Things I believe the majority of our posters agree on...

[Greg Pappas]

In no particular order...

• Whoever the owners are, they need to make important changes in the way they operate, as compared to PA
• Whoever the GM is, they need autonomy 
• Brady Anderson needs to either be ousted or have his role given less importance/influence in the hierarchy
• Our 'International scouting & player acquisition' needs upgrading
• The coaching/player development staffs need upgrading
• We need to do very well in choosing our draft picks over the next few seasons... especially at #1 next year
• It's unlikely that we'll see another winning season for at least a few years
• It would be a big positive if we were to sign Victor Victor Mesa (and hopefully his brother as well)

If you can think of others, feel free to post them. 

[NCRaven]

6 minutes ago, Greg Pappas said:

In no particular order...

• Whoever the owners are, they need to make important changes in the way they operate, as compared to PA
• Whoever the GM is, they need autonomy 
• Brady Anderson needs to either be ousted or have his role given less importance/influence in the hierarchy
• Our 'International scouting & player acquisition' needs upgrading
• The coaching/player development staffs need upgrading
• We need to do very well in choosing our draft picks over the next few seasons... especially at #1 next year
• It's unlikely that we'll see another winning season for at least a few years

If you can think of others, feel free to post them. 

I don't think that the GM needs autonomy, but he does need to know the specific limits of his authority and only ownership should be above him in authority.

I don't think Brady should be ousted, but his responsibilities should be made clear to him and he should report to/through the GM.

I think we need new hitting and pitching coaches at the major league level.  I think that player development has seen improvement over the last several years and I like many of the coaches that are in our minor league system.  I think the same is true of our recent drafting.

[Tx Oriole]

3 hours ago, NCRaven said:

I don't think that the GM needs autonomy, but he does need to know the specific limits of his authority and only ownership should be above him in authority.

I don't think Brady should be ousted, but his responsibilities should be made clear to him and he should report to/through the GM.

I think we need new hitting and pitching coaches at the major league level.  I think that player development has seen improvement over the last several years and I like many of the coaches that are in our minor league system.  I think the same is true of our recent drafting.

I think the GM needs to have the right to pick the manager. The manager his own coaches. As for Brady he needs to be gone yesterday. He would interfere too much. Let Brady go back to exercising the Hollywood elite. 

 

[25 Nuggets]

Good summary.  That's the baseline for the educated fans.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think we can add:

• No handing out of huge contracts to FAs until we are ready to compete again - invest the money into the operations listed above i.e. international scouting, draft, player development

[Ruzious]

The GM absolutely needs autonomy.  Otherwise nobody's in charge, nobody is accountable, and nobody wants to deal with you because nobody wants to wast their time with someone who doesn't have authority. This nobody guy is bad news.   

[ScGO's]

• the arguments about the trade return value aside, Dan's trades signaled a necessary and slightly overdue commitment to rebuilding the ball club. 

[Cumberbundy]

5 hours ago, Greg Pappas said:

In no particular order...

• Whoever the owners are, they need to make important changes in the way they operate, as compared to PA
• Whoever the GM is, they need autonomy 
• Brady Anderson needs to either be ousted or have his role given less importance/influence in the hierarchy
• Our 'International scouting & player acquisition' needs upgrading
• The coaching/player development staffs need upgrading
• We need to do very well in choosing our draft picks over the next few seasons... especially at #1 next year
• It's unlikely that we'll see another winning season for at least a few years
• It would be a big positive if we were to sign Victor Victor Mesa (and hopefully his brother as well)

If you can think of others, feel free to post them. 

That’s a lot of ways to say we need upgrades and we need upgrades because we stink.

[glenn__davis]

17 hours ago, Greg Pappas said:

 

• Brady Anderson needs to either be ousted or have his role given less importance/influence in the hierarchy
• We need to do very well in choosing our draft picks over the next few seasons... especially at #1 next year

I'd make the following comments regarding the above...

Regarding Brady, I know it's been popular to blame him for much of the troubles, but I think he's taken an unjustifiable amount of criticism.  He strikes me as an extremely bright guy who has the ability to analyze his faults and learn on the job.  Without question, though, his role needs to be more defined, he can't just be allowed to be this hybrid strength/conditioning/Co-GM type.

Your 2nd bullet point certainly I agree with, but I would agree with that every year.  I don't see why it would be any more important to have good drafts in the coming years than in every other year.

[Moose Milligan]

18 hours ago, Greg Pappas said:

In no particular order...

• Whoever the owners are, they need to make important changes in the way they operate, as compared to PA
• Whoever the GM is, they need autonomy 
• Brady Anderson needs to either be ousted or have his role given less importance/influence in the hierarchy
• Our 'International scouting & player acquisition' needs upgrading
• The coaching/player development staffs need upgrading
• We need to do very well in choosing our draft picks over the next few seasons... especially at #1 next year
• It's unlikely that we'll see another winning season for at least a few years
• It would be a big positive if we were to sign Victor Victor Mesa (and hopefully his brother as well)

If you can think of others, feel free to post them. 

• Chris Davis sucks
• The pitching sucks
• Thank God the season is over

[bobmc]

The new GM should poll the OH before any major decisions and the OH should be privy to any happenings beforehand.  @TonySoprano should be considered the de facto goombah of the Baltimore Orioles!

