Steve Johnson Returns, Roberts Worry Grows
Is Andy MacPhail a mad genius or just lucky?
Probably both. When he left Steve Johnson unprotected in the Rule 5 draft this winter, opening the door for the Giants to rush in, it was widely viewed as a misstep. That all got erased today with news that the right-handed prospect is returning to the organization. Like the whole thing never happened.
The news is less heartening with Brian Roberts. Everyone continues to say the right things about his back issues, but even the team is admitting the possibility that he won’t be ready. They still expect him to be ready, but if you read between the lines they’re basically saying “nobody has any idea, and we’re getting worried.”
So am I, a little more every day. It’s nice to see Justin Turner step up and there’s always Ty Wigginton, but let’s be realistic. We don’t want to see anyone but Roberts in that spot.
Maybe it’s just garden variety “get the season started” anxiety, but I’m prepping myself for Opening Day sans Roberts. Seems like the prudent thing to do.
I still disagree with leaving Johnson off the 40 man in favor of Pedro Florimon, but I suspected all along that this is what would happen. The only problem now is that Steve Johnson is probably going to become overrated by us O’s fans the way. But that’s okay. I’m interested to see what the kid does in Bowie this year – it’s his first real test. And I assume that he won’t get exposed to the Rule V draft again.
I said earlier that I’m not particularly distraught about Roberts going down (as opposed to Matt Wieters) but because the O’s have the worst schedule to open the season, and because Trembley seems to love putting Cesar Izturis/Robert Andino up at the front of the lineup where they can do the most self-inflicted damage, I’m getting worried that I’ll just become completely annoyed with the manager – who I like despite his flaws* – and start to root against him just so Cesar Izturis can go back to the bottom of the lineup where he fucking belongs.
*Yesterday, driving home I was listening to the ballgame and with Bell on first and Moeller up, it seemed like Trembley put on Earl Weaver’s “the worst play in baseball”, the hit-and-run. Fortunately Moeller hit the ball out of the ballpark, as if to thumb his nose at the idea of hitting and running. Small ball does not work. Okay? Small ball does not work.
Well, you have two real slow dudes in that situation, so it makes some sense, but the problem is that you’re banking on the hitter be able to make contact and that’s not a great gamble, especially if the pitch is way out of the strike zone. Then what? Bell is cooked.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Izturis won’t be batting 2nd once the regular season starts, even if Roberts isn’t in the lineup. There’s going to be someone shitty batting leadoff no matter what. But I don’t think it’s fair to say that Trembley batting these guys first and second is something that only he would do. Silly things like that are done by managers throughout baseball because they all have these delusions that make no sense to fans. I’d rather have DT’s lineup weirdness than Perlozzo’s bullpen shenanigans.
Watching the Orioles without Brian Roberts is not something I really look forward to. I mean, I’m glad that baseball is back, and I want to watch the kids, but the kids need someone to get on base so they can do damage. He’s so critical to this team.
@dan the man – I hope you’re right. It begs the question, though, of who would you all bat leadoff if not Roberts. I’d lean towards Markakis myself, and make the lineup something akin to:
Markakis
Jones
Reimold
Scott
Wieters
Tejada
Wigginton
Atkins
Izturis
Well we all know that’s not going to happen. Markakis is going to be put in a position to drive in runs, whether or not we agree with that.
I think it’s going to be Jones or Pie, depending on if he’s in the lineup. Or Andino if he’s in there instead of Wigginton. Jones, Pie, Andino, or Izturis will lead off. Hopefully DT doesn’t do something like Andino/Izturis to start the top of the lineup. Scary.
@dan the man – Well I know it’s not going to happen. I’m asking what you would do if you were woken up by the phone tomorrow, being called by MacPhail to tell you to get down to Sarasota to replace Dave effective immediately.
This made me laugh out loud in a crowded room.
Well played, Andrew.
Bonus question: I’m working on some more 2010 Prospect Previews and a thought occured to me. It sounds completely reductionist, but if you had to pick one player who represented the 2009 Orioles, who would it be? Some possibilities from me:
Matt Wieters – the hyped up representation of a loaded farm system came up and struggled but gave hope for the future.
Adam Eaton – a horrific performance from a lousy stopgap veteran.
Brian Matusz – the unexpected and mostly unheralded arrival of a guy who displayed enough stuff to give 2010 a real buzz.
Melvin Mora – the end of a veteran era that went out in a fizzling, maddeningly poor performance signaling the coming on of new youth.
Like I said, reductionist thinking and kind of worthless, but it was a fun mental exercise.
@Andrew – Nolan Reimold. Completely unheralded, forgotten by pundits as a prospect. Hit the cover off the ball at AAA, hit the cover off the ball when he first came up at the MLB level until injuries derailed him.
@Andrew – That’s actually a great question because it cuts straight to our collective mentality as fans. Did we see 2009 as:
- The first year of something new and better
- The last year of something bad
- Just one more bad year in a long string
I tend to go for option one so the story for me is Wieters, Matusz, Reimold, etc. But you can make a strong case for Mora and option two given that it was his last year here. In some ways we did need 2009 to shed us of the old thinking.
I’d never opt for Eaton, who would represent option three, but I bet a lot of folks would. If all you want is results in the form of wins, that’s the direction you go.
I’ve always liked the hit and run.