Accountability

[Moshagge3]

I'm sorry, but just being better than the dark days isn't good enough. They had a good young core, and wasted it. The dark days will be back soon.

Not to be flip, but aren't the second half struggles largely the fault of none other than the core itself? Schoop has been awful in the second half after it had looked like he made a leap, Davis has been lost at the plate, Machado has gone from MVP candidate to merely good, Tillman got hurt. The only young core member consistently doing his thing is Britton, who can only do so much in his role. I mean, why get up in arms about the failures of the complementary pieces when the alleged "core" is just as bad?

[Aristotelian]

If Potter wants to spend that money on Davis, fine, he is the owner. But Potter didn't make Duquette sign Gallardo or trade Davies for Parra or trade for Miley or sign Ubaldo. This GM started the season counting on winning a division with two out of five starting pitchers being Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson. And he jettisoned one of his only veteran starting pitchers who still had an option and who has thrown 10/11 quality starts for the White Sox. Hope is one thing but GMs get judged for their mistakes as well as successes. I wish he had gone to Toronto.

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Eh. Davies probably would not be a difference maker. The Davis contract was a much bigger factor because after that there was no money left to sign a decent starter. Gallardo was all that was left. I agree the Parra trade was bad (did not like it at the time, and like it even less now) and DD should take some heat for it, but you also have to credit him for some decent moves as well.

[OsEatAlEast]

The old way of thinking is what kept baseball alive and well in Baltimore . This new way of thinking will get old fans to stop following and surely get team to relocate.

There are a few teams that would be considered for relocation before the Orioles. With not that many actual viable cities to choose from. Drungo(I think) did a pretty good post on it some time ago.

[ORIOLE33]

There are a few teams that would be considered for relocation before the Orioles. With not that many actual viable cities to choose from. Drungo(I think) did a pretty good post on it some time ago.

Exactly. The O's aren't going anywhere.

[VeveJones007]

The old way of thinking is what kept baseball alive and well in Baltimore . This new way of thinking will get old fans to stop following and surely get team to relocate.

Umm...isn't the "old way" winning three championships and continually competing for the pennant? For a franchise with that history, being above average isn't good enough. Sure, it's better than being awful, but isn't anything better than that? Low bars are for lesser organizations.

[MDtransplant757]

Doubtful. It would be great if we had Arrieta. Otherwise DD has done pretty well under the constraints set by ownership. When you are instructed to sign CD for $150M, you don't have many options. You bring in guys like Trumbo and Alvarez and hope that KG can be an ace. It almost worked.

KG is finally turning the corner. Trumbo has been amazing, and Alvarez is like a better version of Jimmy Parades.

[ExileAngelos]

This way of thinking is getting old. So what, we're not as bad as we were from 98-2011. I would like to won another championship. If this team doesn't make the playoffs, it will be VERY disappointing.

I think what Frobby is saying is that as a excruciating as it is to contend for 5 months and have it taken away at the end is much better than not ever being in contention at all in a given season. I agree with him.

[El Gordo]

Really in the dark times the season was over in June. Now people are whining because the season might be over by Sept. 25. If DD is canned, the only GM who would work for PA is Brady. If we hadn't signed Gallardo we would have had a rotation that included Wright and Wilson. As disappointing as he has been he is still an upgrade over those two. It was a mistake to let Gonzo go. Kim was a great pickup. If we had gotten another Kim bat with a better glove as well, things might be very different.

[LookitsPuck]

Mike Wright + draft pick + Ariel Miranda + Gonzo > Yovani Gallardo - draft pick + Wade Miley

:shrug:

[El Gordo]

Mike Wright + draft pick + Ariel Miranda + Gonzo > Yovani Gallardo - draft pick + Wade Miley

:shrug:

Mike Wright is a head case and is terrible. Gonzo would have helped us. Miley isn't that bad. Gallardo is better than Wright or Wilson.

[LookitsPuck]

Mike Wright is a head case and is terrible. Gonzo would have helped us. Miley isn't that bad. Gallardo is better than Wright or Wilson.

That's not my point.

Miguel Gonzalez > Yovani Gallardo

Ariel Miranda >= Wade Miley

1st round draft pick > no 1st round draft pick

...if anything, you start the season w/ Gonzo in your rotation and give Ariel Miranda a legitimate chance and not get enamored by a few choice starts from Wade Miley.

...and you save ~$20m (well, $15m...still have to pay Gonzo ~$5m).

Miguel Gonzalez in 2016: 3.83 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 1.275 WHIP in 122 1/3 IP and under control this year and next year

Ariel Miranda in 2016: 3.47 ERA, 5.28 FIP, 1.136 WHIP in 46 2/3 IP, league minimum, under control for quite some time

And while you're right...Miley isn't *that* bad as his numbers w/ the O's show...he's certainly not very good.

[jhcchang]

I am living in Chicago but have been a diehard O's fan. I started watching the Cubs last year when they started to have success. What I noticed was that they started to falter in the end of last season as they were rather one-dimensional in hitting HRs with poor batting averages. They also had a terrible bullpen but better starting pitching. Obviously, they made some moves in their lineup and bullpen (now look at them)!

I parallel our offense this year with the Cubs last year when at the end of the summer and chillier temps lead to less HRs. Without the long ball we can not score. We are unable to manufacture runs with speed or timely hitting. Most of our hitters' upper cut swing result in HRs or fly outs or Ks. We can't buy a single at times. Our starting pitch is inconsistent to say the least. Not one of our starters gives me the feeling that they are going to give us a good 7 solid innings. Our middle relief has been mediocre, with Zach on the tail end being our only bright spot! We will be lucky to hold on to a WC spot, and we will do nothing in the playoffs if we make it into the post season. So frustrating to have been in 1st most of the 1st half of the season to tank in the 2nd half.

They complain about lack of fan support, but I see no enthusiasm in any of the players. Where is the leadership of a vet like Adam Jones? He should be putting a charge into the team not complaining about fan support.

[CheeryO]

No fans should have to suffer this way.

I'm guessing you're young. Well, I'll tell you who is accountable. Their initials are PA, DD, BS...

You want to talk about collapse? I wouldn't even say the O's have really collapsed, especially with the O's pitching pretty well lately. More like the Red Sox are peaking at the right time. There have been Oriole collapses worse than this, even during the golden years. That's baseball. But the season ain't over yet. O's still have a shot.

[atomic]

Duquette has done well with position players, starting pitching not so much. At this point, Duquette should do the opposite when it involves moves with starting pitching.

He signed Chen, Gonzalez, and drafted Gausman. The pitching is actually better than the hitting.

[atomic]

DD doesn't have the same resources as the Red Sox. He can't sign David Price or a Hanley Ramirez. He isn't allowed to go after top international player like Bogaerts. You look at other teams competing and they have Latin and Japanesse players they signed helping their club.