I don't understand the "sky is falling" mentality...

[weams]

Oh, and the hiring of Buck Showalter which was also done by Andy Macphail. Minor detail. And while the contributions of Chen, Hammel and Gonzalez were important to 2012, none of those players are on what DD himself describes (or anybody else) would describe as the core of the team that won in 2012. For the core, you can thank Andy Macphail.

The hiring of Buck Showalter was done by the Angelos family. Andy's choice was Eric Wedge. Andy did final agree that Buck would work fine. And they worked well together.

[tntoriole]

Hi Peter.

I think it is John. Doubt that Potter uses the Internets. lol.

[tntoriole]

The hiring of Buck Showalter was done by the Angelos family. Andy's choice was Eric Wedge. Andy did final agree that Buck would work fine. And they worked well together.

Sometimes the best things that happen to us are the things that we resisted the most. Buono fortuna! The key is to take credit for them when they work out, because you sure as heck get the blame when they don't. lol.

[wildcard]

You forgot 2B. If you aren't happy with LF then you can't be happy with 2B either, right?

Flaherty has demonstrated the ability to play 2B defensively. He is at a point where he needs to get a full chance to show he can be a regular at the position. Weeks and Ivan De Jesus are good depth in case Flaherty falters. Phelps is a long shot in my opinion. Though an established major league 2B would be welcome, I don't think 2B is a hole at this point. Certain not like the other 4 openings.

[tntoriole]

Flaherty has demonstrated the ability to play 2B defensively. He is at a point where he needs to get a full chance to show he can be a regular at the position. Weeks and Ivan De Jesus are good depth in case Flaherty falters. Phelps is a long shot in my opinion. Though an established major league 2B would be welcome, I don't think 2B is a hole at this point. Certain not like the other 4 openings.

I hope you are right. But Flaherty did get a full-time opportunity for nearly the entire first half of last season from April till the end of June and had the worst offensive production of any second baseman in Orioles history. Yes, he improved upon his return as a utility guy and maybe that is the real Ryan Flaherty, but I am still in the wait and see mode as to whether Flaherty is an adequate answer offensively for a playoff team in the AL East. If I had to guess right now, I would say not, but I hope I am wrong. I have even less confidence in Weeks or DeJesus or Phelps.

[weams]

I'll be happy when I see the Orioles make a move that lets me know they are truly trying to compete. I'm not upset that they haven't signed any of the recent FA's, but the team is no better now than it was when the season ended. A few years ago I would have been satisfied with a .500 team. I guess I've raised expectations.

This is about where I am at. I do expect some improvements though.

[quidam]

The only thing more predictable then people complaining about the lack of urgency every year is the people complaining about the previously mentioned.

The simple facts in baseball are there may be Cinderella stories to reach the playoffs but very rarely do they advance past the first round. The last 4 years the average payroll of the LCS teams is 133M.

And when your owner comes out and says, " In answer to your question, now that we have an RSN and we can move forward with it?that is going get us on a more even plane with Boston and New York, and that was the purpose. It was even more desperately needed when a team dropped right into the area you have been drawing a very substantial number of fans from for many years."

Simply put we haven't come close to that payroll number. So in reality are we trying to be competitive or are we trying to win a World Series? From the actions the past couple of years we are content with being competitive. This dates back all the way to the proposed Marlins trade that would have netted us a package including Burnett/Lowell, which collapsed.

On to this year, of course guys like Beltran and Feldman don't necessarily fit this team's roster structure but it does impact us. If Beltran signed with the Royals that would of opened the possibility of a Butler trade. And Feldman signing for 3/30 affects any other starters asking price and limits the realistic targets.

No doubt this teams future depends on "baseball intellect" and not backing up the brinks trucks for players. But I haven't seen that savvy on a consistent enough basis. I've said it many times but if the Orioles knew the payroll would remain stagnant not trading Jim Johnson last year was a huge mistake. And until we see decisions like this being made there is little hope for anything other then a Cinderella story.

[TradeAngelos]

2012 was created because DD when out and got Chen, Hammel and Gonzalez and the team defense was improved. You can't win without pitching and defense. Something that Macphail never seemed to realize.

2012 was "created" because we broke a once in a 120 whatever year record in one run games, and as (the idiots, trolls,complainers, bad people, not true fans) all said LAST offseason (and were chastised and insulted repeatedly for it, just like this year) that with no upgrades the team will regress. Well what do you know, the team regressed despite an almost as rare offensive surge by a few players in the beginning of the year that fell off back to reality in the second.

That was an 85 team AT BEST that overachieved incredibly as we got so lucky in all those close games. Again, many pointed this out but the crowd didn't want to hear it.

And guess what? When that incredible offensive surge isn't there for 1/2 season, or that insane bullpen/1 run record crew isn't around anymore, expect more of the same. An 82-85 win team that is a few pieces away from a 92-95 win team that actually has a shot to beat the big dogs when the rubber meets the road.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I hope you are right. But Flaherty did get a full-time opportunity for nearly the entire first half of last season from April till the end of June and had the worst offensive production of any second baseman in Orioles history. Yes, he improved upon his return as a utility guy and maybe that is the real Ryan Flaherty, but I am still in the wait and see mode as to whether Flaherty is an adequate answer offensively for a playoff team in the AL East. If I had to guess right now, I would say not, but I hope I am wrong. I have even less confidence in Weeks or DeJesus or Phelps.

