Does anybody REALLY care any more?

[spiritof66]

For most of the past 56 years, and consistently since at least 2011, I cared very much about the outcome of every Orioles game. Especially if I watched or listened to a game -- and I have watched a lot of them since subscribing to mlb.tv in, I think 2012 -- I was elated after a win and unhappy, sometimes unapproachable, after a loss, often holding on to that joy or despair for hours and sometimes into the next day or beyond. Even when the Orioles were not in a pennant race, I have always rooted for them to win.  Every game. 

I've read plenty of posts this season from fans who say they don't care any more whether the Orioles win or lose. While the depth of my involvement certainly has decreased, beginning last September, I didn't think that would happen to me. And it hasn't. Not quite. I still watch a lot of games, though not as many as the past five seasons.. I still want the Orioles to win every game. I still get a little pleasure when they win and feel some disappointment when they lose. But just a little. When the game is over -- and, unlike past seasons, I often think games are over when the Orioles get behind by a few runs in the middle innings -- I'm done. Thirty seconds, at most two minutes later, I don't care. It's forgotten. And if I don't watch or listen to a game, the score means only a little more to me than the scores of other MLB games. (It may be a little different when the Orioles play the NYYs; I'll have to see.)

So I still care, but just a little. Just barely. I enjoy the good pitching performances, the occasional timely hit or good defensive play. I may not care at all a month from now. 

I can't get happy when the Orioles lose because of the potential improvement in the team's draft position.The main things I have left to root for are a change in ownership and some decisive action that might help improve the team's future performance while I'm still around to see it. I've thought about rooting against the Orioles in the hope that piling up the defeats will get the attention of the Orioles owner and force him to take some positive steps. I can't make myself do that, and for the past month or so it's seemed like losing more games to establish that this team is really bad would be superfluous. None of this stuff helps me enjoy baseball -- and isn't that the point?

Here's my question. There are a lot posters here who have a strong emotional attachment to the Orioles. In past years, many of you seemed to be far more invested in the team's success than I was, and to have responded more passionately to victories and defeats. Is there anyone out there who still gets a hit of pleasure from a good win (I realize that requires searching your memory) or gets glum or angry or even throws things after a tough loss ? Or has this team's performance, maybe coupled with (as it is for me) the owner's apparent determination to stay the course, sapped everyone's capacity to get emotionally involved in the outcomes of individual games' outcomes, as it has worn away mine?

 

[OFFNY]

7 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

 

Does Anybody REALLY Care Anymore ???

 

o

 

I care.

Chicago might not care.

 

 

 

o

[maybenxtyr]

No. For the first time in my life I don't care about the Orioles. I check here daily and listen to some innings on the radio, but I don't care either way about the outcome of the games.

In years past I would listen or watch other teams but I don't even do that now. I'm as tuned out of baseball now as I have ever been. 

I don't like being like this. I want them to turn this around and improve the roster but I don't know what to expect if and when they start trading. I think the returns could be a little underwhelming.

[Lucky_13]

I care because I think they are actually going to trade some guys this time. Also I think the team has a lot of exciting outfield prospects as well as some interesting pitchers in the low minors. 

I also really like team building in baseball so I still follow the team closely but I can't watch the team every night anymore. Much too painful and boring. But when the youth movement starts I'll tune in more for sure.  Also I'm not as pessimistic about the future as some. 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

I want the Orioles to win. I get excited over the good victories and get down on the agonizing defeats.

However, I have started to more so root for the individual performances rather than the team as a whole.

I root for Wynns and Hess to do well as a hopeful sign that they should bring up more new guys. I root for Rickard to do well (favorite of the wife. Happy wife, more baseball for me life....) I root for Mancini to break out of his slump. I root for...Uh...

Ok, so I root for a few bad things to happen too at times, in hopes it causes some changes.

Also, for those who have given up hope and don't care, if you are a season ticket holder, feel free to leave the tickets at Will Call for me so they can actually get some use...

[scbalt52]

I care about the minor leagues and checking those box scores every day. I care about upcoming trades. That is about it.

[ORIOLE33]

It’s hard to care when a team is THIS bad.

[SteveA]

Watching/listening to the games if I am home on a day to day basis all summer has been part of my routine for 40 years now, and that's not going to change.

Last Thursday night I was pissed as hell when Brach was left in to blow the lead.   Saturday, when we blew the game, I was strangely calm about it, so maybe my intensity is starting to fade.   Last night I felt bad for Bundy.   But I was still hoping we could win.

