On the podcast today, I (Jon Shepherd) am joined by our long standing writer Nick Faleris who is soon leaving to write predominantly for Baseball Prospectus about Minor League and amateur prospects. We answer two letters from the mailbag: an evaluation of Steve Johnson and a discussion on what Andy MacPhail has meant to the 2012 Orioles. We then tackle the AL East playoff race, who we think matches up best to the Orioles liking in the playoffs, and how to set up the post season rotation assuming the rest of the season plays out well for the team. Finally, we add our two cents on the play of Manny Machado. The recording was made Tuesday night (September 25, 2012).
Episode 1 of the Camden Highball
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:59 Mailbag
00:11:35 AL East Race
00:14:15 Playoff Matchups
00:19:50 Setting Up the Rotation
00:34:00 Prospect Focus on Manny Machado
00:44:40 Nick Heading to Baseball Prospectus
00:47:51 Camden Depot Expansion
We are tentatively scheduling the next edition of the Camden Highball to post the morning after the final game of the season. We should be available on iTunes by then. It stands to be quite an exciting series of games between now and then. If you have any question you would like to pose to us, feel free to mail them via CamdenDepot@gmail.com or via the Camden Depot Facebook page.
I would also like to thank Mark Brown with Camden Chat who has proved quite helpful in giving pointers to setting up this podcast. Here at the Depot, we are familiar with appearing on podcasts, but not actually producing them. We are doing our best to provide you with the best sound and show we can offer. Any failing in this endeavor obviously should be credited to Mark. All praise though is clearly to be directed toward the Camden Depot staff and our lovely, pleasant guests.
4 comments:
Very much enjoying this podcast, but you guys haven't considered Hammel's injury... isn't it pretty doubtful he'd be able to come back?
Showalter hasn't said "no" but he hasn't been encouraging at all, which has to be taken in a worst-case sense.
Without Hammel, you have to use the guys whov'e been best lately, and that's Tillman and Gonzalez, and platoon for everything else.
And wouldn't it be nice for a guy who was dumped by the Red Sox to succeed in October?
I think Nick mentioned it a little bit later saying that he was a little concerned about the health of his knee. I'm right there with him, I would be really nervous if he can't make a start this week before going into the playoffs, but he is your best pitcher by a good margin too. Risk/reward kinda thing I guess.
You're correct. When I wrote my note, the conversation hadn't yet discussed Hammel's injury.
However, the question rises:
What's so great about Hammel?
He was 8-6, solid but not spectacular, and I am at seas as to why he would be a better choice than Tillman or Gonzalez.
You guys know more than I do, but it sure seems that recent success by each of the above would be a sturdier peg on which to hang one's hat.
I'm not trying to cast aspersions. I want the O's to do well, and don't especially care who caries the torch, so long as they do so well.
Looking at both sides of the fence, it's a tough call for me. On the one hand Hammel has had the best pure stuff out of anyone on the staff this year. His 2-seamer especially has been spectacular, and when healthy, he has by far been the best pitcher we have (those first 6 games he was almost untouchable.) I don't think he's an ace like some people make him out to be, but no one will be putting money on any of these guys to win a Cy Young next year, and he is the best of the bunch.
The question for me is the injury. The issues he did have this year were while he was fighting nagging injuries, mostly the knee, as that will impact pitches pretty soundly. If you told me he was healthy, or even 90% I'd take him over anyone else on the staff, at 80% it starts to become a toss up, since no one else is a sure thing when they are 100% it makes for an interesting debate.
Post a Comment