The 2023 Happy Talk Thread

[SpOkane]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

This is the most excited you have been heading into a season since ______?
 

 

2013. Thought 2012 was the start of something big.

[Sports Guy]

I think it’s 2015 for me.

[Just Regular]

Its tempting to say "ever", though recency bias and the hope of the team being good for my kid's childhood is part of it.

The '83 World champs I kind of now appreciate as a team like if the Alex Cobb 2018 last gasp had worked.    I probably would have been most excited for start of '84, but then 35-5 and it was all downhill from there.

Most of the best seasons - 1989, 2012, 2022 - were so great because of the underdog thing - the previous two instances there the foundation wasn't so good as this one.

OPACY making Angelos Steve Cohen for a minute was pretty amazing, but the cancelled World Series fell in the middle of those Alomar-Mussina-Ripken teams.

[Too Tall]

1967  How can you not be excited after sweeping the Dodgers 4-0! But that 67-year turned out to be a bummer. 

[Frobby]

38 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I think it’s 2015 for me.

I think I can say 2018.   I didn’t see the collapse coming, and was hoping for a rebound from 2017.   It was much more obvious in 2019-21 that the O’s would be terrible.   And, I expected them to be a 65ish win team last year.  

Edit: I’d say I’m more excited this year than in 2018, but that was the last year I was excited at all.  
 

Edited February 25, 2023 by Frobby

[RZNJ]

1982.  Cal’s rookie season.

[Jagwar]

Heading into 1996, when Angelos went on a spending spree. Alomar, Surhoff, Wells, Myers. (right?)

If I recall correctly, they almost landed David Cone too. 

[Sports Guy]

That’s actually what I’m trying to think of. I was excited for a lot of seasons but I think this is the most excited I have been. The talent is just off the charts. The seasons like 2015, for example, the team didn’t do enough to capitalize on things. They didn’t do it this year either but the talent level is so high.

[Jim'sKid26]

7 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

If you are going to call me out, get the name right.  You just @ A different member.

How'd you know it was you I intended to @ ?

[waroriole]

Not an article but cool that he’s donating his hair to a group that finds wigs for people with cancer. 

[ThisIsBirdland]

We've got Kjerstad hitting a couple bombs, Holiday doubling in his first AB, Vavra going yard and doubling, Cowser drawing a couple walks and runs. Plenty of happy talk already for Day 1 

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, ThisIsBirdland said:

We've got Kjerstad hitting a couple bombs, Holiday doubling in his first AB, Vavra going yard and doubling, Cowser drawing a couple walks and runs. Plenty of happy talk already for Day 1 

Hardly could have drawn it up better.   My brother in law was at the game and isn’t the kind of fan who knows about minor leaguers.   I told him to watch for Ortiz, Mayo, Cowser and Kjerstad.   Then after I saw Holliday was entering the game I told him to watch him too.   As a group they had two homers, a triple, a double, a single and three walks.   Not bad!

By the way, my brother-in-law reported that Morgan McSweeney “has a cannon.”  Tony didn’t rank him this year, but Longenhagen (who didn’t rank him either) gave this brief report:

“McSweeney sits 93-95 and will show you a plus slider and a nasty upper-80s cutter on occasion. He is more thrower than pitcher.”  https://blogs.fangraphs.com/baltimore-orioles-top-38-prospects-2023/

Edited February 25, 2023 by Frobby

[webbrick2010]

New rules will make games faster

[Going Underground]

The most important game tomorrow for the Orioles in years. Two 1-0 teams trying to stay undeafted. This game should be not only on MASN but one of the major networks. 

[Just Regular]

4 minutes ago, Going Underground said:

The most important game tomorrow for the Orioles in years. Two 1-0 teams trying to stay undeafted. This game should be not only on MASN but one of the major networks. 

Only Ortiz and Mayo were RHB in the starting lineup today.   Perhaps the others were resting for Eduardo tomorrow.    Mountcastle, Hays, Urias, Mateo, McCann - activate!