Observations at the end of the regular season....

[Sanity Check]

1. If the Orioles had signed Jack Flaherty, Seth Lugo and Chris Sale to bolster our pitching staff last off-season, this place would have gone ballistic, and not in a good way.

2.  The Orioles ended the regular season last year flat as a pancake, and it carried into the offseason.  This year, while under the pressure of trying to keep up with the Yankees, the team struggled mightily to find consistent offense and any overall consistency.  Once that pressure waned with us knowing our destiny, guys seemed to loosen up, and we saw the offense come back.  I thought that might happen.  However, my question is, after laying an egg in the playoffs last year and recent struggles despite the last two series, does the pressure of the postseason put us back in the funk we saw throughout most of August and September?

3.  I've seen a consistent theme in this forum over the past week or two which is this:  "All we have to do is get hot at the right time, like Texas did last year."  While I agree that's true, and want us to be that team this year, isn't that statement kind of an admission that without getting hot, we're not good enough on our own merits to persevere in the tournament?  And before I get crucified for saying that, I'll point to what everyone has witnessed in recent months:  Bad/inconsistent bullpen, inconsistent offense, questions about our starting pitching, defensive lapses and being prone to not showing up offensively.  And please, let's not act like some, or all of these, don't exist.  

That all being said, Go O's!!!!!  Let's get hot!!

[BRobinsonfan]

1 hour ago, Sanity Check said:

1. If the Orioles had signed Jack Flaherty, Seth Lugo and Chris Sale to bolster our pitching staff last off-season, this place would have gone ballistic, and not in a good way.

2.  The Orioles ended the regular season last year flat as a pancake, and it carried into the offseason.  This year, while under the pressure of trying to keep up with the Yankees, the team struggled mightily to find consistent offense and any overall consistency.  Once that pressure waned with us knowing our destiny, guys seemed to loosen up, and we saw the offense come back.  I thought that might happen.  However, my question is, after laying an egg in the playoffs last year and recent struggles despite the last two series, does the pressure of the postseason put us back in the funk we saw throughout most of August and September?

3.  I've seen a consistent theme in this forum over the past week or two which is this:  "All we have to do is get hot at the right time, like Texas did last year."  While I agree that's true, and want us to be that team this year, isn't that statement kind of an admission that without getting hot, we're not good enough on our own merits to persevere in the tournament?  And before I get crucified for saying that, I'll point to what everyone has witnessed in recent months:  Bad/inconsistent bullpen, inconsistent offense, questions about our starting pitching, defensive lapses and being prone to not showing up offensively.  And please, let's not act like some, or all of these, don't exist.  

That all being said, Go O's!!!!!  Let's get hot!!

I think the "offense coming back" had more to do with the offense coming back (from injuries) and less to do about them "knowing their destiny and loosening up."  

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Sanity Check said:

isn't that statement kind of an admission that without getting hot, we're not good enough on our own merits to persevere in the tournament? 

I don’t think so, any more than usual.  I think the team that wins is usually a team that is playing above its average level at the time.  There was no super team in baseball this year - they all had their ups and downs.   So we’ll see who picks the right time to play well.  

[Sports Guy]

#1 is true and it’s also why you don’t have to keep Burnes.