Interesting quotes from a beleaguered Buck Showalter...

[Dipper9]

Yeah, that was the thought I'll admit. Turns out its still Angelos at the end of the day so I was wrong about that. Hope they can come up with some major improvements to the roster without him saying no.

Who is the "premium talent" we should be on the lookout for this offseason Trea?

[Redskins Rick]

The problem with this theory is that PA doesn't actually have a check book. He still keeps his money in a mattress.

Hard to sleep that way.

[Dipper9]

The problem with this theory is that PA doesn't actually have a check book. He still keeps his money in a mattress.

More like this...

Although Trea will say this...

[El Gordo]

[video=youtube;12h_nqHTMsI]

[Dannyboy]

The man just watched his 21 yr. old all-star 3b shred his knee. Casailla take a shot to the head, and his teams playoff hopes go out the window. You really can't take to much out of yesterdays presser or any of them for that matter. And personally, I only care about the way he manages, not the way he conducts an interview after a ball game.

[McLovin]

The way I took it was that Buck feels this team is going to take up to three more years to be championship caliber.

Sure, if you want to take it out of context and only look at that sentence. If you add the next sentence he spoke, it magically takes on different meaning:

"It's going to take a lot more than one year, two years, three years. I have the most respect for people that do it consistently, year-in and year-out."

He's saying we are building for the long haul, not to be one year wonders.

The point is further made clear by the other sentences:

"Any sport, when you see a team or an organization, a college or pro team, it doesn't matter. There are reasons why. The more I'm around professional sports, you kind of see something from afar and everyone always thinks it's a fluky Cinderella-ish thing, and then you get close to it and you go, 'There's a reason why. I've got it now.'"

Ugh, I can't believe I took the bait though...

[Tony-OH]

The man just watched his 21 yr. old all-star 3b shred his knee. Casailla take a shot to the head, and his teams playoff hopes go out the window. You really can't take to much out of yesterdays presser or any of them for that matter. And personally, I only care about the way he manages, not the way he conducts an interview after a ball game.

I think this has a lot to do with that "interview." Buck is as close and invested in this team as anyone so even if he doesn't publicly scream and yell after days like yesterday, I can only imagine the amount of emotions that was running through him. I'm impressed he talked as long as he did, regardless of what he said. I wouldn't read into anything he said there.

[Pickles]

Yeah, that was the thought I'll admit. Turns out its still Angelos at the end of the day so I was wrong about that. Hope they can come up with some major improvements to the roster without him saying no.

I'm curious Jtroll: How many times do you have to admit to being wrong in the past to contemplate that you're indeed wrong in the present?

I mean, in the last month I've heard you admit to being wrong about Fielder, Texieria, etc. and your previous obsession with big name FAs.

And now you're admitting you were wrong about the motivations of PA and AM.

Both of those things you wasted untold bandwith to assail our ears with your absurd theories.

Now, you assail our ears with new absurd theories.

How confident are you that in 2 years you won't be admitting your mistake concerning these new absurdities?

[JTrea81]

I'm curious Jtroll: How many times do you have to admit to being wrong in the past to contemplate that you're indeed wrong in the present?

I mean, in the last month I've heard you admit to being wrong about Fielder, Texieria, etc. and your previous obsession with big name FAs.

And now you're admitting you were wrong about the motivations of PA and AM.

Both of those things you wasted untold bandwith to assail our ears with your absurd theories.

Now, you assail our ears with new absurd theories.

How confident are you that in 2 years you won't be admitting your mistake concerning these new absurdities?

To which "absurdities" would you be referring to? I'll admit that I've let my passion get the best of me and came up with what I thought was rational theories to process why the Orioles were operating like they were based on the only evidence I had. However, that was then. I don't recall anything I've said on my return that others wouldn't agree with. My arguments no longer seem like they are in left field , and if they are there a lot of other people out there with me.

And a lot of my "absurdities" insterestingly enough, when posted again by others, are no longer absurd. RISP being the biggest example. There's a lot of thoughts that get shot down here because of the mentality of some that are generally accepted elsewhere, with again RISP and Presley's future with the organization the examples there. A lot of viewpoints are missed out on because they simply get crushed without much debate. I can take the critiquing but some can't, however I am also willing to admit I am wrong, something I have worked on during my self exile. I now have a whole different outlook on a blueprint to a winning organization that the 2008 JTrea would have dismissed. And I'm sure that will change over time as well.

So am I confident in what I am saying now? In the moment, yes. Could I be wrong? Sure, but it's all about the moment and being right isn't as important to me as expressing how I feel based on the situation and evidence available to me.

[Nigel Tufnel]

being right isn't as important to me as expressing how I feel based on the situation and evidence available to me.

Well, that pretty much sums up the Trea experience.

[Crazysilver03]

So how do you coalesce the fact that you are the only one that interpreted Buck's comments the way you did? No one is in LF with you on this one.

[VeveJones007]

The way I took it was that Buck feels this team is going to take up to three more years to be championship caliber.

He's talking about convincing the fan base (and baseball in general) that the O's are a quality product, doing things the right way, something for the fans to be proud of, etc. Changing attitudes takes time. He isn't very clear about it, though.

[Barnaby Graves]

To which "absurdities" would you be referring to? I'll admit that I've let my passion get the best of me and came up with what I thought was rational theories to process why the Orioles were operating like they were based on the only evidence I had. However, that was then. I don't recall anything I've said on my return that others wouldn't agree with. My arguments no longer seem like they are in left field , and if they are there a lot of other people out there with me.

And a lot of my "absurdities" insterestingly enough, when posted again by others, are no longer absurd. RISP being the biggest example. There's a lot of thoughts that get shot down here because of the mentality of some that are generally accepted elsewhere, with again RISP and Presley's future with the organization the examples there.

They are mostly accepted by Vinnie from Perryville, long time listener first time caller; the kind of fan who always wants to read into things and assume there is drama and deeper reasons for results in this game of inches. Because it's hard for people to accept luck and "**** happens." And it's fueled by a selection bias for failure, of which you'll find plenty in baseball; Presley gets the blame for a 21-year-old not walking much but doesn't get any credit for Chris Davis' ISO going up 119 points and his walk rate increasing from 6.6% to 10.7%. A hot streak with RISP doesn't get nearly as much notice as a cold streak, people call for a closer's demotion after maybe 3 games, less than 3 innings, of poor performance or bad luck, a bad loss causes a guy to make a thread about how the season is over in mid August. Sports should be emotional but when it's time to get analytical you need to put that away and think about what goes into things like RISP and you need to think about what is actually happening, the full picture, because anyone can cut a few words out of a quote to the press, or pick and choose data, and say "look at this, this means something."

A lot of viewpoints are missed out on because they simply get crushed without much debate.

Your threads routinely go over 10 pages.

I can take the critiquing but some can't, however I am also willing to admit I am wrong, something I have worked on during my self exile. I now have a whole different outlook on a blueprint to a winning organization that the 2008 JTrea would have dismissed. And I'm sure that will change over time as well.

If you were given ownership of this team, personnel from management to players would be hired and fired for nigh-magical thinking.

[DrungoHazewood]

So how do you coalesce the fact that you are the only one that interpreted Buck's comments the way you did? No one is in LF with you on this one.

Remember, all points of view are valid. Even the bat#&^! crazy ones.

[TonySoprano]