Death knell? 1998 Redux?

[Tx Oriole]

Need I say more?

I am afraid so.

[brianod]

I just want to say something that seems in defense of DD but its more the reality.I know for a fact that his hands were tied about signing some of the big producers last year,and the edict came from the executive offices.Its why we won't sign Davis too, and probably any others.Its not just being "cheap", its PA's "budget" constraints and like it or not, that is coming from upstairs.In contrast, Toronto has a virtual open check book and a willingness to use it.So while its easy to blame DD, he only had so many options on who to sign and for how much.That said, I still think the Cruz deal will end up being somewhat of a "bargain". No Boras client will re-sign with Baltimore from what I know.

I tend to agree about DD but I call it cheap. If we spend 10 million more, we might have made it up with attendance/interest of fans.

[Norfolk orioles]

If you take all the money we've spent on Matusz, reimold, de aza, snider, young, lough, etc etc (not including Norris because no GM would have gotten rid of him after last season) we would have been able to at least keep someone.

We've gotten NOTHING for that millions wasted on longshots at best.

[TouchemAll]

It's a .500 team, I hoped for better, but accepted that fact in July, the handwriting was on the wall.

Today the wall fell down.

[TouchemAll]

I just want to say something that seems in defense of DD but its more the reality.I know for a fact that his hands were tied about signing some of the big producers last year,and the edict came from the executive offices.Its why we won't sign Davis too, and probably any others.Its not just being "cheap", its PA's "budget" constraints and like it or not, that is coming from upstairs.In contrast, Toronto has a virtual open check book and a willingness to use it.So while its easy to blame DD, he only had so many options on who to sign and for how much.That said, I still think the Cruz deal will end up being somewhat of a "bargain". No Boras client will re-sign with Baltimore from what I know.

Roy that's ALWAYS been the O's biggest issue since PA's been here IMHO.

[Scrat1]

At least we've got Parra!

[TouchemAll]

At least we've got Parra!

I actually like Parra but he was not the magic bullet to put the club over the hump.

IMHO DD got himself in a bit of a bind with that GOING FOR IT stuff when anybody knows the PA BUDGET constrains don't allow GOING FOR IT. :laughlol:

[MagicBird]

I just want to say something that seems in defense of DD but its more the reality.I know for a fact that his hands were tied about signing some of the big producers last year,and the edict came from the executive offices.Its why we won't sign Davis too, and probably any others.Its not just being "cheap", its PA's "budget" constraints and like it or not, that is coming from upstairs.In contrast, Toronto has a virtual open check book and a willingness to use it.So while its easy to blame DD, he only had so many options on who to sign and for how much.That said, I still think the Cruz deal will end up being somewhat of a "bargain". No Boras client will re-sign with Baltimore from what I know.

That is a really depressing reality for Oriole fans.

[SteveO]

You forgot to add GM who quits on the team in his final year and leaves the farm system in shambles after two playoff appearances.

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You mean the GM (Gillick) that wanted to make trades that the owner nixed ???? That GM?

[Norfolk orioles]

Btw, we've scapegoated quite a few guys this year, Norris and snider being the latest two.

But guys like Garcia and lough are still on this team. Sorry, but that's on Dan. Our lack of MLB talent and plethora of AAAA players is disheartening to say the least.

It worked once with Chris Davis and twice if you want to count Steve Pearce. Our attempts since then have all for the most part, backfired big time.

Btw, flaherty is currently 0 for his last 33.

His "utility" excuse for being on this team is wearing really thin.

[25 Nuggets]

Got to thinking about how tough our schedule is going forward, and it led me to recall how the 1998 season ended. That team hovered around .500 most of the year, reached its apex at 10 games over .500 on August 19, then played miserably at the end, finishing at 79-83 and initiating a 14-year losing streak. Part of the problem was that the farm system was bare. At the end of the year the team lost some key free agents (Raffy and Alomar) and instead of starting a rebuild they signed several free agents who didn't mesh and/or didn't produce.

The 2015 season doesn't have to end like 1998, and the offseason doesn't have to go like 1998 either. But I'm a little worried that it could.

I really don't see this team finishing like that. Buck, Jones and company won't allow for it. They could however simply not be good enough to leave .500-land. It's been like that all season.

The off season, I agree I am very worried about it. What's incredible to me is that even though the farm system has given us Wieters, then Machado and Schoop, it's still considered not good enough to have the prospects to acquire anyone better than a Gerardo Parra at the deadline. Toronto gets Tulowitzki and Price, after what they've already done, and people tell me their farm system is still better than Baltimore's? Something wrong with that.

[El Gordo]

Ye of little faith. The Yankees lose thuuuuuuuuh Yankees lose!

I don't hear no fat lady singin'.

[theobird]

I really don't see this team finishing like that. Buck, Jones and company won't allow for it. They could however simply not be good enough to leave .500-land. It's been like that all season.

The off season, I agree I am very worried about it. What's incredible to me is that even though the farm system has given us Wieters, then Machado and Schoop, it's still considered not good enough to have the prospects to acquire anyone better than a Gerardo Parra at the deadline. Toronto gets Tulowitzki and Price, after what they've already done, and people tell me their farm system is still better than Baltimore's? Something wrong with that.

Its called poor management. Period. We are in real trouble going forward, having traded the few prospects we have for essentially nothing. I just hate the way this team has been managed from the top. Yes, I am talking about DD. "In DD we trust". Blah, blah , blah. I will want a new vote on this guy at the allstar break next year.

And before anybody jumps on me for this rant, let me remind you all that I have been saying this for the last two years. A GM needs to be graded 3 years after he takes over. Dan Duquette has gutted our system. And that is where we are today.

[TouchemAll]

Got to thinking about how tough our schedule is going forward, and it led me to recall how the 1998 season ended. That team hovered around .500 most of the year, reached its apex at 10 games over .500 on August 19, then played miserably at the end, finishing at 79-83 and initiating a 14-year losing streak. Part of the problem was that the farm system was bare. At the end of the year the team lost some key free agents (Raffy and Alomar) and instead of starting a rebuild they signed several free agents who didn't mesh and/or didn't produce.

The 2015 season doesn't have to end like 1998, and the offseason doesn't have to go like 1998 either. But I'm a little worried that it could.

Your not the only one I've had that EXACT same feeling.

[25 Nuggets]

Its called poor management. Period. We are in real trouble going forward, having traded the few prospects we have for essentially nothing. I just hate the way this team has been managed from the top. Yes, I am talking about DD. "In DD we trust". Blah, blah , blah. I will want a new vote on this guy at the allstar break next year.

And before anybody jumps on me for this rant, let me remind you all that I have been saying this for the last two years. A GM needs to be graded 3 years after he takes over. Dan Duquette has gutted our system. And that is where we are today.

If what he's done has gutted our system, then our system didn't have enough guts to begin with, and that's the real problem.