MLB.com article with Angelos quotes

[eddie83]

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/new...=.jsp&c_id=bal
I started reading the article then saw the quotes from Angelos, you very rarely hear anything from him. I agree with him that life isn't fair in the AL East but the idea that economics killed the Orioles is wrong. He ran the franchise into the ground when attendance was still very strong.

I have no problems with Angelos since 2007 when he hired MacPhail. Both on and off the field things are alot better. The past is the past but that doesn't change things he did to damage the team.

[BaltimoreTerp]

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/new...=.jsp&c_id=bal
I started reading the article then saw the quotes from Angelos, you very rarely hear anything from him. I agree with him that life isn't fair in the AL East but the idea that economics killed the Orioles is wrong. He ran the franchise into the ground when attendance was still very strong.

I have no problems with Angelos since 2007 when he hired MacPhail. Both on and off the field things are alot better. The past is the past but that doesn't change things he did to damage the team.

Well HE'S not going to say that...

[RShack]

He ran the franchise into the ground when attendance was still very strong.

I wish people would quit saying this. Look, he deserves all the blame you can muster for not fixing it until now. But the franchise was in the ground when he got it. Except for 1 fluke year, it had been for years and years...

[eddie83]

I wish people would quit saying this. Look, he deserves all the blame you can muster for not fixing it until now. But the franchise was in the ground when he got it. Except for 1 fluke year, it had been for years and years...

Nonsense. We had a competitive team with a young starters in Mussina and McDonald. We had an 89 win team in 1992 and an 85 win team in 1993. In 1994 he took over when Camden Yards was sold out everynight. Hemond built a solid team by the time he took over. We weren't great but to say that the team was ran into the ground isn't accurate.

[Miller192]

Someone decipher this part for me:

He believes franchises such as the Orioles -- unable to generate huge revenues -- cannot remain competitive, or at least stay even with teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox.

"It's a question of how much money you can generate," he said. "Once in a while there is an exception to that rule, but it cannot be sustained year-to-year. It's an old story: How much money do you have? We're in that kind of economic system and those rules apply."

What is PGA saying is the exception to the rule? The Rays? Maybe I'm reading this wrong but it appears he is saying that without spending a ton of money in the East, you can't consistently be competitive. At the same time, he is saying that we are not one of those teams that can spend a lot. So I guess we shouldn't expect to consistently be competitive?

Am I drawing the wrong conclusion here?

[byrdz]

Nonsense. We had a competitive team with a young starters in Mussina and McDonald. We had an 89 win team in 1992 and an 85 win team in 1993. In 1994 he took over when Camden Yards was sold out everynight. Hemond built a solid team by the time he took over. We weren't great but to say that the team was ran into the ground isn't accurate.

He may be speaking about how our minor league system was neglected over those years and subsequently didn't produce much. Only way to compete consistently is to have a strong farm system.

[Hank Scorpio]

Ehhhhhhhhhhh, basically this article re-inforces what most people think about both Angelos and the economics of baseball.

[eddie83]

He may be speaking about how our minor league system was neglected over those years and subsequently didn't produce much. Only way to compete consistently is to have a strong farm system.

I agree our minor league system wasn't great then. I won't deny that. I don't think Angelos did his homework if he thought that the minors weren't important. All I am saying is he bought the team with a great new stadium that sold out, Cal Ripken and a competitive team. He walked into a great situation.

[crowmst3k!]

Andy is doing such a good job I don't think he needs any help from me. I'm delighted with the results he's getting

Wow, this quote is open to some interpretation...

[JTrea81]

Someone decipher this part for me:



What is PGA saying is the exception to the rule? The Rays? Maybe I'm reading this wrong but it appears he is saying that without spending a ton of money in the East, you can't consistently be competitive. At the same time, he is saying that we are not one of those teams that can spend a lot. So I guess we shouldn't expect to consistently be competitive?

Am I drawing the wrong conclusion here?

That's what it sounds like to me...

And I just love this quote:

Getting back to the current Orioles, Angelos said, "Andy is doing such a good job I don't think he needs any help from me. I'm delighted with the results he's getting."

In other words, "I'm delighted with my profit margin."

So it is all about the money. Glad to see we keep crying poor with a RSN...

[McNulty]

Evil genius strikes again!

[Hank Scorpio]

Evil genius strikes again!

He just cannot contain himself.

[TonySoprano]

Nonsense. We had a competitive team with a young starters in Mussina and McDonald. We had an 89 win team in 1992 and an 85 win team in 1993. In 1994 he took over when Camden Yards was sold out everynight.

Exactly.
Last 5 years-Angelos, 5 straight years of declining won-loss pct.

YR	BAL-W	BAL-L	PCT
2009	64	98	0.395
2008	68	93	0.422
2007	69	93	0.426
2006	70	92	0.432
2005	74	88	0.457
TOT	345	464	0.426

5 years pre-Angelos

YR	BAL-W	BAL-L	PCT
1993	85	77	0.525
1992	89	73	0.549
1991	67	95	0.414
1990	76	85	0.472
1989	87	75	0.537
TOT	404	405	0.499

Camden Yards was the golden goose. Attendance was killed by the on-field product, down nearly 49% since 1997.

1997	3,711,132	0
1998	3,684,650	-0.71%
1999	3,433,150	-7.49%
2000	3,297,031	-11.16%
2001	3,094,841	-16.61%
2002	2,682,439	-27.72%
2003	2,454,523	-33.86%
2004	2,744,018	-26.06%
2005	2,624,740	-29.27%
2006	2,153,139	-41.98%
2007	2,164,822	-41.67%
2008	1,950,075	-47.45%
2009	1,907,163	-48.61%

[eddie83]

Sometimes I wonder if he has any advisors that he listens to. Like I said earlier I have no current beef with the man but he doesn't do himself any favors when he opens his mouth. I am not saying people would want to throw him a parade in downtown Baltimore but if he would just say I made some mistakes he wouldn 't do his PR image any harm.

[JTrea81]

He just cannot contain himself.

I'm sorry but it seems to be one excuse after another.

First MASN was the answer:

In answer to your question, now that we have an RSN and we can move forward with it…that is going get us on a more even plane with Boston and New York, and that was the purpose.

And now:

He believes franchises such as the Orioles -- unable to generate huge revenues -- cannot remain competitive, or at least stay even with teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox.

"It's a question of how much money you can generate," he said. "Once in a while there is an exception to that rule, but it cannot be sustained year-to-year. It's an old story: How much money do you have? We're in that kind of economic system and those rules apply."

The excuses have to stop sometime.

You have MacPhail saying the goal is to build a year in year out competitor, and then you have Angelos saying they can't because we can't generate enough revenue.

Sounds like Andy's been selling false hope to me.