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

[DrungoHazewood]

January 2014 was a stroke of pure luck because Nelson Cruz was still available as a very late pick up. He had the stink of PEDs over him and DD was able to sign him for pennies on the dollar. Then our guys played way over their heads for the season after being propped up by Cruz in the early part of the year.

The chemistry of the clubhouse was shattered when proven talent was let go and replaced by scrap heap dudes. Now, even if they still want to grind it out, the talent simply isn't there. All the stats in the world that say that these guys are as good in the WAR or VORP categories simply can't explain what we're seeing on the field day in and day out.

I HOPE things turn around, but with the lack of (clutch) hitting and consistent pitching, we're in trouble.

Of course, we wouldn't BE in this mess if we'd made some deals when it was easy to make deals. Say, in the offseason.

MSK

All successes are dumb luck, all failures the result of ignorance or stupidity or poor planning or malice. My God, if only the team wasn't run by half-wits. Who can't see that the path to success is to sign all the good players and not sign all the bad players? This isn't rocket science!

[Redskins Rick]

I'm back to attempting to ignore him. His baseball thoughts about what he would do are so comically bad that I can't give his criticisms of DD any credence. Since the prior embarassment a couple weeks ago when he slipped up and actually discussed what he would do, he has gone firmly back into his schtick which is vague "I told you so's" that obliquely reference whichever phase of the game has recently let us down. The fact that he has written the same exact stuff for the last three years while we won doesn't phase him at all. It is just kind of sad.

That handy gadget the ignore box works very well.

[Dipper9]

Certainly not for a PED tainted and suspended DH with a history of injury issues.

And yet now after 3 good months total last year, he is supposedly the proven talent that we let go...when MSK readily admits he didn't want due to his PED stench.

I really should ignore certain posters to help relieve my stress....

[DrungoHazewood]

I think there is a growin chance we aren't going to win this year. It is primarily going to be due to injuries to the middle infield (JJ, Schoop, Flaherty) and potential underperformance by a couple starters than due to not spending, but it won't matter to him.

There's always that chance. I'm not someone who believes in destiny or the inevitability of what has happened. I think if you ran the 2012 or 2014 seasons 1000 times over there would be many instances of the O's finishing out of the playoffs. Every team is a few key injuries or underperformances from dropping under .500 or worse. The Red Sox are a case in point - they are run by a group of smart people making informed choices with more money than 90% of the league and they've had poor seasons two of the last three years and this year isn't shaping up much better. They aren't malicious idiots with a clueless owner - they're a team whose reasonable plans haven't gone quite as they hoped. It happens. But I'm sure SOSH is burning.

[Can_of_corn]

There's always that chance. I'm not someone who believes in destiny or the inevitability of what has happened. I think if you ran the 2012 or 2014 seasons 1000 times over there would be many instances of the O's finishing out of the playoffs. Every team is a few key injuries or underperformances from dropping under .500 or worse. The Red Sox are a case in point - they are run by a group of smart people making informed choices with more money than 90% of the league and they've had poor seasons two of the last three years and this year isn't shaping up much better. They aren't malicious idiots with a clueless owner - they're a team whose reasonable plans haven't gone quite as they hoped. It happens. But I'm sure SOSH is burning.

And the one good season results in a ring.

[weams]

And yet now after 3 good months total last year, he is supposedly the proven talent that we let go...when MSK readily admits he didn't want due to his PED stench.

I really should ignore certain posters to help relieve my stress....

You are a moderator. Stress is your birthright.

[brianod]

Please show me an example of were we have been hamstrung by ownership, as our payroll increases year after year. I'm sick of these shots at ownership without facts to back it up. It's evident that DD did not have a good offseason, but I have seen no evidence that ownership was the reason, except for the normal chatter from certain people when the team is playing poorly and they revert back to the Peter Angelos bashing to be the be all end all of their argument.

I did a whole thread on it, look up we are cheap, proven. Weams even made a t-shirt for it although I think he was being sarcastic and disagreeing with me. In any event, I don't want to rehash it all now.

[TiredofLosing20]

All successes are dumb luck, all failures the result of ignorance or stupidity or poor planning or malice. My God, if only the team wasn't run by half-wits. Who can't see that the path to success is to sign all the good players and not sign all the bad players? This isn't rocket science!

See, now you get it.. congrats on your new found enlightenment.

[El Gordo]

I did a whole thread on it, look up we are cheap, proven. Weams even made a t-shirt for it although I think he was being sarcastic and disagreeing with me. In any event, I don't want to rehash it all now.

This is baloney. Nobody accepted the validity of the numbers you based your specious argument on. No wonder you don't want to rehash it.

[weams]

I did a whole thread on it, look up we are cheap, proven. Weams even made a t-shirt for it although I think he was being sarcastic and disagreeing with me. In any event, I don't want to rehash it all now.

I actually Loved the shirt. I have no idea what you thought you proved.

[weams]

I did a whole thread on it, look up we are cheap, proven. Weams even made a t-shirt for it although I think he was being sarcastic and disagreeing with me. In any event, I don't want to rehash it all now.

You used the Forbes data to state that you knew Peter Angelos was sleeping in piles of unmarked 100s. Other showed you how that data had no factual basis nor were the books open for you and your accountancy to check.

[Redskins Rick]

MLB and like most big businesses have two sets of books, the ones they show the IRS and the real set.

Just like that movie studio got busted for making millions on a movie and claimed the movie lost money.

But, they are the owners, and since we in live in a free country, they can do what they want, just like any other owner of any other business.

I understand why some HAD a beef with the owner, heck, I did too, for what I believe were valid reasons.

But, this is now 2015, and the owner isn't running things like he did, thankfully.

I think the owner is still tight with his front office ticket staff and I question some of their vendor choices.

But, for the product on the field, at least for now, DD has a decent budget and the authority to operate the team.

[Can_of_corn]

MLB and like most big businesses have two sets of books, the ones they show the IRS and the real set.

Just like that movie studio got busted for making millions on a movie and claimed the movie lost money.

But, they are the owners, and since we in live in a free country, they can do what they want, just like any other owner of any other business.

I understand why some HAD a beef with the owner, heck, I did too, for what I believe were valid reasons.

But, this is now 2015, and the owner isn't running things like he did, thankfully.

I think the owner is still tight with his front office ticket staff and I question some of their vendor choices.

But, for the product on the field, at least for now, DD has a decent budget and the authority to operate the team.

I don't think an inability to discover talent worthy of signing is behind Dan trading away international slot money.

Other then that I mostly agree with you.

I was serious earlier when I asked if he would have the money needed to pay for an expensive draft.

[Redskins Rick]

I don't think an inability to discover talent worthy of signing is behind Dan trading away international slot money.

Other then that I mostly agree with you.

I was serious earlier when I asked if he would have the money needed to pay for an expensive draft.

Yeah, it would be nice to see them spend some international slot money. I dont think the Birds are the only teams not playing.

Not sure, if the Cuban they just picked up, actually counts in this category.

I don't know, will they have money in 2016? Does it hinge on the MASN settlement?

Good questions, for sure.

All we know, for now, he doesn't appear to be tight with the player payroll.

[sportsfan8703]

I show up in game threads to cheer the team on only to watch them blow it.

I'm not happy about this, the thing is that I saw this coming in JANUARY.

I've been saying repeatedly since late 2014 that the lack of movements or signings or trades or improvement in general would come back to haunt us.

The FO stinks. Period. There's NO defense of their inept behavior this last offseason.

MSK

You're getting killed for saying this. When Adam Jones basically confirmed the FO disfunction in his offseason tweet.