New WNST protest planned

[beaner]

Rob Long is the TRUTH and thats all that matters.

He's really good, and a good guy to boot. It's just a shame he works for Nestor.

[bgfield]

Nestor's "short list" of grievances is the biggest joke I've read all year.

Yeah this team stinks. The record sucks. But what is his major grievance? He almost sounds like he's making it up as he goes along. It's clear he has nothing to really protest other than the fact that this team has been really bad this year. Okay. We get it. The team's sucked for ten years. Does that mean we aren't making progress? Didn't Angelos effectively do what Nestor wanted him to do with last season's protest? (OK, he didn't sell the team, but he appointed someone to head all baseball operations, and he's stepped down from his decision making in that department. Isn't that exactly what Nestor wanted?!)

I mean, look at this stuff from his list of grievances...

"The colossal embarrassment of Sam Perlozzo’s exit…"

What was embarassing about firing a guy who was, frankly, a really bad manager and had lost his team? The fact that John Kruk was pissed off about it?

"The two-month “non-existent” movement of new “poobah” Andy McPhail…(OK, we’ll “credit” him with Matt Wieters, but who’s fooling whom? They got lucky, really!)"

What do you expect him to do in two months in the middle of the season? He traded Trachsel for two younger guys who might have an impact on this ballclub. Isn't that a start?

"The de-balling of Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette, who had “the organization heading in the right direction” just days before their departure…"

This isn't progress??!

"They’ve had a lunatic pitcher throw at an opposing team’s skull, only to further attempt to incite a riot…"

Yeah that's a good way to gain credibility; hyperbole. He didn't even aim at Pedroia's head, he aimed at his back. And that doesn't make him a lunatic!

"The embarrassment of signing a new manager whose record is so bad since the signing, that I won’t even print it here. Oh, and there was that major league tantrum last week!"

Uhh, what? They signed a guy AFTER he showed he can get the job done. It's not his fault the team on the field stinks. Again, Nestor's reaching for this one.

I could go on. Really, I could quote every single one of those items and shoot it down pretty much, but I don't feel like taking up the whole page. I guess I can sum it up by simply saying: Nestor's an attention seeking idiot.

[eddie83]

People here just need to accept that there are O's fans out there that feel different from you. They feel hatred toward the current team, the front office. They loathe everything Orioles because it only reminds them how far the team has fallen since they days when they were the best organization in baseball. You guys forget sometimes that there are emotions attached to this team that run as deep as family and friendship. People take this stuff seriously. They can't shrug off things like SilentJames and say "Ah well, other teams do the same things the Orioles do." Back in their time, the Orioles were the ONLY ones doing things a certain way. That kind of rationale means nothing to them. They can't look at the team like BaltimoreTerp and say "They are going to be a winning team this year." For one, it's just not true, and two, they have seen enough. They can't allow themselve to believe in the Orioles because they've only been hurt.

I know Nestor has his own interests at heart here. But he wouldn't do this if he didn't care. There are other ways for him to make money and get attention. He could do any number of things with the Ravens since that is all he normally talks about. So let's remember where this protest is coming from. 1. The heart. 2. the wallet.

I don't doubt anyone here is a tried and true Oriole fan. It just makes me sick to my stomach to sit here and listen to the ramblings of some people who bash others for having a negative opinion of the team. Nasty Nestor, the fans, other doom and gloomers... ME... has every friggin right to voice their opinion no matter what the front office has "done" since hiring MacPhail... since signing mediocre players to make a run at .500 or anything other "positive" the team has done since whenever.

There is so much work to be done to turn this team around that its not even funny. And to think that simply hiring one man in MacPhail makes those things all fine and good is foolish. MacPhail will probably fail at his job. That is the sad reality that people need to seriously consider around here.

The bottom line is that this organization continues to not know how to tie their own shoe laces, and until they show the fans something, ie through the standings, the fans have every right to complain about whats going on. The fans are past player "development", they are past looking toward next year.

This organization has been sliding since 2004. And no matter who they hire, that is the truth.

So I'll say again, this protest absolutely has merit and EVERYONE involved has a right to be there and voice their opinion as much as the people here who say the opposite.

Sorry for the rant.

