Open letter to Andy McPhail

[McNulty]

You could of saved yourself the long post with this sentence:

I'm bitter that I bought season tickets during a 100 loss season, and I blame Dave Trembley.

Fin.

[section18]

Really! Don't even have a clue......about what. Evaluating people? I asked the question "How many teams would hire DT to be their manager?" Not one answer so far. This isn't about how far we have come under AM. Some on here seem to be confusing our progress and the development of our farm system with the managers competency and his coaches. These are two separate issues. We lose 13 games in a row....no big deal......and are close to losing 100 games.....are 41 games out of first and we reward our manager. I happen to disagree with this decision and you are entitled to your opinion. Every team has players that get injured during a season and have off seasons like Huff but our season was over before Sherrill and Huff were moved. Don't use their trades and Jones injury as the reason this team slumped so badly. Jones wsn't doing anything after the All-Star game and Pie actually did a pretty darn good job. I'm not sure Jones would have had better numbers. That was a wash.

It's interesting the number of regulars on here who in the last few weeks were in favor of a change at the top who have gone silent or got on the AM bandwagon in support of this move. When I heard yesterday that AM had already made a decision to extend I was about to get in my car to drive to last night's game. I intended to go to the game but decided not to. I wanted to hear the reaction from fans and writers around town on the radio instead. One Sun writer said he was shocked at the decision. I wonder why? I am surprised more of DT'S supporters aren't upset with Andy for not giving him a 3 or 5 year deal for $10 million. How can a guy work on a 1 year deal?

I'm still waiting......which ML team would hire DT to be their manager? There aren't any. I'll answer my own question. DT is a good organization guy for any team and can manage a Norfolk or Bowie team. He probably could do a good job with helping to get the new Spring Training complex fixed up for the team being a Florida resident and based on his experience in the minor leagues for a number of years.

How do you think the press in Boston, NY, Chicago, LA, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Francisco, Arizona......that's enough....would handle the story here in Baltimore. I bet the GM'S and managers in NY, Boston, Tampa and Toronto sent Andy and DT a letter of congratulations last night. They are all probably jumping for joy.

[Satyr3206]

Really! Don't even have a clue......about what. Evaluating people? I asked the question "How many teams would hire DT to be their manager?" Not one answer so far. This isn't about how far we have come under AM. Some on here seem to be confusing our progress and the development of our farm system with the managers competency and his coaches. These are two separate issues. We lose 13 games in a row....no big deal......and are close to losing 100 games.....are 41 games out of first and we reward our manager. I happen to disagree with this decision and you are entitled to your opinion. Every team has players that get injured during a season and have off seasons like Huff but our season was over before Sherrill and Huff were moved. Don't use their trades and Jones injury as the reason this team slumped so badly. Jones wsn't doing anything after the All-Star game and Pie actually did a pretty darn good job. I'm not sure Jones would have had better numbers. That was a wash.

It's interesting the number of regulars on here who in the last few weeks were in favor of a change at the top who have gone silent or got on the AM bandwagon in support of this move. When I heard yesterday that AM had already made a decision to extend I was about to get in my car to drive to last night's game. I intended to go to the game but decided not to. I wanted to hear the reaction from fans and writers around town on the radio instead. One Sun writer said he was shocked at the decision. I wonder why? I am surprised more of DT'S supporters aren't upset with Andy for not giving him a 3 or 5 year deal for $10 million. How can a guy work on a 1 year deal?

I'm still waiting......which ML team would hire DT to be their manager? There aren't any. I'll answer my own question. DT is a good organization guy for any team and can manage a Norfolk or Bowie team. He probably could do a good job with helping to get the new Spring Training complex fixed up for the team being a Florida resident and based on his experience in the minor leagues for a number of years.

How do you think the press in Boston, NY, Chicago, LA, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Francisco, Arizona......that's enough....would handle the story here in Baltimore. I bet the GM'S and managers in NY, Boston, Tampa and Toronto sent Andy and DT a letter of congratulations last night. They are all probably jumping for joy.

I hate to be obvious but the answer is at least 1. The Orioles.

[McNulty]

You can't prove all other MLB teams wouldn't want him for their manager either.

Francona didn't get another gig for quite some time after he got fired from his first stint. Does that mean he isn't a good manager?

Dude, just admit that you are pissed about all the losses and want to blame the manager. Its ok to do so.

[section18]

Don't say the cities I mentioned are different than the Orioles. We have been rebuilding for 12 years and we are still losing. Every team is in some state of rebuilding every year. The rebuilding line has to stop sometime. When? What year will we start to win again? I think three or four years ago we said 2009 or 2010.

To survive in the AL East we all know you have to spend money, develop players in your farm system, have a good manager with good coaches and a good front office. I guess hitting on 2 out of 4 of these isn't too bad for now.

I am looking forward to free agency and the winter meetings like everyone else is on OH. This isn't personal it's about accountability. We haven't seen anything like this before with this team. DT has got to be the luckiest guy on the face of the earth right now. I'm really happy for him. Shocked and surprised but really happy for him. You can be sure when he walked into AM'S office yesterday afternoon he did not expect to hear what Andy had to say.

