What is your realistic goal for the O's this year?

[tntoriole]

This team is as good as any and can win the WS as likely as any.  Making the playoffs in as good a spot as poss, then it is a total crapshoot. 
All teams that win the WS are the teams that finish hot .. maybe it is us, maybe not but we are as likely as any 

[foxfield]

4 hours ago, webbrick2010 said:

Give me a world championship, nobody cares about perennial contenders.

You got one.  1983 and then there were the ones in 66 and 70.

Of course those were years the Orioles were.....wait for it....perennial contenders.

[foxfield]

My goal based on where we are today is to make the playoffs.  I want a WS banner just like everyone else.  I also think it would be hard for a team of kids to do it.  

So...to win one, I think we first need to get a taste.  I would like to see this team win a playoff series.  That's the bar.  Do that and I will be ready for "lift off".  Wait what?

[Aristotelian]

11 minutes ago, foxfield said:

You got one.  1983 and then there were the ones in 66 and 70.

Of course those were years the Orioles were.....wait for it....perennial contenders.

Almost as if being perennial contenders gives you more chances to win the big one. 

[Sports Guy]

There is zero reason why you can’t go for it now and win long term. If they can’t do that, Elias isn’t as good as we think and the organization isn’t in as good a place as we believe it is.

This all or nothing talk is extremely over the top.

[ChuckS]

Playoffs. Then I truly believe anything is possible.

We are playing in a historically dominant division. To expect to win the division, while not out of question, is unrealistic. 

 

[Sports Guy]

3 hours ago, tntoriole said:

This team is as good as any and can win the WS as likely as any.  Making the playoffs in as good a spot as poss, then it is a total crapshoot. 
All teams that win the WS are the teams that finish hot .. maybe it is us, maybe not but we are as likely as any 

They aren’t as good as any but they are good.

[ArtVanDelay]

We literally just had this thread.

 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, ArtVanDelay said:

We literally just had this thread.

 

You can't expect folks to go back past page one to see if someone has asked the same question recently.

[tntoriole]

38 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

They aren’t as good as any but they are good.

Winning a championship doesn’t mean you have to be the  very best team..  just among the best. 

You just have to make the playoffs, then play the best for a few weeks at that point which is different than being the best over 162 games. 

[Sports Guy]

21 minutes ago, tntoriole said:

Winning a championship doesn’t mean you have to be the  very best team..  just among the best. 

You just have to make the playoffs, then play the best for a few weeks at that point which is different than being the best over 162 games. 

I agree but you said this team is as good as any. That’s not true.

[Too Tall]

After making it through the tear down and build up, where we are right now is refreshing . We are competative. Yet that old feeling of not competative enough is still there. My realistic goal has always been to be in the hunt this year and see where that takes us - this year and beyond. I feel we do need more and better pieces. Will/how we get them is beyond my control. Cast adjustments by Elias & Co. will be as interesting as the play. Four months to go.

[Billy F-Face3]

3 hours ago, Too Tall said:

After making it through the tear down and build up, where we are right now is refreshing . We are competative. Yet that old feeling of not competative enough is still there. My realistic goal has always been to be in the hunt this year and see where that takes us - this year and beyond. I feel we do need more and better pieces. Will/how we get them is beyond my control. Cast adjustments by Elias & Co. will be as interesting as the play. Four months to go.

I'm glad someone around here is able to make a reasonable and sensible post. I sincerely thank you, good Sir. You put things in perspective and remind us of the progress that the Orioles have made. It's much refreshing compared to all "The sky is falling!" and "DEMOTE EVERYONE!" posts that have been going around.

The Orioles are still in playoff contention.

[RVAOsFan]

Watching the game last night I started to feel a little different about this team.  I know its a 5 game win streak and baseball is a long season with ups and downs but this team just keeps getting better.

If Gunnar has turned the corner and is going to continue to play the rest of the season at an All Star level which seems like he is capable of this offense is going to be incredible when we get Mullins back.

This thread seemed like a good place for me to say I feel like this team might have a little October run in them. 

[Moose Milligan]

Just want to get to the playoffs.

IMO, a lot of you guys aren't taking things into consideration.  You've gotta get incredibly lucky to win it all, so much has to go right.  You've gotta get hot at the right time...I mean, we're all feeling good right now because we're on a 5 game winning streak and playing well, but what if we reach the playoffs and we're playing like we did a couple weeks ago?  If we're playing in the playoffs like we did against Cleveland, we're probably a first round bounce.  

Starting pitching has to be pretty on point, especially in a 5 game series where there's less room for a clunker.  What if Kremer or Bradish goes out and can't get out of the third inning and the bullpen is already stretched thin?  

Gotta be relatively injury free.  What if we get to the playoffs and Mullins groin/hamstring gets pulled?  What if Gunnar or Adley goes down the week before the playoffs?

So it's not "just getting to the playoffs" but it really is because so much has to happen FOR your team to succeed that's just beyond "we won 95 games this year, I like our chances."