HHP: Can this organization even pretend it wants to win?

[twinedenter]

When you lose for 15 straight years, that's gonna happen, I just don't see the need to 6 paragraphs rants about how horrible the team is, how they don't want to win etc... after we trade Jeremy Guthrie?!?! really?! Jeremy? Guthrie?

Again, it's a deal that's a moderate loss at worst and a moderate gain at best. Maybe it's not the deal you wanted, but lets not act like the package we should have gotten for Guthrie was going to turn around the fortunes of this awful franchise.

Please excuse the rant.

While its true the trade of Gutherie was not gonna change this franchise around, it didn't have to be quite this bad. We got ZERO for our present or future. I am not even certain Hammel is in the rotation.....

The reason no prospects were offered is because no one would take the whole 8 million he was owed, plus his pending free agency. The O's wouldn't take any of the salary, so we got an even money swap with no prospects.

We got an AL East Pinata and dime-a-dozen reliever for our best pitcher. No way DD can spin this any other way, he talks "around" everything anyway.

It also puts Wada in the rotation, which will ATTEMPT to make DD look good, IF Wada is sucessful.

[jgaro]

Guthrie deserved to go elsewhere. How much losing can one pitcher stand. He never complained or pointed the finger at anyone but himself. I hope he does well in Denver, because he sure didn't stand a chance to do well here. I wouldn't want to be a 8-10 million dollar a year pitcher and have to play for this organization. I will be rooting for his future success.

[weams]

Guthrie deserved to go elsewhere. How much losing can one pitcher stand. He never complained or pointed the finger at anyone but himself. I hope he does well in Denver, because he sure didn't stand a chance to do well here. I wouldn't want to be a 8-10 million dollar a year pitcher and have to play for this organization. I will be rooting for his future success.

No fly ball pitcher deserves to go to Coors.

[mikegallo]

While clearly the ownership is more worried about profits than winning I think the OP is a lash out that is not justified when it comes to recent moves by the new front office. I understand the frustration I think the OP is clearly an emotional response to a problem which is a logically appropriate....Knowing the enormous profits that MLB has realized over the last ten year's and given the sweetheart RSN deal ownership got in 2005 I think it's horrible that this team hasn't shown a much bigger fianicial commitment even with the huge drop in attendence....It's clear PA once cared about winning above all else and now cares about profit above all else, but I think it's just unfair to slam the recent moves DD has made which I think are, for the most part, rossly underrated around here...Baseball is a game of luck, moreso than anyother sport anyway, given that I find it hard not to have some hope in any given year...And with the new wildcard being implemented our playoff odds have been greatly enhanced going forward then most of the last 10 years.

[Arthorn]

Sorry to be offtopic here, but can someone please tell me what HHP stands for? I see it all the time and can't figure it out!

[Oriolidae85]

Great post. The only place I might disagree is in regard to this particular trade, I don't see why Angelos gets the blame. I'm sure he'd have been happy to save some more coins and acquire prospects. This falls on DD and since he's just starting, it strongly suggests more gloom and doom to come.

Has the hangout ever had a night in DC? Maybe it would get some attention and a little humiliation (or more) might push some action. At the very least, it would be enjoyable to watch a decent franchise.

If it is going to happen in 2012, I highly recommend one of the games between May 18-20.

Sorry to be offtopic here, but can someone please tell me what HHP stands for? I see it all the time and can't figure it out!

High Horse Performance....maybe P is for Power, but I'd assume the former.

[NewMarketSean]

Sorry to be offtopic here, but can someone please tell me what HHP stands for? I see it all the time and can't figure it out!

Seconded. I must've missed class the day it was explained.

[Oriolidae85]

Hangout Headline Page?

Disregard my previous guess

Edit: Hangouter Highlight Post

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

Seconded. I must've missed class the day it was explained.

"Hangouter Highlight Post"? (i think) Basically when the OH staff finds a thread particularly interesting, they give it the HHP moniker.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Please excuse the rant.

While its true the trade of Gutherie was not gonna change this franchise around, it didn't have to be quite this bad. We got ZERO for our present or future. I am not even certain Hammel is in the rotation.....

The reason no prospects were offered is because no one would take the whole 8 million he was owed, plus his pending free agency. The O's wouldn't take any of the salary, so we got an even money swap with no prospects.

We got an AL East Pinata and dime-a-dozen reliever for our best pitcher. No way DD can spin this any other way, he talks "around" everything anyway.

It also puts Wada in the rotation, which will ATTEMPT to make DD look good, IF Wada is sucessful.

First of all, if you don't think Hammel is in the rotation you aren't thinking this through from a stats perspective, let alone a PR perspective.

Second, is Guthrie someone we should get more for? Or is he someone no team wants to pay eight million dollars for? That's not a lot of money, and if other teams view him as any good they would be willing to take that contract on.

[RavNMadMan]

No fly ball pitcher deserves to go to Coors.

Ditto. I lived in Colorado for four years and hit more 325+ drives on the golf course than I can even think about. Moral of the story is that a ball flies in that thin air.

[Sports Guy]

I just want to see a direction...there is none right now.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I just want to see a direction...there is none right now.

Sure there is.

He knows, like every single one of us, that it doesn't matter what moves are made right now. The only thing that will decide the outcome of the 2012 season for the Orioles are Britton, Arrieta, Matusz, and Tillman (and now adding Wada and Chen). They could go "all in" or trade everyone of value, but those pitchers are what will be the difference whether it is 60 wins or 80 wins. They are the direction of the club.

So he's giving them, as a group, one more shot. If they struggle the team will likely be disassembled at the deadline and early next offseason. If they perform well the team might look to add pieces next offseason. Either way, it all depends on what those guys do between a week from now and the end of July, and that will determine the direction.

[Miller192]

Sure there is.

He knows, like every single one of us, that it doesn't matter what moves are made right now. The only thing that will decide the outcome of the 2012 season for the Orioles are Britton, Arrieta, Matusz, and Tillman (and now adding Wada and Chen). They could go "all in" or trade everyone of value, but those pitchers are what will be the difference whether it is 60 wins or 80 wins. They are the direction of the club.

So he's giving them, as a group, one more shot. If they struggle the team will likely be disassembled at the deadline and early next offseason. If they perform well the team might look to add pieces next offseason. Either way, it all depends on what those guys do between a week from now and the end of July, and that will determine the direction.

I hope you're right but I don't know. I doubt much happens at the deadline anyway.

[El Gordo]

I hope you're right but I don't know. I doubt much happens at the deadline anyway.

If we get good performances from Arrieta, Britton, Matusz, Chen, and Wada, I wouldn't expect much to happen at the deadline. If we don't and nothing happens anyway, then that is clearly on PA.