Which Orioles Are They?
One of my favorite quotes of recent memory came from a David Mamet interview in New York magazine. In discussing the “whole question of drama,” he defines it as such:
How does one make a moral decision? And further, that a moral decision is not the choice between wrong and right—that’s easy—but between two wrongs.
Such is the dilemma faced nightly by Dave Trembley, and, indirectly, by all of us. There are a great many wonderful things happening with this team, but they still have holes big enough to accommodate three sweat-soaked Florida evenings. There are nights where there simply is no winning move.
And yet there are some other nights (fewer in number but gaining) where the “easy” choice is actually an option. Maybe tonight is one of those nights? Having Brad Bergesen on the mound certainly helps. He’ll be up against Ross Detwiler (0-3, 4.76, 1.44 WHIP) in the first of three against the Nationals — a team I kind of like when they’re not playing the O’s.
(photo)
Ugh. Not a Mamet fan. I acted throughout college and one of my first times out I was doing “The Blackout”. The amount of self-importance in it is deafening.
I feel confident behind Bergesen – he’s really turned it on from our group impression of him at the start of Spring Training as “a second tier guy, possibly trade bait”. I’ve been really impressed…
Though, I do wonder if a sinkerballer who doesn’t strike guys out (but also doesn’t walk guys) can have long term success in the majors. Bergesen, if nothing else, is certainly an interesting experiment in my eyes in this way. In the meantime, he’s been very very very good. And that is exciting.
Oh, and Melvin Mora is finally out of the five hole. Praise the Lord!
Holy crap. From sabermetrican Dave Cameron and Pitch F/X, Bergesen has similar vertical movement on his sinker as some guy named Roy Halladay. I had no idea.
Well, my confidence just rose a ton!
What’s everyone’s favorite Depression beers?
I’m just asking as I just bought a 12-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon, based off an article saying that they reverted to an older recipe AND mucho barato, and I have to say…not that bad, not that bad at all.
My previous Top 3 in cheap beer 12-packs:
1. Yuengling ($0.78/oz)
2. Molson ($0.92/oz)
3. Labatt ($0.92/oz)
I would definitely now put PBR as my new #2, maybe even #1 since it comes in @ $0.72/oz.
Ladies and Gentlemen…
the Nats.
Things can always be worse.
@Andrew – Interesting to see that Brad K’d 5 tonight, though he was facing the Nats. But as DT said, it’s more encouraging to see him clear six innings without his best stuff.
@Tomás – I’m a big fan of the three you listed. I also dig Killian’s in a pinch.
Yes, indeed.
First of all, I’d like to say job well done by much-maligned Melvin Mora and Adam Jones. When I saw Adam go with that 2-strike slider and serve it into right field, I thought to myself, “he’s back”. If you start with at bats like that, before you know it, you’re hitting the ball out of the ballpark again. Very encouraging 3-4 night from Adam and I hope he keeps it up to some extent. To his credit, he still hasn’t slipped below .300 this season, and even Markakis has done that.
Melvin looked great out of the 7 hole. As DT said, he had some “classic” at bats. That 2-RBI double was really good to see from MelmO, and I’m happy he didn’t try to stretch it into a triple.
Nolan also looked great out of the 5 hole, which, honestly, we all knew that he would. He has the patience to be successful in a run-producing spot in the lineup, and he’s going to get some pitches to hit with Luke Scott behind him. It’s so much more balanced this way.
Wieters almost crushed his first pulled home run – juuuuust missed it. I’ll take that impressive foul ball and those 2 walks.
And of course, Bergesen, who for once didn’t have his best stuff, did what he does. If it’s one thing I’m impressed with about this kid, it’s the fact that he seems to have gotten even better in the big leagues. Some might say that’s your prototypical fluke, but I see a guy who’s stepping up to the challenge and raising his game to another level.
Also nice to see Baez have a relatively clean inning. He’s on the top of my list for must-trade veterans.
Yayyyyyyy blow out.
Tomas, how can you leave out Natty Boh?
Ok, Tomas, wait do you mean per bottle/can? if your paying 92 cents per Ounce your getting ripped off… lol.
Neal, what do you like about the Nats?
I, personally, don’t see much to like past Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn. And Guzman, who can rake, occasionally. Mike Randall, Kev, and me have a list that is currently 132 reasons long stating why the O’s are way better than the Nats. Just curious what piques your interest..
The Nats have the foundation of a very, very good pitching staff. It isn’t there right now, but between Zimmermann, Detweiler, and Strasburgh…yikes. They also have one of the smartest managers in baseball. Not much in the way of good positional talent, but it’s a good start in DC.
It’s kind of telling that BB didn’t have his good command and the Nats still K’ed more than BB is used to.
As far as Bergesen goes…like I said, I’m impressed, but we’ll see where he’s at in September.
