The This Team IS Done, We are Dumb and Nothing can Fix it MEGA THREAD

[DrungoHazewood]

They said the return of Davis, Machado, Wieters (which hasn't happened yet) would somehow make up for the loss of Cruz and Markakis. That also has not happened.

You do know that well-conceived plans sometimes fail, right? Even when adequately funded by smart organizations. See: the 2013 and 2015 Red Sox.

I just get infuriated when folks just pretend like nothing is wrong. That's my issue. There's a lot wrong with the 2015 Orioles. All the stats and "hoping for the best" cannot make a single difference in the world.

Again you've mischaracterized those who simply disagree with your attitude/perception/philosophy. No one would argue that the 2015 Orioles are playing well right now. Some of us still see a reasonably well-constructed team with some injuries and some poor short-term performances that may or may not correct themselves. You see a crappy plan, executed crappily by crappy management that didn't care to do a good job and this isn't a slump but the inevitable outcome of crappiness. I think it's a difference in worldviews, in how we perceive the world. I actually am a happy person, so I reject your worldview.

[ArtVanDelay]

I can't wait to revisit this thread when the Orioles win the division.

[MemorialStadKid]

You're in LA too? So am I. Where abouts are you? I just moved from Pasadena to Valencia. If you are interested in getting together to go to a game this weekend let me know.

My wife would probably go too....but don't worry she is a hot Asian woman haha.

I live in Long Beach, but I work in Burbank so I'm in the LA area every single day, even on weekends.

I'm hoping to get together with some O's fans for the Angels series later in the summer.

Do you know about the Ravens/Orioles fan group in Los Angeles? PM me if you get a chance!

MSK

[CA-ORIOLE]

The inevitable outcome of crappiness can't be good.

[MurphDogg]

They said the return of Davis, Machado, Wieters (which hasn't happened yet) would somehow make up for the loss of Cruz and Markakis. That also has not happened.

It absolutely has happened. The offense has been better than last year. Last season the O's were 5th in the AL with 4.4 runs per game. This year they are 4th in the AL with 4.7 runs per game.

The problem is that we entered the season with 6 legitimate starting pitchers and two of them have ERA's of 6.34 and 9.88, and Gausman isn't ready to step into the rotation. Also the defense has struggled. To claim that the Orioles failed to replace Cruz and Markakis is to ignore reality unless you believe that they made Norris and Tillman pitch better, made Machado play better defense, or kept Flaherty and Schoop healthy.

[islandecho]

Many here don't believe in anything you cannot quantify with stats.

The "intangible/hunch vs. stats" discussion is one that usually ends poorly.

I definitely believe there's been a morale hit after the abysmal offseason. The team just seems lost. The results speak for themselves. But of course, someone will laugh at the idea that mental state can affect performance.

These are the same folks who believe DD did everything he could to improve the Orioles this offseason.

sigh.

MSK

I will give you a prime example of how 'knowing' you are better than others can play a role in actually 'being' better than others.

As I have mentioned here before, I trained race horses for a long time. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a horse drop down into a lower class, and even though he may not be going as fast recently as the lower class horses he is racing against, most times the higher class horse will win. For example, today at Harrahs Chester in Penn. Big Time Rocks was dropping down from a $15,000 claimer to a $12,00 claimer. All the horses he was racing against have been racing in the $10,000-$12,5000 claiming races, and some have been going faster times than what Big Time Rocks has been going as of late. Didn't matter. BTR won going away. Why? Because he was a better class of horse and he knew it. Where as he could have raced in a higher class, where he was out classed, raced the exact same time of race (go to the front and draw away) and he would have caved in.

I think many here underestimate the amount of importance that goes into the mental aspect of being an athlete. I have played sports all my live. Pretty much every sport I play, some very well. From tennis to golf to hockey to bowling to bball. Also lift weights 5-6 days a week. Confidence and knowing you are better than your oponent is everything.

We don't have that.

[MemorialStadKid]

You do know that well-conceived plans sometimes fail, right? Even when adequately funded by smart organizations. See: the 2013 and 2015 Red Sox.

Again you've mischaracterized those who simply disagree with your attitude/perception/philosophy. No one would argue that the 2015 Orioles are playing well right now. Some of us still see a reasonably well-constructed team with some injuries and some poor short-term performances that may or may not correct themselves. You see a crappy plan, executed crappily by crappy management that didn't care to do a good job and this isn't a slump but the inevitable outcome of crappiness. I think it's a difference in worldviews, in how we perceive the world. I actually am a happy person, so I reject your worldview.

I am VERY happy. I have a great career, great friends, and a great life.

I love the Orioles. I just wished the powers that be loved them as much as the fanbase.

Putting the current squad on the field is not the act of a considerate ownership.

