The Dan Duquette Appreciation Thread

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, LookitsPuck said:

I just can't wrap my head around Angelos pushing so hard for Davis, when the Golden Child (Nick Markakis) was seemingly snubbed. Doesn't make sense.

Nick had a medical issue.

[LookitsPuck]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

Nick had a medical issue.

Yeah, but apparently fine for a 3 year deal, but not 4. Therein lies the rub. I truly wonder how much Angelos pushed for Davis and that exorbitant contract where the Orioles were largely known to be bidding against themselves vs. how much he pushed for Markakis only to be like, "Nah, 4 years is too much." 

I think the Peter Angelos involvement is more nuanced than people think here. I don't picture him as some sort of authoritarian mandating signing him.

[foxfield]

3 hours ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

Most people thought we were a joke for hiring Dan. Most everyone said no one wanted the job so he took it because he was desperate. We were told that he was horrible, the game had passed him by, etc... It actual was a dark day for some when Dan was hired. He made us relative again. We won in the short term and also for most of the time he was here we were a winning team. He made mistakes, of course, so does every GM. But overall, the work was good given the parameters that he had to work with.

I think a lot of people forget that in addition to not being wild about DD, many people still thought the Orioles were a long way from winning.  DD said he planned to win immediately and did.  4 winning seasons and a 500 season before it fell apart. That is 5 non losing seasons in a row...then 2 losing seasons.  He arrived after the 14th consecutive losing season.

Yes, AM did good foundational work before he arrived and yes Buck was already here.  But let's put it this way, the Orioles under Angelos have 7 non losing seasons in 25 years.  ALL of them involved well known experienced professional baseball people.

Yes, in 25 years.  The Orioles have had two successful runs a 2 year window in 1996 and 1997 and the 5 year period from 2012 through 2016, which includes the 2015 .500 team.  These two periods are bracketed by 2 losing seasons in 1994 and 1995 and the 14 year run of consistency from 1998 through 2011 and the current 2 year drought 2018 and 2018.

The winning managers  2 seasons of Davey Johnson and of course Buck...the GM's Pat Gillick for 96-97 and of course Dan Duquette.

[Redskins Rick]

1 hour ago, LookitsPuck said:

Yeah, but apparently fine for a 3 year deal, but not 4. Therein lies the rub. I truly wonder how much Angelos pushed for Davis and that exorbitant contract where the Orioles were largely known to be bidding against themselves vs. how much he pushed for Markakis only to be like, "Nah, 4 years is too much." 

I think the Peter Angelos involvement is more nuanced than people think here. I don't picture him as some sort of authoritarian mandating signing him.

At the time, a majority of the OH was in the same thought process. Most of us felt 4/44 was a bit much, even for a guy who was a fanbase favorite.

He also wasn't 100% and some concerns if he could make it 4 years as a starting COF.

[Nevermore]

On 10/4/2018 at 1:49 AM, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Do you think that was Dan?  I think it was Angelos who balked on 4 years.  Do you also think it was Dan who decided to not sign international prospects?

I heard Dan on the radio that not giving either of these 2 guys 4 years was a "baseball" decision made by him . As for not signing international prospects, it was made quite clear that this was Peter Angelos "s decision.

[weams]

9 hours ago, LookitsPuck said:

I just can't wrap my head around Angelos pushing so hard for Davis, when the Golden Child (Nick Markakis) was seemingly snubbed. Doesn't make sense.

Health. 

[weams]

7 hours ago, Redskins Rick said:

At the time, a majority of the OH was in the same thought process. Most of us felt 4/44 was a bit much, even for a guy who was a fanbase favorite.

He also wasn't 100% and some concerns if he could make it 4 years as a starting COF.

He needed neck surgery. We had just gone through two of those with Nolan Reimold. I am glad he had a good surgeon and t worked for Nick. 

[weams]

9 hours ago, LookitsPuck said:

Yeah, but apparently fine for a 3 year deal, but not 4. Therein lies the rub. I truly wonder how much Angelos pushed for Davis and that exorbitant contract where the Orioles were largely known to be bidding against themselves vs. how much he pushed for Markakis only to be like, "Nah, 4 years is too much." 

I think the Peter Angelos involvement is more nuanced than people think here. I don't picture him as some sort of authoritarian mandating signing him.

He absolutely personally negotiated with Scott Boras. Boras told him that Ilitch was still in.  Dan Duquette told Scott Boras that the Orioles had moved on. Scott went to Peter. 

[eddie83]

10 hours ago, LookitsPuck said:

Yeah, but apparently fine for a 3 year deal, but not 4. Therein lies the rub. I truly wonder how much Angelos pushed for Davis and that exorbitant contract where the Orioles were largely known to be bidding against themselves vs. how much he pushed for Markakis only to be like, "Nah, 4 years is too much." 

I think the Peter Angelos involvement is more nuanced than people think here. I don't picture him as some sort of authoritarian mandating signing him.

It’s his money. 

You keep trying to make it some scenario where Peter was pushed. 

[NedFromYork]

Thanks Dan!!!

[eddie83]

The more you hear the better he looks. He did a very good job with tough circumstances. Wasn’t perfect but nobody is. All the best to him.  

[theocean]

On 10/5/2018 at 8:43 AM, LookitsPuck said:

I just can't wrap my head around Angelos pushing so hard for Davis, when the Golden Child (Nick Markakis) was seemingly snubbed. Doesn't make sense.

Doesn't make sense to me either  - but Angelos likes the long ball and apparently really liked Chris Davis. Also, Angelos always was weary of medical issues and Markakis at the time was having issues with his neck.

[theocean]

12 hours ago, eddie83 said:

The more you hear the better he looks. He did a very good job with tough circumstances. Wasn’t perfect but nobody is. All the best to him.  

He did a solid job with one arm behind his back. I wish him all the best. Hopefully he catches on somewhere he can use both arms.

[DrungoHazewood]

The 2012-2016 Orioles had the best overall record in the division despite a payroll half or less of the Yanks and a fair-to-poor farm system and a talent base that won 64, 66, and 69 games in 2009-2011.  I sincerely thank Dan and Buck for somehow pulling that off.

[DrungoHazewood]

On 10/4/2018 at 12:32 AM, gtown said:

Lew Ford....

The 2012 Yankees came to OPACY for playoff baseball with nine regulars or semi-regulars with above-average OPS+es, they had 10 players making over $10M a year, and must have had about 15 All Stars on the roster.  But they finished just two games ahead of an Orioles team that started Lew Ford in game one of the ALDS.  The same Lew Ford who began the year playing for the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League.  

Lew actually spent the 2018 season in Long Island once again, hitting .293 at the age of 41.