Orioles baseball is back, and so am I!

[jabba72]

This is good news for the site. Thank you for staying.

[Snutchy]

It's been a hell of a run for you and this board. I think I found this place in the spring of 07, so I've been looking forward to your content for 15-plus years. I'm glad you're feeling better about everything. I think Elias is right about the next decade.

[clapdiddy]

Been with you for a long, long time, Tony!   I don't post a whole lot, but I look at this site every day.  This site has taught me more about this game than I ever thought I could know.  

Thank you for sticking with it.   

[oriolediehard]

I am so happy you are sticking wih  Oriole Hangout. OH is the best website for it's home team the (O's) of any other hometown tea.m fan website in the USA that I ever found.

[Sports Guy]

It’s good news but I do think OH should get more involved in social media, podcasts, etc….I understand that Tony hates social media (and he’s right to hate it) but this is also a way you can get more stuff out there and more eyes on the site. 
 

Not trying to say how the site should be run..obviously it has its successes without doing these things.  Still, things can always be better and perhaps this is another way to re-invigorate yourself and the site itself.

[thatbearflies]

I'm glad that you came to this conclusion and have rediscovered your passion as a fan. The definition of press, especially nowadays, is going to be constantly and rapidly evolving and I can understand why after all those years that you felt disrespected in a way. Whether or not you are a member of the press literally has no bearing on how you are perceived by us or the fanbase at large. I never valued anything that you have said more because you were "press." I've read your posts and articles as someone who has been around this team a long time, someone who has conversations with people in the know in the organization, and more importantly, someone who has the passion to provide thoughtful coverage of the Major League team and the farm system that feeds it. PR can use whatever metrics they would like to determine who and what outlets deserve a badge, but that doesn't make your thoughts and analysis any less valid than anyone in that room. Even if the radio segment ended, it doesn't really change anything. You know who you are and what you have done. The Orioles wiped a lot of smiles off of faces the last few years, but as you can see, the energy will always comeback, the fire will always be relit. That applies to the larger fanbase, but even more so to the people who have devoutly follow this team, had it essentially be a part of their identity for decades. Obviously, you earned the right to do whatever you chose moving forward, but even in the face of disrespect, your reputation is set and you don't need a PR department letting you know your worth or act as some barometer to the quality or value to your contributions. Your reputation is set in stone and this board is a testament to that. 

[Mooreisbetter27]

This is excellent news!  I've met Tony one time at a Hangout night many years ago.  I've been on this site for close to 20 years.  It's one of the first sites I go to every day and I continuously read.  I've learned so much from Tony and the wonderful poster's here.  I can't imagine the OH going away or not being run as well and driving poster's away.

So glad to hear you're sticking it out Tony!

[Ohfan67]

I'm glad you've found your Oriole joy again! I found the site in 2000 or 2001. I have learned a ton about baseball from the site over the years and have spent an insane amount of time reading the board. It's one of my first internet stops almost every morning for the past 20+ years. 

[Tony-OH]

Wow, you all are really amazing. Thank you so much for sharing what the Hangout means to you and I appreciate deeply the kind words about me and my work here. Sometimes it's nice to know you're appreciated.

Some mentioned Mike Elias and the baseball decision makers knowing about me and the PR decision. First, I believe in all the years Mike has been here I've exchanged texts with him maybe 20 times and have had a sit down interview with him twice (pre-COVID). He's always given me a quick answer and has told me I can always come straight to him. I'm not one of those guy who will overuse that kind of access so normally I only went to him about significant issues or concerns with the team. He been nothing but professional and gracious with me personally.

Saying that, I'm sure he knows of me not getting press credentials or allowed to be part of online interviews anymore. Do I think he made the ultimate decision, I do not, I think that was done by Jennifer Grondahl. I'll be honest though, I think there is more behind this over a comment that new Director of PR Katie Krause told me when I was first denied. I wont go into detail, but let's just say, I believe the new policy was put in to directly bar me from gaining credential for the 20th year. 

I can stand proud of my work when I had a prese credential. I reported many things to the fans that they would not have known and just reading these comments I can see how many people have learned more and stayed connected to the team thanks to the Hangout. The best comment I ever got from the Orioles was from former Director of PR, and now Senior Vice President of Administration & Experience Greg Bader. He once told me after I wrote up one of my exposes' on the organization, "What I appreciate about you is that you are always fair. If it's bad, you say it bad, but you also tell the good." 

Saying all that, as I said, who cares at this point? I don't agree with the decision but I respect the decision.

At the end of the day, we're Orioles fans and we care about how the Orioles play. None of this behind the scenes stuff should affect your fandom or my fandom really, but our fandom comes from sharing experiences with each other about the team that we love.

Players, coaches, managers, team officials, Pr department people come and go, and we will still be here.

We are Orioles fans dammit. We've been through a lot of losing, yet here we are, many of us, every single day. 

We fight, argue, agree, and cheer together. We learn together. We do this because we are not just a community, but an online family. 

This community will continue strong and we will always be Orioles fans. Thank you all again! 

Now Let's go O's!!!!!

 

 

 

[Sports Guy]

I think it’s pretty obvious why the Os aren’t as open to Tony as they were in the past.  I think the woke/political landscape plays against Tony and his thoughts on those things, the city of Baltimore, etc…especially knowing how John Angelos stands on things.

You can’t do anything about that.  You don’t change who you are or what you believe to fit into a particular narrative.  
 

I still see Tony getting bashed in social media for that, which is of course ridiculous but it is what it is and it’s just where we are as a society now.  

[Tony-OH]

11 minutes ago, thatbearflies said:

I'm glad that you came to this conclusion and have rediscovered your passion as a fan. The definition of press, especially nowadays, is going to be constantly and rapidly evolving and I can understand why after all those years that you felt disrespected in a way. Whether or not you are a member of the press literally has no bearing on how you are perceived by us or the fanbase at large. I never valued anything that you have said more because you were "press." I've read your posts and articles as someone who has been around this team a long time, someone who has conversations with people in the know in the organization, and more importantly, someone who has the passion to provide thoughtful coverage of the Major League team and the farm system that feeds it. PR can use whatever metrics they would like to determine who and what outlets deserve a badge, but that doesn't make your thoughts and analysis any less valid than anyone in that room. Even if the radio segment ended, it doesn't really change anything. You know who you are and what you have done. The Orioles wiped a lot of smiles off of faces the last few years, but as you can see, the energy will always comeback, the fire will always be relit. That applies to the larger fanbase, but even more so to the people who have devoutly follow this team, had it essentially be a part of their identity for decades. Obviously, you earned the right to do whatever you chose moving forward, but even in the face of disrespect, your reputation is set and you don't need a PR department letting you know your worth or act as some barometer to the quality or value to your contributions. Your reputation is set in stone and this board is a testament to that. 

Thank you. 

[dtk9119]

Thank you Tony for everything you have done and will continue to do here. I've been an Orioles fan all my life and been through the highs of winning when I was a youngster growing up in MD to the ups and downs (mostly downs) as an adult now residing in TX now for most of my life. I had no idea you started this board in 1996! I completely agree that this is truly a family here and while we have disagreements like all families do in the end we are all Orioles fans. I also can say there are very few forums if any like this for other college/pro teams. not to mention the longevity as you mentioned. It sucks that they rejected your creds b/c you are very fair and call it as you see it which is something very lacking with many who cover this team. This year I have ramped up my posting more (mostly bc I have more time and we're winning of course). I do not fancy myself as a stats/analytics guy like many here -- I just watch the game and call it as I see it. So thank you again for your service and all of the hard work you have put in here over the years. Hopefully we'll all be discussing a world championship here in the not so distant future.

[Hallas]

@Tony-OH Have you talked to other people that run internet outlets?  Have they had a similar experience with the current O's staff?  It's kind of weird for the team to be so callous toward this type of internet outlet when traditional media is going downhill.  At least when it comes to film/TV there is a certain amount of deference paid toward popular fan reviewers etc. because they do have followings that you can't just ignore and wave away.

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

I think it’s pretty obvious why the Os aren’t as open to Tony as they were in the past.  I think the woke/political landscape plays against Tony and his thoughts on those things, the city of Baltimore, etc…especially knowing how John Angelos stands on things.

You can’t do anything about that.  You don’t change who you are or what you believe to fit into a particular narrative.  
 

I still see Tony getting bashed in social media for that, which is of course ridiculous but it is what it is and it’s just where we are as a society now.  

I don't think we need to get into all that. Either way, I certainly don't pay attention to other social media trolls out there. 

This is our place and it's obvious people like the rules here and the community. I've always said I'd rather have a smaller community of well informed knowledgeable fans than a large trollfest.

As people know, I don't care about politics here and that's why it's a no no to discuss anything close. I don't hold grudges, and I don't care what your politics are or anything else. 

All we care about here is if you're a good knowledgeable fan that adds to our conversation. All that other stuff can stay elsewhere.

 

 

[Tony-OH]

10 minutes ago, Hallas said:

@Tony-OH Have you talked to other people that run internet outlets?  Have they had a similar experience with the current O's staff?  It's kind of weird for the team to be so callous toward this type of internet outlet when traditional media is going downhill.  At least when it comes to film/TV there is a certain amount of deference paid toward popular fan reviewers etc. because they do have followings that you can't just ignore and wave away.

I'll be honest, I really don't have a lot of contact with other sites out there so I have no idea what else is going on. I know that MLB made a rule many years ago that online only sites could not be given credentials, but Greg Bader put me under a Grandfather clause that allowed me to continue to get credentials. It was pretty cool to know I was the only online only site to have credentials, but alas, Bader appears to no longer be involved in PR stuff or he's changed his mind. I honestly never got Bader involved since Grondahl has the SR VP role in this area and she made the final decision.

Again, I don't agree with her decision, but I respect her decision so I'm not going to say anything bad about her. It would have been nice for someone to have gone to bat for me, but alas, outside of Bader, no one is left that I dealt with through the years and I really don't know where Bader stands anymore or if he has any influence anymore.