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Will We Become Boston Fans Post 2004?


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#1 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:13 PM

1919 through 2003 Boston Red Sox fans were adorable with their deserved pessimism. 

They then became the most insufferable fanbase ever created after their '04 (and subsequent '07, '13, and '18) championships. 

That going to be us after we add a couple of titles this decade?

 

For many of us, our favorite seasons have been '89, '12, and this '23 season so far... 

The '89 team being fun with the youth, and coming off an '88 season which started 0-21, and was truly one of the worst teams ever. 

 

The '12 team ending that '98-'11 run of under .500 darkness and futility. 

 

This '23 team taking the next-steps from last year, and helping to further put the '17-'21 years behind us... 

 

I suspect the rest of this decade will be the O's best teams since '66-'71. 

 

If we do have that type of run, will we take the belt from Boston fans as the most annoying fanbase in existence?



#2 BSLMikeLowe

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:19 PM

Maybe we should first win a World Series before we ponder whether we'll get inflated heads.


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#3 You Play to Win the Game

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:23 PM

Boston fans took national heat perpetually over The Curse of the Bambino ™️, and being the Yankees punching bag in arguably the greatest rivalry in North America. It galvanized them, they still packed Fenway year in year out, well ahead of them winning. I think the two towns and fanbases are about as apples to oranges as it gets IMHO.

Most Orioles fans after we win a ring will be brand new Orioles fans. Not hating on them, being em in, you love to see it. But I have no plans to forget the suffering. I plan to enjoy it as richly as possible without being a jackass to other fans of other teams. Red Sox fans can suck it.
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#4 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:26 PM

Maybe we should first win a World Series before we ponder whether we'll get inflated heads.


Called multiple titles this decade before this year; not backing away from that now with the O's about to go 30 games over .500. 

 

Whether they win it all or not this year, they're going to be in the hunt every year for years. 

Frankly, this team will only get better.  Record might not be as good, but expected production should increase.

This current team has outscored teams by 68 runs...   in subsequent years, I think they're just going to really crush people. 


Yes, I understand the op, and this post is being as arrogant and annoying as any Boston fan ever. The irony intentional.  But yet, this is what I believe.


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#5 BaltBird 24

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:27 PM

Red Sox fans sucked before they won it all in 2004.
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#6 BSLMikeLowe

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:35 PM


Called multiple titles this decade before this year; not backing away from that now with the O's about to go 30 games over .500. 

 

Whether they win it all or not this year, they're going to be in the hunt every year for years. 

Frankly, this team will only get better.  Record might not be as good, but expected production should increase.

This current team has outscored teams by 68 runs...   in subsequent years, I think they're just going to really crush people. 


Yes, I understand the op, and this post is being as arrogant and annoying as any Boston fan ever. The irony intentional.  But yet, this is what I believe.

 

The bold part I agree with, barring a year where they suffer significant injuries. But it's a huge leap from being in the hunt to actually winning a title. Calling for them to win multiple titles by the end of the decade is, well, like you said, kinda arrogant; but also setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

Recall the 1990's Atlanta Braves....maybe one of the great but under-appreciated dynasties the sport has seen (and unlike the Orioles they were among the bigger spenders of their era and kept their core together). Yet they had just one title to show for all that dominance.

 

I'm not trying to tell anyone how to be a fan, but I guess I've been around long enough that I'd rather just focus on one season at a time, because nothing about the future is promised.


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#7 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:36 PM

Boston fans took national heat perpetually over The Curse of the Bambino ™️, and being the Yankees punching bag in arguably the greatest rivalry in North America. It galvanized them, they still packed Fenway year in year out, well ahead of them winning. I think the two towns and fanbases are about as apples to oranges as it gets IMHO.

Most Orioles fans after we win a ring will be brand new Orioles fans. Not hating on them, being em in, you love to see it. But I have no plans to forget the suffering. I plan to enjoy it as richly as possible without being a jackass to other fans of other teams. Red Sox fans can suck it.


They started filling Fenway around '95 when they started going to playoffs each year. 
And credit to them, they are a passionate fanbase. 

 

I was tempted to say they sucked most of my childhood but that's not quite true. They did have '86 (Buckner), and '88 and '90 teams which were good (just not Oakland A's good).  

But my point was going to be I do remember a time before their success, where they had their own empty seats, and were just generally an afterthought. 

