Fanfest

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

And it’s not “voluntary.”    

The more I think about it, the more I think the O’s are keeping Manny away because he’s about to be traded.   It looks like they can’t acquire pitching any other way, per Roch’s blog entry.      

...Unless you have a legitimate reason for backing out, which we have to assume Schoop does at this point.

Manny, I agree. Imagine trying to get through Fanfest with everyone just badgering you about trades and extensions. Sad, angry, frustrated fans who you can't make happy because in a matter of days or weeks or months they won't be your fans anymore. 

[Frobby]

6 minutes ago, interloper said:

...Unless you have a legitimate reason for backing out, which we have to assume Schoop does at this point.

Manny, I agree. Imagine trying to get through Fanfest with everyone just badgering you about trades and extensions. Sad, angry, frustrated fans who you can't make happy because in a matter of days or weeks or months they won't be your fans anymore. 

I think it would be disrespectful to both the fans and Manny to drag Manny up here and have him act like everything is normal, and then announce next Wednesday that he’s been traded.     Now, if it was just because he “might” get traded, or might not be here in 2019, I’d feel differently.     But if trade talks have progressed and gotten very concrete, to the point where it’s 75% likely that something is going to get done in the next week or so, then I’d keep him away.    

[SteveA]

43 minutes ago, interloper said:

I think Manny was probably not planning on going after all that has transpired this offseason. He probably should have bailed much earlier.

Schoop, who knows. It's not really for us to speculate, but I know that if my job wanted me to do something optional but were also dragging their feet figuring out my salary, I wouldn't want to do that optional thing. Perhaps that's the case. 

Anyway - I've said my piece plenty in this thread so I'm not going to beat people over the head with it. The situation sucks. Whether or not you blame the organization or the players, the fans lose out either way. Blame is just a way for people to direct anger or disappointment. The way I like to think about things is that poor fan engagement starts at the top and trickles down. Morale is extremely low right now for both players and fans. I think we're seeing the effect of that, potentially (I stress potentially because we just don't know), in a couple of its young players.

How are they "dragging their feet figuring out his salary"?    The arbitration process is a standard process that dozens of MLB players go through each year.   Everyone knows how it works, and every year there are some cases settled before figures are exchanged, some cases settled after figures are exchanged before the hearing, and some cases that go to arbitration.   It's a perfectly normal part of the annual process.   Nothing out of the ordinary is going on with respect to Schoop's 2018 salary status.

[TradeAngelos]

13 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I think it would be disrespectful to both the fans and Manny to drag Manny up here and have him act like everything is normal, and then announce next Wednesday that he’s been traded.     Now, if it was just because he “might” get traded, or might not be here in 2019, I’d feel differently.     But if trade talks have progressed and gotten very concrete, to the point where it’s 75% likely that something is going to get done in the next week or so, then I’d keep him away.    

If a deal was that close someone would know about it, and so would we. Things like that don't get kept top secret in 2018. 

 

[SteveA]

30 minutes ago, Frobby said:

And it’s not “voluntary.”    

The more I think about it, the more I think the O’s are keeping Manny away because he’s about to be traded.   It looks like they can’t acquire pitching any other way, per Roch’s blog entry.      

IF they are doing that, but alowing it to appear like Manny backed out and thus giving him a black eye in the sphere of public opinion, that is lowdown and dastardly.

IF.

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, TradeAngelos said:

If a deal was that close someone would know about it, and so would we. Things like that don't get kept top secret in 2018. 

 

O you heard about the Yelich deal a day before it was announced.

[theobird]

1 minute ago, SteveA said:

IF they are doing that, but alowing it to appear like Manny backed out and thus giving him a black eye in the sphere of public opinion, that is lowdown and dastardly.

IF.

I agree with Frobby on this one. I think they intend to trade Manny, whether or not they are close right now or not. And if that is the case, they are holding him out. What other choice does the team have, if they really do intend to trade him? Black eye? I doubt that. It would be terribly awkward for Manny to show up at Fan Fest and talk all that 2018 is our year bs, only to say see-ya! next week. At least I hope that is what is going on. Not trading Machado right now is a huge mistake.

[SteveA]

Just now, theobird said:

I agree with Frobby on this one. I think they intend to trade Manny, whether or not they are close right now or not. And if that is the case, they are holding him out. What other choice does the team have, if they really do intend to trade him? Black eye? I doubt that. It would be terribly awkward for Manny to show up at Fan Fest and talk all that 2018 is our year bs, only to say see-ya! next week. At least I hope that is what is going on. Not trading Machado right now is a huge mistake.

Well, if they are holding him out, then they should correct the current story that is going around that he is out for "personal reasons", which makes it look like he is shirking his duty and making him look bad.   And the MASN-Angelos-employed Roch Kubatko went so far as to say the Orioles were not happy with his withdrawl.

I have no problem with the team deciding to hold him out if they think a trade is close.   But painting the picture (or leaving out enough info so that people will assume) that Manny is not going because he doesn't feel like it is WRONG.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, theobird said:

I agree with Frobby on this one. I think they intend to trade Manny, whether or not they are close right now or not. And if that is the case, they are holding him out. What other choice does the team have, if they really do intend to trade him? Black eye? I doubt that. It would be terribly awkward for Manny to show up at Fan Fest and talk all that 2018 is our year bs, only to say see-ya! next week. At least I hope that is what is going on. Not trading Machado right now is a huge mistake.

If that were the case why is the team spinning it as if Manny flaked out?

[TradeAngelos]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

O you heard about the Yelich deal a day before it was announced.

The Brewers offered a deal to Marlins, we heard about it, and then it was accepted rather quickly. 

Manny should be gone by Monday if that is the case here. 

[incubus]

4 hours ago, wildbillhiccup said:

I'll be signing autographs at the Pratt Street Alehouse, from 1 - 3pm. No vouchers needed and I only take payment in alcohol.

Wine coolers an acceptable payment? ?

[wildbillhiccup]

You all are reading too much into this. Manny is a diva and immature. Always has been. This is his silly little protest for the Orioles shopping him in the offseason...even though it hurts the fans much more than it hurts the team. Schoop is just along for the ride because it's his buddy. 

There's zero chance the team is holding him out of FanFest because they're close to trading him. Zero chance. 

[wildbillhiccup]

For what it's worth that scumbag Nasty Nestor was trolling Adam Jones twitter post earlier. God  I can't stand that guy. 

[Going Underground]

6 hours ago, scbalt52 said:

I posted about it earlier and did see in The Sun that they are doing the clubhouse tours again. I have yet to see a time or anything about it other than it being mentioned briefly in the article (http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-fanfest-info-20180124-story.html).

 

Sorry if I am missing it somewhere, figured you guys will know more than I do. I was going to base the time we leave tomorrow morning when I got more information on the times and all and now it is a day before and I know nothing more than I did a few weeks ago. Thanks!

Clubhouse tours are in the Fanfest brochure. Plus you can get a complementary pick of the desk Buck sits at for the media conference. 

[wildbillhiccup]

4 minutes ago, incubus said:

Wine coolers an acceptable payment? ?

Beggars can't be choosers I guess. I draw the line at drinking it with my pinky extended though.