Site news: title update

Just a quick note: I decided to drop "Blog" from Krem's Sports Blog, so from now on it's just "Krem's Sports." It seemed a little redundant, so now it's gone. If you were kind enough to link to my site on yours, I'd appreciate the brief title update. If not, that's cool too -- and again, thanks for the link. Carry on.

Wieters on the rise

Matt Wieters (.253/.330/.380) still doesn't have great numbers. He only has eight home runs, and for much of this season has seemed like a singles hitter who hasn't taken advantage of his raw power.

But after a decent month of July and three-hit game last night, Wieters's numbers are starting to look better. On July 1, Wieters had a batting line of .238/.308/.343, which is really bad. Since then he's improved his OPS by 60 points (from .650 to .710), though he only hit two home runs in July (both on July 26 against the Blue Jays).

But the strongest sign of Wieters's improvement at the plate seems to be his plate discipline. Sure, it's a small sample size, but since July 1, Wieters has struck out just three times while walking nine times. Considering that in June, for example, he struck out 18 times while walking seven times, that's a solid reversal.

In a post I wrote about Wieters in May, I noted that, despite his struggles, he was still walking more and striking out less. His numbers at the time were: 8.2 BB% and 22.4 K%. Right now, those numbers are even better: 10.1 BB% and 20.5 K%. It sure seems like Wieters has made some necessary adjustments.

Let's see how he's doing in three other trouble areas from before:

1) Hitting the ball hard

May: 16.5 LD%
Now: 17.2 LD%

2) Ground balls

May: 49.6 GB%
Now: 46.1 GB%

3) Fastballs

May: -2.3 runs above average
Now: -5.0 runs above average

To summarize -- again, noting the small sample size -- Wieters has been hitting the ball harder, hitting fewer ground balls, but has still been struggling with fastballs. However, he has been better at hitting curveballs, cutters, sliders, and changeups. He's also been swinging at more pitches in the zone (up to 59.4%).

There's no question that Wieters still has more work to do, especially when it comes to hitting for more power, but he is getting better. It wasn't time to give up on him before, and that's certainly not the case now.

Guthrie's strong start earns Showalter a win in O's debut

Jeremy Guthrie gave up three runs in seven innings and the O's offense woke up in the sixth inning to score four runs in a 6-3 win over the Angels in Buck Showalter's first game as the team's new manager.

Guthrie served up a two-run homer to Howie Kendrick in the fifth, but he allowed just five hits while striking out two and walking none. Since giving up four runs in 4.2 innings against the Rangers on July 8, Guthrie has been on a roll, allowing just seven combined runs in his last four starts -- a span of 27.2 innings. During that stretch, Guthrie has walked only two batters while striking out 17. His recent improved pitching has also lowered his ERA from 4.77 to 4.21.

On offense, Luke Scott hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning; he also had a double. Matt Wieters, though, may have had the best offensive performance of the night for the O's, finishing 3-3 with a double, two runs batted in, and a run scored. He also walked, allowing him to reach base four times. Felix Pie went 2-3 with two singles; Adam Jones singled and walked; and Josh Bell added a two-run double. Ty Wigginton went 0-2 but did walk twice. At the top of the lineup, Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis combined to go 0-8, yet the offense still scored six runs -- not bad, I guess.

As for the Showalter factor, the lineup was pretty much the same, and most things were done by the book. However, he did use the bullpen a little differently and showed some outside-the-box thinking. Here's Dan Connolly explaining the situation:

What interested me most was watching Showalter manage. During the past month, I’ve talked to a bunch of people who have worked under Showalter, and they have all spoken about his preparedness and how he puts his players in a situation to win.

And so I was intrigued by his first real piece of managing: in the ninth inning Tuesday with the Orioles up 6-3. Lefty Michael Gonzalez had already pitched one scoreless inning, and Showalter summoned him to pitch again in the ninth – even though it was a save situation and closer Alfredo Simon was warming up.

Go by the book, and bring in your closer. That’s what every manager I have ever covered would have done. But Showalter left Gonzalez in to face lefty Hideki Matsui, who struck out. Then Showalter stuck with Gonzalez to turn around switch-hitter Alberto Callaspo, and he grounded out.

With one out needed, Showalter called for Simon, even though it was no longer a save situation for the O’s closer. And Simon struck out Howie Kendrick.