Lucchino and Theo did wonders there.  Not just with the baseball infrastructure, but building the franchise as a whole. 
They've been a regular force again for decades now. And with that consistent winning, the fans have shown up and done their part. 

The rivalry with NY was real enough.  NY looking down at everyone, not just with their long history... but also what they accomplished in that '96-'01 run. Boston using that as fuel and a real villain to chase. 

 

 

I'm mainly just having some fun here. 
I respect what Boston has accomplished. 
I hope the O's can have another long sustained run. 
Obviously not chasing down the Yankees 27 Titles (or 11 since the O's founding) in my lifetime.... but I'd love to see the O's surpass Boston's 4 since the birth of the Orioles. 


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#8 Mike B

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:38 PM

1919 through 2003 Boston Red Sox fans were adorable with their deserved pessimism. 

They then became the most insufferable fanbase ever created after their '04 (and subsequent '07, '13, and '18) championships. 

That going to be us after we add a couple of titles this decade?

 

For many of us, our favorite seasons have been '89, '12, and this '23 season so far... 

The '89 team being fun with the youth, and coming off an '88 season which started 0-21, and was truly one of the worst teams ever. 

 

The '12 team ending that '98-'11 run of under .500 darkness and futility. 

 

This '23 team taking the next-steps from last year, and helping to further put the '17-'21 years behind us... 

 

I suspect the rest of this decade will be the O's best teams since '66-'71. 

 

If we do have that type of run, will we take the belt from Boston fans as the most annoying fanbase in existence?

Give me a couple of WS titles and I will happily deal with the fall out.


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#9 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:41 PM

The bold part I agree with, barring a year where they suffer significant injuries. But it's a huge leap from being in the hunt to actually winning a title. Calling for them to win multiple titles by the end of the decade is, well, like you said, kinda arrogant; but also setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

Recall the 1990's Atlanta Braves....maybe one of the great but under-appreciated dynasties the sport has seen (and unlike the Orioles they were among the bigger spenders of their era and kept their core together). Yet they had just one title to show for all that dominance.

 

I'm not trying to tell anyone how to be a fan, but I guess I've been around long enough that I'd rather just focus on one season at a time, because nothing about the future is promised.

 

1 year and one title means only so much to me. 

If the O's win it all in '23 but then flounder again that would be tough to take.

The post-season is a roll of the dice.  What you do in 162 games is much more impressive to me than any post-season success or failure.  The post season is basically just SSS luck once you are there imo. 

 

So, the Braves run is not forgotten by me.  I think their continued excellence for years is all I really want as a fan. To annually have a chance. To go into every year believing a championship is viable. 

 

 

Yeah, saying the O's will definitively win multiple titles is nothing but me yelling at the wind.
Have no real way of knowing how seasons will break. What injuries will occur, If the O's ownership will ever open their checkbooks again to retain some pieces, and add others...  but mainly, I do think the O's are going to be excellent for years, and I think the more talented teams will be in subsequent years.  


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#10 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:45 PM

When the O's announce the finalized stadium deal, I expect one of the things that happens is that the O's will be looking to reduce their seating capacity by 8 to 10k. 

Between doing that, and a team built to compete regularly... demand should actually increase. 



#11 Mike B

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:45 PM


Called multiple titles this decade before this year; not backing away from that now with the O's about to go 30 games over .500. 

 

Whether they win it all or not this year, they're going to be in the hunt every year for years. 

Frankly, this team will only get better.  Record might not be as good, but expected production should increase.

This current team has outscored teams by 68 runs...   in subsequent years, I think they're just going to really crush people. 


Yes, I understand the op, and this post is being as arrogant and annoying as any Boston fan ever. The irony intentional.  But yet, this is what I believe.

I remember both your and Bob's post basically saying that this year was going to be the year the team became contenders.  You made the statement a few years ago.  You nailed it.  I share your optimism, now.  Elias for President.   All that said, I will be excited as hell when they win a series, but I do not think, we will see the same behavior as those Asshat Red Sox fans.


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#12 Mike B

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:53 PM

When the O's announce the finalized stadium deal, I expect one of the things that happens is that the O's will be looking to reduce their seating capacity by 8 to 10k. 

Between doing that, and a team built to compete regularly... demand should actually increase. 

Interesting.  My buddy made a similar comment.  Have you heard something?


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#13 Nigel Tufnel

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:56 PM

When the O's announce the finalized stadium deal, I expect one of the things that happens is that the O's will be looking to reduce their seating capacity by 8 to 10k. 

