Paul Folkemer
-
June 4, 2017 at 6:33 pm
Myriad Orioles Thoughts: A costly error, Sale being Sale, and trends at the one-third mark
The Orioles, like any team, have had a few tough losses this season. Sometimes the bats go quiet; sometimes the pitching implodes. What they’ve rarely had, though, is a loss that boils down to a pivotal fielding mistake. Until Sunday’s 7-3 loss to the Red Sox. The game-deciding error occurred in the...
-
May 26, 2017 at 7:00 am
Stats All, Folks: Looking deeper into Statcast’s Launch Angle and Exit Velocity features
Over the last couple of years, you’ve probably noticed that baseball broadcasts and highlights have been sprinkled with factoids from Statcast, MLB’s data-collecting technology system. Statcast, for those who don’t know, employs cameras and radar equipment in every major league ballpark to gather boatloads of data. It can track just about every...
-
May 23, 2017 at 7:00 am
Myriad Orioles Thoughts: Adam Jones’ legacy; instant replay; the flawed win rule
Center fielder Adam Jones continued to make Orioles history Monday. Jones’ three-run homer off Twins starter Kyle Gibson was his 125th at Camden Yards, setting a ballpark record previously held by Rafael Palmeiro. It likely won’t be the last milestone for Jones, who continues to climb the Orioles’ franchise leaderboards, toppling some...
-
at 12:06 am
With latest blowup, Jimenez is forcing the Orioles to make a decision with his spot
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Ubaldo Jimenez may have pitched himself out of the Orioles’ starting rotation. It’s been a common refrain ever since Jimenez joined the Orioles in 2014 on a four-year, $50 million free-agent contract. With every string of bad outings, every frustrating bout of wildness and ineffectiveness,...
-
May 21, 2017 at 12:15 am
Gausman’s outing was a mixed bag, but could be a starting point
Although Kevin Gausman’s outing against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday was overshadowed by yet more Welington Castillo heroics, the Orioles right-hander took steps toward salvaging his so-far brutal 2017 season. If you had to make a list of the Orioles’ biggest disappointments during their otherwise strong 25-16 start, Gausman would likely...
-
May 15, 2017 at 7:00 am
Stats All, Folks: What in the world is wOBA?
Welcome back to Stats All, Folks, where we’re continuing our season-long tour through sabermetric statistics and what they mean. Previous editions covered WAR and BABIP/FIP. Next on the agenda: wOBA. What is wOBA? Designed by sabermetrician Tom Tango, wOBA (weighted On-Base Average) is a sort of all-encompassing offensive stat that blends elements...
-
May 7, 2017 at 5:49 pm
Chris Tillman impresses in 2017 debut as Orioles sweep White Sox
The Orioles finished their first three-game sweep of the season Sunday with a 4-0 shutout of the Chicago White Sox, and a returning veteran was right in the middle of it. Chris Tillman came off the disabled list to make his 2017 debut after right shoulder bursitis sidelined him since spring. It...
-
May 5, 2017 at 7:18 am
The ex-Oriole report: Gonzalez, Wieters and others off to strong starts in 2017
During the Orioles’ five-game homestand that starts Friday, they’ll come face-to-face with two former teammates who are off to hot starts in 2017. Tonight, right-hander Miguel Gonzalez is scheduled to start for the White Sox against the Orioles’ Wade Miley. Gonzalez, of course, broke into the majors with the Orioles in 2012...
-
April 28, 2017 at 7:00 am
Stats All, Folks: What, in the holy name of Batman, is FIP and BABIP?
FIP! BABIP! Either we’ve stumbled into the old Batman TV show, or it’s time for another edition of “Stats All, Folks.” This is a season-long series that examines the sabermetric side of baseball, giving a primer on advanced statistics and what they mean. I took a look at WAR in the previous...
-
April 22, 2017 at 7:00 am
Myriad Orioles Thoughts: Manny’s hard slide; a run of lefties; Mookie’s quiet bat
Friday night’s most controversial play happened in the bottom of the eighth, when Manny Machado slid hard at second base on a force play. Machado’s slide carried him past the bag, and his spikes caught second baseman Dustin Pedroia in the leg. Pedroia had to leave the game with a calf injury,...
