What was the turning point of the season for the O's?

[FR500]

I thought that the first series vs the twins just before the all-star game was a clear indication that the season was over.... thanks to the pathetic off-season lack of performance by DD. My fear is this off-season is going to be even worse.... bummed out already.

[sportsfan8703]

I agree, I was there on of those nights, and that game was winnable and should have been, dang it,

You're right. I was there on that Sunday game. I usually always leave an inning early. Just my theory. Stuck around and went and set in the first row for the rest of the game. How funny is it that we had two turning points in one home stand.

1. Sweeping the A's then Urrutia hitting the walkoff HR vs the Mets to avoid the 0-2 mini sweep.

2. Then being promptly swept by the twins.

But here's another turning point. The trade deadline. How different would August have been if we would have traded for Cespedes instead of Parra? I just knew Cespedes was going to just walk across to our dugout. But maybe the EROD-Miller trade had DD gun shy.

Without opening this debate again, Miller helped us to the ALCS and Cespedes could have carried our struggling offense and we don't get swept by the twins. How many of us would be legit happy right now if we were in the WC2 spot but DD traded Bundy for Cespedes. I know I would.

[orioles4lyfe]

I don't see it. The O's went 10-7 in the first 17 days of August, and only lost two in a row once. They only allowed 3.76 runs/game in those 17 games. I don't think we would have seen much if any of Wright and Wilson in that stretch, except maybe in the bullpen.

I think the turning point was clearly the Twins series. I went into that series with every hope that we'd take 3 of 4, or even sweep it. The Twins were playing lousy baseball at the time. Losing all four to them, with blown saves from both O'Day and Britton, was a huge deflator. Our starters have a 6.77 ERA since the beginning of the Twins series.

Ding ding ding. I think it was the Twins series as well. Getting swept at home in that fashion was demoralizing.

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[OsEatAlEast]

It seemed like all the wind left their sails after the Tommy Hunter deal. He wasn't the greatest relief pitcher in the world. But I think he was a big part of team chemistry.

[Redskins Rick]

You're right. I was there on that Sunday game. I usually always leave an inning early. Just my theory. Stuck around and went and set in the first row for the rest of the game. How funny is it that we had two turning points in one home stand.

1. Sweeping the A's then Urrutia hitting the walkoff HR vs the Mets to avoid the 0-2 mini sweep.

2. Then being promptly swept by the twins.

But here's another turning point. The trade deadline. How different would August have been if we would have traded for Cespedes instead of Parra? I just knew Cespedes was going to just walk across to our dugout. But maybe the EROD-Miller trade had DD gun shy.

Without opening this debate again, Miller helped us to the ALCS and Cespedes could have carried our struggling offense and we don't get swept by the twins. How many of us would be legit happy right now if we were in the WC2 spot but DD traded Bundy for Cespedes. I know I would.

I think last year's team still gets to the ALCS even without Miller.

Trading guys during the season is upredictable and not always what you think will happen.

Just ask the A's how it went last year for them.

[dorfmac]

I think the turning point was our failure to do anything of note at the trading deadline. Sure, we got Parra who has been solid, but we didn't do enough. Even though some people point to the lack of activity this past offseason, we were still in the thick of it until the deadline.

It reminded me of 2005(?) when we were holding strong and a trade for AJ Burnett/Mike Lowell fell through because the front office didn't want to pull he trigger and give up Hayden Penn. he players felt let down and that the FO didn't support them, and we finished the season on an absurd tailspin. I'm not saying that the players quit this season, but I'm sure they wanted to see more additions at the deadline to support.

[Spy Fox]

The turning point of the season was pretty clearly this thread.

[Moose Milligan]

The first time MSK reminded us how much better he'd be as a GM.

[CanadianOriole]

Aug 19th vs Minnesota - we were in the 2nd Wild Card. Games was delayed over 2.5 hours and likely should have been cancelled - it goes ahead with nobody left at the park and we allow rookie Tyler Duffey to shut us out into the 8th and lose 15-2. That game gave Minnesota some life and they play lights out the rest of the series and we collapse. If that game isppd due to rain like it should have been who knows what happens from there on out. Up to that point I hadn't seen any indication this team would catch fire and go on a deep playoff run - but I also hadn't seen any indication the team was going to lose 15 of 18 and collapse to the point of likely finishing last. If that game is ppd maybe it all turns out differently.

[Stotle]

Just ask the A's how it went last year for them.

Likely would have missed the playoffs without those trades, so it worked out okay. They just got incredibly unlucky in a one-game playoff.

[Il BuonO]

The first time MSK reminded us how much better he'd be as a GM.

The last time.

[LookitsPuck]

Not selling high on Bud Norris and doing absolutely nothing in the offseason to shore up LF, RF and 1B as well as any meaningful contingency plan for backup SS and 2B outside of taking an extreme chance on Everth Cabrera.

That aside, this rotation is what fell apart this year. I'm not sure anyone could have banked on Tillman stinking, Gonzalez stinking, Norris stinking, Chen falling apart in the second half and Ubaldo finding it and then all of a sudden losing it. The only obvious dud (to me) was Gausman. But that's because you can't yo-yo a guy the previous year, start him in the bullpen and then throw him into the rotation when doesn't have a slider or a curveball worth a damn. You couple a guy like him up with a guy like Wieters who calls fastball what seems like 80% of the time with Gausman...and well.

Having Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson hurt and then trading Davies (prior) was a huge blow. Because there is no meaningful starting pitching depth in the minors. Bundy is hurt/rehabbing. Harvey is hurt/rehabbing. Guys like Wright and Wilson were back of the rotation guys at best...so really you're damned if you do, damned if you don't.

To me...4 years into Duquette's tenure and the minors are a wasteland for impact starting pitchers. What little we had (ERod, Davies, Tarpley) were traded away. The only others are hurt.

[SteveO]

The first time MSK reminded us how much better he'd be as a GM.

My interpretation of MSK as GM this offseason:

MSK: Mr Angelos, could you please sign this 240 million dollar contract for David Price?

PA: No

MSK: Could you sign this one for Chris Davis or perhaps the one I am working on with Justin Upton is more to your liking?

PA: No

MSK: How about these contracts for Scott Kazmir and Mike Leake, would you sign either of these.

PA: No

MSK walks away dejectedly to begin scouting the dumpster.

[Elbren]

I think the turning point was our failure to do anything of note at the trading deadline. Sure, we got Parra who has been solid, but we didn't do enough. Even though some people point to the lack of activity this past offseason, we were still in the thick of it until the deadline.

It reminded me of 2005(?) when we were holding strong and a trade for AJ Burnett/Mike Lowell fell through because the front office didn't want to pull he trigger and give up Hayden Penn. he players felt let down and that the FO didn't support them, and we finished the season on an absurd tailspin. I'm not saying that the players quit this season, but I'm sure they wanted to see more additions at the deadline to support.

To be fair, that wasn't the FO's fault. They had worked out a deal, but Angelos nixed it at the 11th hour. That's the main reason the Marlins were so upset and why Burnett didn't get moved at the deadline. They had spent the entire time trying to work out a deal w/ the O's and when the Marlins thought they had a deal in place, the FO said, "We need to run this by the owner." lol

That would have been a pretty big deal too, if I remember right. Penn, Ponson, Conine and a couple of other guys. Think Bedard may have been a part of that non-deal.

[winkies]

Every time we lost a game was a bad day. Every time we won a game was a good day.

You are what your record says you are, not what momentum says you are.