I feel better about losing to Texas now

[Frobby]

Boy that offense can club people when they get on a roll.  

[Malike]

217 million dollar payrolls buys some nice toys.

[AdamK]

This is a position my wife has had our entire life together. Root for the team who finishes your season because they were the team of destiny. I don't know about destiny, and its usually always "too soon" after a loss to start thinking like an evolved homo-sapien, but Texas surging forward in this way has been impressive.  

[Oriole1940]

I am an old man, and all these years I never mastered the knack of  FEELING BETTER when my team loses.   A loss is a loss, regardless  of  how you try to paint it.  And a loss stinks.  

[oriole]

I’m just happy it wasn’t the Astros, and not because of their scandalous past but I get tired of seeing the same damn teams in World Series every year.

[Malike]

If Arizona makes it to the series, it will probably be one of the lower viewed World Series in some time, I'd guess. 

[Tony-OH]

34 minutes ago, Malike said:

217 million dollar payrolls buys some nice toys.

I wanted Texas over the Astros just because I'm tired of seeing the Astros in the WS. But everyone should know that Texas is a team full of high paid mercenary free agents that they bought over the last few years.  I don't want to hear their "rags to riches" story that they went from a 100-loss, to a 90+ loss, to an AL Champion. They bought their way out of their funk and while they do have some good young home grown talent contributing, a 217 million payroll gives you a good shot to overcome mistakes.

[Malike]

Just now, Tony-OH said:

I wanted Texas over the Astros just because I'm tired of seeing the Astros in the WS. but everyone should know that Texas is a team full of high paid mercenary free agents that they bought over the last few years.  I don't want to hear their "rags to riches" story that they went from a 100-loss, to a 90+ loss, to an AL Champion. They bought there way out of their funk and while they do have some good young home grown talent contributing, a 217 million payroll gives you a good shot to overcome mistakes.

Exactly this.

[sportsfan8703]

Nothing against Texas, but at least they had the cajones to spend and keep spending their way out of problems. Simein and Seager were a lot last year. DeGrom and Eovaldi. Chapman. Scherzer. 

The AL is loaded. People say the Yankees and Sox will be back, but who is out there left to buy?

We’re ok. Elias is just going to have to be more aggressive at the deadline this year. If the reports were true then Eduardo Rodriguez almost fell into his lap. 

[Jagwar]

25 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I wanted Texas over the Astros just because I'm tired of seeing the Astros in the WS. But everyone should know that Texas is a team full of high paid mercenary free agents that they bought over the last few years.  I don't want to hear their "rags to riches" story that they went from a 100-loss, to a 90+ loss, to an AL Champion. They bought their way out of their funk and while they do have some good young home grown talent contributing, a 217 million payroll gives you a good shot to overcome mistakes.

True... but to be honest I'm not sure how I would feel/react if the O's did the same thing and made it to the WS. 

[Jagwar]

What is the state of the Texas farm system after this year's trade deadline?

[Tony-OH]

Just now, Jagwar said:

True... but to be honest I'm not sure how I would feel/react if the O's did the same thing and made it to the WS. 

This has nothing to do with the fans though. I'd be ecstatic no matter hw the orioles got to the World Series. Heck, I'm not even against a team like the Rangers spending what they spent. In fact, as a fan, I'd appreciate if my ownership was willing to spend like that and not be super cheap. 

I was just saying that I didn't want to hear the 'Rags to riches" narrative like they did something special. What the Orioles did by going from the worse team in baseball to a 101-win team by not spending more than $10mil/yr on a player is pretty special.

Sure, it cost them when they got to the playoffs this year, and it remains to be seen whether they will have the same kind of season next year, but I can at least respect that Elias and company have rebuilt the entire organization and given it an opportunity to compete year in and year out without having to spend a lot.

Now would I like to see them augment this roster this offseason with some impact pitching and hitters? Yes. 

Do I think JA will allow Elias to do so? I have my doubts.

[Jagwar]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

This has nothing to do with the fans though. I'd be ecstatic no matter hw the orioles got to the World Series. Heck, I'm not even against a team like the Rangers spending what they spent. In fact, as a fan, I'd appreciate if my ownership was willing to spend like that and not be super cheap. 

I was just saying that I didn't want to hear the 'Rags to riches" narrative like they did something special. What the Orioles did by going from the worse team in baseball to a 101-win team by not spending more than $10mil/yr on a player is pretty special.

Sure, it cost them when they got to the playoffs this year, and it remains to be seen whether they will have the same kind of season next year, but I can at least respect that Elias and company have rebuilt the entire organization and given it an opportunity to compete year in and year out without having to spend a lot.

Now would I like to see them augment this roster this offseason with some impact pitching and hitters? Yes. 

Do I think JA will allow Elias to do so? I have my doubts.

I'm right there with you. In a way it seems like the mid-90s O's did exactly what Texas did. We didn't develop Bonilla, Alomar, Palmeiro, Key, Wells, Baines, Surhoff, Orosco, Erickson, Myers, E. Davis, etc. They spent like crazy and never restocked the farm system with talent for 14-15 years. 

[Moshagge3]

37 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I wanted Texas over the Astros just because I'm tired of seeing the Astros in the WS. But everyone should know that Texas is a team full of high paid mercenary free agents that they bought over the last few years.  I don't want to hear their "rags to riches" story that they went from a 100-loss, to a 90+ loss, to an AL Champion. They bought their way out of their funk and while they do have some good young home grown talent contributing, a 217 million payroll gives you a good shot to overcome mistakes.

I don't know that that's entirely true. Marcus Semien hasn't done that much in the postseason. Seager has been very good, and he's an expensive FA, but Evan Carter, Adolis Garcia, Josh Jung, Jonah Heim, Nate Lowe, and Leody Taveras are either homegrown players or guys the Rangers picked up for cheap. 

[Moose Milligan]

55 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I wanted Texas over the Astros just because I'm tired of seeing the Astros in the WS. But everyone should know that Texas is a team full of high paid mercenary free agents that they bought over the last few years.  I don't want to hear their "rags to riches" story that they went from a 100-loss, to a 90+ loss, to an AL Champion. They bought their way out of their funk and while they do have some good young home grown talent contributing, a 217 million payroll gives you a good shot to overcome mistakes.

This isn't a slight, but you do seem to have a distaste towards "high paid mercenary free agents" (I've seen you use that term before, mostly in regards to Mussina).

Like you, I prefer to see teams being built the way we've been built, the way Tampa has been built, etc.  But it's been shown time and time again that teams that spend a lot don't always win it all, or even make the playoffs.  

Speaking strictly for myself, I don't understand the agenda against "high paid mercenary" players.  deGrom was going to be high priced wherever he went.  So was Semien, so was Seager.  Any free agent who commands a six figure contract is pretty much a high paid mercenary no matter where they end up.  It just so happens Texas did a Texas thing and went big and gobbled up a few of them.  

Tip of the cap to them.  Spending money to cover up mistakes isn't hard, but it's still a gamble.  Steven Cohen tried it this year with the Mets, it backfired spectacularly.  He might be the first to tell you that you can't necessarily buy your way out of a funk.