Open letter to Andy McPhail

[Mackus]

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.

No it isn't. The grading criteria for Trembley wasn't wins and losses this past year. He's done some things well and done poorly in other areas. Ideally he'll continue with the good things and work on eliminating the bad things (which he demonstrably did throughout the season in some areas) and become a better manager next year.

[Frobby]

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 was listening to WBAL as I drove home last night, and the three callers I heard were all pro-Trembley.

The fan base doesn't really care who the manager is, they just want to see a much better team on the field, one that wins games. If next year's team is much better, fans will come watch them. If they don't play better, the fans will stay away. It's about that simple.

[Moose Milligan]

So El Trea wants us to spend gobs for "premium talent" yet wants cheaper tickets.

Splain.

Oh wait, MASN money. The cure all. Obama can fix the national debt with MASN money.

[olehippi]

Section 18 = Section 8? Unfortunately, there are also a few other Looneyville escapees riding this bus, all who obviously think they can drive it better....

Thankfully, the majority understand what the rebuilding process is about.

[Ruzious]

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.

And the fact that AM didn't pander to the fans in this decision makes me respect him more. Not too many GMs would have had the fortitude to do that - knowing a lot of noisy fans would demand their skapegoat. Heck, if I was in AM's position, I would have fired Trembley.

[RShack]

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)

I would like to endorse this point of view. I think Section18 can be counted on to say some of the goofiest things ever said around here. I think some of what he says is downright nuts (it just flies under the crazy-radar because he doesn't normally cram it down everybody's throat). But the guy puts his money up, and he gets season tickets (and not cheap ones either), and he actually goes to a lot of ballgames. He doesn't pull the the lame stunt that some guys do, where they don't even watch the games, they just show up here and say crazy stuff. Section18 not only watches the games, he actually goes to a lot of games. So, no matter how loony I think a lot of his posts are, IMO he actually *earns* the right to say any damn thing he wants.

I just don't understand how somebody who is into baseball enough to buy-and-use those tickets can actually believe some of the stuff he believes... but life is full of mysteries, this is just one of them...

[JTrea81]

So El Trea wants us to spend gobs for "premium talent" yet wants cheaper tickets.

Splain.

Oh wait, MASN money. The cure all. Obama can fix the national debt with MASN money.

It's a travesty the Orioles continue to put the product on the field they do and charge those prices.

If MacPhail doesn't make significant moves this offseason, I wouldn't blame any season ticket holder for not renewing.

Nowhere did I say I wanted cheaper tickets if MacPhail puts a winning product on the field.

I'd be willing to pay double to see a winning product that goes to the playoffs year after year. And guess what? That's how your club makes even more money. Put a winner on the field and raise ticket prices and suddenly you have even more money to spend...

[section18]

I was the one who said they should reduce season ticket prices if they are going to continue to shrink the payroll. The pricing structure was based pretty much before MASN came into existence and when we were in the $90 million salary range. Do the arithmetic. If your payroll is almost 50% less and we aren't signing qualiy free agents that drive the payroll up why should we pay the current ticket prices. Am I saying we are cheapening the product? Maybe.... or maybe we are just being smarter. When ticket prices go up it's always said it's due to increasing payroll.........when payroll goes down?

AM said they will buy bats. When I said it's time for him to do 3 or 4 for one trades I was referring to prospects we have a surplus of to get a quality player with an affordable contract for 3 or 4 years...like an Adrian Gonzalez. I'm not giving up several prospects for a guy on a 1 or 2 year contract. If quality free agents won't sign with us you have to trade for them. There is nothing wrong with that. You put a Gonzalez in our lineup batting 4th and add a 3B or DH with some power and we look a lot better and will score more runs. If we don't trade for a guy like him and don't try to sign a Lackey or obtain a Millwood type we are going to see the same thing all over again. If the rumors about the Yankees going after Matt Holliday and trading for Roy Halliday turn out to be true the Orioles will have to add a lot more during the off season. Probably 2 starters, a 1B, 3B, 2 relievers and a closer. It's not hard to see this team winning 80+ games next year with these additions. The question as I said before is how much is PA going to let AM spend for FA'S and players obtained in trades.

