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[Tony-OH]

11 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Tony reports on the good and bad concerning the operation of the franchise. His press pass wouldn't have been revoked if he operated as a Roch clone, but then OH wouldn't be nearly as fun. But apparently unless it's all sunshine you can't get access to the press box now.

I hope this is just an oversight by a lower rung employee and this isn't coming from senior management. 

Nope, I had a conversation up to the VP level who explained they would no longer "make an exception" for me. It was cordial, but we agreed to disagree. 

At the end of the day, I use to see guys like Vince Bagli on opening day with credentials even though he hadn't covered the team in 25+ years. I always thought that was great because of what he one was in the area. Now I'm not saying I'm Vince Bagli level, but damn, for a team struggling with their fanbase, you would think someone who has covered their team for 26 seasons, two of which were spent in combat areas and I still did stuff, would rate getting a credential still.

Oh well, sometimes you have to see the writing on the wall, and I always told myself if I was ever denied credentials that it would tell me it was the end. 

 

[Going Underground]

3 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Nope, I had a conversation up to the VP level who explained they would no longer "make an exception" for me. It was cordial, but we agreed to disagree. 

At the end of the day, I use to see guys like Vince Bagli on opening day with credentials even though he hadn't covered the team in 25+ years. I always thought that was great because of what he one was in the area. Now I'm not saying I'm Vince Bagli level, but damn, for a team struggling with their fanbase, you would think someone who has covered their team for 26 seasons, two of which were spent in combat areas and I still did stuff, would rate getting a credential still.

Oh well, sometimes you have to see the writing on the wall, and I always told myself if I was ever denied credentials that it would tell me it was the end. 

 

Seems to me the boys are not much different then their father.Maybe a little better at PR spin They never liked legitimate criticism.,just ask some of the sports editors of the Baltimore Sun and the threatening phone calls they used to get. 

[Tony-OH]

41 minutes ago, crowmst3k! said:

I don't know why they cancelled your credentials. That doesn't remotely make sense.  

I hope that if you do choose to resign and end OH, that offers of first-refusal are made to some dedicated board members who would like to continue it.  

When I was running gaming servers with decent revenue for what they were, and I eventually burned out and retired, I made sure to give first refusal to my top admin. He took everything over and has been a great owner.  

I'd hate to see OH totally die, but I completely understand the desire to step away from it. 

I know how important this board is to people. I'm exploring opportunities that could keep it intact in some way but I haven't made any final decisions. 

Today is a tough day because it reminds me of all the hard work I've put into this site and being there in the press box for opening day was always one of the perks for that hard work. 

While the Hangout is a business in the sense it takes in money through advertising to pay the costs of operation, it could go away tomorrow and doesn't affect me financially. 

In the past, people like Greg Bader and Bill Stetka were always very fair to me. I think they realized what we did for the team. But the organization is not built on relationships anymore. It's built on the bottom line and the new people could care less about the Hangout because they view us as just another fan site I guess.

It's the lack of respect that really gets me, but at the end of the day, I can hold my head up high and know what I built here over the 26 years this site existed. 

 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

3 minutes ago, Going Underground said:

Seems to me the boys are not much different then their father.Maybe a little better at PR spin They never liked legitimate criticism.,just ask some of the sports editors of the Baltimore Sun and the threatening phone calls they used to get. 

They talked a good game after 2018 season that things would be different with Elias and the Orioles would operate more like a modern MLB team. Besides more investment in international player development things aren't really that different or better. 

[Tony-OH]

1 minute ago, Going Underground said:

Seems to me the boys are not much different then their father.Maybe a little better at PR spin They never liked legitimate criticism.,just ask some of the sports editors of the Baltimore Sun and the threatening phone calls they used to get. 

I don't think this was an ownership decision. I could be wrong but it appears to be at least to the level of Senior VP Jennifer Grondahl. This was the position that Greg Bader was in in the past, and I guess Greg either no longer sees the value in the Hangout as well or is no longer in a position to help. 

Honestly, i didn't even contact him after my conversation with Jennifer because it's her decision.

While I've had a good relationship with Mike Elias, I'm assuming he agrees too because I kind of let him know originally and he deferred to Jennifer. 

I'm a big boy and can accept when my run is up. I was going to make a thread about it but this seems to have devolved into it. Mainly I just wanted people to know since in the past I've been asked about things and was able to get information to the fans. 

I learned I couldn't do that with Matt Blood since he would just forward the most simplest of requests for injury information to the Pr department without even sending me a text back. He's the first guy in that position to treat me like that since I started doing that kind of contact work since 2000. 

Again, Mike has always been good in responding, but after thinking about it, I realize that none of them really care about the me, the site, or the tens of thousands of fans that have called this place their home to discuss Orioles baseball.

