TT: Is this really the worst season of your fandom?

[OFFNY]

o

 

The final 3 months of the 1980 season was very frustrating, because the Orioles won 100 games that year and didn't make the postseason. The Yankees won 103 games, and each time the Orioles crept within 2 or 3 games, the Yankees managed to fend them off.

 

But it was a different kind of frustration.

 

o

[DirtyBird]

Just wait til next year

[spiritof66]

For me, it's hard to compare this to seasons more than a few years distant since time usually softens the disappointment of a bad season. (Some disappointing events, as opposed to seasons, like the last game of the  1979 World Series, the loss to the Brewers on then last day of the 1982 Series, and the 1969 World Series, keep their edge a lot longer.)  But for me 2015 was probably a little worse.

One of the reasons for my negativity about this season (like 2015) is that the team's performance has been negatively affected by so many bad decisions: the Davis and Trumbo contracts (and those with Hardy and O'Day to a lesser degree), sticking with Ubaldo for so long, Buck's stubborn use of "his guys" and unwillingness even to pinch hit for them, letting Manny';s situation continue to drift, not valuing international investment and eventually selling off international slots, etc. 

Two points about Tony's comments.  He says that "the real question is, what does Manny Machado want to be known for? Does he want to have a chance at leaving a legacy as being the greatest Oriole of all-time, or does he want to make the absolute most money he can make?" I sure don't know what's important to Manny, but I have to guess that he will be swayed by the prospect of playing regularly in the post-season and having multiple chances to get to the World Series. There are around 8 teams that he can reasonably expect to give him that opportunity over the life of along-term contract (though things can change quickly -- ask the Giants). The Orioles aren't one of them. If I'm Manny , I don't expect the Orioles, after signing him, to be in a position to upgrade their starting pitching enough to make them likely contenders the next few years, and after that improvement is no more than a slightly better possibility.

Second, Tony says that "the Orioles offseason completely revolves around Manny since they can not afford to just let him walk for a draft pick." I agree that the resolution of Manny's situation almost certainly will affect the direction of the team and its personnel decisions, and that it would be to the team's advantage to resolve it sooner -- just as it would have benefited them to make that decision last offseason. But how does it figure that the Orioles can't afford to let Manny play out his contract? That's like saying they couldn't afford to sign Davis and Trumbo. It would be stupid, but what they can afford and can't afford is determined by one guy. He owns most of the team, and apparently he knows very little about baseball and cares very little about the team's long-term future. Though he might ask Brady Anderson for directions once in a while, he's driving the bus, by himself, having purchased an operator's license over 20 years ago, and an unsettling aspect of this season is my increasingly clear impression that he's willing to let that bus go over a cliff a few years from now.

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, birdwatcher55 said:

I have no problem with this year. This was a playoff team last year with essentially the same talent. I feel Trumbo is an average player. He's won some games for us this year. He is not chopped liver. The problem was and is Duquette and how he badly misjudged our starting pitching . That doomed us by June. Looking back, we had far worse seasons. How about starting 0-21? That was brutal. Or take your pick of the 13 dark years. This year was a walk in the park compared to some of the horrific seasons I have endured as an Orioles fan. Going forward, I love some of the talent on its way up. And if Manny departs, so be it. That's business. Get the best package you can get this winter. God willing, I'll be locked and loaded and ready for ST and 2018.

There's almost no scenario where I won't go into 2018 thinking we have a shot at the playoffs.     

[Aristotelian]

I don't feel too down about this season. They got off to a great start, but showed their true colors early on with a disastrous stretch from the middle of May through July, so I never really got invested. Gausman's performance was particularly frustrating, but otherwise guys mostly did what we expected. 

[ChuckS]

The underperforming contracts are frustrating, but knowing we have a lot of money coming off the books lessens that blow a bit.  I'll take .500 ball and playing meaningful games in September over losing 90 plus under most circumstances, this year included.  

It is aggravating to see top prospects come up just to sit on the bench while Joey Rickard and Mark Trumbo continues to get starts. 

[tntoriole]

3 hours ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

The final 3 months of the 1980 season was very frustrating, because the Orioles won 100 games that year and didn't make the postseason. The Yankees won 103 games, and each time the Orioles crept within 2 or 3 games, the Yankees managed to fend them off.

 

But it was a different kind of frustration.

