Aquino the O's new closer?

[Tisko]

According to the Baltimore Sun the Orioles are considering Aquino as a possible closer.

 

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/roch/blog/2008/01/looking_for_relief_1.html

 

[Brian the Automator]

He did close for the Diamondbacks for a while, but it's not like he's going to get a stat boost going to the AL.

[TooLiveBrew]

Luckily for him it's not very tough to pitch in the AL East.

 

But, you know, he fields his position better than any other CP candidate they have, sooo...

[JoeHova]

what happened to Chris Ray? Is he hurt?

[crewcrazy]

Chris Ray has had injury problems recently, and he pretty much lost the closer's job last year IIRC. He's a lot like Turnbow in that he throws gas, but it's very, very straight when he does find the strike zone. By the end of last season they were using Jamie Walker and Chad Bradford as closers. They threw a lot of money at their bullpen last season and they were just as bad as they were the season before...one of the reasons why I'm a little leery of the Brewers' new bullpen, but the biggest difference between the Orioles' BP acquisitions last year and the Brewers' acquisitions this year may be the difference between the AL East and the NL Central.

 

I just feel really bad for Orioles fans. They have some young and promising players, but they know they have no chance. They spend all offseason talking themselves into believing they'll be a third place team with the chance of sneaking into a wildcard if everything goes right, and then something goes horribly wrong (whether it's getting no-hit by a rookie, giving up 30 runs in a single game, etc.). It may be blasphemy in Milwaukee, but I'll go as far to say that being an O's fan under Angelos is worse than being a Brewers fan under the Seligs. There's no hope of getting better anytime soon, and they have the added challenge of playing in the toughest division in baseball.

[BrewCrewForever]

Hey Baltimore, good luck with that.

[pitchleague]

I thought Ray was out with elbow reconstruction surgery or something along those lines.

[RightFieldCoder]

If the Orioles are never winning after eight innings, that's a great spot to hide Aquino.

[hawing]

June 20-22: Aquino Comeback Weekend. Or else Tee Off on Aquino Weekend. I guess I'd prefer the latter.

[crewcrazy]

It should also be noted that the year Aquino *did* close for the D'Backs, they lost 111 games. Just sayin'. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[trwi7]

I don't really see a problem with this. The Orioles know they're not going to be good so it doesn't hurt to just throw guys in the bullpen and see if any of them surprise. Maybe he pitches well and gets traded to the Brewers at the deadline. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Gopher74]

It may be blasphemy in Milwaukee, but I'll go as far to say that being an O's fan under Angelos is worse than being a Brewers fan under the Seligs.

Probably because being a fan under Bud Selig's regime was pretty dang good? Probably because he usually had the Brewers among the league leaders in payroll? Probably because he WAS a great owner while HE ran the team.

 

It just drives me nuts when people take shots at Bud Selig IN MILWAUKEE.

Without Bud there is;

-No Milwaukee Brewers. If you'll recall, he's the one who fought to bring them back to Milwaukee.

-No Miller Park.

-No Revenue Sharing

-No BASEBALL IN MILWAUKEE!!!

 

Seriously man, do not hate on Bud. He was a great owner who didn't have the money to keep up as the game moved into ridiculous levels, but he wasn't an owner who took all the profits for himself. Again, remember, he gave up control of the team in what, 94? From 70-94, the Brewers, especially when you take into account the early expansion years, it wasn't so bad to be a Brewers fan.

[crewcrazy]

I was referring more to the Wendy years than anything...those were the tough years. I'll agree that Bud was pretty good as an owner before the financial landscape in MLB changed.

[Invader3K]

Supposedly the Orioles' current GM only took the job because Angelos promised he wouldn't meddle...well, guess what seems to be happening again?

[JJHardy7]

My guess is that another former Brewer gets a shot at the O's closer job -- Dennis Sarfate. If you're going to throw something on the wall and see if it sticks, I'd rather go with Sarfate than Aquino.

[joepepsi]

Chris Ray had TJ surgery in the summer.

 

I've been an Orioles fan since 1966 and I can tell you, there is nothing more depressing for a baseball fan than what happened to this team after Angelos took over. Last year they spent $42 million on a bullpen. The GM's at the time, boneheaded Mike Flailagan and "kazmir for victor zambrano" Duquette believed 2006's problems were due to blowing many leads after the 6th inning. They lacked the savvy to realize the real problem was they didn't have the lead often enough by the 6th inning. This has been typical of the failed analysis that pervades the organization since Pat Gillick left in 1998:, drafting toolsy players over those who can actually play, overvaluing of mediocre free agents, rushing questionable minor league talent, and hanging onto average players long after they've peaked.

