Why you are feeling so down about the Orioles

[foxfield]

5 minutes ago, Deadwood Fan said:

Tony, Do you think there is any possibility that DD could be fired during the season now its been reported by Rosenthal that the Angelos son are more involved in the day to day operations? Ken also wrote that Brady may not want the GM job full time, who do you think would be good candidates to fulfill the gm role? 

I cannot speak for Tony, but firing DD during the season would be comical.  Not because you want to go in another direction...any organization has the power and the right to make that choice.  The Orioles Ownership has had that right since the day DD was hired.  Ownership decided they did not want him as GM when he asked out of the job for a raise and a promotion with Toronto.  Instead of giving him a raise and a promotion to stay, they neutered him and kept him.  Firing him now would only be to spite the man you have not allowed to do the job you hired him to do for years.

So, sure, It will happen.  Soon.  It's the Angelos Way!

 

[foxfield]

I think we are on the same page!

Of course that is not good news.

[Tony-OH]

12 minutes ago, Deadwood Fan said:

Tony, Do you think there is any possibility that DD could be fired during the season now its been reported by Rosenthal that the Angelos son are more involved in the day to day operations? Ken also wrote that Brady may not want the GM job full time, who do you think would be good candidates to fulfill the gm role? 

Why would they fire Duquette? He does the dirty work that Brady has no desire to do. He's filling a role as an assistant GM basically. He didn't put this team together.

[sportsfan8703]

8 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Why would they fire Duquette? He does the dirty work that Brady has no desire to do. He's filling a role as an assistant GM basically. He didn't put this team together.

You’re 100% correct here. We’re stuck in this mess. DD has been working with nothing pretty much  

We’re not going anywhere without a 5th SP.  We do have the comp pick and int’l signing bonuses to use as a quick fix. 

Therr is a lot of baseball between now and July. I could see us making a trade for a 5th SP just so we won’t lose the season so early. 

Turner is out for the Dodgers. Manny to LA?  Are they feeling the pressure yet?  Sounds crazy. 

[foxfield]

21 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Think about this, the Orioles hired DD in November 2011. In 2012, the team made the playoffs for the first time since 1997. In 2014, the Orioles won the American League East with 96 wins and made it to the American League Championship Series. By most accounts, Duquette had the authority to compose his roster from 2012-2014.

Then the Toronto thing happened during the 2014-15 season and Brady and Buck rushed to fill the influence vacuum. DD was  basically left to being an assistant GM who does the Rule 5 stuff, signs minor league free agents and make minor deals, but no longer held influence over player signings/re-signings or final roster construction.

The Orioles resign Chris Davis, Darren O'day, and Chris Tillman since (Buck guys). 

Under Dan Duquette constructed teams from 2012-2014:
274-212 (.564), one wild card (won), one AL East Championship, One ALCS appearance

Buck/Brady Constructed teams from 2015-2018
250-253 (.497), one 2nd wild card (loss)

 

The problems facing the Orioles are not the roster, or how the team is playing.  Fusing about Davis, Trumbo, Tillman or Manny is like rearranging chairs on the deck of the Titanic.  This ship hit an iceberg in 2014 and opened a huge hole below the surface.  We have merely stayed afloat hoping for salvation that will not come.  Like the Titanic, this ship is not unsinkable.  It is going down.

Watching it unfold slowly is one of the most painful things I think I have ever had to do as a sports fan.  

We keep hoping that tomorrow will give us hope.  But we are placing our hopes on a team with 4 starting pitchers, no 3b or SS (take your Manny preference), no RF, no Uif and seemingly 5 1b/DH types.  Not to mention multiple Rule V guys.... I mean, what could go wrong?

Again, my hope is that it turns around.  I think we are better than we have shown even if its cold, even if its against good teams.  But before we start looking to trade everyone and look to the future, shouldn't we address the elephant in the room?

Who is accountable?  Who is going to make the decisions to lead this franchise?  That is the number one concern.  Name a GM THAT is the prime need of the Baltimore Orioles. Extend DD, or fire him and hire someone else, and give them the power to do the job.  Until that happens, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is....insanity.  And it is just my two cents, but the choices of Buck and Brady should...should exclude them from the role of GM.

