Wieters

[NewMarketSean]

If only the Expos were still in Montreal, I could root for a MLB team after the Orioles shoot their foot off on Wednesday night.

[OriolesManiac88]

I'm inclined to agree. I still think this thing will get done. Mostly because the O's just can't afford to look any dumber than they are already seen, and they know it.

IF though... IF it does not get done, my oh my that new stadium here in DC is looking mighty attractive.

A true fan sticks with his team no matter the struggles it goes through.

[Fairfax Bird]

If only the Expos were still in Montreal, I could root for a MLB team after the Orioles shoot their foot off on Wednesday night.

Don't let the door hit you on the a...

[66-70-83-??]

I'm inclined to agree. I still think this thing will get done. Mostly because the O's just can't afford to look any dumber than they are already seen, and they know it.

IF though... IF it does not get done, my oh my that new stadium here in DC is looking mighty attractive.

I hear you.....

Many fans are near the end of the line with this team.

You can only take excuses for so long. Even if they are good excuses/reasons at some point (perhaps after 10 losing seasons of spinning their wheels with very little progress) you have to see RESULTS !

Like others, it doesn't matter WHY to me if they don't sign Wieters.

They knew what they were doing and who they were dealing with BEFORE they drafted him. If they fail to sign him it could be that they didn't do their homework. And that is unsatisfactory.

[PoorMike]

A true fan sticks with his team no matter the struggles it goes through.

Yep....I'll be rooting for them long after MacPhail is gone (which might be sooner than I initially thought if he makes moves like this Wieters situation).

[NewMarketSean]

Don't let the door hit you on the a...

That's what I was getting at. Looks like I'm trapped here with you. :002_scry:

[sector7g]

The worst thing is, if we don't sign Wieters there is a good chance we spend the next 10 years watching how good he could have been for us!

Especially since going back into the draft next year you have to think a lot of teams pass on him because of the signability problem so he could slip quite far down. Posada's coming to the end of the road......aaargh it doesn't bear thinking about.

[66-70-83-??]

A foolish fan sticks with his team no matter the struggles it goes through.

I fixed that for you.

I hear what you are saying too.

But, everyone has their breaking point.

A "real" fan loves his team. But, a "real" fan also has to show "tough love" to their team.

If enough "real fans" didn't show up to embarrass the team by attending the protest last year and calling into talk shows over the years to complain or stop spending their hard earned money (O's from 5th to 10th in AL attendance since 2006) what incentive would the owner have to make any changes ?

It is "real fans" who cared enough to protest / complain / stop attending games more often that are the reasons for positive change.

It isn't the apologists that force change.

[PoorMike]

I fixed that for you.

I hear what you are saying too.

But, everyone has their breaking point.

A "real" fan loves his team. But, a "real" fan also has to show "tough love" to their team.

If enough "real fans" didn't show up to embarrass the team by attending the protest last year and calling into talk shows over the years to complain or stop spending their hard earned money (O's from 5th to 10th in AL attendance since 2006) what incentive would the owner have to make any changes ?

It is "real fans" who cared enough to protest / complain / stop attending games more often that are the reasons for positive change.

It isn't the apologists that force change.

It's one thing to speak with your dollars by not buying tickets or watching the games.

.....it's another to root for someone else.

[VC@WilliamMary]

A true fan sticks with his team no matter the struggles it goes through.

Agreed but on the other hand, name me one thing that the Orioles have done the past ten years to warrent fans sticking with them. I have been an Orioles fan since I was born and I've continued to be one even when the Nats moved into my back yard. Now though, I just see no reason for optimism. If they can't sign Wieters here, do you honestly believe they'll pony up the money for Bedard in a couple of years.

If you look at the Nats, they have four stud pitchers in single A Vermont that each have an ERA under 2.5 and each have great stuff. They also have a 19 year old hitter in high A Potomac who was drafted just after Rowell in 2006 and who has hit 21 home runs this year while hitting .285. The Nats have also spent a lot of money scouting in the Dominican Republic and if you look at their overall farm system now, they have done a magnificant job getting talent the last three years. Hell, I'll even compare the strength of their farm system now to ours, and they had absolutely nothing a couple of years ago.

What's even more pathetic is that while rebuilding and obviously spending no money, they have had a better record than us the past couple of years and this year, it's close even though they've lost 4/5 of their starting rotation from opening day with injuries. They hustle and give ten times the effort that the Orioles do.

Now, give me one good reason why I shouldn't stop taking the two hour car ride to Camden Yards and not driving twenty minutes to the new ballpark in Anacostia.

[Fairfax Bird]

That's what I was getting at. Looks like I'm trapped here with you. :002_scry:

I can't wait until they sign him. Make all these nonsense threads go away and all will hail Andy.

[utvolzac]

i can't believe anybody is defending not signing Wieters. There is no excuse for not getting this done. Give him $15M if thats what it takes. That'd be better than not signing him.

If you add up the contracts of Payton, Baez & Huff, that's somewhere in the 15 million dollar range, if not more. And I'd rather have Wieters than all 3 of them combined.

It just bears repeating, we've gone out of our way to overspend on marginal to bad talent, yet we're unwilling to overpay for someone who has the potential to make a huge impact on the franchise. Unreal.

[sevens]

I can't wait until they sign him. Make all these nonsense threads go away and all will hail Andy.

Not sure I will hail Andy, but I will be glad to see these annoying threads disappear.

Here's to hoping they get him signed.

Go O's

:002_sbiggrin:

[24fps]

I think i saw Arrieta wanting 900K-1 million....What are we offering? How could we not get him done?

When he was drafted, Jordan said we got 3 first round talents...Wieters, Bascom and Arrieta...So, he wanted him here and knew what it would take.

I'll bet MacPhail had a nice little chat with Jordan about making comments like that in public before Bascom and Arrieta were signed.

[utvolzac]

Or Townsendesque over Drew- or Weaveresque. Chris Smithesque instead of Kotchmanesque. The list goes on...

Yeah. We do enough taking the cheaper, less talented option in free agency. I don't need to see us take that route in the draft as well.