 

Andy MacFail pulled the trigger on a pretty good trade of Tejada, but since then it's looking like Angelos has been using the same veto power that has destroyed this organization. The cubs have offered to overpay for Brian Roberts but he's a favorite of the owner's, so the deal hasn't happened. The Mariners have offered Adam Jones and at least two good prospects for Bedard, but MacFail has sat on his hands to the point where Bavasi has told him he's done dealing: take the final offer or leave it.

 

The team is a mess. Currently they have no CF'er, no ss, Kevin Millar at 1B, a fading Ramon Hernandez at catcher, and only 3 starters counting Bedard. They are unquestionably the worst team in AL right now, possibly in the majors. Holding onto Bedard, Roberts, and other veterans is only delaying the rebuilding process. It's not as important what MacFail gets in return for these players as it is he just gets the rebuilding process started so the fans can began to feel some hope for the first time in a long time.

 

Using Aquino or Sarfate as a closer is no different than Brewers giving the ball to Kolb or Turnbow.

[Tbadder]

It just drives me nuts when people take shots at Bud Selig IN MILWAUKEE.

Without Bud there is;

-No Milwaukee Brewers. If you'll recall, he's the one who fought to bring them back to Milwaukee.

-No Miller Park.

-No Revenue Sharing

-No BASEBALL IN MILWAUKEE!!!

 

Seriously man, do not hate on Bud. He was a great owner who didn't have the money to keep up as the game moved into ridiculous levels...

Just to give a different perspective, not to really start anything, but I believe that Bud was not a good owner. I think there's reason to believe that he made a tidy profit (not that I begrudge him that) at the expensive of the team's competitiveness.

 

I also think it would be much better for baseball and the city of Milwaukee if there were no baseball. Same for Minnesota, Oakland, maybe the Florida teams, Oakland, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. If we could shut down those franchises then I think the competitiveness and health of the game would really improve. I also think that profits would be guarnteed and there would be less labor strife. We'd also get the benefit of dumping the plethora of marginal players who really drag down the overall quality of the sport.

 

Of course this will never happen. We'll still need revenue sharing to put up the illusion of competitiveness or the occasional moment of competitiveness.. We'll still keep ripping off taxpayers to build new stadiums (Miller Park never should've been built).

 

Oh...and I think there would be baseball in Milwaukee. It would make a great destination for a AAA team. Milwaukee is a lot like a AAAA player. Not really good enough for the bigs, but a killer minor leaguer. I think we should've relished that and pursued it as a community, rather than fool ourselves into thinking we're big league.

 

[afeter]

Oh...and I think there would be baseball in Milwaukee. It would make a great destination for a AAA team. Milwaukee is a lot like a AAAA player. Not really

good enough for the bigs, but a killer minor leaguer. I think we should've relished that and pursued it as a community, rather than fool ourselves into

thinking we're big league.

-I'll bet some of the current players on the rooster would take offense to being called 4 A ballers. While i do agree that the overall talent in the league is a bit watered down, to say that milwaukee can't support a big league club is ridiculous.

[Pudster13]

Saying Milwaukee is not deserving of a Major League team is a bunch of hogwash, balderdash, and poppycock!

 

Last year, fans rewarded the franchises first winning team in 13 years with a franchise record attendance, which ranked 12th out of 30 major league teams I might add.

 

Baseball IS America, and to suggest eliminating teams in most of the "heartland" of America is just non-sense.

 

The building of Miller Park did not "rip off tax payers", instead, it helps fuel the local economy while keeping younger people and future business owners from leaving the city for greener pastures.

 

If MLB baseball would have left Milwaukee, I would have left this "crap hole" of a city that otherwise offers long-cold winters, out-of-shape and unattractive women, and expensive festival beer a long, long time ago.

 

Go BREWERS and GO BUD!

[Ennder]

We'd also get the benefit of dumping the plethora of marginal players who really drag down the overall quality of the sport.

 

So football should shut down half of its teams?

 

I'm just baffled by that post in general Tbadder, I have now seen it all.

[brewtank34]

I hope the O's don't have to play Houston this year.

