It's certainly not all bad on the O's farm right now

As most of you know, I cover and write plenty of blogs and stories on the Orioles minor leagues. Like the fans, I too wish the farm system was producing more talent for the big league team. A lot of fans are questioning how the Orioles are doing business in their player development system. I wish I had all the answers or even could point to a key area or facet of the system and say, this is where the Orioles need to do a better job. But it's a pretty complex issue for any organization to analyze itself and determine how well they are or are not doing with the drafting, coaching and instruction of their minor league players. One thing I have found in years of covering the O's minors is that there are a lot of hard working, talented coaches, instructors and managers working with these players. No fan or reporter should make the assumption that everything is wrong with the system, even if it isn't cranking out player after player for Baltimore right now. In talking with Bowie Baysox coach Denny Hocking yesterday for the story I ran today on LJ Hoes, I could tell he feels there are some good people and some good things happening on the farm right now, even at a time when fans are wondering about all that. "The Orioles have put me around some really good kids that have trust in their coaches," Hocking said. "A lot of these guys are believing in what we are trying to develop. There is a good trust factor with our players. Sometimes the conversation can be harsh, but you have to define reality for the guys. In the end you hope they know we are just trying to make them a good major league player at some point." Hocking has heard some of the criticism of the Orioles player development system on the local airwaves and has seen some of it on message boards and in fan responses like here at MASNsports.com. Here is what he said about the fans: "This is a problem you face with fans. They don't look at development. They say here is your draft class and say here is your number one pick from say four years ago and where is he. He's in extended (spring training) for an example. So, (does that mean) development is not doing its job? "They may completely close their eyes when you have a guy, for example, like Buck Britton, a guy some people know just on name recognition through his brother (Zach). But here's a guy that was a 35th-round pick who has played his way to Double-A through hard work and determination, constantly proving people wrong. "For every player that we draft high, in the first through fifth round that doesn't have an opportunity to make it, whether it's lack of ability or lack of commitment, you have to look further down the line and see your 20th rounder or 35th rounder develop. "That is the part that frustrates us as developmental people, we want every one on our roster to play in the big leagues. It doesn't happen like that, so we try to develop a major leaguer every single day. One day it could be educating a guy on baserunning or one day working with a pitcher on pickoffs. Whatever it is, that is what we are instructed to do. "If you are a guy like Gary (Kendall, Bowie manager) or myself, when we drive into the ballpark and listen to sports-talk radio and you constantly hear the Orioles are no good and this or that, it gets frustrating," Hocking said. There are plenty of people and coaches I have met over the last several years on the O's farm putting in the time and sweat every single day. Not everything is broken right now. The Orioles need to produce much more talent in the minors and must do a better job, we all know that. But we also need to realize the numbers game there and the large majority of players in the minor leagues never make it. That is not an excuse. Other organization are cranking out more talent than Baltimore right now, so the Orioles need to improve and catch up to them. But when you see players like Bobby Bundy, Oliver Drake, Ryan Adams and Hoes, who I wrote about today, taking steps forward, and there are others doing the same, you realize some good things are happening out there every day.