Josh Hamilton

[cravnravn]

Wants 7 years, 175 million..

 

WOW!!!!!!!!!! not the money, the years.

[papasmurfbell]

No way you can give him that.

[thundercleetz]

The guy might have natural baseball talent on the level of Mickey Mantle, but he gets headaches from too caffeine that causes him to miss a week of games. The guy just seems fragile. I am very interested to see what he gets paid. I believe he will give you four more elite years. Someone will overpay for that hoping it wins them a World Series.

[Robjr83]

Baseball needs a salary cap. Hamilton wants Brees/Payton type money.

[papasmurfbell]

Without a cap and rev sharing teams will start to fold within about 20 yrs.

[thundercleetz]

I am not saying we should or would do this, but hypothetically, do you guys think the O's are a Josh Hamilton and Zach Greinke away from being World Series contenders?

[papasmurfbell]

No I think they are farther away than that. There were a bunch of guys who did things they never could do in the past and the team took that to the playoffs. You can't expect guys to have career seasons at certain spots again.

[cravnravn]

Who had career seasons? McClouth?, we have a great deal of young talent, I say yes we are a Josh Hamilton away from contending each year. We were rumored to offer Tex 165 mil, If Hamilton is that good then by all means.

[papasmurfbell]

O'Day Strop and Ayala in the bullpen were really razed their games. Davis, McCloth, and Ford were a surprise. Sub in 2 studs I just don't think will do it if they revert to career norms.

[dc.]

Papa - your numbers are WAY off.

 

Ayala wasn't far off his career numbers. In fact, he put up much better numbers (ERA and WHIP) in his early years (24-28), but faded a bit in recent years as he aged.

 

Strop is all of what, 27, and you think that's the best he'll ever be? That was his first full season and he's only been playing for 3.

 

O'Day has had better seasons before... lower ERAs in two full seasons, lower WHIP in one in Texas, too!

 

 

McLouth had a nice two months, but nothing spectacular. He can reproduce 250, I think. I also think most anyone could reproduce 250 at LF... remember when it was Chavez? Ford? Pearce? Tolleson? You don't think we can get someone to reproduce a little bit of LF?

 

The only thing I doubt Davis can reproduce is his avg, which was out of line with his norm. But his power has always been there. He's also only 26 at present. You don't think he can keep hitting 25-30 HR for another year or two?

 

 

If anything, it's the starting pitching that continues to worry me. I think we have the talent, but I am still least sure about it. I think an anchor starter would do wonders for this team - and seal a few more wins. I also think the close games worry me, but it was the bats not the arms that frequently failed us. One more solid bat to hold down LF - or really even 2B - could make all the difference. Especially when you add Markakis back in, thereby moving Davis back to DH.

[papasmurfbell]

I don't know. Yeah some guys had solid pasts but they began floundering. Maybe they have found themselves but that kind of thing is worrisome. If half revert to mediocre then they are hurt. I just don't trust putting big money into guys by and large. ESPN the mag did a stat break down recently showing stars who are older falling off now that MLB tests so stringently. They showed how younger stars are by far cheaper and more productive.

[cravnravn]

Thats the thing, we didnt go mediocre when we lost a star, we lost Nick in early September, and the boys stepped it up. Winning is contagious, these boys are ready..Adam Jones, Weitz, Mannyland, JJ got a taste of the post season, and seen the fan reaction...I say they build upon that.

[papasmurfbell]

Yeah but I have seen to many times when one season things break right but the next yr things go back to the norm.

[thundercleetz]

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=karabell_eric_baseball&id=8608202

 

Bold predictions for 2013: Hitters

By Eric Karabell | Nov 08, 2012 01:40 PM

 

Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado takes over at shortstop when J.J. Hardy is dealt to the Cardinals for pitching, and he hits 22 home runs, steals 12 bases and scores many runs hitting directly in front of expensive acquisition Josh Hamilton!

[papasmurfbell]

I would be shocked if they traded JJ.

[cravnravn]

You dont trade a gold glover

[thundercleetz]

You also don't mess up the development of a once in a generation talent like Manny

[dc.]

I don't know. Yeah some guys had solid pasts but they began floundering. Maybe they have found themselves but that kind of thing is worrisome. If half revert to mediocre then they are hurt. I just don't trust putting big money into guys by and large. ESPN the mag did a stat break down recently showing stars who are older falling off now that MLB tests so stringently. They showed how younger stars are by far cheaper and more productive.

 

Papa... here's what gets me about you sometimes... you make a statement, I give you some info that says you're statement is off, and you can't even say "oh, I didn't know that... let me think about it." You just say, "eh, I think I'm still right."

 

Your statement was that each of those guys had a career year. That statement was 100% false for all but Davis and Strop, both of whom had never played a full year before this year. Those who had played full years had consistently been good. The only one who was good, waned, and then returned was Ayala. But I wouldn't call him the key cog in all this. McLouth obviously bounced back from some down time, but I'd hardly call his performance (statistically) irreplaceable or anything close to "career."

 

So your statement was wrong. They have all done this before and there's little reason to believe they can't do it again, with the exception of perhaps age. But then again, Ayala is mid 30s... and all the rest are right on 30 or younger. So I'm not overly concerned. And we're not paying any of them more than a bag of rice.

[cravnravn]

If Strop had a good year, then I dont want to see an off year, he really tested my blood pressure in Sept.

[dc.]

Crav...

 

First, overall, Strop had a FANTASTIC year. Fantastic.

 

Second, his September was a struggle, but mostly with his command - not with getting hit hard.

 

Third, it was only Strop's first full season. And in his half season last year and for 9/10s of this year, he was virtually unhittable.

[thundercleetz]

Strop definitely reproved himself in game 4 in the ALDS.

[cravnravn]

I guess its the age thing eh, I focused on Sept when he struggled a tad...He really had me sweating..

[Spen]

 

Papa... here's what gets me about you sometimes... you make a statement, I give you some info that says you're statement is off, and you can't even say "oh, I didn't know that... let me think about it." You just say, "eh, I think I'm still right."

 

Your statement was that each of those guys had a career year. That statement was 100% false for all but Davis and Strop, both of whom had never played a full year before this year. Those who had played full years had consistently been good. The only one who was good, waned, and then returned was Ayala. But I wouldn't call him the key cog in all this. McLouth obviously bounced back from some down time, but I'd hardly call his performance (statistically) irreplaceable or anything close to "career."

 

So your statement was wrong. They have all done this before and there's little reason to believe they can't do it again, with the exception of perhaps age. But then again, Ayala is mid 30s... and all the rest are right on 30 or younger. So I'm not overly concerned. And we're not paying any of them more than a bag of rice.

 

Naysaying and doomsaying doesn't really require facts to back things up. It just requires being quiet when you are wrong and posting "I told you so's" when right. Oh and then if called out on being a dick say you only act like that because someone was mean to you first years ago.