I have a negative attitude towards this franchise. I hate the fact that being a big baseball fan my summers have not been nearly as enjoyable the last 10 years. I take what has happened here very seriously. I think the franchise needs major improvements both on and off the field.

There is a big difference between having a negative attitude and acting like every single thing this franchise does is wrong. Your paragraph about MacPhail fits your mindset perfectly. Why is MacPhail going to fail? You have a negative attitude about someone who has has been here for 3 months. You have already prejudged someone without even giving them a fair shot. Aparicio is taking advantage of the fact that next Monday's game is a rain makeup on a weeknight against Kansas City. He knows even a small amount of people will stand out. He is doing this for attention. We hired a guy with 2 World Series titles and off the field the Orioles created their Orioles Reach community program. Our manager has a leadership quality that has lacked here for years. Let's crap all over new people who have nothing to do with the current losing culture and not even give them a chance.

[btownoriole]

Because CBS Radio demanded that in their contract.

Because that's business. When someone (*cough*MSA*cough*) tries to break a contract, or use language in one to screw you over, you sue.

Why does that matter?

See above.

If CBS Radio demanded it in their contract, why didn't the O's negotiate it out? I can guarantee you the free publicity the team loses out on by not having personnel on other TV & radio stations dwarfs the extra $ CBS pays them.

Smart businesses use lawsuits (or even the threat) of lawsuits as LAST resorts, not as standard operating procedures.

Why does it matter? Because that's what your core customers want! The best businesses in the world listen to their customers, create bonds with them, and deliver a quality product. The Orioles under Peter Angelos have done none of the above.

Listen, everything I've heard says that Angelos is a brilliant lawyer, and it's made him a lot of money. But making a lot of money based on his ability as a lawyer does not make him a good businessman. And his management of the Orioles has proven him to be a poor businessman.

[Hank Scorpio]

Oh, I know I've had some of the things I said at the Sun boards last year read over the air by that morning-show loser (actually losers, since one got himself fired since then).

I have no doubt that if Nestor were banned from the locker room for not being a journalist, or something like that, he would immediately turn on the Ravens.

No doubt about this. How often do you see a "journalist" prancing around the locker room in his Ravens jersey with "Nasty" printed on the back?

I think I heard Nestor say "I'll holla" to 13 different players on Sunday, juuust loud enough for the rest of the media to hear (as if they are jealous of him or something.)

[bernie132000]

It's amazing the anger a radio host with the intention of embarassing the worst owner in baseball drums up around here. Can't people seperate the idea and Nestor? Noone else in Baltimore has the platform to make a rally or protest of any significance.

Free the Birds was not laughed at by the national press. In fact it was pretty much universally embraced as "well, at least some people still care about what is happening to the Orioles." Angelos was forced to comment on it and even gave an interview to Pressbox. I don't know about you all, but I certainly want to hear more from Angelos regarding the state of the team and what he plans on doing with it. And if that's what comes from rallys like this than I consider it a success.

I consider Free the Birds a war against fan apathy as much as it is against the owner. Baltimore doesn't seem to care about the Orioles anymore and neither does our local media. There hasn't been too much made of this historic 25 game stretch the Orioles have been on in the national press either. Roch and Shmuck are good guys and are pretty funny, but do you think Boston, New York or Philly papers would have guys like that covering the team? Dan Shaugnessy b****** about the Red Sox, the best team in baseball, like Mike Preston b****** about the Ravens. (Why doesn't Preston cover the O's - that would be more appropriate actually). The Boston Globe and New York Times/Post would be destroying a franchise as pathetic as the Orioles and it would be happening on a daily basis.

I think Free the Birds was started to show that some people do still care about what has happened to this franchise and they care enought to speak out about it. I've made all these arguments last time around and am not sure I want to get back into it, so I'll just leave it at that.

I'm glad we don't have anyone like Shaugnessy. He is an awful columnist who outright lies and says things just to stir up controversy. Newspeople are supposed to just report the news, not make themselves the central part of the news. This is why I hate Shaugnessy, and why I hate Nestor. I used to listen to WNST, but it just got way too negative. Instead of listening to them just complain, maybe I actually want to hear some new information. Their job is to find the news and report it. They don't do that. This protest is an absolutely awful idea. Protestors want it both ways. They said that Flannagen did not have enough time, yet are already criticizing McPhail. Give him time, he hasn't had an offseason yet. You should not aspire to get to .500. That is the worst goal. You should never be in the middle. The only time you should spend money is when you are close to contention. Otherwise you should be trying to get prospects and build for a run. The middle is the worst place. I'm sorry for this rant, but this is just an absolutely awful idea and will not help at all. It just makes our city and team look worse, so we never will get any FAs.

