The Magic is Gone ("Perspective" thread merge)

[SilentJames]

Even though you mention that you're not calling out my thread, I gotta say, this post is quite frankly funny to me. Funny in that the thread that you say "set you off" specifically mentioned ONE thing....that this 2013 team does not have that same "magic" feeling that last year's team did. Yet you either did not read the post, or just chose to ignore it, because it was not all doom and gloom. I DID mention that I still have hope and this IS still a good team. The point was simple, and yet you and others focused only on the negative.

It was just the title, I admit it man. I read that and I immediately thought of Dante Hicks proclaiming to the Gods "I'm not even supposed to be here today!" for the billionth time right before Randall let's him have it. For those that don't know what I am talking about - I can't link the video due to NSFW language but it pretty much sums up my views here.

Again, its not meant to be anything against you in particular Dip old bean, you're a solid dude and you know where your towel is. But it put me in a mental state, and I needed to get some things out.

I need the school year to start up again.

[Redskins Rick]

I think we have either 7 or 9 left against Boston. You DO realize that everything else being equal, we'd have to win 7 of the 9 to gain 5 games against them, right?

Not, if they continue to keep playing .600 ball.

Regardless, the future is in their hands, they control their destiny.

[Dipper9]

Let's not jump the gun, there is a ton of games left to be play.

While 6-4 in their last 10 isn't spectacular, but its' also not bad, and they won their last two series, which is the key, keep winning series's and it will all work itself out.

Unless, of course, the teams we're chasing also keep winning series.

See, that's the thing. We have put ourselves into a position where we have to start sweeping series to gain ground. We have yet to go on that 7,8, 10 game winning streak to really give ourselves some momentum. I keep waiting. I thought we had it with San Diego and San Fran. But then we dropped that middle game to the Giants, and then again last night. We need to start making a move. Time is running out. Hell, leaves are falling off my trees out back, if ya smell what the Dip is cookin'.

[Fiver]

Was the magic gone this past Friday night, when we scored 3 runs in the top of the tenth to seal a game that JJ had blown in the bottom of the 9th?

The team is fine, it was a tough loss but they have shown resilience in these circumstances time and again.

The beauty of the 2013 O's is that they don't NEED magic to win ballgames. They'll be in it until the end; regardless of ultimate outcome, that's all we can ask as fans.

[Malike]

7 with TB and NY, and 9 with Boston. They will surely get their chance. I think they come up just short.

[Redskins Rick]

Unless, of course, the teams we're chasing also keep winning series.

See, that's the thing. We have put ourselves into a position where we have to start sweeping series to gain ground. We have yet to go on that 7,8, 10 game winning streak to really give ourselves some momentum. I keep waiting. I thought we had it with San Diego and San Fran. But then we dropped that middle game to the Giants, and then again last night. We need to start making a move. Time is running out. Hell, leaves are falling off my trees out back, if ya smell what the Dip is cookin'.

44 games, according to my math.

Still a lot of baseball left to play.

[SilentJames]

Unless, of course, the teams we're chasing also keep winning series.

See, that's the thing. We have put ourselves into a position where we have to start sweeping series to gain ground. We have yet to go on that 7,8, 10 game winning streak to really give ourselves some momentum. I keep waiting. I thought we had it with San Diego and San Fran. But then we dropped that middle game to the Giants, and then again last night. We need to start making a move. Time is running out. Hell, leaves are falling off my trees out back, if ya smell what the Dip is cookin'.

No we don't dude. Come on. we are two games back. We are not in a situation we need to start rattling off giant streaks. This is what I am talking about, we don't need that. if we keep winning series it forces our opponents to ALSO keep matching us. Considering the teams we will be playing in September, if we keep winning series, they will be losing them.

A seven game win streak likely puts us a game or two out of first and WELL in control of the wild card.

[Redskins Rick]

7 with TB and NY, and 9 with Boston. They will surely get their chance. I think they come up just short.

They control their own destiny, for sure.

[Dipper9]

I just get these kind of predictions. Do you want the team to lose so that you can appear to know in advance what is going to happen? Why not just enjoy the ride and not get twisted up to what you think will occur rather than what is. We all can assess what went wrong(or right) at the end. Doom and gloom does not make for a happy life. Predictions are worthless.

I hear people say all of the time "they won't win". When I challenge them if they are fans of the team. I hear "I am the biggest fan, but my viewpoint(or expert opinion) is that they don't have this or that". In other words they would rather be right than be a fan. Just makes no sense. Who cares what (perceived) shortcomings they have. I just want them to win. I can evaluate AFTER the season.

Perfect example of this was the Raven's season from last year. Doom and gloom all year. I heard and read countless times "If they play that way in a playoff game, they can NEVER win it all". If the Super Bowl game(Raven's vs San Francisco) had been a regular season game in week 12, the boards and the radio call in shows would have crucified that VICTORY. Not consistent enough, let the other team back in the game, got lucky, poor tackling and 30 other reasons that gave CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE that it was impossible to play that way and WIN. Same vibe as this years Orioles effort.

Predictions, too many of them, most are not accurate and SERVE NO PURPOSE. It is a downer and what happens IF they get in the playoffs..... a retraction or more whining that they can't win in the playoffs?

I like the team and want to be positive, it does me no good to view them as probable losers. Just don't understand WHY fans of the team PREDICT them to do fail. What good does it do?

In general, I agree with this entire post. But if you think I am this dude you're talking about...well...you might want to review my history a bit.

