This team is good.

[swerda]

nothing more. my dad loved the colts, orioles, had season tickets etc. I missed that run but he raised me in camden yards. This team seems like it will be betterr than the 2014 team for sure. 

[Frobby]

44 minutes ago, swerda said:

nothing more. my dad loved the colts, orioles, had season tickets etc. I missed that run but he raised me in camden yards. This team seems like it will be betterr than the 2014 team for sure. 

Do you mean this year?  I’m definitely not ready to say that.  But it could happen if the starting pitchers gain consistency.  That 2014 team didn’t have any aces, but the starting pitching was well above league average, and really fortunate with health.

[terpoh]

13 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Do you mean this year?  I’m definitely not ready to say that.  But it could happen if the starting pitchers gain consistency.  That 2014 team didn’t have any aces, but the starting pitching was well above league average, and really fortunate with health.

Fortunate with pitching health and unfortunately very unfortunate with position player health. Didnt we roll into the playoffs without Wieters, Machado and Chris Davis? Man that Royals series stung with the lack of offense. Pearce was a beast filling in for Davis, but it was hard to try to fill all three of those guys spots in the playoffs. I agree that I am not ready to put this team ahead of 2014. That team was a powerhouse and ran away with the AL East. Pitching was great from the entire rotation. 

[SemperFi]

I'm willing to say that in this snapshot in time but a lot can happen in the next few months-especially injuries.  Pitching injuries especially to starters could derail this start quickly.  My contentment is generally proportional to my expectations, and I'm really happy now.

[Frobby]

6 minutes ago, terpoh said:

Fortunate with pitching health and unfortunately very unfortunate with position player health. Didnt we roll into the playoffs without Wieters, Machado and Chris Davis? Man that Royals series stung with the lack of offense. Pearce was a beast filling in for Davis, but it was hard to try to fill all three of those guys spots in the playoffs. I agree that I am not ready to put this team ahead of 2014. That team was a powerhouse and ran away with the AL East. Pitching was great from the entire rotation. 

Davis wasn’t a health issue, it was a suspension for taking adderall without permission, and he was having a lousy year (.196 BA, .704 OPS) anyway.  Caleb Joseph came out of nowhere and he and Hundley capably filled in for Wieters.  For me, Manny was the biggest loss.  

[Hank Scorpio]

That game yesterday made me feel a certain way, like one of those that you look back on in September and go, “That was one of those springboard moments.”

Edited May 21, 2023 by Hank Scorpio

[Aristotelian]

2014 was a division winner. If we finish second to the Rays it will be somewhat of a letdown regardless of number of wins. I am definitely starting to get 1989/2014 vibes. This team is legit.

[slakattack]

15 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

That game yesterday made me feel a certain way, like one of those that you look back on in September and go, “That was one of those springboard moments.”

I agree with this too.  If this team is fortunate enough to need a 2023 video after the post season, O'Hearn's bomb will be on it. Also, I like the fact that Romano gets dented in front of his own fans, that's gotta sting their team psyche a little.

[Hank Scorpio]

45 minutes ago, slakattack said:

I agree with this too.  If this team is fortunate enough to need a 2023 video after the post season, O'Hearn's bomb will be on it. Also, I like the fact that Romano gets dented in front of his own fans, that's gotta sting their team psyche a little.

ESPECIALLY because he’s Canadian!!!

[AdamK]

54 minutes ago, slakattack said:

I agree with this too.  If this team is fortunate enough to need a 2023 video after the post season, O'Hearn's bomb will be on it. Also, I like the fact that Romano gets dented in front of his own fans, that's gotta sting their team psyche a little.

I've re-watched the highlight a number of times and there's so much that stands out: from the reaction of fans behind home plate immediately following the swing (they were making a ton of noise in support of their team) to the ball finding an orange jersey among a sea of blue.

Yesterday was my son's 9th birthday. His baseball team clinched a spot in the championships thanks to a game saving catch he made diving for the ball in foul territory off of first base (his first fly ball out recorded after like a dozen opportunities). It was a great day already without that play, the coach giving him the game ball, or eating pancakes for dinner (his birthday choice). 

I was willing to concede an Os loss. Pulling it out in that fashion though... In Toronto... Against perhaps my "least favorite" team...

It was a complete day. The sipped tequila at the end was alot smoother than I remember the day before.

[maybenxtyr]

1 hour ago, Hank Scorpio said:

That game yesterday made me feel a certain way, like one of those that you look back on in September and go, “That was one of those springboard moments.”

I know it's only 1 win, but this stretch and especially yesterday reminds me of the dreaded west coast trip in 2012 where the pundits were saying that would prove the O's as being pretenders.

[interloper]

Yesterday we put Toronto in the basement alone and it felt GOOD. The Jays are a bunch of overhyped salty dorks. They managed to make Adam Frazier seem cool yesterday lol.