Midday Mailbag

Can anything be done to stop more scary injuries like McCann’s? / MAILBAG

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

Question: In just the last several weeks we are seeing Orioles with major injuries from being hit by pitches (broken nose, broken hand). The pitchers seem to lose control, which is hugely dangerous for batters. Brandon Hyde said it was part of the game, but this isn’t ice hockey and they aren’t that well protected!  Can anything be done?  Watching James McCann on TV was brutal!  He still played but other injuries are taking folks out the game for a long time. From: Sallye Perrin

Answer: Sallye, you are correct. It is scary and bad for the game when top players like Jordan Westburg and Mookie Betts are lost for substantial time. James McCann believes that the balls are too slick and he thinks that would help. Yariel Rodriguez, who hit McCann, had horrible control in the at-bats before his. The obsession with speed over control doesn’t help, either.

Question:  Are the Orioles too in love with home runs?  It seems their strikeouts are high and on the rise. Too many K’s in big moments against average pitchers. From: Wayne

Answer: Wayne, entering Thursday’s game, the Orioles had the most home runs in baseball, but rank 20th in the number of strikeouts. They’re also among the leaders in most other offensive categories, including leading the majors with a .774 OPS.

So, no I don’t think they’re too homer happy.

Rich Dubroff

Rich Dubroff grew up in Brooklyn as a fan of New York teams, but after he moved to Baltimore, quickly adopted the Orioles and Colts. After nearly two decades as a freelancer assisting on Orioles coverage for several outlets, principally The Capital in Annapolis and The Carroll County Times, Dubroff began covering the team fulltime in 2011. He spent five years at Comcast SportsNet’s website and for the last two seasons, wrote for PressBoxonline.com, Dubroff lives in Baltimore with his wife of more than 30 years, Susan.

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