never saw coming -- that saved my job for the ’65 summer.
My opening offer to the Orioles was so well thought out and tightly constructed that Mr. MacPhail, much like his son, took one look at it and immediately decided to accept my proposal without negotiation:
I returned, uncashed, the check issued to me in compliance with the IRS ruling, and
I resumed working for the Orioles as a paid employee with no limit on my hours.
The returned check, representing the money I earned in ’64 was, in effect, covering my pay in ’65.
The O’s broke even; I was as happy as Brummie slinging mud, and the IRS had done its duty by protecting me; even though I did not need protection -- an especially destructive protection -- that almost forced me to give up the best job this side of working as Roch’s copy boy.
Because it was an extra-legal arrangement, I was very grateful for the support of Mr. Lee MacPhail* and Mr. Jerry Sachs, keeping me in the organization to provide much-needed depth in Public Relations.
The Statute of Limitations, which pertains to labor law violations, long ago ceased to have any applicability to our little sleight-of-hand -- a one-time “harmless” violation -- that made me a very happy intern in my second year in “The Show.”
By the summer of ’66, I had established myself as a force in PR. I was brought back for a third half-season, and I was actually paid every two weeks -- at slot value for a third year major league employee -- with money that I had never seen before.
And, the best feature of returning for a third summer was that I was on the inside -- just barely -- when the Birds clinched our first American League Pennant;** then pulled off a four-game sweep of the Dodgers.
*I do not think I am, but I may be manufacturing the following recollection of two young kids running in and out of Mr. MacPhail’s office after night games, engaging in hyper-activities in the reserved parking area between Gate W2 and the main entrance.
**For fellow residents of the Geezerhood, can you recall where you were when the Bird’s clinched? And, for younger students of Orioles history: Where were the Orioles? And who recorded the last out, when the Orioles clinched the 1966 Pennant? Answers on request.
For all the people cracking on Garland in this thread, I'm curious as to what you think of John Lackey? He is the most sought after FA arm on the market isn't he?
Would it surprise you all then at just how close the numbers are on these pitchers? Check out some of the career numbers for both of them on baseball reference.com and you'll see that there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two.
Then consider that Garland has more experience in the majors and is a year younger than Lackey.
Do I think Garland is fantastic? No, but he's better than most of what we had in the rotation last season, gives you 200+ innings of steady pitching, and goes deep into games. These are things the Orioles starting pitching desperately needs because Guthrie is a question mark, and all of the other arms are young and there is no telling what will happen. It will only take one injury to completely upset the apple cart.
Garland gives you a legitimate, solid guy in the rotation. Most of all the other names that have been kicked around (Bedard, Sheets, Harden) have tremendous injury risks and as with Bedard, won't even be able to pitch at the beginning of the season. How does that help your rotation?