Is Everyone Really So Depressed?

[TonySoprano]

Being depressed implies you had some expectations that weren't met. I've said numerous times that keeping expectations low, which is a damn shame, is the way to cope. In short, I'm not depressed about baseball. Admittedly, my frustration at the team's indifference can get the best of me, when I let it. I simply do not believe ownership is committed to changing things for the better.

[NewMarketSean]

Why not? You expect the same level of crappyness from the organization even though..... "a different GM and front office and many different players that are on the team now?"

And that crappiness has been constant over the course of many games and many GM, front office, manager regimes and hundreds of players. So your point is?

[jakeypp]

You're taking things too literally.

Let's say just for LSD-induced laughter that the Orioles go on to the playoffs, win the world series and remain a competitive team for the next three years or so. When the 2012 World Series DVD is released, game 162 will be the first thing you see. When ESPN and MLB Network do their retrospective of the improbable "ZerO's" it will start with Andino's hit and a voice-over claiming, "it was here the fortunes of an entire franchise and city began to change" or somesuch nonsense. Its the history of the thing.

In game 162 the Orioles were a part of something that was so remarkably improbable how is it not going to be the thing that is referenced if the Orioles did actually pull something off this year?

This will absolutely happen! :laughlol:

[NewMarketSean]

You're taking things too literally.

Let's say just for LSD-induced laughter that the Orioles go on to the playoffs, win the world series and remain a competitive team for the next three years or so. When the 2012 World Series DVD is released, game 162 will be the first thing you see. When ESPN and MLB Network do their retrospective of the improbable "ZerO's" it will start with Andino's hit and a voice-over claiming, "it was here the fortunes of an entire franchise and city began to change" or somesuch nonsense.

Its the history of the thing.

In game 162 the Orioles were a part of something that was so remarkably improbable how is it not going to be the thing that is referenced if the Orioles did actually pull something off this year?

It was one game.

The Orioles played like World Series contenders for two months in 2010 and how well did that carry over to the next season?

Say it again, it was one game.

I know you need something to latch onto in this crap-storm of a baseball team, but don't make that scrap of wood you're clinging onto out to be a rescue boat.

The Orioles had a cute end to the season last year and are still a team headed for another 65-75 win season. Whoop-de-doo.

[NewMarketSean]

This will absolutely happen! :laughlol:

Right after they talk about Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow for 59 mins.

[mikegallo]

I think it is quite crazy, all the doom and gloom around here versus years past. How the heck can it be justified when compared to most of the last ten years?

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME.....

We had TWO TOP TEN PROSPECTS IN ALL OF BASEBALL? AN ACE AND ALL EVERYTHING SS plus a great looking SS/2b/3b in Schoop!

We had one of the best players at his position Wieters who is also 25?

Or 3 home grown OFers, 1 who has shown 6 WAR past performance, another who is capable of 3+ WAR in CF and a LFer who has hit at every stop including the majors?

Plus a SS who has a golden glove with a 30 HR bat?

A 3b with 40+ HR power plus a glove that has to regress to the mean which is likely to result in a 2+ WAR player, which he has been every year in the past?

We have a 1b who had a great year in the Majors at 22 and has hit every year in baseball with all time great AAA seasons and with a full year in the MLB will likely hit, since at some point every year he hits?

We have 4 guys (Antonelli, Flaherty, Miller, TT) who have had alot of minor legue sucess and/or were former great prospects who havent yet got their chance in the ML, the excate type of players we have been begging our team to give a chance for 10 years becuase we all know if even one hits on an average ML career we will get 30+ million in surplus value?

We have 5 pitchers who have either had success in MLB or great performance in the Japan leagues who can fill our rotation without relying on any of our kids (BM, ZB, JA, CT)

We have those above kids (best AAA staff we have EVER had in the last 20+ years) waiting in AAA to pitch well enough to claim there rotation/ Bullpen spots; None of which got full seasons at both AA and AAA before reaching the Majors and since we can't go back in time I think DD is doing right in making them work there way into the Majors from here...

I am sorry people but as bleak as the last 14 years have been I just can't believe this place is as down as ever given thoses facts......

By the way every player mentioned up there is under 30 except Wada........Finally this team has learned it's lesson and stopped filling our rosters with vet stop gaps who are marginal expensive no upside players.

It's like soon as the FO starts building a team the way we have been clamoring for with young undervalued talents we all start whining about the uncertainty.....And DD is finally adding enough major league quality that our young guys have to pitch there way to the big leagues instead of being rushed out of needs then failing and having no legit backup which we have all seen happen over and over the last ten years, ruining countless PP along the way..

And now many our complaining DD isn't just repeating the cycle of handing young guys a spot and have no qaulity backup plans....Its crazy how many just want to be down just to be down.....There are reasons to be down on the Orioles but in comparsion to many of the past teams this team is filled with hope and depth and quality young guys who just need a chance or a kick in the butt, many of which are likely to break out!

Mark my words this time next year this team will look much better as will the mood of the hangout! DD is finally at least trying to break the cycle while trying to hit some home runs on young guys, which we all know is the key to getting up with the aging yankees or the pitching weak sox's....Plus an extra wild card and with a few shrewd moves it's not so crazy seeing us in the playoffs sometime in the next few years.....

Sit back and enjoy the season guys! GO ORIOLES!!!!!!!!!!!WOOOOO!!!!!

[Can_of_corn]

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME.....

We had TWO TOP TEN PROSPECTS IN ALL OF BASEBALL? AN ACE AND ALL EVERYTHING SS plus a great looking SS/2b/3b in Schoop!

In 2010 the O's had the #7 and #8 prospects according to MLB.com. They also had the #17 prospect.

[MrOrange82]

In 2010 the O's had the #7 and #8 prospects according to MLB.com. They also had the #17 prospect.

lol...whoops.

[mikegallo]

In 2010 the O's had the #7 and #8 prospects according to MLB.com. They also had the #17 prospect.

But I would argue those list were much less talented overall since 2011 draft is one of the most talented in recent memory while 2009 draft was one of the worst....Maybe allstar or stotle can back that up.....I think it is generally accepted that this years top 100 is much more top heavy and deep than the last few years!

And this board was jump threw walls with joy about that while now it is largely a steady ok thats nice type attiude.

[Scrat1]

I'm depressed because the Orioles, once again, failed to pick a path. More fence riding, more meaningless attempts to slay Baltimore's great white whale: the .500 season. The team does not learn from its mistakes.

[brianod]

Why are people so down on this team? I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that last year was the year that all our young players were supposed to bring us into contention. Not only didn't that happen, a lot of them seemed to regress and some of them don't even look like capable major leaguers. So MacPhail has a plan that failed miserably. At a loss as to what to do, he gave up. In comes Duquette who says the right things but then does not make one move to significantly improve the team. If we gave up and rebuilt, there would be prospects to watch grow and give us hope. Had we stuck to our guns and added to the young corp, we would have new stars to root for and renewed hope for contention. We did nothing. We sat on our hands. So, we don't have new stars. We don't have new prospects. We have the same group that lost 93 games last year.

If things break perfectly, we could finish .500!!! Whoopee.

[BrunoCherrytown]

In 2010 the O's had the #7 and #8 prospects according to MLB.com. They also had the #17 prospect.

But we didn't have Endy Chavez and Dana Eveland back then. So it's not apples to apples.

[VeveJones007]

Being depressed implies you had some expectations that weren't met. I've said numerous times that keeping expectations low, which is a damn shame, is the way to cope. In short, I'm not depressed about baseball. Admittedly, my frustration at the team's indifference can get the best of me, when I let it. I simply do not believe ownership is committed to changing things for the better.

The reason I'm depressed is because I thought they had a shot a .500 last year, they failed miserably, and then didn't choose a reasonable path to rebuild or reload.

[BrunoCherrytown]

But I would argue those list were much less talented overall since 2011 draft is one of the most talented in recent memory while 2009 draft was one of the worst....Maybe allstar or stotle can back that up.....I think it is generally accepted that this years top 100 is much more top heavy and deep than the last few years!

And this board was jump threw walls with joy about that while now it is largely a steady ok thats nice type attiude.

While the 2011 draft was immensely talented our previous regime decided to punt the ball and take a bunch of slot relievers to compliment Bundy. Delmonico and Esposito were nice and all but we had the 11th highest spend. The other team on MASN can brag about the 2011 draft. We took the guy we wouldve had to have been blind not to take in the first round and then we proceeded to wet the bed on most rounds after.

I didn't read one draft analysis that had us as having a winning draft besides Bundy. Maybe they are out there but I didn't see them.

[Barnaby Graves]

I'm totally excited for the start of a new season but you're not gonna get me excited about Jason Hammel unless he comes out and pitches well. Which is to say, I have a wait-and-see attitude, but very low expectations for the club.