Maese on the O's Rep

[Sports Guy]

That all depends IMO. If we trade BRob, move Millar/Payton, upgrade the return on the EB trade a bit, all quite possible in the next two weeks, the story will be McPhails remarkable offseason.

I can agree with this.

[Boy Howdy]

That all depends IMO. If we trade BRob, move Millar/Payton, upgrade the return on the EB trade a bit, all quite possible in the next two weeks, the story will be McPhails remarkable offseason.

Yep, how can the O's be regarded as a joke at the same time they're being praised for shrewd timing in unloading Tejada & "raping" the Mariners in a Bedard deal in the words of the Phillies insider Sonny76 corresponds with.

Why, anybody uttering all of those sentiments could legitimately be accused of talking out of both sides of their mouth.

[zff4]

...but the way this team conducts business, on every level, is a complete joke.

I prefer eccentric. As long as Peter is around, it's unlikely we'll ever change the perception that things are odd in Baltimore, but a couple of good seasons and we'll just be known as eccentric.

[El Gordo]

It is why we have had the 10 straight losing seasons more than the losing seasons themselves.

Now, perhaps that goes hand in hand but the way this team conducts business, on every level, is a complete joke.

I think it all boils down to who will be the bigger joke in the end, MacP or SG. I don't know the answer, but I do know who makes me laugh the most now.

[hoosiers]

I am glad to see that fans of this team enjoy the fact that people look at us as a joke.

I think that is pathetic but hey, if it doesn't bother you guys, so be it.

Can you point to any post in this thread or any other that "fans of this team enjoy the fact that people look at us as a joke"? I didn't think so.

How many quotes are in Maese's article from external sources? He could have written that article in his bedroom in his skivvies without any research. His article provides no information. Zero. It's poor journalism. It's the same journalism that Roch and Rosenthal mock when they talk about internet bloggers - there's nothing here but one man's opinion with nothing to substantiate that opinion.

If Maese wrote an article and had quotes from three to five external organizations, he'd have some credibility in his opinion.

[McLovin]

I am glad to see that fans of this team enjoy the fact that people look at us as a joke.

Us? Us? Are you kidding me? I don't play or work for the Orioles. Why the hell would I be embarrassed or anything else?

[DC2Dallas]

Maese is normally pretty sharp, I think, but he's off-base here. McPhail's job is not to win popularity contests, with fans or opposing front offices or members of the media. If he pulls off this trade, and Adam Jones becomes Torii Hunter (or better) and the pitchers become a great rotation instead of the best pickup basketball team in the major leagues, he'll be hailed as a genius, not "that guy who dragged his feet." What if the guys brought in for Tejada turn out to be a modern-day equivalent of Steve Finley, Pete Harnisch and Curt Schilling? Suddenly McFail becomes McHail. If he retools the team through slow-but-shrewed trades, and ruffles a few feathers along the way, nobody — including our moronic owner — will care in the slightest. He can upset everyone in baseball and everyone who watches baseball, and all that will be remembered is "he's the guy who traded a declining Tejada for (the best player in that deal)" or "the guy who gave Seattle two years of Bedard and stole Jones from the Mariners."

I couldn't care less about whether he's dragging his feet or pissing off opposing GMs, and if he and Maese aren't sending each other holiday cards, maybe the Baltimore Sun should increase its expense accounts so Maese can take McPhail out to fancier dinners to try to buy himself a buddy. I don't want McPhail to make the splashy deals — I want him to make the right deals. If Jones and Tillman and Butler and the guys in the Tejada trade turn out to be the foundation (either as Orioles or as chips to acquire future Orioles), then McPhail will go down in Birds history as one of the all-time greats.

If he pisses off a few sportswriters along the way, that's just a bonus.

[Sports Guy]

Can you point to any post in this thread or any other that "fans of this team enjoy the fact that people look at us as a joke"? I didn't think so.

How many quotes are in Maese's article from external sources? He could have written that article in his bedroom in his skivvies without any research. His article provides no information. Zero. It's poor journalism. It's the same journalism that Roch and Rosenthal mock when they talk about internet bloggers - there's nothing here but one man's opinion with nothing to substantiate that opinion.

If Maese wrote an article and had quotes from three to five external organizations, he'd have some credibility in his opinion.

Many people have said they don't get care about the perception of the team.

[El Gordo]

Many people have said they don't get care about the perception of the team.

How do you construe the fact that they disregard it, as meaning they enjoy it? When playing hurt, the fact that a player disregards the pain, doesn't mean that he enjoys it.

[RShack]

How do you construe the fact that they disregard it, as meaning they enjoy it? When playing hurt, the fact that a player disregards the pain, doesn't mean that he enjoys it.

It's just the same-ole same-ole: either you agree with SG or else he accuses you of *wanting* to lose and *enjoying* the fact that the O's suck. Nothing new here.

[Sports Guy]

How do you construe the fact that they disregard it, as meaning they enjoy it? When playing hurt, the fact that a player disregards the pain, doesn't mean that he enjoys it.

Fair enough...Poor wording on my part.

Still amazes me this doesn't bother people. And I don't care about the media or other team's fans perception of us...I care about other organizations.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Whether the deal gets done or not, the perception of us being a joke is there and will be there...One week isn't going to change that.

You're right, but not why you think.

If this deal had been done Sunday evening, the perception would still be there. It might not have come out now, but if the Roberts deal upcoming hit a snag, or a deal involving Millar or Mora, people would be coming out with the same suggestions.

If we got those deals done, then took a long time to pull off a deadline deal with it as public as this, the suggestions would still come out. Same for next offseason.

It is going to take a series of good moves by the front office, or a lot of wins, or both, for the perception to fade away.

That is why it isn't my concern. One move won't make a difference, so all I care about is getting it done.

[Shopay]

Fair enough...Poor wording on my part.

Still amazes me this doesn't bother people. And I don't care about the media or other team's fans perception of us...I care about other organizations.

SG: IMO, the only thing that is going to change others' perceptions of the Birds is winning. If this deal was being handled by Theo Epstein/Red Sox instead of the O's, the media would be commending Epstein for doing his due diligence to insure he didn't get damaged goods. Right now, due to all the losing, the O's are an easy target for media -- only winning will change that. Personally, I could care less about articles like this. If AM is successful in his efforts, they will be meaningless in the overall scheme of things.