I thought this deserved its own thread...

[JTrea81]

I have a feeling two is more accurate then one.

In this case, Angelos would be right, except for Dempsey, but you know what?

Why not just let Dempsey manage? How much worse could things actually get?

But MacPhail has to trade his young talent for established talent if we are going to win. We aren't going to grow a winning team in the next few years.

[Old#5fan]

In this case, Angelos would be right, except for Dempsey, but you know what?

Why not just let Dempsey manage? How much worse could things actually get?

But MacPhail has to trade his young talent for established talent if we are going to win. We aren't going to grow a winning team in the next few years.

To tell you the truth even the young "talent" doesn't look to be all that great anyway. Makes me wonder if there truly is any real talent on this team right now, at least to the point of any future impact players like virtually any good team has in abundance.

[Arthur_Bryant]

I imagine it's a combination of things.

1) The current team sucks majorly;

2) The current team sucks majorly because the hopes for the future have largely been exposed as less than we had hoped and thought;

3) News from the system has been depressingly bad, such that there is no 2nd wave of cavalry coming to rescue the first wave, thus casting doubt on the efficacy of the development system;

4) The performance of recent picks casts doubt on the scouting system and its director, which kicks the legs out from under the whole basis of the rebuild;

5) As a result of the above becoming apparent to everyone who matters, a giant miasma of doubt and despair has settled over the warehouse, with Peter Angelos doing his best impression of Gene Wilder in The Producers: "No way out... No way out... No way out..."

I guess that just about covers it.

[glorydays]

Many talk about the MASN money like it is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but I am going to guess that it is currently a drain on the O's financial resources. Have you all noticed the lack of non-team advertising? It's almost non-existent. And sure they are receiving money from subscribers - but it costs money to hire talent, purchase equipment, and to run the station. Coupled with the recession and the lack of ticket/luxury (assumption on my part) sales, and you have the potential to have an organization in a lot of trouble.

[lovetoaster]

Maybe we are about to trade Markakis for a Japanese outfielder

[Nick The Stick]

It is funny how the Baltimore Orioles, in the fans' eyes, looks a lot like the state of our country. It's been in trouble for some years and a new president comes along and everyone expects the team to be back together again at 100%.

Yes, MacPhail put his own foot in his mouth when he stated that this season was supposed to be about the wins and losses. But, really... It's not complete yet.

We were not supposed to compete this season. The future O's that are supposed to be set in other positions aren't all here or haven't had enough experience yet to solidify the competitive core team. The young guys that are taking on their future positions already with the team (Jones, Wieters, Reimold, Tillman, Matusz, Bergesen) have been up-and-down, but the rest of the team is not helping them out by doing their jobs, with the exception of Markakis.

I agree that watching this team is heart-breaking, but the plan is still in effect. I think the bug-in-the-ear about fielding a better or winning team this season was a bad idea to let loose.

I can't wait to see a fielded team with:

Roberts, Jones, Reimold, Pie, Markakis, Bell, Snyder, Wieters, Machado

And a pitching staff that includes:

Matusz, Arrieta, Tillman, Bergesen

Now... The "calvary" was here all at once, but it is not the right time for them to peak together. There will be bumps right now.

All I am saying is that... this team is horrible right now... but hopefully (and I am crossing my fingers in saying this) that this team will start to show signs of life in 2011. They just all haven't clicked at the same time this season because of the lack of leadership and dare I say it... team spirit.

[JTrea81]

I'm starting to wonder if my "conspiracy theories" about Angelos and MacPhail actually do have some merit... :scratchchinhmm:

[Smokin' Joe O]

I'm starting to wonder if my "conspiracy theories" about Angelos and MacPhail actually do have some merit... :scratchchinhmm:

What are those again?

[pacman59]

To tell you the truth even the young "talent" doesn't look to be all that great anyway. Makes me wonder if there truly is any real talent on this team right now, at least to the point of any future impact players like virtually any good team has in abundance.

I am afraid the calvary has arrived at Little Big Horn.

And I am even more afraid of the total lack of hitting prospects in the minors.

To be honest Bell and Snyder do not appear to be elite prospects.

[MrOrange82]

I'm starting to wonder if my "conspiracy theories" about Angelos and MacPhail actually do have some merit... :scratchchinhmm:

So...before now you were just experimenting with random letter-combinations for personal amusement?

[Singleton]

Its okay though, because after our next win somebody will get "pied" by Adam Jones and the world will be right again!

I wonder just how much lower this team can sink?

Pies are not the problem and I have no issue with guys enjoying the few wins they get. Movin' on.

[Going Underground]

So if Humpty Dumpty had a great fall or fail? Who will pick up the O's pieces?

[Singleton]

I imagine it's a combination of things.

1) The current team sucks majorly;

2) The current team sucks majorly because the hopes for the future have largely been exposed as less than we had hoped and thought;

3) News from the system has been depressingly bad, such that there is no 2nd wave of cavalry coming to rescue the first wave, thus casting doubt on the efficacy of the development system;

4) The performance of recent picks casts doubt on the scouting system and its director, which kicks the legs out from under the whole basis of the rebuild;

5) As a result of the above becoming apparent to everyone who matters, a giant miasma of doubt and despair has settled over the warehouse, with Peter Angelos doing his best impression of Gene Wilder in The Producers: "No way out... No way out... No way out..."

I guess that just about covers it.

#'s 3 and 4 above are the most depressing parts for me. If we can't draft and develop good talent, we're doomed. No amount of free agents will matter.

[JTrea81]

What are those again?

Angelos brought in MacPhail to purposely keep the payroll relatively low to try to show that the Orioles can't compete with the Red Sox and Yankees even with an RSN, and he'll let his team wallow so when MacPhail becomes commissioner, he's hoping he can ride his coattails and get some credit for if/when MacPhail makes changes to neutralize Boston and NY's payroll advantage on the rest of the league, using the Orioles as the star example of the financial imbalance.

Angelos is more concerned about seeing his name associated with changing the game of baseball now than seeing the Orioles win.

It really seems like his character to do something like this - sacrificing the Orioles for in his mind the greater good of baseball.

And in the same vein he can "stick it" to all the Orioles fans who wanted him to get out of the way. He brings in somebody even more conservative that him and that will frustrate fans even more so he can have the last laugh.

That also seems quite within his character...

[RShack]

It is funny how the Baltimore Orioles, in the fans' eyes, looks a lot like the state of our country. It's been in trouble for some years and a new president comes along and everyone expects the team to be back together again at 100%.

Yes, MacPhail put his own foot in his mouth when he stated that this season was supposed to be about the wins and losses. But, really... It's not complete yet.

He didn't say that. People keep saying he did, but he didn't...