Dave Trembley

O’s Notes

Last week ownership announced that Orioles manger Dave Trembley would return for the 2009 season.  My only question for the head honchos is a simple one: why?  The reason the team is in last place this season is in large part because the competition in the AL East is tough, but it hasn’t helped that Trembley has done an awful job with the pitching staff (and of course, Jay Payton).  Granted, he was given limited resources to work with – Jeremy Guthrie has been the team’s only reliable starter – but Trembley has given too many opportunities to pitchers who have proven unworthy of starting games: Garrett Olson (6.43 E.R.A. and 1.73 WHIP to go along with opponents’ .310 batting average), Dennis Sarfate (four games started, never made it through five innings), and frankly, the mysterious Daniel Cabrera (5.26 E.R.A. – nearly a full run higher than it was two months ago).  To make matters worse, the bullpen has been a disaster since starting off strong.  George Sherrill looked like a dominant closer during the first half of the season, but really lost his edge before suffering an injury last month, and Trembley has failed miserably to find anyone to fill in – not that there have been very many save chances anyway.  Being a slightly better manager than his predecessor – Sam Perlozzo – does not make

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anez hit a home run in his first big-league at-bat and has not stopped hitting since.  If only Dave Trembley would give him a chance to play center field, fans would get to see him play more often, but as I have discussed in great detail before, Jay Payton for some unknown reason is Trembley’s go-to guy.  If Trembley doesn’t think Montanez can handle center, then he should either be willing to move Nick Markakis over from right field, or call up a center fielder from the minors.  It makes little sense to carry only one player you feel comfortable playing such an important position.

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go to Camden Yards when the team has a perfectly capable left fielder in Luke Scott.  Manager Dave Trembley seems to think the world will come to an end if Scott starts a game against a left-handed pitcher, but the truth is that Payton is not an upgrade at all.  If Trembley wants a legit platoon partner for Scott, he should search elsewhere.

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Cabrera's very confused and Dave Trembley runs out of the dugout to argue the call. If you didn't see what went down, these will give you an idea:

So that's what happened. And there's been a number of responses. First of all Yankees manager Joe Girardi (probably steaming from his team's three straight losses) said: "I don't know. I mean you never know. Danny Cabrera is wild and I don't like it. He was down in the zone all night, and we just don't like it." Going right the source of the matter, however, reporters asked A-Rod if he thought it was intentional, to which he said, "No." Asked again, he responded, "6-1 score?"

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Dave Trembley certainly doesn't just let things lie. Yesterday he announced that Dennis Sarfate is replacing Brian Burres in the rotation. This was after the Orioles optioned Radhames Liz to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. They haven't announced a replacement for Liz yet, but won't need a fifth starter until August 5. Trembley explained to MLB.com that all the changes are meant to get the O's pitching rotation back on the right track. 

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s crowd went wild, the word "FINALLY!" was broadcast on the bottom of the MASN screen and Dave Trembley showed up to the post-game press conference puffing on a cigar.

All I say is

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ed to put up even worse numbers - .239/.289/.372.  Part of the problem is that Orioles manager Dave Trembley for some inexplicable reason finds it necessary to start Payton a couple times every week, which only magnifies the team’s weak bench.  A fourth outfielder should be someone the manager knows can deliver in the clutch, a guy he calls on to pinch-hit for the pitcher or in the American League, for his offensively-challenged Gold Glove catcher or middle infielder.  Jay Payton is a far cry from a heavy hitter who puts fear in the opposing manager’s eyes.  On defense, he doesn’t make a ton of errors, but no major league outfielder does or else he’d find himself either a) at a new position or b) in the minors.  Payton doesn’t make any great plays, nor does he rack up outfield assists, as he doesn’t have a cannon for an arm and his limited throwing accuracy fails to make up for his lack of strength.

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