[now]

42 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Think about this, the Orioles hired DD in November 2011. In 2012, the team made the playoffs for the first time since 1997. In 2014, the Orioles won the American League East with 96 wins and made it to the American League Championship Series. By most accounts, Duquette had the authority to compose his roster from 2012-2014.

Then the Toronto thing happened during the 2014-15 season and Brady and Buck rushed to fill the influence vacuum. DD was  basically left to being an assistant GM who does the Rule 5 stuff, signs minor league free agents and make minor deals, but no longer held influence over player signings/re-signings or final roster construction.

The Orioles resign Chris Davis, Darren O'day, Mark Trumbo and Chris Tillman since (Buck guys). 

Under Dan Duquette constructed teams from 2012-2014:
274-212 (.564), one wild card (won), one AL East Championship, One ALCS appearance

Buck/Brady Constructed teams from 2015-2018
250-253 (.497), one 2nd wild card (loss)

 

Thanks for painting the picture so clearly, Tony. Somehow amidst the misery of dysfunction, it really helps to understand how it happened. 

Davis, O'Day, Trumbo, Tillman... Says it all. 

Buck, Brady, Peter... Is there no Cal to swoop in and save us?

[wildbillhiccup]

48 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Why would they fire Duquette? He does the dirty work that Brady has no desire to do. He's filling a role as an assistant GM basically. He didn't put this team together.

So who "did" put this team together? Angelos Sr.?...Buck?...Mr. Sideburns?

My money's on it being a combination of Angelos and Mr. Sideburns.

[Sessh]

Great posts foxfield and Tony as always.

17 minutes ago, foxfield said:

Who is accountable?  Who is going to make the decisions to lead this franchise?  That is the number one concern.  Name a GM THAT is the prime need of the Baltimore Orioles. Extend DD, or fire him and hire someone else, and give them the power to do the job.  Until that happens, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is....insanity.  And it is just my two cents, but the choices of Buck and Brady should...should exclude them from the role of GM.

To your comments about accountability and how talking about DD, Buck, Brady, Davis, Trumbo or whoever it is is missing the point, I would argue that that IS the point. People are demanding accountability where it needs to be demanded, but it starts at the top. Sure, the players aren't performing, but I tend to believe this is a symptom of what's going on above them. This whole organization is a mess and no one is accountable that should be accountable. DD gets most of the blame because of his job title even though this isn't his doing. Tony hits the nail on the head; we had our best teams when DD had full control. Since then, we've been pretty bad overall and it's only getting worse.

Anyway, I think picking apart the situation and trying to piece it back together in a way that makes sense and reveals who's at fault for what, that IS demanding accountability even if we may not know precisely how much goes where. We have a pretty good idea, though. I agree with you completely though that accountability is the biggest issue and it has created a ton of problems below. IMO, the performance of the players is expected all things considered. I don't consider them to be the main issue here. This situation is kind of unique because of all the dysfunction in this organization and the complete lack of accountability.

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, wildbillhiccup said:

So who "did" put this team together? Angelos Sr.?...Buck?...Mr. Sideburns?

My money's on it being a combination of Angelos and Mr. Sideburns.

Buck and Brady

[wildbillhiccup]

54 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Buck and Brady

Well, I had one of them right. That certainly doesn't bode well for our future then. 

[OriolesMagic83]

4 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Why would they fire Duquette? He does the dirty work that Brady has no desire to do. He's filling a role as an assistant GM basically. He didn't put this team together.

Brady either needs to be the next GM or be forced out of the organization.  No more "shadow" GMing.  Brady might be a terrible GM, but its better than him pulling the strings behind the scene.  How many experienced GMs really want to get involved in the situation in Baltimore.  Not many, based on the lack of interest last time Baltimore had a GM opening.  I remember several assistant GMs removing themselves from consideration.

[Finisher]

Seems pretty clear to me. DD is gone no matter what this offseason. Buck likely gone if things don't turn around here. PA doesn't fire people, rather has them play out their contract unless things get embarrassingly godawful. Brady offered GM post if he wants it. Brady hires Gabe Kapler type to manage.

[gtman55]

This is what has me down about the club right now...

[gmelson26]

There's a good chance that we are 13 games out of the division and behind 8 teams for the SECOND wild card by the end of the month.