The ability to win the close ones separates the winning teams from the losing teams. It really is a skill that good teams and good players have. Unfortunately for the Orioles there's nobody to teach that skill.

My head hurtz.

You are factually incorrect. You would realize this if you had done the research required to back your claim, and, finding that the hard facts disagreed with the thesis, you could have retracted your statements before making them publicly.

And then the problem is compounded by the incorrect assumption that the "skill" can only be taught by some ill-defined elite person who, I suppose, has acquired it by his involvement in winning games. Which must be someone old, to teach these "young" Orioles.

NEWSFLASH: The O's HAVE NO PITCHING. ALMOST THE WORST ERA IN THE LEAGUE. THAT IS WHY THEY ARE LOSING A LOT.

The Orioles do have pitching. It's just young and, dare I say it, inexperienced. Of course, those young pitchers don't need to "learn how to win," and they certainly don't need a vet to teach them how to win, they just need time at the ML level to make the necessary adjustments. (although adding a guy like Lackey wouldn't hurt of course.)

The Angels were down two runs with two outs in the ninth. Torii Hunter got on base with a bunt single. He did it so the tying run could come to the plate in the form of the Halos best hitter Vladimir Guerrero. That’s playing to win the game.

So with two outs in the ninth, you want to get on base? OK, I think I got it.

I guess he is trying to say that Hunter wasn't focused on the home run, but most players understand that situation and the bunt base hit wouldn't work for every player.

To be fair, Theoharis is correct that the Orioles have been losing a lot of close games lately. The Orioles have been outscored 224 to 202 in the second half, but their record is just 14-29 over that span, which is about 6 games less than their pythag.

I'd chalk it up to chance rather than young players now knowing how to win, but to each his/her own.

I agree that it's mostly bad luck, but I can't help but feel that Trembley and Samuel are also partly responsible. I'm just not a Trembley fan and don't want him back.

To be fair, Theoharis is correct that the Orioles have been losing a lot of close games lately. The Orioles have been outscored 224 to 202 in the second half, but their record is just 14-29 over that span, which is about 6 games less than their pythag.

I'd chalk it up to chance rather than young players now knowing how to win, but to each his/her own.

That's because "knowing how to win" is one of those silly baseball cliches that only makes sense if one doesn't bother to think about it. It would actually make sense if it were generally used to refer to situations such as the Torri Hunter one: i.e., knowing the best tactics to use. Certainly better teams and better players presumably make smarter plays. The problem is, that's not really what the phrase means, as evidenced by the rest of her comments:

It’s easier said than done, but they have to learn the value of finding ways to come up with that big hit, key play or put away pitch.

Really? You mean, the Orioles don't know the value of big hits, key plays, and put away pitches? They're sitting around in the 9th inning saying, "Hmm. Should I try to get a hit here, or just strike out? Which is more valuable?" I like, too, the notion of "finding ways" to get hits. As if it were an issue of strategy rather than ability. If the former, why not, you know, get them all the time?

The ability to win the close ones separates the winning teams from the losing teams. It really is a skill that good teams and good players have. Unfortunately for the Orioles there’s nobody to teach that skill.

Really? There's a special "win the close ones" skill?


Of course, I have now put more thought into the phrase than she ever did.

clicking on TFA will only distract me from daydreaming about 30+ starts from Matusz.

You mean, the Orioles don't know the value of big hits, key plays, and put away pitches? They're sitting around in the 9th inning saying, "Hmm. Should I try to get a hit here, or just strike out? Which is more valuable?" I like, too, the notion of "finding ways" to get hits. As if it were an issue of strategy rather than ability.

I guess, in the context of a young team, it could be that "learning how to win" is just really imprecise way of saying that the players lack savvy gained through experience and can be schooled by more experienced pros when the game is on the line. On the other hand, plenty of veteran teams don't "know how to win," either.

I know how to win -- score more runs than the other team. If the Orioles really don't know how to win, they need some serious help. I'm available, and my price is modest.

Being a vet and having experience certainly helps, but not in any strategic sense. Typically, an experienced batter will have a better sense of the strike zone and what pitches he's likely to see in a particular count (old player skills), an experienced pitcher knows how to set up a hitter more effectively, and an experienced fielder will be better positioned, but all of those examples apply regardless of the game situation. An experienced hitter doesn't suddenly decide to use his knowledge of the strike zone in the bottom of the 9th.

Nice legs!

Being a vet and having experience certainly helps, but not in any strategic sense. Typically, an experienced batter will have a better sense of the strike zone and what pitches he's likely to see in a particular count (old player skills), an experienced pitcher knows how to set up a hitter more effectively, and an experienced fielder will be better positioned, but all of those examples apply regardless of the game situation. An experienced hitter doesn't suddenly decide to use his knowledge of the strike zone in the bottom of the 9th.

Exactly. All of those things go into making the player a better player; nobody on earth would deny that. But not better players in close games; better players, generally. But obviously, "Young Orioles need to be better players" would not exactly be the most insightful headline.