[Guest rochester]

OK, so the summary is:

• You're PO'd because you can't resell your season tickets at a price you want, and scalpers agree with you that business is off.
• The street price of resold tickets is down because the team is bad.
• Your pals, who don't actually go to any games, agree with you that the team is bad because of the coaching staff.
• Therefore, AM should have Town Hall meeting for season ticket holders, which you think will be packed because they all want to give him an earful about DT.

Makes sense to me.

While you're at the Town Hall meeting, I think you should demand to see Andy's birth certificate. After all, he *says* he's the son of the guy who built the Orioles into winners, but we haven't really seen any proof of that, have we?

In the great words of JTrea

A-freaking-men!:clap3::clap3::clap3:

JTrea (October 3, 2009)

[Frobby]

section18 -- Read the Melewski article on MacPhail's press conference and you will get the answers to all of your questions. You may not like those answers, but MacPhail has explained his thinking about the present and the future quite clearly.

[Guest rochester]

You could of saved yourself the long post with this sentence:

I'm bitter that I bought season tickets during a 100 loss season, and I blame Dave Trembley.

Fin.

Right...

But, Section18 has stuck through this team and has proved it even though he most likely believed that they end result would be bad. His level of being a fan, and all other multi-season ticket holders, IMO, are the true fans - and the fans that has made Baltimore a decent sports town in the past (I can not look at The Ravens the same way - too many bandwagoners IMO)

Section18 has every right to vent his feelings. Actually, it would not be a bad idea for the franchise to do something for them if they renew.

Saying that, what did the MFYs do with the season ticket-holders when they had to chop their prices this year?

[section18]

Thanks for your remarks and to Frobby for suggesting that I read AM'S comments that were posted. As usual Andy expresses the teams viewpoint in an encouraging way. There was one question that wasn't asked at the press conference. I would like Andy or Peter to tell the season ticket holders and the other paying customers what kind of budget or payroll they have in mind for this team in the 2010 season. If he says we are going to stay under $50 million for the foreseeable future then it's not logical to buy season tickets. Just go when you feel like it and get tickets for half price.

In the past the team has held back waiting to see how the season ticket renewals trickled in before spending for a player making more than 3 or 4 million like Wigginton or Eaton. Trade and spend, show us something and we'll continue to renew.The time for action is now. Less words and more action is what I think most of us are looking for. How do you talk a quality player into coming here to a losing team unless you over pay them? We have failed before to sign FA'S when we had the highest offer on the table. Andy is going to have to pull off some more shrewd deals. His days of making 6 for one or 5 for one type deals are over. We need quality. It's time for us to give 3 or 4 players for a star under contract for three or more years.

[geschinger]

I would like Andy or Peter to tell the season ticket holders and the other paying customers what kind of budget or payroll they have in mind for this team in the 2010 season. If he says we are going to stay under $50 million for the foreseeable future then it's not logical to buy season tickets. Just go when you feel like it and get tickets for half price.

IMO it is misguided for anyone to base purchasing tickets based on payroll rather than the quality of the product. And we should all know by now from experience as O's fans that Higher Payrolls do not always equate to better teams.

It's time for us to give 3 or 4 players for a star under contract for three or more years.

That is just about the worst thing this franchise could do a this point.

[fansince71]

You guys can bang on section all you want but you have to admit that bringing DT back is a hard sell to the allready dwindling Fan-base.

[Mad Mark]

And when Section 18 leaves, somebody in Section 16 will move into his seats, and someone in Section 14 will move into his seats, and so on and so on and so on...and JTrea will still be beating the "we could have signed Tex" drum.

Yawn.

Apologies to our female members about the lazy use of "his".

[catfishncwc]

Did that post make you feel better, feels better to let it out doesn't it.

[foxfield]

Section 18,

I for one appreciate your expressing your frustration for the last 12 years. I honestly do not know who is more frustrated, those who have been loyal fans and whose experience is mostly covered by these last 12 years or those of us who actually do remember when the Orioles were one of the best franchises in sports.

I did not take the time to look it up, but I believe, that if you took a look at the period from 1969 until now, a span of 40 years, you would find that the Orioles have won the AL east more than anyone expcept the Yankees. The fact that it has happend but twice since 1983, well, that GRATES on all of us.

To answer your question about who would hire DT other than us?

I don't know. That does not mean he should or should not have the job. What I do know is that there is a calm in the way AM has approached this job and we cannot blame him for 12 years of failure. All of us want to see the O's back on top in the AL East and I believe the way AM is approaching it is sensible. Do I think it will work, again, I don't know.

But I do know this, from the top of the organization to the fans here, it has been stated that the bottom has been reached, and that there is talent in the system and the time to begin rising is now. Maybe I am blind in my faith, maybe I am fanatical. But I am a fan who shares your desire for the losing to end. For the darkness to go away.

Am I optimistic, well, I try to be and I think you should be too. We are not the Cubs or the Redsox and I can't endure waiting the rest of my life to win again. But I will be here, trying to be patient, hoping that we have the people in control who have the ability and the courage to get the job done.

Is DT one of those guys, well, I hope so, AM thinks so and you know, even though I share your doubts, that is good enough for me and in my opinion, it should be good enough for you too.

Thanks

[BaltimoreTerp]

You guys can bang on section all you want but you have to admit that bringing DT back is a hard sell to the allready dwindling Fan-base.

I, among others, already answered that in my first post.