Tomas, I’m basically a lager guy, I guess…though when I’m not short on cash I go for the more expensive stuff (or just scotch on the rocks). Everybody in Rochester loves Labatt, Molson, and Genny, but I can’t stand the stuff, and there’s a lot of really good microbrews around here that it doesn’t make any sense to me to drink the national chains.
nice job tonight guys, turning the tables on the 11 runs.
on a seperate side note, i thought you guys might be interested in an email i got from the orioles as a season tickets holder (13 games). two days ago i got an email that was sent out to all season ticket holders that basically said, the first 100 people to respond to this will get 2 free tickets to the depeche mode concert.
now all jokes aside regarding musical tastes, i thought this was quite a nice gesture because they really didn’t HAVE to offer anything extra to season ticket holders because we already bought our tickets, which kind of showed to me their general interest in doing something unwarranted for their season ticket fans.
i know how everyone loves to hate on the o’s bad marketing/PR practices, but i thought this was a positive note worth mentioning. I know some people will find this to be pebbles when it comes to some of the other bad decision making this organization has made (drew), but i think when credit is due…it should be given.
@dan the man – Argh, because I don’t have access to it out here in the boonies beyond Fredneck, I’m lucky as it is to get MASN.
@Dan H – Whoops! Meant per 12oz., not 1oz. So yeah, $0.92/bottle (or can) in a 12 pack.
@ryan97ou – If you got the tix, I’d be more than willing to take them off your hands.
I acutally love depeche mode. And yes I did get them. Thanks O’s. I will be rewarding you by being at the next three games yelling like a maniac a curly W’s and puke red B’s
I’m not sure anyone around here hates on the marketing/promotion side of the Orioles right now, especially since Drew is no longer commenting. I’d agree with Drew that it was poor in the past, but I think they’ve really made some strides in the last 2 years, especially this year. Just another side of the organization that’s looking up.
I agree with Andrew about the Nats pitching staff. They could be the Rays of their division in a hurry if some of their prospects turn out. Positionally speaking, they are the Suck of the baseball universe, in my opinion. Would I take Zimmerman, Detweiler, or even Lannan? In a second. They need a bullpen and some decent hitters and they’d basically be the Orioles, but in an easier division.
Speaking of the Nats positional suckitude, did you guys see in that 8-run inning when Guzman tried to field that easy Luke grounder to his side instead of getting right in front of the ball and it skipped right by him for runs 10 and 11? I can only imagine the wrath O’s fans would have if one of our guys did that.
One last note about last night that I noticed while watching the game… the place was packed! I imagine there were a good amount of Nats fans, which is funny because if so (and if anyone was there please confirm) because that means i would seem that Nats fans would much rather come to Camden Yards to watch their team than going to Nationals Park.
It’s been an interesting year as far as attendance goes. It obviously hasn’t been great, but suddenly the place will be packed one night, and I’m not talking about Sox/Yanks games. I think we’ll see a slight improvement in overall attendance this year, especially if Wieters starts to really got hot and the team does well in the second half.
I Type Real Good: it* would seem that Nats fans would much rather come to Camden Yards to watch their team than go* to Nationals Park.
@dan the man – It happens
I’m in the less-than-great city of Pittsburgh; my buddy and I decided to take a road trip to check out PNC Park. It’s interleague play, Pirates v Royals.
The Royals starter tonight?
Bruce. Friggin’. Chen.
What are the odds?
@Miles – Noooooo….
That’s crazy.
He’s listed as a relief pitcher on Yahoo sports, but he’s made 4 starts and has a 4.15 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP, .266 BAA, 3 HRs, 10 BB, 26 K. Crazy. It’s cool that he made it back – again.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AiI7uBJr68DmaQiduNv25QOFCLcF?slug=ap-royals-moves&prov=ap&type=lgns
Man, Zaun is actually playing better with less ABs, go figure.
Today’s key is getting Adam Dunn out. Hernandez is and always has been a fly-ball pitcher and a guy who tends to walk his fair share of batters, but also strike out guys who are overpowered by his fastball. Dunn is a guy who likes to walk, hit home runs, and strike out. That could be disastrous, and I have a hard time imagining Hernandez not having trouble with Dunn but still having trouble with the rest of the DC lineup.
@Andrew – We should start calling you Andrewdamus. Did you see that bomb that Dunn hit? Didn’t hit the warehouse, but bounced high enough to hit the second story!
@Tomás – Yeah, at first I thought Dunn had finally done it. I’m not sure if Dunn’s shot or Branyan’s shot from earlier this month were longer, but those are the longest home runs I’ve ever seen (or at least since Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaryyl Strawberry played).
Still, the Orioles have been mostly unlucky (and stupid on the basepaths) today…and there’s plenty of game to make up for it.
Also, not sure if it’s just me and Chris into soccer/football, but this thread could easily be
Which Team USA are they?
The final confederation cup game is today, USA v. Brazil, after USA slayed the dragon last week and shocked reigning Euro champions and perennial powerhouse, Spain.
The score now against Brazil – BRAZIL – in the 29th minute is 2-null USA.
