Brian Roberts Appreciation Thread

[Frobby]

I'm with SanFran on this one. I'm not feeling very appreciative right now. He made gobs and gobs and gobs of money from the Orioles and gave them very little the past 4-5 years. Add on the fact that much of his previous contract was based on PEDs and he should have signed with the Orioles for the veteran minimum on a minor league deal or retired.

I totally disagree with this entire post, but especially the bolded part. BRob admitted in December 2007 that he had used steroids one time in 2003. He signed his four-year contract in the spring of 2009. So how is it that "much of his previous contract was based on PEDs," unless you are engaging in pure speculation? In any event, the O's knew of BRob's admission when they signed the contract with him in 2009.

Also, the idea that BRob "owed it" to the Orioles to sign for the veteran minimum on a minor league deal or retire is preposterous. The last we heard, the O's never even reached out to BRob's agent. Under those circumstances, I don't feel he owed the Orioles anything. Now if the O's had offered him a contract and he had gone to the Yankees for slightly more money, I'd probably feel differently about that. But there's no eivdence that the O's offered BRob anything at all.

[24fps]

Not bringing back BRob was the correct decision for the Orioles. That being said, he was one of the high points of a long string of bad Orioles teams and IMO deserves all the respect the Orioles fan base can generate for what he gave the team. No need to qualify the "appreciation".

Good luck BRob even if it's in pinstripes.

[TouchemAll]

Thanks Brian you were a true O for 14 years

[Owen21]

Good luck Brian. Thanks for your great career here. There's not many that would have returned to their livelihood after suffering & enduring the physical & mental anguish that you had to deal with. I hope you have a good year....be gentle on us !

[Ruzious]

Thanks for some good years and good luck in life after baseball.

[john316]

Best wishes Brob but apparently you are still suffering side effects from hitting yourself in the head with a bat.

[UMDTerrapins]

For some years, Brian seemed like the only player that other teams would have loved to poach from us. I loved the way he played. A scrappy player who drove up pitch counts from the first pitch and was a menace on the bases. Good luck Brian...and thanks for being a loyal Oriole all these years.

[mdbdotcom]

All that needs to be said about Brian in a real appreciation thread is that for years and years, he was literally the only player that was worth a damn on the Orioles.

Look, it didn't end in a storybook way for Brian's tenure as an Oriole. We can cite the steroid admission, we can cite the contract that didn't work out and the numerous injuries.

But for me, I appreciate his talent, his good work in the community, the fact that he seemed like a good dude. And he was fun as hell to watch: the doubles, the dancing off the bag, all the stolen third bases. He was a unique player and it sucks that he wasn't healthy for the playoffs in 2012. But I'm glad he was a part of a winning team - finally - in his last year as an Oriole.

I don't hold a grudge for choosing the Yankees. They had a need, they're not paying him a lot, and the Orioles clearly wanted to move on. So thanks for the memories, B-Rob!

Exactly. Well said.

[canonfaz]

Definitely my favorite Oriole during the 2000's. Loved watching him have quality ABs and swiping bases when he was in his prime. I'll always remember his homerun in this game in the bottom of the 9th (June 15th 2008 against the Pirates) to tie it up. It was with 2 outs and my family was wanting to start walking to the car after the second out, but I told them to wait!

Good luck Brian! (just not against us)

[Austin]

Farewell to B-Rob, the last Oriole to play with Cal Ripken and a surefire Orioles HOFer. The 2000s was a pretty awful decade for Orioles baseball but I'll always remember him, Melvin Mora, and even Miguel Tejada fondly.

[Prayin4Reign]

Brian thanks for the good years, you were always a true Oriole, and despite this signing...you'll always be an Oriole. Stay healthy man.

[isestrex]

Thanks for everything, Brian. Thanks for always working hard even in the lean years and even when your comeback looked bleakest.

See you in a few years for the OHOF ceremony.

[duffaphonic]

Well, the second base Oriole logjam is a bit clearer: Flaherty and Weeks may split time there. I'll miss Roberts' energy and enthusiasm for the game. A definite OHOF member.

The Os keep losing partial contributors (and JJ) who were important cogs to the machinery last year. And no one is being brought in to replace these guys. Maybe it will all be done from within.

Urritia, Pearce and Reimold in left. Gausman replaces Feldman. DH is merry-go-round.

Meanwhile, the Sox and Yanx make major improvements.

[clapdiddy]

I appreciate Brian's efforts through the years. He was a good player on a bad team and I wish he had gotten his chance to experience the post-season here in Baltimore.

[Dipper9]

Thanks for all you've done BRob. Good luck in the Bronx.

Looks like after all these years, Roberts will finally get to play with Tex!