[jamalshw]

I just get these kind of predictions. Do you want the team to lose so that you can appear to know in advance what is going to happen? Why not just enjoy the ride and not get twisted up to what you think will occur rather than what is. We all can assess what went wrong(or right) at the end. Doom and gloom does not make for a happy life. Predictions are worthless.

I hear people say all of the time "they won't win". When I challenge them if they are fans of the team. I hear "I am the biggest fan, but my viewpoint(or expert opinion) is that they don't have this or that". In other words they would rather be right than be a fan. Just makes no sense. Who cares what (perceived) shortcomings they have. I just want them to win. I can evaluate AFTER the season.

Perfect example of this was the Raven's season from last year. Doom and gloom all year. I heard and read countless times "If they play that way in a playoff game, they can NEVER win it all". If the Super Bowl game(Raven's vs San Francisco) had been a regular season game in week 12, the boards and the radio call in shows would have crucified that VICTORY. Not consistent enough, let the other team back in the game, got lucky, poor tackling and 30 other reasons that gave CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE that it was impossible to play that way and WIN. Same vibe as this years Orioles effort.

Predictions, too many of them, most are not accurate and SERVE NO PURPOSE. It is a downer and what happens IF they get in the playoffs..... a retraction or more whining that they can't win in the playoffs?

I like the team and want to be positive, it does me no good to view them as probable losers. Just don't understand WHY fans of the team PREDICT them to do fail. What good does it do?

This is a community that loves to talk about the numbers and trends. It's fun to talk about. There is no real stimulating dialogue if everyone posts "Go Orioles, we'll get them next time" during every loss and "We are the best!" during every win.

As to the predictions, do they mean anything in the grand scheme of things? No, but they are fun. You can predict the Orioles to miss the play-offs but still root for them to make it. I've predicted the Orioles would miss the play-offs in the past on here, but I would be ecstatic to be proven wrong.

[OFFNY]

Better than the overall 2012 team, perhaps. Better than the team that led the majors in August and September and dashed to the playoffs? Nah, it will be pretty hard to match the 2012 Orioles record for August and September.

Maybe.

But we have had 3 consecutive strong finishes to the season under Showalter (2 of which were losing teams.)

2010: 34-23

2011: 22-16

2012: 47-25 (last 72 games) OO 41-20 (last 61 games.)

I don't think that another strong finish is necessarily out of the question, particularly since it's been the teams' habit under Showalter, with 2 bad teams and one good team.

[Redskins Rick]

This is a community that loves to talk about the numbers and trends. It's fun to talk about. There is no real stimulating dialogue if everyone posts "Go Orioles, we'll get them next time" during every loss and "We are the best!" during every win.

As to the predictions, do they mean anything in the grand scheme of things? No, but they are fun. You can predict the Orioles to miss the play-offs but still root for them to make it. I've predicted the Orioles would miss the play-offs in the past on here, but I would be ecstatic to be proven wrong.

You made a valid point.

However, DD makes a couple of trades, then some in this community post, "DD has decimated the minor league system."

Yet if DD hadn't made any trades, those same people would be complaining that DD is a lazy bum and unable to pull the trigger.

Talk is fun, but when people start making knee jerk reactions, like firing the batting coach in mid season, or fire the MASN announcer, it just gets to be a bit too much.

I also dont call the dialogue stimulating, when Buck either leaves a pitcher in too long, or yanks him early. It doesn't matter what he does, people love to point they thought he did wrong.

[Dipper9]

No we don't dude. Come on. we are two games back. We are not in a situation we need to start rattling off giant streaks. This is what I am talking about, we don't need that. if we keep winning series it forces our opponents to ALSO keep matching us. Considering the teams we will be playing in September, if we keep winning series, they will be losing them.

A seven game win streak likely puts us a game or two out of first and WELL in control of the wild card.

Fair enough. But I want the division, so lets consider this.

If the Orioles play .600 ball the rest of the way (which is asking a lot, but we'll go with that percentage since I keep seeing it from posters), that gives us 26 wins, for a total of 91 on the year. Boston has 71 wins with 42 left to play. In order for us to TIE them, they'd have to go 20 and 22 over their final 42 games. This from a team that has played .592 baseball through 120 games thus far.

My opinion here. And I hope to God I'm wrong, okay everyone. But I just don't see that happening. Its gonna take more than that for us to win this division.

Now, the Wild Card is a whole different beast, and yes, I think we DO hold our own destiny there.

[Tony-OH]

This is a community that loves to talk about the numbers and trends. It's fun to talk about. There is no real stimulating dialogue if everyone posts "Go Orioles, we'll get them next time" during every loss and "We are the best!" during every win.

As to the predictions, do they mean anything in the grand scheme of things? No, but they are fun. You can predict the Orioles to miss the play-offs but still root for them to make it. I've predicted the Orioles would miss the play-offs in the past on here, but I would be ecstatic to be proven wrong.

And this my friend earned you 25 rep points! Not sure why this seems to be lost on some.

[Redskins Rick]

Fair enough. But I want the division, so lets consider this.

If the Orioles play .600 ball the rest of the way (which is asking a lot, but we'll go with that percentage since I keep seeing it from posters), that gives us 26 wins, for a total of 91 on the year. Boston has 71 wins with 42 left to play. In order for us to TIE them, they'd have to go 20 and 22 over their final 42 games. This from a team that has played .592 baseball through 120 games thus far.

My opinion here. And I hope to God I'm wrong, okay everyone. But I just don't see that happening. Its gonna take more than that for us to win this division.

Now, the Wild Card is a whole different beast, and yes, I think we DO hold our own destiny there.

6-4 in their last ten, which is .600 ball accounting to my old high school math, maybe new age math is different.