[Moose Milligan]

35 minutes ago, glenn__davis said:

I'd make the following comments regarding the above...

Regarding Brady, I know it's been popular to blame him for much of the troubles, but I think he's taken an unjustifiable amount of criticism.  He strikes me as an extremely bright guy who has the ability to analyze his faults and learn on the job.  Without question, though, his role needs to be more defined, he can't just be allowed to be this hybrid strength/conditioning/Co-GM type.

Your 2nd bullet point certainly I agree with, but I would agree with that every year.  I don't see why it would be any more important to have good drafts in the coming years than in every other year.

I see where you're coming from on the Brady point, but when a guy like Mike Wright still exists on the club because he's one of Brady's favorites, some criticism is warranted.  I am not sure I can agree to analyzing his faults because if he thinks Mike Wright, for example, is capable of being a good ML pitcher...well, that's a big fault that he's not analyzing.  The thing I liked about Brady as a player is what makes him faulty as a front office type; let's not forget that Brady straight up sucked for, like, his first 4 years here.  OPS of .504 in '88, .636 in '89, .635 in '90 and .662 in in '91 before putting it together in '92 with an .823.  From there on out he was a good to great player.  

I remember an article about him, I am not sure where it was written (fact finding mission for @OFFNY) but he said that when Johnny Oates took over, Oates just told him something along the lines of to play ball and not worry.  Don't try to hit it on the ground and use your speed, it's ok to hit it in the air.  

Oates was Brady's savior.  No one could deny Brady's talent and athleticism just like no one can deny Wright can throw hard af.  I am betting that Brady never forgot that Oates helped his career and wants to pay that forward.  That's an admirable trait but he's gotta know when to hold em and when to fold em.  I don't know if he does.  

I think (I know for me, at least) part of the criticism leveled at Brady is the lack of experience.  I said the other day he's kind of "failed upwards" to where he currently is.  I think you are right, he is a smart guy and I think he's best suited for some strength/conditioning type role.  But when it comes to his credentials and what makes him qualified for the role he currently has as some GM mashup, I am not sure what there is.

[jerios55]

5 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

• Chris Davis sucks
• The pitching sucks
• Thank God the season is over

You missed defense.

[foxfield]

17 minutes ago, jerios55 said:

You missed defense.

Damn. Another error.

[NCRaven]

5 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

I see where you're coming from on the Brady point, but when a guy like Mike Wright still exists on the club because he's one of Brady's favorites, some criticism is warranted. 

Sorry, I just don't see any proof of this statement.  Just because Brady made positive comments about Wright at some point in the past doesn't mean that he "still exists on the club because he's one of Brady's favorites."  Unless Brady's title is something like Special Adviser to the Managing Partner, he should report to the GM/VP of Baseball Operations/Grand Poobah/Whatever the Boss is Called and that person should determine what Brady's responsibilities should be.

[OFFNY]

5 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

 

I see where you're coming from on the Brady point, but when a guy like Mike Wright still exists on the club because he's one of Brady's favorites, some criticism is warranted.  I am not sure I can agree to analyzing his faults because if he thinks Mike Wright, for example, is capable of being a good ML pitcher...well, that's a big fault that he's not analyzing.  The thing I liked about Brady as a player is what makes him faulty as a front office type; let's not forget that Brady straight up sucked for, like, his first 4 years here.  OPS of .504 in '88, .636 in '89, .635 in '90 and .662 in in '91 before putting it together in '92 with an .823.  From there on out he was a good to great player.  

I remember an article about him, I am not sure where it was written (fact finding mission for OFFNY) but he said that when Johnny Oates took over, Oates just told him something along the lines of to play ball and not worry. Don't try to hit it on the ground and use your speed, it's OK to hit it in the air.  

Oates was Brady's savior.  No one could deny Brady's talent and athleticism just like no one can deny Wright can throw hard af.  I am betting that Brady never forgot that Oates helped his career and wants to pay that forward.  That's an admirable trait but he's gotta know when to hold em and when to fold em.  I don't know if he does.  

I think (I know for me, at least) part of the criticism leveled at Brady is the lack of experience.  I said the other day he's kind of "failed upwards" to where he currently is.  I think you are right, he is a smart guy and I think he's best suited for some strength/conditioning type role.  But when it comes to his credentials and what makes him qualified for the role he currently has as some GM mashup, I am not sure what there is.

 

o

 

"Johnny Oates gave me the ability to use my abilities, to realize that if the count is 2-0 that I should be swinging, to use my ability to pull the ball, to use the freedom on the bases."

"I just need to feel like I'm not confined, I guess."

 

Taking Wing : Orioles' Anderson Is Off and Running

(By John Weyler)

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-02-08/sports/sp-1311_1_brady-anderson/2

 

 

************************************

 

His breakthrough came in ’92, when the late Orioles manager Johnny Oates named Anderson his leadoff hitter and turned him loose. The results were stunning: Anderson batted .271 with a .373 on-base percentage, 21 home runs, and 53 steals.

 

Brady Anderson’s Role with Orioles a Topic of Debate

(By Ken Rosenthal)

https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/brady-andersons-role-with-orioles-a-topic-of-debate-032017

 

o