But like everyone, I would be far more interested in seeing Mullins, Stewart, Hays than Gentry/Rickard.   I like that we are giving two rookie Cs a chance.   I look forward to Hess's starts.    It's time to start looking tot he future.   I am more likely to buy tickets to games if we start playing more guys who might be part of the Orioles in the 2020s.   I don't know if the management or the Angelos's think that.   They might think as soon as Adam and Manny go, fewer people will come.   And you know what, they might be right.  Casual fans compared to the dedicated fans on here are two different animals.   The guy that takes his family to 5 games a year and doesn't suffer through every game like we do, he knows that the O's are having a horrible season, but if Adam or Manny is his favorite player or the favorite of one of his kids, he might not go to those 5 games after they are dealt.   That's the problem... most everyone one this board would like to see the rebuilding process begin as soon as possible, but we are in no way a majority of the people who support the team.   We are a unique minority of knowledgable, dedicated fans.   So we can scream all we want and look forward to Cedric Mullins in CF instead of Adam, but the attendance might well get worse when that happens because we are the exception rather than the norm.

When there are sports options, that's when my interest can start flagging in a losing season.   I'm not an NBA or NHL fan.   But I am an NFL and big college football fan.   So when football starts, in a winning season I still keep at least half my attention on the Orioles.   In a season like this, maybe not so much. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

I care, but I'm emotionally checked out on this team.  The season is over and there is no reason to get worked up over wins and losses. 

Buck pushes those boundaries with his managerial decisions.  

[OFFNY]

8 minutes ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:

 

I want the Orioles to win. I get excited over the good victories and get down on the agonizing defeats.

However, I have started to more so root for the individual performances rather than the team as a whole.

I root for Wynns and Hess to do well as a hopeful sign that they should bring up more new guys. I root for Rickard to do well (favorite of the wife. Happy wife, more baseball for me life ......) I root for Mancini to break out of his slump. I root for...Uh...

Ok, so I root for a few bad things to happen too at times, in hopes it causes some changes.

Also, for those who have given up hope and don't care, if you are a season ticket holder, feel free to leave the tickets at Will Call for me so they can actually get some use...

 

o

 

Legend - Of - Joey

Legend - Of - Joey

 

Legend - Of - Joey

Legend - Of - Joey

 

Legend - Of - Joey

Legend - Of - Joey

 

o

[Hank Scorpio]

I care about listening to Joe Angel call baseball games. 

That's about the extent of it these days. That & checking the minor league boxes.

[Frobby]

God help me, I still care.    I’m watching far less than I normally do, to minimize the pain.    But when I’m watching, yes I care.   Every loss still stings.   

And I just never saw anything this cataclysmic coming, and am having a hard time believing it.   But when you look at the lineup we’re trotting out there, I guess it really shouldn’t be so shocking.    

[JR Oriole]

I live in Atlanta and so I saw what a rebuild is supposed to look like.  The Braves had bad records for 3 years as they basically traded away almost everyone except Freeman.  But they had a plan and I trusted leadership. 

So I care about the Orioles to the extent that they make me very angry.....not so much the players, who I think have just given up - there is just no way they are all this bad relative to their entire careers unless they have mentally checked out.  But I am more angry about the front office and leadership, who I have zero faith in whatsoever to do anything positive for the club.  I get pissed off when I feel powerless, and that is how I feel with these men.  Angelos is like this eternal dark cloud that looms over the franchise.  DD should have been sent to Toronto years ago.  I don't even know what to think of Buck, as he just seems unbelievably stubborn to me....which is a bad trait to have.  We pay a hitting coach, but I don't know why since we literally cannot hit.  Our pitching is consistently awful, so I am not sure what role the pitching coach has either.  But Brady is the one that bothers me the most.  Has anything he has done made us better?  Is he even remotely qualified for whatever role he has?  

I hate that these folks aren't in positions where the fans can hold elections to vote them out.  I am all for team building.....if they would just freaking start already.

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, ORIOLE33 said:

It’s hard to care when a team is THIS bad.

I actually find it more interesting when they are this unfathomably bad rather than just the run of the mill bad.  How many games will they lose?  How poor a season can Davis have?  How many guys will end up below replacement level?

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, JR Oriole said:

I live in Atlanta and so I saw what a rebuild is supposed to look like.  The Braves had bad records for 3 years as they basically traded away almost everyone except Freeman.  But they had a plan and I trusted leadership. 

So I care about the Orioles to the extent that they make me very angry.....not so much the players, who I think have just given up - there is just no way they are all this bad relative to their entire careers unless they have mentally checked out.  But I am more angry about the front office and leadership, who I have zero faith in whatsoever to do anything positive for the club.  I get pissed off when I feel powerless, and that is how I feel with these men.  Angelos is like this eternal dark cloud that looms over the franchise.  DD should have been sent to Toronto years ago.  I don't even know what to think of Buck, as he just seems unbelievably stubborn to me....which is a bad trait to have.  We pay a hitting coach, but I don't know why since we literally cannot hit.  Our pitching is consistently awful, so I am not sure what role the pitching coach has either.  But Brady is the one that bothers me the most.  Has anything he has done made us better?  Is he even remotely qualified for whatever role he has?  

I hate that these folks aren't in positions where the fans can hold elections to vote them out.  I am all for team building.....if they would just freaking start already.

The interesting thing about the Braves rebuild is that they weren't exactly bad when they started it, they could just see that the current setup wasn't going to lead to long term success.  The Phillies and Astros were forced into rebuilds.