Per the Sun: "Orioles most inactive team..."

[Austin]

No way I can rest this all on PA. I am sure the budget DD is working with is not conducive to an AL East Championship. That being said, its Duquette's job to improve the club. Under Duquette's reign of terror, we are worse then last year and we were worse last year, than in 2012. All of this with the same owner.

So.....Yes I blame Duquette. It is quite obvious to me that he has no creativity when it comes to trading and with PA not giving him the budget to acquire a few free agents, its just a bad match.

Tell me you have confidence in Duquette to improve this club?

Under Dan Duquette's "reign of terror" we've had back to back winning seasons and a trip to the playoffs, all in spite of Peter Angelos. I understand that this doesn't give him a lifetime pass but yeah, I do think he's making an effort to improve the club and I don't believe we are going to go into opening day with the exact roster we have right now. If nothing changes between now and opening day, sure, I'll be very upset... I just don't see that happening.

[NJ BIRD FAN]

How exactly are we, as representatives of the paying customers supporting the Orioles franchise, counting other peoples' money?

If you buy pants at the gap do you have a right to tell the owner the gap how to spend his earnings? The next time you get a happy meal at McDonalds, let the manager know that since you are a customer, you think he should paint the bathroom. It is the same thing.

[Redskins Rick]

.

In 2 separate threads that were started before the start and at the conclusion of the 2013 season respectively, posters suggested that the Ghosts of 1998-2011 have been officially exorcised:

Ia the Oriole Stigma Gone?

(THREAD STARTED ON JANUARY 27th, 2013)

http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php/129886-Is-the-Oriole-stigma-gone

Safe to say, the Ghosts of 1998-2011 have Officially been Exorcised.:

(THREAD STARTED ON SEPTEMBER 30th, 2013)

http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php/136812-Safe-to-say-the-ghosts-of-1998-2011-have-officially-been-exorcised

I don't agree with that, although I certainly think that we are on the verge of it. I think that it is particularly true in light of the numerous recent threads in which posters have debated with each other in regard to the actions/inactions of the front office so far during this off-season, and to the level of commitment (or lack of commitment) to winning that our owner and our general manager are showing.

In the latter stages of our 14-year streak of losing seasons, I stated that it would take at least 3 consecutive winning seasons to completely erase the reputation of the loser franchise that we had throughout baseball. And if we were able to do that, then big-time free agents would not avoid us like the plague, or at the very least, wouldn't immediately rule out the possibility of signing with the Orioles, regardless of whatever money that we might offer them. Perhaps more significantly, solid players wouldn't necessarily cringe at the thought of being traded to the Orioles, and Oriole fans would not immediately have the knee-jerk reaction of "Same old Orioles" when a big-time free agents signs with another team that either outbid the Orioles, or for whom the Orioles did not even bid at all for.

I still believe that to be true. I think that we need to have another winning season in 2014 to completely erase the loserdom reputation that we have had throughout baseball (and, in the minds of Oriole fans) for quite some time prior to the 2012 season.

And if and when we do clinch our 3rd consecutive winning season in 2014, then I think that the fierce debates in regard to the commitment/lack of commitment by the front office will ........ continue, just as they have.

I think that's the sore spot for fans like myself. Disgusted at Angelos and the way he used to run things. Starting to lighten up and give him credit for Andy and DD, bringing in Buck and putting a winner on the field, not to mention trying to rebuild the farm system and the new facility in Sarasota.

Now, look at this mess, no commitment to the team, at least so far.

[25 Nuggets]

PA is savvy enough to set up the business so he doesn't have to care about the fans or winning. He is getting money handed to him left and right; MLB for letting the Nationals come into his market, MASN and the extra 25 million from the MLB. He truly doesn't need to rely on having an engaged fan base to make a profit. He realizes there are enough people out there that will come to a ballgame regardless of the product on the field or come to support the opposition.

I'll give PA that credit - he is one cunning ************* shark of a man.

[TouchemAll]

Here are my two thoughts on this:

1. It sucks that Angelos won't spend the way we want and the way they probably should in order to compete and do right by their fans.

2. The Orioles owe me nothing.

I don't see why these two thoughts cannot coincide simultaneously. They absolutely can.

They can I've been doing that since PA brought the team

[MrOrange82]

That's the way most owners run things, unfortunately, we do not have one that cares about winning or the fans that have supports this team.

I think what's most offensive to me, apart from being lectured from a boardwalk, is the implied idea that PA is running the team in the only way that a successful business could be run. Related to that is the idea that PA has no accountability to anyone but himself (which is absurd for a litany of reasons).

