It's a New Year, let's turn the page here at the Hangout!

[Jagwar]

I feel left out now! I'm going to ask SG to call me a douche on BSL now so I can be part of the club.

With over 100k posts, SG called people a douche a few times a day by accident.

[jjnono]

Everything you need to know is in the thread to bsl that was linked earlier. When he looks in every once in a while he notices that while the board is more popular now that the analysis just isn't as good anymore. Because, you know, he's not driving 90% of the threads. Guy knows a bunch about baseball but refuses to believe that anyone that doesn't agree 100% with him isn't a moron. Too bad really, but life is mostly about how you treat other people.

This. I initially came to OH back in 2007, ran into SG a couple of times and was just utterly blown away at the level of animosity and vitriol he expressed because I didn't happen to agree with him. I actually think I called HIM a douche. But I stayed away for about 2 years. It all seemed so childish.

I don't make this board any better, and with a family and young son I don't have much time to give to well-studied analysis, but I do appreciate when others do. it just seems like a more civilized place than I recall several years ago.

[weams]

This. I initially came to OH back in 2007, ran into SG a couple of times and was just utterly blown away at the level of animosity and vitriol he expressed because I didn't happen to agree with him. I actually think I called HIM a douche. But I stayed away for about 2 years. It all seemed so childish.

I don't make this board any better, and with a family and young son I don't have much time to give to well-studied analysis, but I do appreciate when others do. it just seems like a more civilized place than I recall several years ago.

Welcome back. Yeah. This place is high tech enough for me.

[canonfaz]

Nice. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Ohfan67]

This is a great thread. I just went back and read the posts of a lot of old timers. Great stuff. I started reading and posting a little in 1999 under a different name. My first post was criticizing Alex Rodriquez's contract with the Rangers because it consumed so much of their payroll (several people were calling for the O's to spend super money on a couple of free agents). SG called me an idiot and told me I didn't know anything about baseball. What an introduction to posting on the board. I had a kid and got lost in a busy job and stopped posting all together around '03 or so. Although I forgot my old username and login info, I would still read the board when I could. It's amazing how much I learned about baseball on this board from Drungo, Frobby, and many, many others. It also helped tremendously to know that there were other O's fans during those bleak years (I haven't lived in Maryland since 1997). Thanks for your gesture and this thread Tony. And thanks for the board. It's obviously meant a lot to a lot of people, including me. Good to see so many of the old posters in this thread. Nice stuff.

[bobmc]

Hello Hoosiers! Dustin Pedroia certainly brings back memories....he played on a pretty good ASU team that included Andre Ethier and Jeff Larish. I was always saddened that Larish never could convert the success he had in his Junior year into a career in the MFL. I did see him several times when he was with the Tigers organization and they came through Richmond. One at bat, he saw about 24 pitches before he knocked a single into RF and took second....later scored the tieing run. I still believe that when the game is on the line, he would be a good guy to have at the plate.

Good to see you here JK!

I feel left out now! I'm going to ask SG to call me a douche on BSL now so I can be part of the club.

You'd have to axe him? :laughlol:

I wish to thank Tony for this generous amnesty offer he extended as my first post. I am truly humble and greatful for this opportunity. I don't mean to sound like a politician but I sincerely mean this. I have missed interacting with many of you and am saddened that some of my favorite posters (even though I used to argue with them to the extreme) like Sports Guy and Shackleford are not active anymore. I do not have as much time on my hands to post anymore and honestly, have not been reading anything here since my banning. I post on the sun site as some of you may know. I love this site much more because no Yankee fans here and the quality of posts are light years above the sun. I am going to the Ravens game tomorrow and will be screaming my lungs out when Ray comes out of the tunnel. My son will be with me in case I over due it and 911 must be called.:laughlol: Thee were so many wonderful things last year with the Orioles I was on cloud nine. The only thing I am sorry about this off season was losing Reynolds. He struck out a lot but I loved his heart and his power and defense at first. I will miss him as he was a gamer. I also really like Chris Davis, Machado, and yes, I am now a fan of Nick Markakis. He proved he deserved a Gold Glove and is now truly a Gold Glover. He is also a great leadoff hitter or #2 hitter but i still don't like him hitting third. I love Nate McClouth and so glad we have him back. I would like to see them sign Joe Saunders. I like Matusz in the BP. I will be looking forward to discussing these players but didn't want to overload anyone on my first post back. Again, hello to all my old friends and it is great to be back! Go O's!!!

Wow! I'm in awe. Very un-Levitra-esque post but back in the sausage mode for the game tomorrow! Have fun and hope you last more than a few weeks!

EDIT: w/o being "released" lock, stock and barrel like RShack!

[scOtt]

This. I initially came to OH back in 2007, ran into SG a couple of times and was just utterly blown away at the level of animosity and vitriol he expressed because I didn't happen to agree with him. I actually think I called HIM a douche. But I stayed away for about 2 years. It all seemed so childish.

I don't make this board any better, and with a family and young son I don't have much time to give to well-studied analysis, but I do appreciate when others do. it just seems like a more civilized place than I recall several years ago.

Life of a Repo Man is intense!

I have a long history with rshields97. Mostly disagreeable. And I don't mean or wish Rob any harm or bad-mouthing. He's a BRILLIANT analyst. But he's... not so much the analysis, or common sense, or innovative thinking, or animosity and vitriol... he's a debater. A real pro. Doesn't use strawmen or any Latin phrase, he's the real deal. Relentless. A Terminator. "He will not stop..."

I learned early on to step lightly around SG.

e: And edit the other point I wanted to agree on... It IS more agreeable around here now. Not agreeable but more civil. More actual baseball discussion. No more pissing contests between SG and BTerp et al.

[SouthernBird]

Good to see the "Dude" still abides...

[Tony-OH]

So many great old friends have shown back up. Glad to have you all back. Alsigko (John), thanks for stopping by. I always regretted the fact that you left because I felt I was the reason and I truly respected you. I'll admit, there are some that I kind of goad into eventually breaking the rules so I can get rid of them or they'll leave, but you my friend were a quality guy and I 100% admit I was wrong in your case. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll make it more often.

Honestly, this thread could not have worked out better. We got some old friends back, we had some great conversations about some old posters, and I think we all agree that we love the community that we have here. The smugness of posters thinking they are better than you are have been pared down, and most of them have their own place to congratulate each other on how smart they are .

I find nothing funnier than grown men posting back and forth about how dumb OH has become because they are no longer there. Let's just say, I think we'll survive with what we got!

I want to thank you all for the support and thanks for making OH the best community out there! I'll probably lock this down after Sunday so we can start focusing back on baseball. The amnesty offer stands through Sunday. There's still time to join us once again.

[MrOrange82]

Life of a Repo Man is intense!

I have a long history with rshields97. Mostly disagreeable. And I don't mean or wish Rob any harm or bad-mouthing. He's a BRILLIANT analyst. But he's... not so much the analysis, or common sense, or innovative thinking, or animosity and vitriol... he's a debater. A real pro. Doesn't use strawmen or any Latin phrase, he's the real deal. Relentless. A Terminator. "He will not stop..."

I learned early on to step lightly around SG.

e: And edit the other point I wanted to agree on... It IS more agreeable around here now. Not agreeable but more civil. More actual baseball discussion. No more pissing contests between SG and BTerp et al.

He's certainly more...creative (?) than posters like Trea were (in the sense that SG had a habit of trumpeting the same ideas over and over...and over, but he'd at least use different approaches to do so). Still...great debater? He basically just refused to ever admit that he was wrong about anything. He's probably off somewhere right now chatting up Casey Kotchman's HOF credentials.

IMO, there's an important difference between "relentless" and "bullheaded."

[CA-ORIOLE]

He's certainly more...creative (?) than posters like Trea were (in the sense that SG had a habit of trumpeting the same ideas over and over...and over, but he'd at least use different approaches to do so). Still...great debater? He basically just refused to ever admit that he was wrong about anything. He's probably off somewhere right now chatting up Casey Kotchman's HOF credentials.

IMO, there's an important difference between "relentless" and "bullheaded."

He was creative. I still remember the one thread he made where he gave a scenario and gave two options to pick from. It was fairly drawn out scenario (probably a trade of some sort) and he gave everyone detailed options, A or B to choose from. I'm pretty sure it was in poll format. Posters scrambled and debated the scenario and available options. After a day or two, Sports God availed himself to the minions and told everyone that they were all wrong and the correct answer was (newly presented) option C. Everyone was an idiot to think that options A or B were even viable. Classic Sports Guy.

If you questioned the poll, you were an idiot. Pretty sure the was one of threads in which I was called a douche. Maybe even a douche bag.

[MrOrange82]

He was creative. I still remember the one thread he made where he gave a scenario and gave two options to pick from. It was fairly drawn out scenario (probably a trade of some sort) and he gave everyone detailed options, A or B to choose from. I'm pretty sure it was in poll format. Posters scrambled and debated the scenario and available options. After a day or two, Sports God availed himself to the minions and told everyone that they were all wrong and the correct answer was (newly presented) option C. Everyone was an idiot to think that options A or B were even viable. Classic Sports Guy.

If you questioned the poll, you were an idiot. Pretty sure the was one of threads in which I was called a douche. Maybe even a douche bag.

(1) need to spread rep;

(2) you made me realize that SG's hypos bear striking resemblances to the hypos of Sheldon Cooper; and

(3) though the following isn't a hypo, I just...had to. Because somewhere in that guy's closet is an undersized t-shirt adorned with a Blue Devil.

[video=youtube;fqlDc2VICZ0]

[Gurgi]

SG and Sheldon Cooper. You know. That really might be the answer right there.

[bobmc]

Good to see the "Dude" still abides...

Wowzers! Whither Southern Bird?

[Tony-OH]

Ok folks, I'm closing this one down. I think everything that needed to be said has been said and we welcome the old friends back and look forward to a great 2013 here at OH! Thanks everyone!