Asked about the moves after the game, Showalter said: “The matchup was a lot better. Gonzo, I’ve been watching him throw the ball and talking to [pitching coach Rick Kranitz] and some of the guys. And I liked the switch-hitters turned around. The tough call was Hunter [in the eighth with one on and two outs]. That’s a tie ballgame at worst, though, and we like our chances at home with the last at-bat. Take our chances.”

That’s a guy who is not managing scared.

He followed that up with his best line of the day: “Believe me, I know the save rule and, quite frankly, it doesn’t carry much weight with me. I like the win rule a little bit better.”

Apologies for the long quote, but that's some intriguing stuff right there. I'm all for managers going against the typical bullpen philosophy of simply bringing in the closer in the ninth for a potential save. Now, I'm not a fan of leaving relievers such as Mike Gonzalez in for more than one inning, but Showalter recognized that Gonzalez has been throwing well lately and stuck with the hot hand rather than simply summoning Alfredo Simon in the ninth.

Could the move have backfired? Sure, anything's possible against the Orioles. But the move worked, and that's something that has been hard enough for the O's to find for a long time. I'm not ready to pronounce Showalter the greatest manager ever or anything because of the move, but I am ready to see what he has in store for this team.

Showalter's arrival

"You hear people talk about realignment or whatever, I don't really care. The Yankees aren't going away. The Red Sox aren't going way. Tampa's not going away. And Toronto's getting better. So you gotta figure out a way to do it, and Tampa Bay's eliminated a lot of those excuses."

That's what Buck Showalter had to say when asked about competing in the AL East. Check out that article -- it's well worth your time.

Showalter makes his O's managerial debut today in Baltimore against the Angels.

VandenHurk impressive in Norfolk debut

Making his first start for Triple-A Norfolk, Rick VandenHurk pitched seven innings, allowing only one run on four hits against Indianapolis. He also struck out four and walked just one, while earning the win.

With the addition of VandenHurk to the organization, the Orioles currently have a few starting pitching options in Norfolk: Chris Tillman, Zach Britton, and VandenHurk. The O's rotation -- which currently consists of Brian Matusz, Jeremy Guthrie, Kevin Millwood, Jake Arrieta, and Brad Bergesen -- has struggled mightily, but it's still very young. Millwood won't be in Baltimore next season, but he may stay with the team for the rest of the season if the O's don't 1) work out a deal with another club, or 2) simply release him. Matusz, Guthrie, and Arrieta will all be in the rotation next season barring a trade, while Bergesen's ineffectiveness may cause him to be converted into a reliever.

Tillman seems like a lock to be added to the rotation next season, but then again, that's what many fans thought heading into spring training. The 22-year-old Britton is also an intriguing option, but he's only pitched 31.2 innings in Norfolk and probably needs some more seasoning before being called up. With that being said, if he continues to pitch well, I wouldn't be shocked for him to get a start or two before the season ends. (Or maybe not: According to David Golebiewski of FanGraphs, "[t]he chances of Britton getting ample major league innings this season are slim — the O’s aren’t playing for anything of consequence, and the southpaw is a little more than 30 frames away from his previous career high workload." For more information on Britton, check out that link.) VandenHurk also seems like a likely addition to the pitching staff in September.

If I had to make a guess on what the O's rotation looks like in 2011, here's what I'd say:

Matusz
Guthrie
Arrieta
Tillman
VandenHurk

But, again, it's too early for that, especially since most fans probably haven't seen VandenHurk pitch yet. The O's may decide to sign a veteran starter, or they may make a few trades. It's also possible that Britton will be ready by then. We'll see -- it's up to you, Mr. Showalter.

Could Trent Williams be the next Chris Samuels?

It's a little unfair for the Redskins to ask Trent Williams to step in and immediately solidify the team's left tackle position. Nevertheless, he's looked pretty good in training camp so far and has impressed several people, including John Keim of the Washington Examiner:

I really, really like how strong his base is and how well he uses his arms. I remember when Chris Samuels first came to camp and you could just tell the kid would be good because his fundamentals and skills were just different. Williams is the same way. We don’t know how well he’ll prepare, but that’s the only question I have at this point. In terms of talent, he’s legit.

Keim obviously isn't saying that Williams is a carbon copy of Samuels, but that's definitely a strong example of a lineman for Williams to emulate. Samuels, drafted third overall by the Redskins in 2000, played nine seasons in Washington and missed only eight games in that span. He was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2001 and made the Pro Bowl six times.

At 6-5, 315 pounds, Williams is almost the exact same size as Samuels (6-5, 325 pounds), and hopefully he can have similar success on the Redskins' line for years to come.

