(Edit: Orioles get 1st pick after walkoff homer by Diamondbacks)

[eddie83]

1 hour ago, DrungoHazewood said:

All I ask is that you consider that there may be different and perhaps better frameworks for a professional baseball league that might even result in fewer teams throwing in the towel for years on end. The current setup wasn't designed whole, it was put in place piecemeal by committee and through negotiations by people who didn't always understand the long-term implications of what they were doing.  We could do worse than taking a look at other sports and leagues and what strategies they use to provide better competitive balance and maintain fan interest.

I get all that. My point is the 162  game season makes it all but impossible in baseball. The only possible way would be a split season like 1981. Baseball is all about depth of talent. Basketball is not. Poor depth dooms a football team but if they have a good Qb they can stay relevant and entertaining. 

I get it’s not fun for teams to trade everyone off but it’s a short term cost for long term gain. 
 

I don’t think the other American sports truly have better balance. It just looks that way due to smaller seasons. NBA is all about stars, we all know how important QB is in NFL. Baseballs issue in that regard is that’s it is the sport that plays the most games and is the sport where one player can’t have the same impact as the other 2 major sports. 
 

One small thing locally to help is service time issue. Fans either want to win or want hope. The earlier those players are on the major league roster the more hope there is. Adley being on this team, they are still terrible but you can market him better in Baltimore than in Bowie or Norfolk. 

[Aglets]

Guys, things are looking up.  We are tied in the Win column with Arizona,  only 3 "back" in the Loss column.  Don't tell me what this team can't do.  Still a lot of time left.

I believe in them.

 

[DrungoHazewood]

3 hours ago, eddie83 said:

I get all that. My point is the 162  game season makes it all but impossible in baseball. The only possible way would be a split season like 1981. Baseball is all about depth of talent. Basketball is not. Poor depth dooms a football team but if they have a good Qb they can stay relevant and entertaining.

I don't think that's the only possible way.  I don't even like that idea.  If you had parallel competitions those would likely be all about depth and playing the long game.  Teams would put different emphasis on different competitions. And some teams would benefit from being eliminated early in some competitions and having extra rest and always having their best players available for what's remaining.

In any case, my biggest goal is figuring out a way to keep almost all the teams in some kind of competitive, interesting play throughout the year.  It's just not any good for a sport when there's a single goal for 30 teams and half the league is just messing around, going through the motions for 3-4 months. The Pirates, Orioles, Nats, Cubs, Rangers, Royals, D'backs... they've all pretty explicitly told their fans to go find something else to do from about July-on, there's nothing for you to see here.  That's a terrible business strategy.  One that's only semi-viable in a league where you get $100M in media revenues and high draft picks just because you exist.

[sportsfan8703]

I think 45 Wins is the magic number here. Wow, is that Diamondbacks team horrible. Hopefully, Bumgarner can go on a tare and win 5 games by himself down the stretch.  

[eddie83]

17 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I don't think that's the only possible way.  I don't even like that idea.  If you had parallel competitions those would likely be all about depth and playing the long game.  Teams would put different emphasis on different competitions. And some teams would benefit from being eliminated early in some competitions and having extra rest and always having their best players available for what's remaining.

In any case, my biggest goal is figuring out a way to keep almost all the teams in some kind of competitive, interesting play throughout the year.  It's just not any good for a sport when there's a single goal for 30 teams and half the league is just messing around, going through the motions for 3-4 months. The Pirates, Orioles, Nats, Cubs, Rangers, Royals, D'backs... they've all pretty explicitly told their fans to go find something else to do from about July-on, there's nothing for you to see here.  That's a terrible business strategy.  One that's only semi-viable in a league where you get $100M in media revenues and high draft picks just because you exist.

I’m fine with how things are. I was just using an example of what that season did. 
 

You are assuming fans would be interested in a different type of competition. I have my doubts.  

[OriolesMagic83]

2021 Orioles to OP:  Hold my beer!

[OriolesMagic83]

59 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

I think 45 Wins is the magic number here. Wow, is that Diamondbacks team horrible. Hopefully, Bumgarner can go on a tare and win 5 games by himself down the stretch.  

They just had a rule 5 guy from a couple of years ago pitch a no hitter.  Maybe that guy can have a hot stretch to end the year. 

[DrungoHazewood]

1 hour ago, eddie83 said:

I’m fine with how things are. I was just using an example of what that season did. 
 

You are assuming fans would be interested in a different type of competition. I have my doubts.  

People say that Americans won't root for anything but the top level, competing for the one Championship. 

But then tens of thousands show up to see the University of Cincinnati play UTEP in the Continential Tire Bowl.

I think they'll watch anything that's presented and marketed the right way.

[Ohfan67]

12 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

People say that Americans won't root for anything but the top level, competing for the one Championship. 

But then tens of thousands show up to see the University of Cincinnati play UTEP in the Continential Tire Bowl.

I think they'll watch anything that's presented and marketed the right way.

And of course OH posters are excellent examples of fans who loyally follow a terrible team. 

[foxfield]

6 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

People say that Americans won't root for anything but the top level, competing for the one Championship. 

But then tens of thousands show up to see the University of Cincinnati play UTEP in the Continential Tire Bowl.

I think they'll watch anything that's presented and marketed the right way.

Not if they play 162 times...lol

But yes the above is a great point.

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

8 hours ago, Ohfan67 said:

And of course OH posters are excellent examples of fans who loyally follow a terrible team. 

I tune in every night but there’s so little entertainment value most nights, just a putrid team, at least pitching wise.

[ShoelesJoe]

The Orioles have played two fewer games than the Diamondbacks, and yet our run differential is 35 runs worse. We've played (as of this writing) one fewer game than the Pirates, and we're 28 runs worse than they are. Likewise we've had one less game than the Rangers, and we're still 66 runs worse than they've been. 

I don't think there's any doubt at this point who is the worst team in baseball this year. 

[TonySoprano]

People like to say the Orioles are on pace for 53 games.  Yes, and they're also only 3 games better than this point in 2018 (35-82).

Quote

A losing streak that was at 10 games entering Sunday in which they allowed 98 runs and lost by an average of more than six runs per game. According to ESPN Stats & Info, that’s the most runs allowed by any team across a 10-game losing streak since the 1936 Athletics.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-losing-streak-analysis-20210815-2z7u47rehvfcljrhqdymeqp5hy-story.html

The current 12 game streak, the O's have been outscored 113/36 or 6.42 runs/game.  Those '36 A's also went on to lose 12 straight by the same margin 111-34.   

More "fun" with numbers.   Losing streaks of 10+ games in the last 20 years - 2002, 2004, 2009, 2019, 2021.  This season, the Orioles have 2 losing streaks of 12 games or more.  2002 was the last time the team had 2 losing streaks of 10+ games (10,12) 

The gap between the D'Backs and O's is now only 1 game.

[BirdinBama]

Yes sirree, we are 38-79 and Arizona is 38-81! If we're embracing the suck, we might as well get the top pick in the draft!

[TonySoprano]

14 hours ago, TonySoprano said:

The current 12 game streak, the O's have been outscored 113/36 or 6.42 runs/game.  Those '36 A's also went on to lose 12 straight by the same margin 111-34.   

'36 A's you're off the hook.

13 straight losses 123-36. AVERAGE margin - 6.69 runs/game

6 games surrendering 10+ runs.  

August team ERA 8.72

The August 1-14 (130-45) is worse than June