For those who supported my comments thank you. As I said before this was not about how the team has progressed with the development of their farm system and some of the younger players who joined the team in 09. It's about whether our coaching staff and manager are the right guys to lead us to a winning record. It looks like this is their last chance in 2010.

[The Rick]

No it isn't. The grading criteria for Trembley wasn't wins and losses this past year. He's done some things well and done poorly in other areas. Ideally he'll continue with the good things and work on eliminating the bad things (which he demonstrably did throughout the season in some areas) and become a better manager next year.

I agree with you, it wasn't about wins and losses... but he failed the grading criteria set forth by MacPhail. I like DT personally and all, but I don't get bringing him back. I hope it works out though, after all... what do I know.

[Mad Mark]

Nowhere did I say I wanted cheaper tickets if MacPhail puts a winning product on the field.

I'd be willing to pay double to see a winning product that goes to the playoffs year after year. And guess what? That's how your club makes even more money. Put a winner on the field and raise ticket prices and suddenly you have even more money to spend...

I'm glad beyond all measure that you're willing to "pay double" for the one game a year you travel down here from MAINE to see. Glad beyond measure. Yep.

Meanwhile stop volunteering to double the cost of the 162 tickets I pony up for each year.

Are you ever not wrong?

[boog26]

So El Trea wants us to spend gobs for "premium talent" yet wants cheaper tickets.

Splain.

Oh wait, MASN money. The cure all. Obama can fix the national debt with MASN money.

:rofl:

And Health Care for all...

So simple.

[PoleyFan]

You can't hold people to the same expectation by giving them differing supplies to produce with. If you want someone to make the best pancakes ever, and you give one guy Bisquick, one guy Krusteez, and a third guy two twizzlers and some m&m's you can't expect all of them to produce the same pancake.

I don't post much, but I do have a heck of a good time reading what the rest of you have to say. Stuff like this is a riot! And, I agree with your analogy.

On a serious note, do those of you with more know-how think the O's organization is going to have to hit rock bottom (record losses in ticket sales/attendance, key players seeking trades, a couple 'worst record' seasons, inability to sign draftees, whatever-else-I'm-not-thinking-of, etc.) before things start to turn around?

[clarence]

I don't post much, but I do have a heck of a good time reading what the rest of you have to say. Stuff like this is a riot! And, I agree with your analogy.

On a serious note, do those of you with more know-how think the O's organization is going to have to hit rock bottom (record losses in ticket sales/attendance, key players seeking trades, a couple 'worst record' seasons, inability to sign draftees, whatever-else-I'm-not-thinking-of, etc.) before things start to turn around?

They are turning around. Hopefully, you can see that. We have young talent in the toughest division in professional sports. It's not an overnight thing.

[Roll Tide]

I think Mcphail made the right move in bringing Trembley back.

He is the right man for our Orioles

Wedge in Cleveland and Cooper in Houston both failed at reaching the task at hand for the astros and indians and are not good comps for whether or not Trembley should have been retained or not.

The Orioles are rebuilding under A.M. and are right on schedule.

Trembley has done a Great job

:rofl: Talk about Kool Aid sipping------------- You my friend should sign up for some brand spanking new season tickets asap. Trembley hasn't done a great job.... He works cheap. Right on schedule for what ????? The Orioles are no where close to competing. Unless he makes a few very substantial move this off season they likely wont even sniff .500. Plus the 2 main teams in our division wont be sitting on their hands this off season or the next.

I dont blame you for being upset Section 18. I recommend you save your money & buy again when the product has value.

[PoleyFan]

They are turning around. Hopefully, you can see that. We have young talent in the toughest division in professional sports. It's not an overnight thing.

I totally agree, and I think there is a lot to be hopeful about in the coming years.

I was thinking more along the lines of those who have commented on the Angelos family's spending patterns as a major reason for the team's overall lack of success. I really don't know the history on this, so I can't say I agree or disagree with the critics. I just wondered if those who have followed their ownership style over the years think that it will take something that threatens their livelihood before they take a different approach to acquiring quality players, if indeed their philosophy is a core problem that has held the team back.