The Orioles Hot Stove: Time For Change
I don’t know if this will sound strange, but in a way I feel as if I’m still recovering from Lost Season II. Still getting it out of my system. Still trying to wash away the stain of that second half.
It doubt it will really go away until Hot Stove season begins. I remain optimistic about that, but the next four months shape up to be the most challenging of Andy MacPhail’s tenure. He’s going to need to get creative, and he’s going to need to make some very tough decisions. The performance of the team next year is Dave Trembley’s responsibility, but it’s MacPhail’s job to put the pieces in place. He said as much. Time to deliver.
All of which leads to this: as fans, it’s time to raise our expectations. Specifically, we deserve and have a right to expect the “meaningful improvement” of which MacPhail spoke when he picked up Trembley’s option. As importantly, I think we’re in a position where it’s on us to call it out if they come up short.
Anybody who reads this site or goes to games or still wears an O’s hat with pride (etc.) is in a unique position. We’re pretty much all that’s left of a once-devoted fan base. We’re the ones who chose patience over petulance, reason over rabble-rousing. We bought into The Plan and 2010 has been our horizon for two years now. We did our part, and now it’s time for the reward.
What does that mean, exactly? It’s hard to say. I don’t think it means we decide on a number and shout “failure!” if they don’t meet it. I don’t think it means we demand players x, y, and z then declare the offseason a bust if they don’t all arrive.
I think we’ll know it when we see it — or when we don’t. We’ll know if the team that takes the field next Opening Day is legitimate. We’ll know if this year’s rookies are making progress. We’ll know if the team is playing with purpose and making meaningful strides.
Now, I’m not suggesting that any of us — at this site or in Birdland generally — should suddenly become the mouth-breathing, irrational critics we’ve denounced in the past. Far from it. The world doesn’t need any more of that, and the Orioles discussion needs it even less. I am saying, though, that we should — must — be willing to hold the team accountable if they don’t do what they said they would.
We’ve reached a crossroads. One path is meaningful improvement (and/or appropriate changes made if it doesn’t happen), the other is more of the same. I don’t think we deserve more of the same, and I’m prepared to be honest if that’s what we get.
I think it’s an obligation for all Orioles fans — the true fans who have remained smart and sensible through two years of rebuilding — to do the same.
I genuinely believe we’ll see improvement. I’m actually not worried. But we can’t have Lost Season III. We just can’t.
Finally, remember that thing I kept bugging you to vote about? Well, we came in second. I would have liked to win but that’s a pretty decent showing and I want to thank each of you who voted (and voted, and voted). Very cool.
man i feel this hard fucking weight on me whenever i read these posts.
like, i seriously admire the enthusiasm but always feel like i need to be the voice of reason and i’m sick of it!
the orioles AREN’T GOING TO FUCKING WIN NEXT YEAR.
they’re not going to win THE FOLLOWING YEAR
OR THE FOLLOWING YEAR
OR THE FOLLOWING YEAR
can we make a marker right now where you all say “if the orioles don’t get a wildcard spot in five years i’ll retire from baseball fandom because the game is rigged and it needs to be blown up”.
ten years even?
i can’t wait til the pennants (let alone al east titles} look like this:
yankees
yankees
red sox
yankees
strike year
redsox
redsox
yankees
BLUE JAYS YES THE ORIOLES HAVE a CHANCE!!!
red sox
yankees
yankees
red sox
i genuinely, honestly, TRULY make these posts because i’m tired, bored, and disappointed with this game.
this is a thoughtful website and it freaks me out that you guys don’t even seem to consider these truths that are self evident.
@Big Ben’s Motorcycle – I’ve been working on something for you, but you’re going to need to be a little more workable than that, you know? In fact, one of the few assumptions I’m making is that what the last 5-10 years have taught us is that any team, regardless of payroll level, can make a winner (it just takes more drafting luck and skill and more savvy trades the farther down the payroll scale you go).