(HT: SB Nation DC)

Ohman trade reactions

Last night, the Orioles traded Will Ohman to the Marlins for 25-year-old pitcher Rick VandenHurk. With the way the O's rotation has struggled, VandenHurk will likely get the chance to pitch either in the rotation or in the bullpen at some point in the near future, depending on what the O's do with some of the pitchers currently on the roster. And make no mistake about it, VandenHurk is happy to be in Baltimore. In an e-mail response to Orioles Insider's Dan Connolly, VandenHurk expressed his excitement:

"I think it's great! I'm very excited to come to the Orioles organization. I've worked with Kranny before and he knows me and knows what I've got, and that's important. And I'm excited for this opportunity."

Hopefully his enthusiasm pays off.

Don't know much about VandenHurk or what to think of the deal? Here are some quick takes on the trade:

• "From Baltimore’s perspective, the club gives up a guy with a 4.76 projected FIP from ZiPS for a 25-year-old with a history of missing lumber and missing starts. Originally signed out of the Netherlands back in 2002, VandenHurk has struck out nearly a batter per inning during the course of his minor league career, with 3.8 BB/9. He sits 91-92 MPH with his fastball, mixing in a hard mid-80′s slider and a changeup. . . . Chances are, this trade won’t have a profound effect on either team. Ohman’s a so-so southpaw, and VandenHurk can’t seem to stay off the DL for any sustained length of time. Still, the swap gives the Marlins a better lefty than Tankersley and the O’s a live arm who could play some part on the next relevant Baltimore club." [David Golebiewski, FanGraphs]
• "The trade is a win for the Orioles in that Ohman wouldn’t provide future value while Vandenhurk might (even if it’s only a little), but I don’t see anything to get too excited about. That this is the only deal the O’s made at the deadline is disappointing. I guess winning 60 games instead of 55 this year matters more than potentially going from 85 to 90 in 2012, or 2013, etc." [Daniel Moroz, Camden Crazies]
• "One of the few Dutch-born players in big league history, VandenHurk came back from Tommy John surgery in 2005 to unexpectedly make the big leagues in April 2007, not having pitched above high Class A previously. He went 4-6, 6.83 in 81 2/3 innings as a 22-year-old rookie for the Marlins in 2007, but he has been unable to establish himself in the big league rotation in subsequent seasons. VandenHurk has fought control problems at times in 2010, though he still has the potential to be a mid- or back-of-the-rotation starter. His fastball tops out around 92 mph with good life, and he complements it with a slider and changeup. He's had trouble keeping the ball down, though, as he's given up 11 homers in 19 starts for New Orleans and his 0.62 groundout-to-flyout ratio was among the lowest in the Pacific Coast League, a factor that seem to make him a poor match for hitter-friendly Camden Yards. But a fresh start could do him some good." [Jim Shonerd, Baseball America]

Maybe Shanahan isn't so mean after all

So Albert Haynesworth has failed Mike Shanahan's conditioning test twice in a row, and on Saturday morning he didn't take the test because of some swelling in his knee. Shanahan said that he wasn't sure when Haynesworth would be able to take the conditioning test again:

"I don't know; it all depends on how the knee is, how he's feeling. I never said he had to take the test every day. We want to get you in football shape and when you feel like you can pass the test, we'll let you take it and if you pass it, we'll let you practice with the team."

Seems fair, right? Haynesworth missed just about all of Shanahan's offseason program, so Shanahan is forcing him to pass this test to prove he's in shape enough to participate in practices. Sure, Shanahan is likely upset that Haynesworth basically skipped his program, but he's using a test that Haynesworth should be able to pass.

And just in case you thought the conditioning test is unfair, Titans' coach Jeff Fisher has admitted that his team uses a very similar test as well. Here's what Fisher had to say, according to Redskins Insider's Jason Reid:

"That's the test we do - the 300-yard shuttle with a recovery time and then another one. What we do is ... if you've made a minimum number of offseason workouts, then the test is modified.

"Those that have been here for at least eight offseason workouts, it's a 300-yard shuttle, [but] they will run 50-yard increments instead of 25-yard shuttles, so it's a little bit easier. The 25-yard, 300-yard shuttle is an appropriate test for what kind of shape you're in."

There you have it -- similar workout under similar circumstances. So, yeah, Shanahan might have it in for Haynesworth because of how he treated Shanahan's offseason program, but if Haynesworth passes the conditioning test, he'll be able to practice -- case closed. Whenever that will be, though, remains to be seen.