This isn't true. Flaherty started 22 games in June platooning with Casilla just as he platooned with Casilla in April and May. He was bad in April and May and was playing very well in the month of June until he was replaced by Roberts as the primary starter in early July.

[TradeAngelos]

The only thing more predictable then people complaining about the lack of urgency every year is the people complaining about the previously mentioned.

The simple facts in baseball are there may be Cinderella stories to reach the playoffs but very rarely do they advance past the first round. The last 4 years the average payroll of the LCS teams is 133M.

And when your owner comes out and says, " In answer to your question, now that we have an RSN and we can move forward with it?that is going get us on a more even plane with Boston and New York, and that was the purpose. It was even more desperately needed when a team dropped right into the area you have been drawing a very substantial number of fans from for many years."

Simply put we haven't come close to that payroll number. So in reality are we trying to be competitive or are we trying to win a World Series? From the actions the past couple of years we are content with being competitive. This dates back all the way to the proposed Marlins trade that would have netted us a package including Burnett/Lowell, which collapsed.

On to this year, of course guys like Beltran and Feldman don't necessarily fit this team's roster structure but it does impact us. If Beltran signed with the Royals that would of opened the possibility of a Butler trade. And Feldman signing for 3/30 affects any other starters asking price and limits the realistic targets.

No doubt this teams future depends on "baseball intellect" and not backing up the brinks trucks for players. But I haven't seen that savvy on a consistent enough basis. I've said it many times but if the Orioles knew the payroll would remain stagnant not trading Jim Johnson last year was a huge mistake. And until we see decisions like this being made there is little hope for anything other then a Cinderella story.

Excellent post. Spot on.

Just remember, you are a bad person for thinking like that though.

[wildcard]

I hope you are right. But Flaherty did get a full-time opportunity for nearly the entire first half of last season from April till the end of June and had the worst offensive production of any second baseman in Orioles history. Yes, he improved upon his return as a utility guy and maybe that is the real Ryan Flaherty, but I am still in the wait and see mode as to whether Flaherty is an adequate answer offensively for a playoff team in the AL East. If I had to guess right now, I would say not, but I hope I am wrong. I have even less confidence in Weeks or DeJesus or Phelps.

I absolutely agree that Flaherty has a poor offensive first two months of the season. However he hit 297/333/476/820 in 74 at bats in June. Then Roberts came back and Flaherty moved to be a bench players where he hit 242/333/500/833 in the 2nd half.

There is enough potential there that I want to see him get another shot. I don't think he will hit leftieswell but he can probably hit righties well. He does not appear to be a high OBP guy but he has good power for a middle infielder. JMO.

[weams]

Just remember, you are a bad person for thinking like that though.

This is not appropriate for this forum.

[weams]

The only thing more predictable then people complaining about the lack of urgency every year is the people complaining about the previously mentioned.

The simple facts in baseball are there may be Cinderella stories to reach the playoffs but very rarely do they advance past the first round. The last 4 years the average payroll of the LCS teams is 133M.

And when your owner comes out and says, " In answer to your question, now that we have an RSN and we can move forward with it?that is going get us on a more even plane with Boston and New York, and that was the purpose. It was even more desperately needed when a team dropped right into the area you have been drawing a very substantial number of fans from for many years."

Simply put we haven't come close to that payroll number. So in reality are we trying to be competitive or are we trying to win a World Series? From the actions the past couple of years we are content with being competitive. This dates back all the way to the proposed Marlins trade that would have netted us a package including Burnett/Lowell, which collapsed.

On to this year, of course guys like Beltran and Feldman don't necessarily fit this team's roster structure but it does impact us. If Beltran signed with the Royals that would of opened the possibility of a Butler trade. And Feldman signing for 3/30 affects any other starters asking price and limits the realistic targets.

No doubt this teams future depends on "baseball intellect" and not backing up the brinks trucks for players. But I haven't seen that savvy on a consistent enough basis. I've said it many times but if the Orioles knew the payroll would remain stagnant not trading Jim Johnson last year was a huge mistake. And until we see decisions like this being made there is little hope for anything other then a Cinderella story.

This is pretty well thought out. Please continue to contribute.

[TradeAngelos]

This is not appropriate for this forum.

Yet repeatedly insulting anyone who complains about the way the team is run is? Got it.

[tntoriole]

This isn't true. Flaherty started 22 games in June platooning with Casilla just as he platooned with Casilla in April and May. He was bad in April and May and was playing very well in the month of June until he was replaced by Roberts as the primary starter in early July.

You are correct. He was very hot for a stretch in June just before Roberts came back and essentially was abysmal (not just marginal, but ABYSMAL- as bad as I have ever seen from a second baseman in Orioles history, bad) offensively prior to that time. The question for me is will Ryan be a streaky hitter like that going forward, because the streaky bad Ryan was so bad that hiding him would not be possible. Was it a mechanical fluke that he corrected? I hope so? Or a mental pressure, full-time role issue that he worked through? Doubt this, but maybe. Or does Ryan turn out to not have those kinds of abysmal streaks going forward which would make him more than an adequate option at 2B. I hope so.