Orioles plan on making noise at Winter Meetings

[Rex Thunder]

I'm probably restating what most people already believe but unless they plan to overpay by 10, 20, 30%, I don't see an impact FA signing here until the O's can get above a winning record on a consistent basis.

Money is nice but losing sucks. Anybody who has competed in anything can relate to this.

Personally I think the O's have a long ways to go to re-establish the Orioles brand.

I would normally tend to agree with that, but with the hometown ties, we have some leverage. Couple that with the huge turnarounds by teams in recent years and we have a legit pitch. When Pudge went to Detroit a few years back- they were coming off a horrible year. We all know the Rays have been a work in progress and we expected their top talent to emerge and make them viable threats at some point- but noone thought it would be THIS YEAR! Anything can happen, especially with a team that has chemistry. The O's had that early on last year and who knows what a few key pieces could do.

[wildcard]

If the O's get Tex, Burnett, (Izturis or Greene) and sign two of Wolf, Moyer, or Sheets and everyone stays healthy, you have a playoff contender.

However the O's are not going to sign all those players and the team is not going to stay as healthy as it needs to.

[NewMarketSean]

YAWN!!!

*stretches*

Wake me up when... they... actually... do... something.

YAWN!!!

*rolls over to go back to sleep*

[Pedro Cerrano]

I basically echo what the majority of people are saying -- this is the same crap with a different year behind it.

For the last handful of seasons there has been so much crap out of the O's mouths they could open a fertilizer factory.

DO SOMETHING!!!!

[TonySoprano]

I should have spelled it out a little better for you. My bad. We need a winning record.

Like I have said before...I understand you being hesitant. I would like to propose a deal with you. If indeed we are able to but together a team with signifigant improvement this year, I would like for you to go to a game with me in September with a sign that reads, I AM A BELIEVER AGAIN! Deal?

Define significant improvement. What are you offering, if you're wrong?

As a promotion, maybe the Orioles could hire the Monkees to get back together to perform "I'm a Believer."

[itsernst]

I plan on being a millionaire some day; Although I plan on it, it may not happen. I like it that the O's want to be proactive this offseason, but talk is cheap.

[Belkast]

Define significant improvement. What are you offering, if you're wrong?

As a promotion, maybe the Orioles could hire the Monkees to get back together to perform "I'm a Believer."

I am talking about having a winning record. If they are 500 or better come September 1st, I win. If they aren't, we still see a game together with our wives, and we take you and Mrs. Soprano out to dinner either before or after the game.

[clapdiddy]

Define significant improvement. What are you offering, if you're wrong?

As a promotion, maybe the Orioles could hire the Monkees to get back together to perform "I'm a Believer."

I would say that 82 wins would be a "significant improvement". That would mean we won 14 more games than this year.

I would be happy with that for 2009, provided that we were on the path to contend in 2010 and beyond.

[Mackus]

I am talking about having a winning record. If they are 500 or better come September 1st, I win. If they aren't, we still see a game together with our wives, and we take you and Mrs. Soprano out to dinner either before or after the game.

So the goal now is to be .500 or better heading into September?

Thats a pretty meaningless goal.

[Lucky Jim]

So the goal now is to be .500 or better heading into September?

Thats a pretty meaningless goal.

It's a little meaningless. I mean, it's a fair but not absolute metric for performance, as long as we the performance is derived from players who are returning and we're planning on using an influx of talent (via trade, FA, or internally) to supply the rest.

I.e., does the record point to a team on the cusp? Or is it a reflection of mediocre performance from non-continuing sources?

[waroriole]

So the goal now is to be .500 or better heading into September?

Thats a pretty meaningless goal.

Not if it's part of building on your eventual goal. You have many goals on the way to your long term goal. The first one for this franchise should be to become a winning baseball team again.

[Belkast]

So the goal now is to be .500 or better heading into September?

Thats a pretty meaningless goal.

For a team that hasn't seen a winning record in 11 years, I think that it is a pretty good season if they finish above .500.

What are your expectations?

[TonySoprano]

I am talking about having a winning record. If they are 500 or better come September 1st, I win. If they aren't, we still see a game together with our wives, and we take you and Mrs. Soprano out to dinner either before or after the game.

I appreciate the game offer, and that's TBD.

Let's add something fun, starting opening day and continuing the entire season. If you're right, I'll add, "I'm a believer" to my signature block, every day they're above .500. If I'm right, "Soprano was right again" goes in your block for every day we're under .500.

[Believer]

I should have spelled it out a little better for you. My bad. We need a winning record.

Like I have said before...I understand you being hesitant. I would like to propose a deal with you. If indeed we are able to but together a team with signifigant improvement this year, I would like for you to go to a game with me in September with a sign that reads, I AM A BELIEVER AGAIN! Deal?

I've always been a believer .

[Belkast]

I appreciate the game offer, and that's TBD.

Let's add something fun, starting opening day and continuing the entire season. If you're right, I'll add, "I'm a believer" to my signature block, every day they're above .500. If I'm right, "Soprano was right again" goes in your block for every day we're under .500.

You got it!

You will probably have to remind me of this agreement when the season gets here. If we are below .500 at anytime, I'm sure you will not forget with your reminders.