MLB News & Notes (other than Cubs or Sox)

[Clapp]

Surprise surprise, Felix Pie still blows. Sounds like he's losing his starting job.

[jeffy]

<!--quoteo(post=35444:date=May 4 2009, 05:49 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ May 4 2009, 05:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Surprise surprise, Felix Pie still blows. Sounds like he's losing his starting job.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I've watched a few O's games this year and he still looks lousy at the plate. Good defense though, but it's not enough.

[Kid]

Zack Greinke with a no-hit shutout against the Sox tonight. He's 6-0 with a 0.40 ERA.

[Baron]

<!--quoteo(post=35544:date=May 4 2009, 09:36 PM:name=Kid)-->QUOTE (Kid @ May 4 2009, 09:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Zack Greinke with a no-hit shutout against the Sox tonight. He's 6-0 with a 0.40 ERA.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

6-hit.

[Kid]

<!--quoteo(post=35545:date=May 4 2009, 10:39 PM:name=Baron)-->QUOTE (Baron @ May 4 2009, 10:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=35544:date=May 4 2009, 09:36 PM:name=Kid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kid @ May 4 2009, 09:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Zack Greinke with a no-hit shutout against the Sox tonight. He's 6-0 with a 0.40 ERA.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

6-hit.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Somehow complete game became no-hit. They mean the same thing, right?

[kbwsb]

Pie is, as usual, off to a terrible start. But are the O's really fighting for a playoff spot? If not, then they should let him play a full season before knee-jerking his career.

[ruby23]

<!--quoteo(post=35576:date=May 4 2009, 10:34 PM:name=KBwsb)-->QUOTE (KBwsb @ May 4 2009, 10:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Pie is, as usual, off to a terrible start. But are the O's really fighting for a playoff spot? If not, then they should let him play a full season before knee-jerking his career.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, they should sit him on the bench and call up Riemold to play LF. Pie is toast.

[kbwsb]

Having suffered through the Pie era along with you, it's hard to argue with your point.
What's especially funny is that the O's want to replace him with "Lou" Montanez. Yes, <i>that</i> Lou (Luis) Montanez.

There are some, like Rob Neyer, who have a different view of Pie, though:

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->In 54 at-bats, Pie's now at .167 in 22 games.
That's pretty awful, of course. But really, it's much worse because this isn't Pie's first shot. Add in his two seasons with the Cubs, and Pie's history in the majors now includes 348 plate appearances and a startling .213/.278/.315 line. He's no longer some fresh-faced rookie; not with all that playing time and a 24th birthday a few months ago. After 348 plate appearances, you want to see something from a guy who's been profiled as an every-day player and, just maybe, a future star.

<b>The "problem" is that Pie, in three Triple-A stints, posted a .300/.353/.478 line, and most of the time he was one of the younger players in the league. You can't give up on a guy like that. Not after 54 at-bats, nor after 348 plate appearances.</b>

How many more chances do you give him? I don't know, exactly. What I do know is that in Brady Anderson's first three seasons, his line was .216/.305/.301 in nearly a thousand plate appearances. He was awful in his fourth season, too. And he was significantly older than Pie, without the Triple-A credentials.

I don't mean to suggest that Pie is going to someday hit 50 homers in one season, or play in the majors until he's 38. But the Orioles didn't give up on Brady Anderson when he was 27, and they shouldn't give up on Felix Pie when he's 24. Especially not in a vain pursuit of fourth place.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Vine]

<!--quoteo(post=35544:date=May 4 2009, 10:36 PM:name=Kid)-->QUOTE (Kid @ May 4 2009, 10:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Zack Greinke with a no-hit shutout against the Sox tonight. He's 6-0 with a 0.40 ERA.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Yeah, it's pretty unreal what he's doing thus far. You know I'm also a KC fan, so it makes me feel good to see decent pitching there. It seems like every pitch has subtle movement....the Sox looked completely lost last night.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen benched Alexei Ramirez for Wednesday's game and called it a message to the team. Jayson Nix will play SS.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=35927:date=May 6 2009, 04:53 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ May 6 2009, 04:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen benched Alexei Ramirez for Wednesday's game and called it a message to the team. Jayson Nix will play SS.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
A message to the team? What's the message?

"If you don't use your meal per diem, you'll end up on the bench like this guy!"

[Coldneck]

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/spit.gif[/img]

[Clapp]

This is stunning with all of the talent in their rotation... The Marlins have gone 20 straight games without a victory from a starting pitcher.

[Kid]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Bob Melvin will be fired as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Arizona Republic reported Thursday.

It's unclear if the Diamondbacks have fired Melvin or if they are waiting until the team returns home from San Diego, but Melvin will lose his job before the end of the day Thursday, multiple sources told the Republic.

The Diamondbacks fell to 12-17 this season after losing to the San Diego Padres 4-3 in 10 innings on Thursday.

Melvin's firing comes after a disappointing start by the Diamondbacks, who are nine games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

A message left on general manager Josh Byrnes' cell phone was not immediately returned.

Melvin was hired in 2005 and went 337-340 with Arizona. He was named NL Manager of the Year after leading Arizona to the NL West title in 2007.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Clapp]

It's AJ Hinch. He couldn't be older than like 35 or so.

Edit: I see on his Wiki he turns 35 next week. Very, very young for an MLB manager.