The 2023 Running Baseball Thread

His career is probably over. And he played in an era when the Orioles were wretched. But anybody who dealt with him knows he's a prince of a human whose. His story includes overcoming cancer and winning a World Series ring and giving Birdland something to celebrate.
Will always be one of my favorite Orioles.

 

There's still nothing happening in the Space City.

 

Just turned to it.

 

How about that Framber Valdez. That's the only way you'll get a "true" no-bitter these days ... 93 pitches.

 

The Guardians players responded to the Civale trade.

“You want to see how it feels if everybody here, including Orbit and God himself, watches as we lay lifeless in the middle of this ballpark?”

 

I didn't see the actual quotes, but they have ample reason to be pissed.

 

On the other end of the spectrum was poor Ben Lively. He was left long enough to give up 13 earned runs on 13 hits and two walks in four innings. Ouch.

 

Does it get any more Mets than this?

 

On one hand, the Orioles really should have gone for an elite starter (that's not Flaherty). But realistically, between Angelos clutching his wallet and Elias never wanting to trade anyone, it was never gonna happen. And Scherzer doesn't have the stuff to survive the AL East (and surely knows it) while Verlander was never gonna go anywhere but back to Houston.

On the other, the Orioles are in that sweet spot where everything is gelling perfectly and they're too young to know how good they are. They're like Cleveland in 2016. This is their window, right here, and they are good enough as is to make the World Series.

 

Buster's metamorphosis into a hot taek/rumor monger/grudge holder is one of the more depressing things I've seen in the business and all the evidence I need that ESPN really does warp the minds of those who work there. He was the standard as a beat writer for the Yankees during the dynasty years. "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty" is as good a sports book as you'll ever read. It was fun just to *watch* him work...like holy shit, I get to be in the same press box as this guy. Of course, I was a lot younger and wide-eyed back then, but still, he was great. Now he's just blathering on like any ol' rando on Twitter and reminding everyone every chance he gets that the Orioles fucked Mike Mussina (or so Buster thinks...his number should be retired but whatever, the world is on fire, let's move on Buster). And it's depressing that MLB is so low on national voices/perspectives that he can single-handedly shape the narrative or perception of a team.

 

Patrick Bailey. That's the post

 

They have now achieved their perpetual goal of being the best team in baseball in two years from now, regardless of when "now" is. Two years from now they will trade Quantrill (if they haven't already) or McKenzie or Naylor to make the 2027 Indians awesome. This has been their history under Antonetti, who is the best GM of all time at rationalizing and using GMish words like "efforting." (And an honest defense of Antonetti will reveal exactly how good he has been at "selling high" and I believe he has done well again.)

So despite their always looking to the future and almost never playing for today, I have no issue with their moves this week when looked at in tandem. The second they made the Civale deal, you new Bell was gone next. As bad as he was, he was definitely going to exercise his player option and the Dolan checkbook was not going to be happy about paying another $16.5mm to a guy who doesn't produce. Especially when Bell had no place in the 2024 lineup.

The Civale trade looks bad for a hot minute because he as pitching well. And he was -- against shitty teams for the entire month of July. But by next April, he'd project as their No. 5 starter at best, assuming some other guys get healthy. (A lot of other guys.) Now they've got someone to potentially add some much needed pop to the offense -- aka do exactly what Bell was supposed to do and didn't (and if he had, he'd decline his player option and be gone). No idea whether Manzardo will pan out but he won't have to do much to be better than Bell was.

And yes, it looks like they punted on 2023, but that's debatable. They play in a hopelessly shitty division and certainly could still win that. And if they do, and Bieber and/or McKenzie (and Quantrill, though he has sucked this year) can return for the stretch and postseason, who knows ... And with Bibee, who is a stud, Williams, who is going to be a stud, McKenzie, who could be a stud if he makes time for an occasional sandwich, Daniel Espino, and Logan Allen, who will be a solid No. 5, they're going to be freaking awesome. In two years.