I'll probably shut down any new Plus memberships from starting up or renewing here shortly and then we look at what the next steps look like.

[dtk9119]

9 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I don't think this was an ownership decision. I could be wrong but it appears to be at least to the level of Senior VP Jennifer Grondahl. This was the position that Greg Bader was in in the past, and I guess Greg either no longer sees the value in the Hangout as well or is no longer in a position to help. 

Honestly, i didn't even contact him after my conversation with Jennifer because it's her decision.

While I've had a good relationship with Mike Elias, I'm assuming he agrees too because I kind of let him know originally and he deferred to Jennifer. 

I'm a big boy and can accept when my run is up. I was going to make a thread about it but this seems to have devolved into it. Mainly I just wanted people to know since in the past I've been asked about things and was able to get information to the fans. 

I learned I couldn't do that with Matt Blood since he would just forward the most simplest of requests for injury information to the Pr department without even sending me a text back. He's the first guy in that position to treat me like that since I started doing that kind of contact work since 2000. 

Again, Mike has always been good in responding, but after thinking about it, I realize that none of them really care about the me, the site, or the tens of thousands of fans that have called this place their home to discuss Orioles baseball.

I'll probably shut down any new Plus memberships from starting up or renewing here shortly and then we look at what the next steps look like.

Tony.. been a lurker and off and on poster here for 20 years. Thank you for everything you've done for this site and the true fans who can speak objectively about the team here.

Listening online to the pre game show on WBAL and how the hosts are just sucking up to the franchise like MASN does just makes me ill. I hope that you or someone else keeps the site going. Not sure where else I could go for news and discussion. Thanks again!

[spiritof66]

14 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Tony reports on the good and bad concerning the operation of the franchise. His press pass wouldn't have been revoked if he operated as a Roch clone, but then OH wouldn't be nearly as fun. But apparently unless it's all sunshine you can't get access to the press box now.

I hope this is just an oversight by a lower rung employee and this isn't coming from senior management. 

I have a little experience with grants of press credentials. Although none of it is recent and none of it involves the Orioles, based on that experience I wouldn't expect a lower-level employee to make a decision not to grant media access that's been in place for a couple of decades. I'm not saying an Angelos was involved -- I'm not sure they have much to do with running the team, and my guess is that if they do it's only John, the CEO. 

Maybe I'm naive or slow or not close enough to Baltimore, but I don't get it. This organization hasn't made it to the World Series since the first Reagan administration, has fielded MLB's 30th-ranked team for much of the past few years, has seen home attendance plummet despite low ticket prices and 19 home games with an influx of NYY and RS fans, has the lowest major-league player payroll (much of which is devoted to Chris Davis) by a margin over over 15 percent, has admitted it's not even trying to maximize major-league wins, and has had its rebuilding strategy criticized both by owners of other teams and by players as detrimental to the game (and has seen that strategy lead to a significant change in the rules for the amateur draft). The Orioles team and organization have been, and are, criticized by practically everyone who talks about them, even (occasionally) the TV broadcasters hired by the regional sports network that the Orioles own most of.

That organization won't issue press credentials to someone who has criticized the team and who provides a forum for some of the team's most loyal fans to express their views, much of which is critical? Really? Rhetorical question. 

Not that it helps much today, but recent developments make me even more confident than I was that when the owner moves on, the team will be sold. There are things that make some sense if the owner's sons expect to sell the team (whether by their choice or their expectation that whoever inherits the team won't be approved by a majority of team owners) but don't add up if they expect to inherit this mess and hold it for the long term.

[Orioles1954]

I think Angelos is immortal.

[Osornot]

18 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I don't think this was an ownership decision. I could be wrong but it appears to be at least to the level of Senior VP Jennifer Grondahl. This was the position that Greg Bader was in in the past, and I guess Greg either no longer sees the value in the Hangout as well or is no longer in a position to help. 

Honestly, i didn't even contact him after my conversation with Jennifer because it's her decision.

While I've had a good relationship with Mike Elias, I'm assuming he agrees too because I kind of let him know originally and he deferred to Jennifer. 

I'm a big boy and can accept when my run is up. I was going to make a thread about it but this seems to have devolved into it. Mainly I just wanted people to know since in the past I've been asked about things and was able to get information to the fans. 

I learned I couldn't do that with Matt Blood since he would just forward the most simplest of requests for injury information to the Pr department without even sending me a text back. He's the first guy in that position to treat me like that since I started doing that kind of contact work since 2000. 

Again, Mike has always been good in responding, but after thinking about it, I realize that none of them really care about the me, the site, or the tens of thousands of fans that have called this place their home to discuss Orioles baseball.

