The first time I saw Nolan Reimold, he was crushing home runs against David Price and the Durham Bulls. I had gone to the game to see Matthew Wieters and it was Reimold that stole the show. I knew it was only a matter of time before he would be at the Yards doing the same thing.
Nolan was called up to Baltimore on May 12 and by July it was looking like Reimold could have a chance to be the American League Rookie of the Year. His stats were strong, but he was also making big time hits. The biggest hit was a walk-off homer vs the Blue Jays. There were moments of brilliance from this kid and there were moments of mediocrity. His numbers began to dip after the all-star break. In September, the O’s shut him down due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Nolan’s biggest criticism was from his ability to play the field. I had horror stories about his outfield play in the minors. When the O’s moved Reimold up to play the position, I was scared. To be honest, he looked fine out there. He was not the strongest outfielder out there, but he didn’t embarrass himself either. Of course, Pie’s inconsistency in LF helped cover Reimold’s deficiencies. There had been some speculation that the O’s might try moving Reimold to 1st base, but the O’s seem to be plenty content having him in the OF for the time being.
This year it is hard not to expect big things for Reimold. He has the experience in the bigs. He is healthy again. He will be part of a lineup with more protection. If Reimold doesn’t produce, there will be players like Pie and Montanez ready to step in and take over. Let’s see if he can take advantage of the opportunity that has been given to him.
Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, I'm just not convinced he is the answer in left field. Not quite sure why as his stats in the minors and his cup of coffee in the majors seem to point to a guy with a ton of potential. Maybe it's because he arrived on the scene without all the fanfare that some of the other guys did or the fact that he tailed off down the stretch last year. How nice would it be if he did make the adjustments and come back strong like he did early last year? Reimold, Markakis, and Jones, that could be a really nice outfield. Hopefully he's just a guy who snuck in under the wire…
I hope he can improve on his defense. That heel was really bothering him at the end of the year. I hope he's fully recovered from the surgery.
Many are already convinced that he is the LF of the future. I hope they are right.
What happened to Lou Montanez? Was he overhyped? I also heard he may have had an attitude problem.
He's got a history with Trembley that got Dave fired from the Cubs organization. Bad blood. Montanez was a first round pick that was compared to A-Rod when he was coming up…but developed way too slow. Lately he's just had a string of bad luck.
I think he's a good hitter, but the Orioles will give a guy like Reimold the position over Lou, probably because of age and more faith in what Nolan can do.
If you watch Reimold and Montanez at bat the difference in night and day in terms of bat speed. Reimold has it, Montanez not so much.
Montanez's real competition is with Pie who also has ties to the Cubs. We all know his history. Future 5 tool star that MacPhail signed as an undrafted free agent.
Make no mistake. A big reason that Pie had such a long leash last year was because of his history in Chicago with MacPhail. He was hyped beyond belief.
Pie certainly improved last year but he better not start this year off like he did last. He's a guy with all of the talent but a very low baseball IQ. I always say he's the Kyle Boller of baseball. He can make a great play and has all the talent in the world but he just doesn't have the intangibles sports IQ.
Reimold is not doubt the starting LF for this year and Pie will no doubt be the 4th OF.
Pie will be around even if he struggles, mainly because he is the only OF who can play CF behind Jones.
Pie was my punching bag most of the year, until I felt some sort of spiritual guilt built up inside me. I was known to shout out "Felix Triple-A" instead of "Pee – Ay". Somewhere along the line, I got soft nd actually felt good for the guy when he hit for the cycle.
Here's a testament to a comment Mark made earlier about stats sometimes meaning nothing…
Do you realize that 4 Orioles have hit for the cycle…
– Brooks
– Cal
-Aubrey Huff?!?!
– Felix Pie?!?!
For your SAT question of the day, look at the above list and identify the two that do not fit.
Yeah that list is pretty hilarious. I was at that game when Pie hit for cycle, crazy stuff. It certainly doesn't define the guy, but he did start to turn it on later in the season. Who knows what kind of player he is…
To me the only thing he really did was extend his stay in Baltimore a few more months.
The cycle is a cool thing to see happen but certainly doesn't make a player. That said, it certainly would be nice if Pie started to realize his potential.
FYI, I'm pretty sure Luke Scott hit for the cycle when he was an Astro.
Agreed, it doesn't make the player, but when our kids (well maybe your kids, mine are grown) go back and read the history of the Orioles and look at the different record holders, and in that in their 36 year history only four guys have hit for the cycle, Ripken and Brooks make sense due to their productivity and longevity with the club. When Mark Jr. sees Huff and Pie, he's going to look at you and say who?!?
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/20…
It's worth keeping an eye on this situation.
Bell hit a HR.
Atkins GIDP in his first at bat.
Bell Hit another homer fromt eh right side this time. Markakis and Rhyne Hughes also went deep. Atkins I think got a hit in his 3rd AB, also k'ed once.