[Why Not?]

No doubt about this. How often do you see a "journalist" prancing around the locker room in his Ravens jersey with "Nasty" printed on the back?

I think I heard Nestor say "I'll holla" to 13 different players on Sunday, juuust loud enough for the rest of the media to hear (as if they are jealous of him or something.)

Nestor isn't a journalist. I'm not even sure if he's pretending to be one. He would be canned in about 30 seconds if he worked at any outlet in which he didn't have controlling ownership.

Any idea that this is anything more than a publicity grab and an ego trip is absurd.

[BigDawg819]

I find it amusing how posters are bashing Nestor for his vendetta against the O's and yet most of these posts seem like a vendetta against Nestor. Ahhh irony...

[The Wedge]

I find it amusing how posters are bashing Nestor for his vendetta against the O's and yet most of these posts seem like a vendetta against Nestor. Ahhh irony...

That's not really irony.

[frankpembleton]

I'm glad we don't have anyone like Shaugnessy. He is an awful columnist who outright lies and says things just to stir up controversy. Newspeople are supposed to just report the news, not make themselves the central part of the news. This is why I hate Shaugnessy, and why I hate Nestor. I used to listen to WNST, but it just got way too negative. Instead of listening to them just complain, maybe I actually want to hear some new information. Their job is to find the news and report it. They don't do that. This protest is an absolutely awful idea. Protestors want it both ways. They said that Flannagen did not have enough time, yet are already criticizing McPhail. Give him time, he hasn't had an offseason yet. You should not aspire to get to .500. That is the worst goal. You should never be in the middle. The only time you should spend money is when you are close to contention. Otherwise you should be trying to get prospects and build for a run. The middle is the worst place. I'm sorry for this rant, but this is just an absolutely awful idea and will not help at all. It just makes our city and team look worse, so we never will get any FAs.

When are people going to realize it has nothing to do with McPhail and everything to do with Angelos? Seriously.

Newsflash...the goal of this organization has been .500 for the last 5 years. When have we been trying to rebuild? Aren't you making arguments against the Angelos regime throughout this post?

There has been one constant through the last decade of losing and everyone here wants to ignore it.

[TGO]

That's not really irony.

Dontcha think?

[Miller192]

I went to the protest and supported it last year, primarily because I almost felt like I needed to. I had a lot of anger towards this organization. I mean, I was there in '83 jumping up and down on my parents bed with my dad, went to every opening day since '86, and even heard Todd Zeile's 2 run shot zip over my head in the ALCS.

I felt like I needed to show up that day, wear a FTB t-shirt, and walk-out on a regime that has ruined a lot of good memories for me. It was a lot of fun though. I got to spend the day with my brother who I don't see much anymore and meet a bunch of like minded individuals. We cheered like Ravens' fans, it was a fun day and it was one of the best times I've had at OPACY in a long time.

This year I'm not going. I have finally seemed to put baseball in Baltimore in perspective.

I went to a game with my wife earlier in the year against the A's where they had a fireworks show at the end of the game. As I walked around the almost empty stadium it dawned on me. It's now just entertainment. There's no more rivalries, no more speed dial calls to ticketmaster, no more drama in September. Its now just going to the game with the wife so she can enjoy a Baltimore summer night and some cool fireworks. And we get to spend some time together.

Baseball in Baltimore now is just a pastime. We've got the circus in town for 6 months folks, enjoy it...

[Why Not?]

I find it amusing how posters are bashing Nestor for his vendetta against the O's and yet most of these posts seem like a vendetta against Nestor. Ahhh irony...

It's not his vendetta against the Orioles that bothers people, it's his general tool-like nature.

[Moose Milligan]

Nothing gets the people on the OH riled up like a WNST protest.

Sheesh.

[The Wedge]

Dontcha think?

Like ra-ee-ain on your wedding day.