Toward the end of the podcast, we discussed the Orioles and the tendency for manager Dave Trembley to pull his starting pitchers once they get to the magical 100 pitch mark.
I feel like I need to explain my dissenting opinion.
The conclusion drawn by the other Baltimorons seemed to be that, in a season where the Birds aren't expected to compete for a playoff spot, it's OK to remove young pitchers when they get into trouble or have a pitch count around 100 in the late innings. Why risk overworking or injuring a young arm?
I understand the theory. And I certainly don't want to see Brian Matusz, Brad Bergeson or David Hernandez burn out early in thier careers because they're overworked or overexposed.
But I fundamentally and vehemently disagree that it's the right move to have such a quick hook on those pitchers just because the Orioles aren't supposed to be winning.
That's a loser's mentality, and the wrong culture to cultivate on a club that hasn't had a winning season since the 1990s.
It's a defeatist attitude that has taken hold of the fans and has been present on the team for all of the 2000s. You don't change that mentality by treating each game so casually.
There comes a time when a manager has to trust his players and give them the opportunity to succeed. Right now, the O's are built on trying to avoid failure. Again, it's a losing mentality. And it's poisonous.
Trembley and the club have to take risks. You can't succeed in sports going at 80 percent.
Let Matusz pitch in the seventh inning with two runners on and one out, his pitch count hovering near 100. Let him either get out of the jam or fail trying, if indeed he is your best chance of getting those outs (he usually is).
Instead of being scared of injuries, become scared of losing.
"My daddy's baseball team" may not be coming back. But if it did, I get the feeling it would be embarrassed by the attitude of today's club.
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