Between doing that, and a team built to compete regularly... demand should actually increase. 

 

Losing 10,000 seats would put the seating capacity below 35,000, tied with Cleveland for the smallest park in MLB.  That seems a little drastic.  I guess I can see them repurposing the LF upper deck seats that they almost never sell, but I'm not sure there's much of a need to eliminate any other seats.



#14 Slidemaster

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 12:58 PM

Without being rude, I'm not even going to entertain this notion until we've won a world series or two. Tampa is run as close to perfectly as an organization can be on a similar payroll, and they still have zero titles.
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#15 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 01:01 PM

Interesting.  My buddy made a similar comment.  Have you heard something?


I posted this same thought months ago. 
I've heard repeatedly the O's aren't going anywhere, a deal will happen*...  that the O's want a huge reduction in seating (more areas like the CF bar for congregating, and gambling).  Don't know the viability, but I know two things that have been discussed are basically removing the LF Upper Reserve  Sections 380-388, or removing some of the Lower Reserve within the baselines to give a direct view of the field from the concourse. 

And of course there is also what's been talked about ad nauseum with JA wanting his version of The Battery.

 

*Have also more recently heard there is real annoyance of how the O's handle negotiations, but no change in what people think the ultimate conclusion will be.


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#16 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 01:04 PM

Without being rude, I'm not even going to entertain this notion until we've won a world series or two. Tampa is run as close to perfectly as an organization can be on a similar payroll, and they still have zero titles.


Again, mostly having fun and being a bit flippant as the O's are about to get to 30 games over .500 with what I think might be their 'weakest' team for sometime. 

While I've said I think the O's will win multiple titles this decade...  who really knows? 

Mike correctly pointed out what the Braves did.
You are correctly pointing out what the Rays have done.

Agree with you both. 
Really I just want to be either of those franchises. 
Where there is a sustained window of excellence.
That is my expectation for the rest of the decade. 
Regular annual contention.
Hopefully they regularly get to the post-season, and a couple of times things go right and they get some hardware. 



#17 Mike B

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 01:08 PM

Red Sox fans sucked before they won it all in 2004.

Boston sports fans have sucked for years.  


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#18 TwentyThirtyFive

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 01:15 PM


Again, mostly having fun and being a bit flippant as the O's are about to get to 30 games over .500 with what I think might be their 'weakest' team for sometime.

While I've said I think the O's will win multiple titles this decade... who really knows?

Mike correctly pointed out what the Braves did.
You are correctly pointing out what the Rays have done.

Agree with you both.
Really I just want to be either of those franchises.
Where there is a sustained window of excellence.
That is my expectation for the rest of the decade.
Regular annual contention.
Hopefully they regularly get to the post-season, and a couple of times things go right and they get some hardware.

I think Os fans know this should be different. That it is sustainable. They know about the guys in the minors on the cusp. I think the excitement is at a higher level. There are expectations now. High expectations.


All that said, you have to be concerned about Angelos f'ing it up. Not so much the team leaving but pissing off Elias or not giving Elias a good enough budget. Not retaining others outside of Elias who have been crucial in this buildup. Ricker is on point when he says it drives Angelos crazy that he gets little to no credit. He needs to have that adulation. So we will see.

#19 Mike B

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 01:18 PM

I think Os fans know this should be different. That it is sustainable. They know about the guys in the minors on the cusp. I think the excitement is at a higher level. There are expectations now. High expectations.


All that said, you have to be concerned about Angrlos f'ing it up. Not so much the team leaving but pissing off Elias or not giving Elias a budget. Not retaining others outside of Elias who have been crucial in this buildup. Look, Ricker is on point when he says it drives Angelos crazy that he gets no credit. He needs to have that adulation. So we will see.

Not to make this another Angelos thread, but if the Orioles eventually win a series, he will get his credit.  


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#20 BSLSteveBirrer

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Posted 15 August 2023 - 01:35 PM

I think the team is built for a run of several years. But I do worry that since they won't (apparently so far anyway) spend real money that they will have a pitching staff to make a sustained run.

 

I like Grayson and Bradish going forward. But not sold on Kremer and don't think Gibson should be on this team in the future. Am warming up a bit to Kremer but hes a back end guy to me. 

 

Can they augment those 3 well enough? Certainly can fill those spots but you know the Red Sox, Jays, and Yankees will go buy some talent. 






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