 

o

Very frustrating.  The most disappointed and upset I have ever been as an Orioles fan was the 1969 loss to the Mets.   Of course, I was 12, but still.   The Orioles were IT, they were the most dominant team in baseball and perhaps all of sports at the time and it was just soul crushing.    And the season you note as well.   But overall, I tend to agree with the sentiment that this season by no means has been anywhere close to my most frustrating.  I found any and or all of the time in the cellar and watching absolutely terrible baseball much more frustrating as a fan.   

[tntoriole]

27 minutes ago, Frobby said:

There's almost no scenario where I won't go into 2018 thinking we have a shot at the playoffs.     

Well, if they re-sign Miley AND Tillman, trade Manny, and don't sign any free agent pitching....but will they do that?   Nahhhhh!   

[maybenxtyr]

The only reason it falls into the worst category for me is because it is the most recent. I know that sounds funny, but in a few years the short comings of this year will be forgotten either because of future success or failures.

I don't think they we we're as good as their start when they got the jump on some struggling teams. They destroyed Wright from Boston like twice in a week in a half period. Toronto was way worse than they are even now. I could go on.

Having Davis locked up makes this look especially bad. He isn't going anywhere, and watching him shows me no reason to be expectant of a bounce back next year.

[Frobby]

Thinking about the worst seasons, my top 5 would be:

2005: Went into the year reasonably optimistic we could break our 7-year losing streak, got off to a great start, fell apart, fired the manager and suffered the incredible embarrassment of Raffygate, the clubhouse turned toxic and then Tejada asked to be traded at the end of the year. All optimism was dashed after that for several years.

1986: The first losing season after 18 consecutive winning seasons.   Eddie got hurt, then pouted when Edward Bennett Williams criticized his conditioning.    The team went into a tailspin when Eddie returned, the fans started booing him and that relationship was irreparably damaged.     Earl, who had been coaxed out of retirement, realized he'd made a mistake and quit at the end of the year.    

1988: A third straight losing season that was over before it began with the 0-21 start.    Cal Sr. got fired barely a week into the season.   What an embarrassment that team was.

1998:  Coming off the wire to wire AL East title and two straight playoff appearances, expectations were sky high, but the team sleepwalked under Ray Miller and clubhouse issues arose.    At the end of the year, Robbie Alomar and Raffy Palmeiro walked away from the team.   GM Pat Gillick got fed up and left, as well.

2000: The team had a third straight losing season and ran an incompetent fire sale at the trade deadline that doomed the team to more years of losing.    Angelos screwed up the Mussina negotiations and he left after the season for the hated Yankees.

There is no comparison at all between this year and any of those five.   Not even on the same planet.   

[Tony-OH]

10 hours ago, Diehard_O's_Fan said:

Hey Tony! Do you think the Orioles will fire Dan especially if they end up with a losing record? Any talk of moving Buck to the front office?

I have no idea what Angelos will do, but I will be surprised if he lets Duquette and Buck go into their last seasons of their contracts with the status quo. I've heard that Buck has aspirations to have even more control then he has now, which is a lot, but whether that means he's ready to move upstairs remains to be seen. If Duquette is GM after 2018 I'll be shocked. I would not be surprised if he's let go after this season.

[Tony-OH]

10 hours ago, Deadwood Fan said:

Tony another question is Buck and Dan's contract expire after 2018, do you think the Orioles will decide after this year whether to extend one over the other's contract? It seems like Dan is more likely to leave the organization than Buck is. 

Dan lost a lot of power and influence after the Toronto situation from what I've heard. Buck would seem to be in a better position to remain with the organization,

[Norfolk orioles]

This team showed its true colors yet again this year, folding like an accordion when it really mattered.

 

Manny looked like he couldn't care less and the rest of the team is unwatchable at times.

Very disappointing considering what expectations were.

Poor managing and an even worse GM compounded things.

Last rant of the year as I've wasted enough time watching these overpaid clowns this year.

[Frobby]

13 minutes ago, Norfolk orioles said:

This team showed its true colors yet again this year, folding like an accordion when it really mattered.

 

Manny looked like he couldn't care less and the rest of the team is unwatchable at times.

Very disappointing considering what expectations were.

Poor managing and an even worse GM compounded things.

Last rant of the year as I've wasted enough time watching these overpaid clowns this year.

Good.

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

Thanks for your time Tony. I had not heard that as far as Dan losing some power and control after the Toronto situation. Isn't that breaking news? I have never heard anyone report that? Who gained the extra power and control that Dan lost? Has Buck been making some gm type moves without anyone knowing?