MacPhail's frugality is hurting this team

[murrayfan420]

Not going much over slot for the later round picks in this draft, the ST situation, not willing to spend on premium Latin talent...

Do you need more?

We don't even know what's gonig to happen with Sano and they are just finally getting into the Latin market so it's too early to claim that. They've spent more on later round picks in the past like I mentioned (Arrieta, Bundy etc.).

What's the ST situation?

[Malike]

Yes, this is true...but its easy to say that if you don't think the player will be there.(btw, i do believe they would have taken Ackley..just saying..)

I agree with all of what you have said. I'm pretty sure he knew Ackley would not have been there, but I'm also very confident that they would have taken either Strasburg, or Ackley had they been around for some bizarre reason at number 5.

[McLovin]

JTrea81's insanity is hurting this message board...

[TyCobb]

Yes, this is true...but its easy to say that if you don't think the player will be there.(btw, i do believe they would have taken Ackley..just saying..)

Hobgood said that about an hour before that draft that he will be selected if Ackley was selected before the O's pick. I am pretty confident that JJ would not tell that to the kid if he won't pull the trigger and draft Ackley.

[Hank Scorpio]

The players were still drafted under their watch. Signablity was never an issue then, like it is now.

Has it ever occured to you that the talent in this draft isn't what Jim Callis, Keith Law, yer boy Churchill, etc... hyped it to be?

What is your malfunction during the draft?

[Malike]

You actually do know. It is a public company.

The Baltimore Orioles is private.

I actually don't know.

Nor do I feel that I am owed the need to know. If a business supplies a product or series of products that you support, and you feel they are not living up to their end of the service (Ie JTrea thinking the O's are being cheap etc), then as a consumer we have many other choices to turn to.

I couldn't care less what Home Depot does with the 400 dollars I spent on Sheet Rock last month.

[McLovin]

I couldn't care less what Home Depot does with the 400 dollars I spent on Sheet Rock last month.

If you're serious, that is a lot of sheetrock. I do not envy you.

[DrungoHazewood]

The players were still drafted under their watch. Signablity was never an issue then, like it is now.

Ha! Are you kidding me!? You really believe that Angelos said "hey, go spend whatever you want on the draft, Boras guys, whatever - blank check!" up through 2007, but as soon as MacPhail came on board they teamed up to clamp down on everything?

[canonfaz]

On a side note (kinda). How great is it to have Wieters and Reimold in the lineup!?!

[Malike]

If you're serious, that is a lot of sheetrock. I do not envy you.

Yeah, what a nightmare...

Bit off quite a bit more than I can chew, and my wife reminds me of it...often.

[nadecir]

Yet they are one of the most profitable teams in baseball.

Even if you take Forbes' numbers as the best guess on profitability, the Orioles haven't been doing as well as some other teams in the major leagues over the past few seasons. Here is Forbes' reported operating income and the Orioles ranks over the past three seasons:

2006: $17.1 million in income, ranking 17th in baseball

2007: $ 7.7 million in income, ranking 24th in baseball

2008: $27.3 million in income, ranking 5th in baseball

Meanwhile the Orioles have some debt, around $150 million. The Orioles are above average in their financial leverage in the league, with a debt to value ratio of 38% which ranks in the top half of the majors. Certainly a portion of this operating income goes to pay interest on this debt, and some goes to pay taxes.

If Andy MacPhail's primary motivation was counting pennies, he could certainly be doing a better job. He could have kept players like Jay Gibbons, Steve Trachsel, and Jamie Walker on the roster and saved a few million or so dollars by not paying at least major league minimum salaries for their replacements. He could have saved money by spending less on signing bonuses for the draft last season. He could have not made the investment in the baseball academy in the Dominican. He could have not spent $7.5 million combined on Koji Uehara and Ty Wigginton in the offseason, let alone extending Markakis and Roberts.

If MacPhail is trying to be frugal, he is not doing a very good job of it.

What would MacPhail's motivation for being frugal anyway? Angelos had one of the highest team payrolls in all of baseball when the team was leading the majors in attendance. Angelos was certainly willing to spend money 10 or 12 years back then. Now the Orioles are 25th ranked in MLB attendance, and our team payroll ranking is in line with our attendance ranking.

Perhaps the Orioles don't have as much cash laying around as you suspect, and the Orioles are just living within a reasonable budget.

[TyCobb]

I actually don't know.

Nor do I feel that I am owed the need to know. If a business supplies a product or series of products that you support, and you feel they are not living up to their end of the service (Ie JTrea thinking the O's are being cheap etc), then as a consumer we have many other choices to turn to.

I couldn't care less what Home Depot does with the 400 dollars I spent on Sheet Rock last month.

You would think differently if you owned some HD shares or better yet bonds.

[Malike]

You would think differently if you owned some HD shares or better yet bonds.

I'm sure I would, but I don't.

[Wind Rider]

JTrea81's insanity is hurting this message board...

Given the Orioles earnings, they are not spending anything close to what they could. He's got a valid point.

[Moose Milligan]

I'm gonna say this, then head out the door and up to OPACY for the game tonight:

The economy is hurting everyone. I'm sure a lot of posters on here are reigning in their spending during these times that we're in. I know I'm trying to.

We look to sports for an escape and entertainment. It's great to come home and turn on the O's for 3 hours and get wrapped up in a game. It's also great to remind yourself that no matter how bad the O's do on any given night, in the grand scheme of things and in the game of life, it doesn't really matter.

We look at our athletes and teams like super heros. Bigger, badder and better than us mere mortals. We're reminded that they're human when they get hurt but for the most part we put them up on a pedastool and worship at their altars. We think our teams and front offices grow money on trees. We can't comprehend the amount of money Markakis gets every paycheck, but hey, it's not our money. Spend away!

It remains to be seen if we're going to spend less on this draft than we did last years, but from what I can tell the odds are that we will.

If you want to jump to that conclusion, fine. But to me it's pretty ignorant to think for a minute that the economic situation isn't hurting the Orioles and that might be a reason for perceived frugalty. I made mention of it before, theres a thread that Frobby started, attendance is down 19% and MASN money or not, that hurts. That automatically deducts concessions and merchandise sales.

We're watching our government spend its way into oblivion and take on a massive debt. Everyones trying to save money.

Meanwhile, we took the Gatorade Player of the Year.

Heaven forbid the Orioles try to be a bit frugal.