Holy crap.
@Tomás –
Going into the half 2-0 was not as comforting as it should have been because you knew Brazil wasn’t going to hold anything back in the 2nd.
The defense, especially Tim Howard and Jon Spector, played as well as you could have asked them to.
Upfront, the chances were converted and space was created. Donovan operated well as a 4-4-2 field general. Dempsey was Dempsey, he scored a goal and got beat for the winning header. Davies…eh, jury’s still out, but at least he’s not Brian Ching. Altidore will only get better with time as he acclimates to international play.
A big reason for the downfall was the lack of depth. None of the subs who came on did CRAP and, if anything, detracted from the cohesion:
Sacha Kljestan – Played scared and confused, made turnovers/bad choices
Jon Bornstein – Took a shot from distance he had no business even thinking about taking
Conor Casey – He’s as graceful as a 3-legged ox but not as fast. He’s our 85th minute difference maker?
Another viable scapegoat: Michael Bradley. You get your dumb-ass sent off at the end of the Spain match and have to sit this match out? Way to help a team already strapped for depth.
The US didn’t choke. They came out against a vastly superior opponent and hit them in the mouth, maybe too hard. Brazil knew what it’s strategy was going to be in the second half and poured forward. It was a matter of time before they equalized.
By beating Spain and hanging with Brazil, they proved they can compete on a global stage. Hopefully they can recreate some of this magic next summer.
Yeah, they really didn’t have anything to lose at this match. They “won” by not getting blown out and putting up a competitive front against THE powerhouse of soccer that is Brazil.
They did make mistakes, but I don’t think I ever saw them scared or totally over-matched out there. Definitely a good sign for the future of American soccer on the world stage.
I had a beer with former Orioles reliever John Bale last night.
Kind of.
Allow me to explain.
First of all, PNC Park in Pittsburgh is, indeed, gorgeous. The city looks much prettier when you’re looking at it from inside the ballpark. There’s excellent attention to detail in the in-game production and nice touches abound. They do a fantastic job nodding to their past (player intro videos featuring old Topps baseball cards of Clemente, Stargell, Kiner, etc. morphing into the same vintage card, featuring current players).
Bruce Chen is still Bruce Chen. Pitching to contact, occasionally getting bailed out by his defense (Nyjer Morgan = Felix Pie… Morgan got picked off TWICE last night). Chen’s most impressive moment of the evening when he leveraged an at-bat that started out 0-2 into a 10 pitch walk.
Anyway, back to Bale.
Our hotel in Pittsburgh last night, the Westin, was also turned out to be the Kansas City Royals team hotel. We hit the hotel bar and discovered Royals great-turned broadcaster Frank White, David DeJesus, Mark Teahen and John Bale drinking. My buddy and I decided it wasn’t quite our scene, so we headed across the street to a slightly livelier establishment.
After we’d had a couple, the bar began to thin out.
That’s when John Bale walked in, sat down next to us and ordered a Yuengling.
Now, it’s worth noting that Bale got shelled. Maybe if he’d had a better outing, my amigo and I would have chatted him up. But he and I both work in television and know better than to try to talk to a relief pitcher who’d just given up two runs (and allowed an inherited runner to score), so we promptly finished our beverages and got out of there.
I know our city doesn’t have a great relationship with the city of Pittsburgh, but PNC is really worth the visit. It’s only a four hour drive from the Baltimore metro area. The area around the park is nice and has plenty of fan-friendly touches. Definitely worth the drive.
Now, if only the O’s could have closed out the sweep today. At least we’ve finally won a season series against Washington.
Adam Dunn + Sunday afternoons = Orioles loss
While heckling Elijah Dukes today, I got him yell back at me. I believe he went 0-4 today, and I’d like to think I was in his head
OMG MATT WIETERS SUCKS SEND HIM BACK DOWN.
Just kidding, but he got his fair share of “rookie” mistakes in yesterday. That’s alright, it’s good experience.
Kind of a disappointing loss (aren’t they all?), but at least Hernandez was decent. Judging by the way he gets knocked around the 2nd and 3rd times through, though, I think he’s going to be a bullpen guy down the road. Who knows, though – if he can just spot his pitches better, he’d be pretty darn good. And actually, I think he looks a little better out there than Berken.
So are we happy with taking 1 out of 3 from the Red Sox?
Lester vs. Berken: Lester absolutely steam rolls us every time he pitches against us. I smell a blowout. And I’m thinking the Sox are just too patient for a guy like Berken, who tends to lose the strike zone.
Smoltz vs. Hill: The kind of game that could go either way depending on what kind of game these two pitchers decide to have. If Hill can limit runs and our bullpen is effective, we have a shot.
Beckett vs. Bergesen: Very interesting matchup. Some of our hitters have decent numbers against Beckett and Bergesen could certainly keep us in the game.
@dan the man – Yes, that would be okay with me. I’m dreading watching Berken take on the Sox, but the other two games seem winnable (and also quite loseable).