I'll probably shut down any new Plus memberships from starting up or renewing here shortly and then we look at what the next steps look like.

Tony:

You have done everything any of us could hope for x1000.  I have been on since 2007 with different levels of participation.  The OH analysis is the most enjoyable period.  The banter...the refreshing my page every few seconds for the Tex wining and dining stuff... Bedard etc. etc.

Now, we have lost some irreplaceable people here.  Combine that with COVID, MLB virtue signaling and audacity of having a short strike my interest has waned considerably.  MLB is no longer an entertainment outlet for me, actually most pro sports are no longer that.  OH is the only thing I read to get my fix.  

This team needs all of the press it can get - only no press is bad press.  You have taken a ton of hits over the years and have never asked for anything but to pay the bills.  This action could be the last straw for many.  

 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Orioles1954 said:

I think Angelos is immortal.

Or Undead.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

4 minutes ago, Orioles1954 said:

I think Angelos is immortal.

[Tony-OH]

2 minutes ago, Osornot said:

Tony:

You have done everything any of us could hope for x1000.  I have been on since 2007 with different levels of participation.  The OH analysis is the most enjoyable period.  The banter...the refreshing my page every few seconds for the Tex wining and dining stuff... Bedard etc. etc.

Now, we have lost some irreplaceable people here.  Combine that with COVID, MLB virtue signaling and audacity of having a short strike my interest has waned considerably.  MLB is no longer an entertainment outlet for me, actually most pro sports are no longer that.  OH is the only thing I read to get my fix.  

This team needs all of the press it can get - only no press is bad press.  You have taken a ton of hits over the years and have never asked for anything but to pay the bills.  This action could be the last straw for many.  

 

Thanks for the kind words. It has been a struggle at times to keep my enthusiasm up for the Orioles at times over the years but the one thing that drove me were people like yourself who appreciated the unbiased reporting, scouting reports and of course the board.

In the back of my mind I always felt as long as I had credentials the team at least respected what I was doing. Now that I realize this is no longer the case, I struggle to find a reason to devote so much of my time towards this organization.

I guess people can get their news from the fanboys on Twitter and will think all the prospects are the next coming! 

Who knows, maybe that's what people need now. Reality is pretty crazy, so maybe sticking with the "all is rainbows and lollipops is what people want or need now?"

 

[Osornot]

4 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Thanks for the kind words. It has been a struggle at times to keep my enthusiasm up for the Orioles at times over the years but the one thing that drove me were people like yourself who appreciated the unbiased reporting, scouting reports and of course the board.

In the back of my mind I always felt as long as I had credentials the team at least respected what I was doing. Now that I realize this is no longer the case, I struggle to find a reason to devote so much of my time towards this organization.

I guess people can get their news from the fanboys on Twitter and will think all the prospects are the next coming! 

Who knows, maybe that's what people need now. Reality is pretty crazy, so maybe sticking with the "all is rainbows and lollipops is what people want or need now?"

 

and ummm.... snowflakes (sorry couldn't resist)

[Frobby]

I’m really disappointed to hear the Orioles are treating you that way, Tony.  I understand it’s their decision to make, but it’s stupid and shortsighted.   I’m curious about the “make an exception” wording you got from Ms. Grondahl.   Exception to what, exactly?   I am tempted to write her a letter.   

I will always want an outlet to discuss the Orioles with other knowledgeable and interested fans, no matter how bad the team is and no matter what asinine decisions are made by ownership or the front office.   That’s just how I’m wired.  I hope you’ll find a solution that lets us continue to do that.  But I’d really hate to lose your insights on the player evaluation front; the site would be a lesser place without them, for sure.  Those insights are what brought me to OH 20 years ago when the likes of Erik Bedard and Matt Riley were top prospects.   
 

[amdcpus]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

I know how important this board is to people. I'm exploring opportunities that could keep it intact in some way but I haven't made any final decisions. 

Today is a tough day because it reminds me of all the hard work I've put into this site and being there in the press box for opening day was always one of the perks for that hard work. 

While the Hangout is a business in the sense it takes in money through advertising to pay the costs of operation, it could go away tomorrow and doesn't affect me financially. 

In the past, people like Greg Bader and Bill Stetka were always very fair to me. I think they realized what we did for the team. But the organization is not built on relationships anymore. It's built on the bottom line and the new people could care less about the Hangout because they view us as just another fan site I guess.

It's the lack of respect that really gets me, but at the end of the day, I can hold my head up high and know what I built here over the 26 years this site existed. 

 

Well put. The sad reality is that nowadays more and more people care absolutely nothing about honor or respect or doing what's right and rather care only about their own attainment of more power and wealth.