The problem, of course, is maintaining a winner. Is that something we can agree on?
Where BBM sees this post as just another blind O’s fan post that he thinks is typical of TLC, I see a shift in TLC Orioles thinking.
Yes we have been supportive, blindly at times, of Andy MacPhail since he came on board. Why? Because of his track record and because the organization pre-MacPhail was Redskin-esque. Because as soon as he came on board, things started to change from Angelos on down to the field. I won’t go through the list of accomplishments that MacPhail has brought to the Orioles since his tenure, we all know it. On the field, though, it boils down to having ridden the team of costly veterans, having acquired good young talent, having rebuilt the farm system, and then finally this year, seeing the fruits of all that at the major league level. It didn’t translate to wins, but name me another young team in baseball that has a core as talented as: Markakis, Jones, Wieters, Reimold, Bergesen, Tillman, Matusz.
Now here’s what I’m saying: all this time, us O’s “apologists” haven’t just been drinking orange Kool-Aid without thinking. What we were doing was saying, let’s give this a fighting chance, let’s give Andy some time to right the ship and let’s understand that it’s going to take some time because shit hasn’t been done right around here for over a decade. To me, that’s not Kool Aid, that’s just straight up sound thinking. We never said, “Andy we’re with you no matter what”. We’ve always said, “Andy, we’re with you unless you prove that your plan isn’t going to work.” The plan is fully in place (sort of, we still need Josh Bell and Arrieta). Now is the time to acquire quality veterans, to really see if this plan is going to produce results.
If it doesn’t, us “apologists” are going to call it like we see it, and I guarantee that. Because we’ve never been just apologists. But where I agree with BBM, is that if the plan doesn’t work, it’s going to be more baseball’s fault than it will Andy MacPhail’s.
@dan the man – Not to be a dick, but I can think of plenty of teams with talented cores that at least rival the Orioles in terms of talent. To wit: the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Angels, White Sox, and Rangers. And that’s just the AL.
I am glad, though, that it’s “officially” the time to stop just accepting and start actually turning a discerning eye towards Andy MacPhail has arrived. I’ve been saying for a while now that for whatever reason this winter feels like a watershed moment. It’s just nice to know I’m not alone in that feeling.
There is an awful lot of work to be done, and anyone who thinks the Orioles are even midway towards their goal (in terms of roster construction) is definitely drinking the kool-aid. But that progress can be pushed or pulled dramatically this winter…
Big Ben’s Motorcycle
October 16th, 2009 at 4:42 AM
i’m really quite passionate when i’ve had four bottles of wine.
i really do admire you guys – if i ever design a sport i’ll be like “dude i know some fans who’ll watch forever” haha.
Nothing is changing here. I was never of the opinion that we should just accept or ignore failure. My point all along has been that we need to be reasonable, patient, and loyal during the rebuilding process.
“Loyal” is the only part that implies acceptance. And, sure, I love the bird on the hat and the team itself no matter how badly they play. But that doesn’t mean that there never comes a time to put higher expectations in place. Now is that time, and now has been that time since MacPhail took over.
We said from the beginning: 2010 is where we start looking good, 2011-12 is where contending becomes a realistic goal.
I’m ready for that. Very much ready. And if it doesn’t happen for some reason, I’m ready to evaluate why and call a spade a spade if necessary. I won’t suddenly hate the team, and I’m pretty sure they won’t suddenly hate me/us. We all (well, most of us) have the same goals.
To the discussion of baseball’s economic system: eh. It’s broken, and I’ve said that before many times. It’s not getting fixed anytime soon, so I think it makes more sense to focus on discussing what’s possible given what we have.
So, I am a petulant rabble rouser because I have called this titanic craptastic organization to the carpet after 4, 6, 9, 12 losing seasons, but TLC can magically declare that next year (the baker’s dozen loss year) to be the one that counts? Stop already.