PA has chosen to run the Orioles as a tight-fisted fiefdom with poor baseball acumen. Recent changes aside, PA has been historically reticent to fire "his people," even when they've proven themselves inept at baseball related activities such as player evaluation/development, remembering what decade it is, and wearing pants. In other words, it isn't simply that PA has kept payroll down - he's also made a significant number of choices that've precluded the Orioles from successfully implementing the low budget models of teams like Tampa Bay and Oakland. Furthermore, PA's approach has depressed gate receipts (along with the team's fanbase) and advertising/sponsorship revenue (areas in which the Orioles could arguably generate a lot more money if they won more consistently).

PA has his MASN stake. He has money coming in from MLB. He COULD choose to run the Orioles very differently and still be "successful," both in terms of profits and fielding a competitive team. It's not all one way or another, and acting as though everything is acceptable because "PA has a business to run" is a simplification that stretches beyond gross. It is a vacuous waste of social commentary.

[Redskins Rick]

Here are my two thoughts on this:

1. It sucks that Angelos won't spend the way we want and the way they probably should in order to compete and do right by their fans.

2. The Orioles owe me nothing.

I don't see why these two thoughts cannot coincide simultaneously. They absolutely can.

They can, and I guess it means that I wont be sitting in the stands during the upcoming season.

Just like McDonalds or any other business. If the service or food sucks, then I exercise my American Right of to boycott the place.

[Tony-OH]

Two questions - one for the second time.

How close do you think the Os are? When I look at last year's standings, I see at team that finished tied for 8/9 out of the 15 American League teams competing for 5 playoff spots. That is not my definition of close, but I'd like to hear yours.

How much of the $27M do you believe should be re-invested into the team and how soon?

It doesn't matter what I think to you. You will just turn it around and tell us how great Angelos is and how we should be lucky to have him as our owner. I've long given up having a healthy discussion with you any longer about the Orioles. My thoughts are quite clear in various threads. It is embarrassing that Angelos would barely move the payroll (after being so far under where he should have been for the last six years) especially after getting a big chunk of change of MLB. The Orioles are nothing more than money making opportunity for Angelos. He's made that abundantly clear for those of us willing to look at the fact and not make excuses.

[TouchemAll]

They can I've been doing that since PA brought the team

Still spoiled ROTTEN when we had 4 20 game winners on our staff Oh

those were the days

[Austin]

I'll give PA that credit - he is one cunning ************* shark of a man.

Wow, I can't even imagine what word you are trying to censor there.

[weams]

Sorry Dylan.. I did warn you, should have taken that scholarship to Texas.

How much would they have payed him when he needed the Tommy John surgery that was inevitable?

[25 Nuggets]

I think that's the sore spot for fans like myself. Disgusted at Angelos and the way he used to run things. Starting to lighten up and give him credit for Andy and DD, bringing in Buck and putting a winner on the field, not to mention trying to rebuild the farm system and the new facility in Sarasota.

Now, look at this mess, no commitment to the team, at least so far.

It's still early in the off season, really. The team makes a couple decent signings and this firestorm from the fans goes away. I am still lightened up thanks to MacPhail/Duquette and especially Showalter and you know what? The team could still finish with a winning record as is, they just wouldn't have as much margin for error.

[Redskins Rick]

Still spoiled ROTTEN when we had 4 20 game winner on our staff Oh those were the

days

Damn, now you are making me feel old, I remember those days!

[twinedenter]

To be fair, a lot of that had to do with the Betemit injury which DD had no control over. If he doesn't go down, the offense would have been much better than it already was.

Wow, so it was ok, in your opinion, for a contending team, to have Wilson Betemit as you starting DH? In the AL East? Besides the fact, that a contender doesn't have Betemit as their DH, the term "MUCH better" is just crazy talk. Yes, he would have put up better numbers than Pearce and whatever ELSE, Dan got from the trash heap from one of his diving expeditions. However, it wouldn't have changed the standings.

Nonetheless, starting pitching was/is the issue, its hasn't been addressed and for that, yes, I consider DD, incompetent. He hasn't even taken a cheap flier on someone such as Scott Baker.

Its a joke, that isn't funny anymore.

[NJ BIRD FAN]

It doesn't matter what I think to you. You will just turn it around and tell us how great Angelos is and how we should be lucky to have him as our owner. I've long given up having a healthy discussion with you any longer about the Orioles. My thoughts are quite clear in various threads. It is embarrassing that Angelos would barely move the payroll (after being so far under where he should have been for the last six years) especially after getting a big chunk of change of MLB. The Orioles are nothing more than money making opportunity for Angelos. He's made that abundantly clear for those of us willing to look at the fact and not make excuses.

I agree, that is what I said. Why did I get neg rep? :scratchchinhmm: