I truly believe we are the best fanbase in all of baseball

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, RarityFlaherty said:

 Let’s not jump to conclusions. I’m very new here too, but I’m definitely not a bandwagon or fair weather fan. I’ve continued to follow the orioles through a lot of bad times. I just didn’t know about this place until recently. 

You lost me.  What conclusion did I jump to?    My little joke was not directed at you.

Edited August 5, 2022 by RZNJ

[RarityFlaherty]

Just now, RZNJ said:

You lost me.  What conclusion did I jump to?

Sorry, it seemed like you were saying he’s likely a fair weather fan. 

[InsideCoroner]

To steer this out of the weeds, I do love seeing people in Maryland (and even in other cities) re-engaging with the team. While that looks like fair-weather fans, you can't really say that here because the last 35 years have been hard. Grim, punishing and with few bright spots. Please let this be the beginning of something positive and enduring. We really all need it, and (dare I say) even deserve it.

[Too Tall]

I enjoyed the opening post. Made me feel good whether I totally agreed or not. I'm pumped right now about this team and my perception of it's over-all direction. Then as is often the case here, it went down hill fast! It's why I love this site. It's SO balanced! Go Orioles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, RarityFlaherty said:

Sorry, it seemed like you were saying he’s likely a fair weather fan. 

Not at all.   I'm not sure what he is but I definitely don't think he's a fair weather fan.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, RarityFlaherty said:

Sorry, it seemed like you were saying he’s likely a fair weather fan. 

He was questing my fandom, not yours.

[tinman]

I'm happy. I like the team. I love our fans. I hate the Yankees. I want to gather with other people who love the Orioles. We are winning. We are starting to kick ass. 

[RarityFlaherty]

4 minutes ago, tinman said:

I'm happy. I like the team. I love our fans. I hate the Yankees. I want to gather with other people who love the Orioles. We are winning. We are starting to kick ass. 

This is probably the most excited I’ve been for orioles baseball since I was a kid watching them in the playoffs in the 90s. Not sure why, but this feels better than those few playoff appearances we had From 2012 to 2016. I guess it just feels like we are finally going in the right direction. 

[NashLumber]

13 minutes ago, InsideCoroner said:

To steer this out of the weeds, I do love seeing people in Maryland (and even in other cities) re-engaging with the team. While that looks like fair-weather fans, you can't really say that here because the last 35 years have been hard. Grim, punishing and with few bright spots. Please let this be the beginning of something positive and enduring. We really all need it, and (dare I say) even deserve it.

This.

And I'll add that maybe let's all be kind to one another if possible. Life can be so hard for a lot of us. Some are struggling in a lot of ways that no one knows about. Bickering is just so easy to slip into. I only have 4k or so posts in 13 or something years on the board as I often feel uncomfortable sharing my thoughts / opinions for fear of being judged. Luckily, I did get to meet some of the posters over the years at O's Hangout Nights and some became wonderful real life friends (Weams, JustD, ScOtt and some I've met through my life as a musician, folks like BobMc and Chito) and it helps putting a face to the names. Just my opinion, but I just wonder if the better approach is to keep in mind there are real people behind the posts here, even if someone gets off to a rocky start.  It's just not worth the stress. I read WAY more than I post. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by NashLumber

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, RarityFlaherty said:

This is probably the most excited I’ve been for orioles baseball since I was a kid watching them in the playoffs in the 90s. Not sure why, but this feels better than those few playoff appearances we had From 2012 to 2016. I guess it just feels like we are finally going in the right direction. 

Right now I'd put it third, behind 1989 and 2012.

1989 was just great, so much fun even if the team fell short at the end.

[RarityFlaherty]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Right now I'd put it third, behind 1989 and 2012.

1989 was just great, so much fun even if the team fell short at the end.

I was only like 3 or 4 in 1989, so I don’t really remember it that well. I was definitely at a few games with my dad because I’ve seen pictures, but I’m sad I don’t have any memories of it. 2012 was fun, but the farm system we have now makes me a lot more excited for the future. Throughout the 2000s, it felt like everything we did was just a band aid to try to keep us competitive and it never really felt like we could sustain it. 

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, RarityFlaherty said:

I was only like 3 or 4 in 1989, so I don’t really remember it that well. I was definitely at a few games with my dad because I’ve seen pictures, but I’m sad I don’t have any memories of it. 2012 was fun, but the farm system we have now makes me a lot more excited for the future. Throughout the 2000s, it felt like everything we did was just a band aid to try to keep us competitive and it never really felt like we could sustain it. 

The key to understanding '89 is understanding what '88 was like.

While these current teams lost more games it doesn't compare to the pain of losing 21 in a row to start the season.  The team was literally a joke on a national level. 

 

[Too Tall]

I was 26 in 1966 (you can do the math) - that was REAL excitement!!!!!!!!!! Come close since then but that was the first and best.

[FlaO'sFan]

Not sure if we are the best or not, but there is just something special about the O's for those that grew up a fan during the Brooks, Frank, Earl, etc. years, as I did. I moved away from Bel Air in 1978 to Florida, but to this day I am an O's fan through and through, always will be, and if reincarnation is a thing, I hope I don't come back as anything other than an O's fan again. A little better looking for the ladies next time would be nice, though .

A memory I still have of the O's, among many, is slipping off by myself from a family reunion in Baltimore someplace with my transistor radio and listening as the O's came back from something like an 8-1 deficit in the eighth or ninth inning to win. Just a regular game in the middle of the summer, not sure when, probably 74-77 sometime, but I still remember the joy of being youthful and the world revolving around the baseball team you loved. 

Edited August 5, 2022 by FlaO'sFan

[RZNJ]

4 minutes ago, Too Tall said:

I was 26 in 1966 (you can do the math) - that was REAL excitement!!!!!!!!!! Come close since then but that was the first and best.

I was just shy of 7 years old.  The first WS I have any memory of is 67 but the first one I remember being on the TV in the living room (black and white/no remote control/ 7 channels) was the 67 Red Sox/Cardinals.

Of course, pretty clear memories of 69-71

Edited August 5, 2022 by RZNJ