MSK

[islandecho]

That's interesting, since you consistently say that they just don't care about fielding the best team they can.

I believe that Duquette put the best team on the field he could given the constraints of the budget he was given and the players available this offseason. Do you honestly think that Duquette just screwed around and signed a random bunch of guys to fill out the roster?

I believe in my heart that while the Toronto thing was going on, he didn't do, and did NOT WANT TO DO, everything he could to make the Os better. I still don't believe he is 100% vested into this team anymore.

[MemorialStadKid]

I will give you a prime example of how 'knowing' you are better than others can play a role in actually 'being' better than others.

As I have mentioned here before, I trained race horses for a long time. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a horse drop down into a lower class, and even though he may not be going as fast recently as the lower class horses he is racing against, most times the higher class horse will win. For example, today at Harrahs Chester in Penn. Big Time Rocks was dropping down from a $15,000 claimer to a $12,00 claimer. All the horses he was racing against have been racing in the $10,000-$12,5000 claiming races, and some have been going faster times than what Big Time Rocks has been going as of late. Didn't matter. BTR won going away. Why? Because he was a better class of horse and he knew it. Where as he could have raced in a higher class, where he was out classed, raced the exact same time of race (go to the front and draw away) and he would have caved in.

I think many here underestimate the amount of importance that goes into the mental aspect of being an athlete. I have played sports all my live. Pretty much every sport I play, some very well. From tennis to golf to hockey to bowling to bball. Also lift weights 5-6 days a week. Confidence and knowing you are better than your oponent is everything.

We don't have that.

Yep.

When you believe you're better as a UNIT, you play better.

When you lose core players who were popular in the clubhouse who provided a sense of brotherhood and respect and replace them with a bunch of middling journeymen, you cannot measure the impact of the emotional shock between teammates.

Jones can only do so much.

MSK

[islandecho]

I live in Long Beach, but I work in Burbank so I'm in the LA area every single day, even on weekends.

I'm hoping to get together with some O's fans for the Angels series later in the summer.

Do you know about the Ravens/Orioles fan group in Los Angeles? PM me if you get a chance!

MSK

IF you are interested in going this weekend, let me know.

I am interested in the group, but just be aware I am a Michigan native who grew up loving the O's and Colts. Don't ask me why because I have no idea haha. So NOT a Ravens fan. I'm all Colts all the time.

[islandecho]

It absolutely has happened. The offense has been better than last year. Last season the O's were 5th in the AL with 4.4 runs per game. This year they are 4th in the AL with 4.7 runs per game.

The problem is that we entered the season with 6 legitimate starting pitchers and two of them have ERA's of 6.34 and 9.88, and Gausman isn't ready to step into the rotation. Also the defense has struggled. To claim that the Orioles failed to replace Cruz and Markakis is to ignore reality unless you believe that they made Norris and Tillman pitch better, made Machado play better defense, or kept Flaherty and Schoop healthy.

I think we should revisit those states later in the summer. Normally hitters are better than pitchers early in the year. When the long hot days of summer hit is when pitching takes over. I don't think this lineup is anywhere close to what it was last year (when all were healthy). The hitting has already started to slow down.

[DrungoHazewood]

It absolutely has happened. The offense has been better than last year. Last season the O's were 5th in the AL with 4.4 runs per game. This year they are 4th in the AL with 4.7 runs per game.

The problem is that we entered the season with 6 legitimate starting pitchers and two of them have ERA's of 6.34 and 9.88, and Gausman isn't ready to step into the rotation. Also the defense has struggled. To claim that the Orioles failed to replace Cruz and Markakis is to ignore reality unless you believe that they made Norris and Tillman pitch better, made Machado play better defense, or kept Flaherty and Schoop healthy.

You can win every game 8-to-6!! That's a defensible strategy!

[DrungoHazewood]

I think we should revisit those states later in the summer. Normally hitters are better than pitchers early in the year. When the long hot days of summer hit is when pitching takes over. I don't think this lineup is anywhere close to what it was last year (when all were healthy).

Wait, what? Hitting is almost always better in mid-to-late summer than in April. Offense is directly correlated to temperature.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Odd that Jones was the one complaining about the off season and is doing so well.. I gathered Davis was whining about himself and money.I guess Norris and Tillman are holding these feelings in.

[DrungoHazewood]

I believe in my heart that while the Toronto thing was going on, he didn't do, and did NOT WANT TO DO, everything he could to make the Os better. I still don't believe he is 100% vested into this team anymore.

When you have a choice between convoluted conspiracies and plain old bad luck and the constraints of life, always, always choose the convoluted conspiracies. Yes, Duquette is being paid a lot of money to run the team he resurrected from the dead three years ago, but he'd rather mail it in and hope the magical Cinderella horse-and-buggy from Toronto whisks him away to a beautiful fairyland.