[danzig6767]

.

 

The building of Miller Park did not "rip off tax payers", instead, it helps fuel the local economy while keeping younger people and future business owners from leaving the city for greener pastures.

I don't agree with Tbadder's post and i'm glad for selfish reasons that Miller Park was built or baseball wouldn't exist here. With that said, i really despise what pro football/baseball/basketball leagues did in pulling a Tony Soprano and pretty much extorting cities into building them leagues arenas, ballparks, and stadiums.

 

Pretty much holding guns to the heads of cities and saying, give us 250-750 million dollars or we'll abandon your city regardless if your residents supported our league for decades. To bad all cities from the start didn't just call the leagues bluffs and say, shove it up your you now what, build your own parks or arenas.

 

What were MLB/NBA/NFL leagues going to do, move half or more of their teams? As it is, all these leagues have pretty much filled up all the big cities or viable markets that can support a team. What were they going to do if the cities all whipped these leagues the bird? Move from cities like Minnesota/Cleveland/Milwaukee/Houston/Philadelphia/Detroit etc etc to tiny markets in Iowa or Nebraska?

 

Once some cities caved and didn't call the bluff of the leagues, other cities started to cave in unison out of fear they would be the one abandoned. I would have loved though if most cities held firm, called their bluff, and said screw you, let's see you move all these teams you are threatening to.

[Gopher74]

Just to give a different perspective, not to really start anything, but I believe that Bud was not a good owner. I think there's reason to believe that he made a tidy profit (not that I begrudge him that) at the expensive of the team's competitiveness.

 

I also think it would be much better for baseball and the city of Milwaukee if there were no baseball. Same for Minnesota, Oakland, maybe the Florida teams, Oakland, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. If we could shut down those franchises then I think the competitiveness and health of the game would really improve.

Ok, first of all, to make a post like that and then say, "not to start an argument" is ridiculous. C'mon. You're smarter than that. How can you say that Milwaukee isn't "worthy" of a baseball team? Seriously, Milwaukee was setting record for attendance and hitting the 2 million mark before anyone else was. Milwaukee has always supported a winning team.

 

As for Bud Selig, I guess I was looking for something more than "nuh-uh" in response. Again, while he was the owner of the team, the Brewers were generally among the league leaders in payroll. Now you can just say they weren't, but that doesn't make it true. He put money back into that team and they were competitive for the most part while he was there. So I guess I'd ask you to tell me exactly how or when he made those profits that you don't begrude him of at the expense of competitiveness? Just saying it doesn't make it so. And Bud Selig is not Wendy Selig, or her moron husband.

 

Oh, and finally, I'm just left shaking my head in general. Miller Park shouldn't have been built? That's what I love. It gets voted for and then it's a big rip off when it gets built. So is it a big rip off when someone gets elected that you don't like? Hell, that's how it works here. That's kinda how the whole democratic system works.

 

Either way, to say that Baseball is only for the large markets and that it should be taken out of the smaller markets, which incidentally is pretty much the midwest save for Chicago, is just ridiculous. So much so that it's not even worth going any further into.

 

 

(cleaned up formatting and shortened quote --1992)

[danzig6767]

My only real beef with what the Selig's did from a money standpoint was their last season as owners and their money grab. Ask the taxpayers to build a park and after the city paid to build it and fans filled it, that last year they cut the payroll to 20-25 million and did a quick cash grab on the way out knowing they were going to sell the team.

 

Other than that, the only complaint for me was them hiring incompetent people to run the team after Dalton was gone. Not only was Bando in over his head and kept in charge way to long, the team would go on the cheap in the draft and at the same time waste cash on band-aids for a big league roster that wasn't going anywhere. No plan, no direction.

 

The Orioles in fact are a not perfect, but fairly decent comparison to the dark days after the mid-80's with the Brewers. Bud and Wendy didn't meddle like Angelos does, but the poor direction from ownership left the franchise unable to get out from a very prolonged period of losing. Neither owner was necessarily cheap, the Brewers had lower revenue then and Angelos will spend, but both were clueless as how to get out of the morass their franchises were stuck in.

 

Thankfully, we are now out of that morass and Attanasio looks to be a good owner and a bright man. Baltimore is still stuck though with not only Angelos, but being in the AL East with baseball's two cash printing teams. Glad i'm not a Baltimore fan.

[Invader3K]

Is Tbadder begging to get into a flame war, or what?