The odd parallel fate of the Orioles and the Nats

[sportsfan8703]

2005: The Nats move to DC. Both the O's and Nats surprisingly lead their divisions for a considerable part of the first half of the season. Both fade down the stretch, though the O's faded a little worse (74-88 vs. 81-81).

2006-11: Both teams stink.

2012: Both teams make huge gains and make the playoffs. Both lose in the LDS round.

2013: Both teams have winning records but disappoint a bit, finishing several games out of the wild card.

2014: Both teams make the playoffs again, in this case both winning their division. The Nats lose in the NLDS, the O's lose in the ALCS.

2015: Both team disappoint, with the O's winning 81 games and the Nats 83.

O's (2005-15): 835-946

Nats (2005-15): 855-925

There has never been a season where one of the two teams finished above .500 and the other finished below .500. There has never been a season where one team made the playoffs and the other one didn't.

When did we disappoint? We've outperformed all the projections and predictions each of the last 5 years.

[Machado13]

The one thing that I think was good about nats moving to DC was it forced angelos to field better product.

The attendance does suffer but at least the dark days are gone for now.

[Frobby]

On 10/5/2015 at 7:20 PM, Frobby said:

There has never been a season where one of the two teams finished above .500 and the other finished below .500. There has never been a season where one team made the playoffs and the other one didn't.

Well, so much for that.   NL playoffs are coming and I'm trying to decide whether to invest a little emotional capital in the Nats, since the Orioles' season is already down the drain.    I'd certainly prefer them to the Dodgers or Cubs.

[thezeroes]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Well, so much for that.   NL playoffs are coming and I'm trying to decide whether to invest a little emotional capital in the Nats, since the Orioles' season is already down the drain.    I'd certainly prefer them to the Dodgers or Cubs.

I start tonight with the Colorado Rockies as far as "Emotional Capital".  If Arizona wins then they will be my investment.  Third on the list is the Nats.

[Ohfan67]

My wife is a nats fan and I can’t stand the Cubs, so I will root for the Nats in the NL. I live 90 miles from Astros and will root for them, although I like the Cleveland club too (and I don’t know the Astros as well as I should because it’s actually hard for me to watch the Astros during the season because of mlb blackouts and Astros squabbles with cable providers). The Cubs were ok until they won the series. And they robbed us on the trade. Now they suck.  

[riprulz8]

I want the Nats to get swept by the Cubs and then, similarly, the Cubs to be swept by whichever team comes out of the West.  I would prefer AZ or COL to be playing, but the Dodgers don't move the needle for me one way or the other.  I simply don't care about them, possibly due to proximity and the fact that I know exactly ZERO Dodgers fans.

For the AL, it's Houston or bust.  Can't stand the others.

[Spy Fox]

I won't be tuning in for every game/inning like I would for the Orioles, but I'm rooting for the Nats. I'm from the DC area and enjoy seeing their teams succeed despite not following them as closely as the Baltimore teams. 

If not DC, I'd prefer Houston. But anyone is okay besides the Yankees and Sox. The Cubs and Dodgers could reach my root-against threshold if they become World Series regulars, but they're not there yet.  

[hoosiers]

The Nats poor record in the early years is due to the Omar Minaya trading every last prospect to make the playoffs in the final year in Montreal.  He gutted that farm system and it took years for the Nats to recover.  The Nats invested more in the draft and internationally and appear better set up in the short term.  The Nats have benefited from a relatively week team in the Mets, but that division looks to be tougher going forward with the Phillies on the upswing talent-wise and increased payroll capacity (with their new tv deal). 

The Os mediocrity in that same time frame is a result of poor decisions by the owner, manager and scouting director.  The Os had something like 13 first and supplemental first round picks between 1998-2001 and ended up with Brian Roberts and a hint of Larry Bigbie and a traded Werth. 

There has been a strong divergence between the two teams this year and I suspect next year could be similar.

[Frobby]

7 minutes ago, hoosiers said:

The Nats poor record in the early years is due to the Omar Minaya trading every last prospect to make the playoffs in the final year in Montreal.  He gutted that farm system and it took years for the Nats to recover.  The Nats invested more in the draft and internationally and appear better set up in the short term.  The Nats have benefited from a relatively week team in the Mets, but that division looks to be tougher going forward with the Phillies on the upswing talent-wise and increased payroll capacity (with their new tv deal). 

The Os mediocrity in that same time frame is a result of poor decisions by the owner, manager and scouting director.  The Os had something like 13 first and supplemental first round picks between 1998-2001 and ended up with Brian Roberts and a hint of Larry Bigbie and a traded Werth. 

There has been a strong divergence between the two teams this year and I suspect next year could be similar.

I think Rizzo is a very good GM, and the Nats have a good eye for young talent.     Even if Harper leaves after 2018, they're well-positioned to continue to contend.  

[El Gordo]

Cleveland all the way!

[Frobby]

6 hours ago, Frobby said:

Well, so much for that.   NL playoffs are coming and I'm trying to decide whether to invest a little emotional capital in the Nats, since the Orioles' season is already down the drain.    I'd certainly prefer them to the Dodgers or Cubs.

I just had two tickets to Game 2 of Nats-Cubs fall into my lap, so I guess I'm invested now!

[OFFNY]

6 hours ago, Frobby said:

 

Well, so much for that. The NL playoffs are coming, and I'm trying to decide whether to invest a little emotional capital in the Nationals, since the Orioles' season is already down the drain. I'd certainly prefer them to the Dodgers or Cubs.

 

 

 

25 minutes ago, Frobby said:

 

I just had two tickets to Game 2 of the Nationals-Cubs series fall into my lap, so I guess I'm invested now !!!

 

o

 

Also, this guy is starting at 1st base for the Rockies tonight.

 

 

 

o

[O's are Legends]

O's for life, I have had horrible experiences with nats fans over the years just walking to their ballpark with my O's gear when they would face the O's. That and a few people who double crossed me are nats fans. They could go back to Montreal for all I care. For that series, go Cubs.

[spiritof66]

1 hour ago, OFFNY said:

 

 

o

 

Also, this guy is starting at 1st base for the Rockies tonight.

 

 

 

o

Thanks for posting. I remember that catch (or one just like it, but I think that's the one). I remember thinking (or maybe someone else posted) that Reynolds stretched for that ball a lot like he stretched for throws from the infield.  

Seems like that was about 20 years ago.

Mark is 34 now. Who would have predicted when the Orioles let him go five years ago that he'd be hitting 30 HR (even in Denver) and playing in the post-season at 34?

[Tx Oriole]

22 hours ago, Ohfan67 said:

My wife is a nats fan and I can’t stand the Cubs, so I will root for the Nats in the NL. I live 90 miles from Astros and will root for them, although I like the Cleveland club too (and I don’t know the Astros as well as I should because it’s actually hard for me to watch the Astros during the season because of mlb blackouts and Astros squabbles with cable providers). The Cubs were ok until they won the series. And they robbed us on the trade. Now they suck.  

I will root for the Astros.