3634 replies to this topic

[Ravens2006]

https://www.usatoday...23/11738342002/

Interesting that Tampa was one of the 2 teams to not "participate" in the survey. Went to a game there a couple years ago and was shocked at how high their concession prices were. Figured they'd be reasonable if not good considering they have never drawn all that well, but no.

[makoman]

When the team was being incredibly cheap, at least you could point to the game day experience being relatively cheap as well (for MLB anyway). The ability to bring your own stuff in was always really nice for example. If the game day experience is going to be normal to expensive, fans can probably live with it as long as the spending is normal to expensive. 

 

I have said that I will give them the benefit of the doubt until they actually get an offseason to see what spending will be like. I'm not exactly confident, but we'll see. Picking up a little money at the deadline was a small positive sign I think, feel like Angelos would have given up Basallo for Eflin's contract to get them to kick in 20M or something. 

 

I rarely go to games though, so my opinion isn't all that important, on either side.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

I wanna have some hope this team can turn it around. But this has gone on for so long I no longer have any optimism. There isn't some magic switch to flip. Every time something happens to make us think they will build some momentum they fall back asleep.

[85Knight]

I wanna have some hope this team can turn it around. But this has gone on for so long I no longer have any optimism. There isn't some magic switch to flip. Every time something happens to make us think they will build some momentum they fall back asleep.

Realistically the only hope is that the injured players all make it back and that changes the construction of the team. We're not good enough right now and haven't been in a long while. We need about 6 or 7 new players to turn this around.

[BaltBird 24]

They were very good through July 7th. 24 games over after beating Oakland. It's been a 2 month stretch of below .500, mediocre baseball since. Currently sitting at 20 games over.

Injuries certainly haven't helped, but something else just seems off.

[makoman]

The Rangers are still the blueprint if you want to hope. 41-39 from July on with 4.9 runs/game in that stretch after being at 5.9 the 82 games before that. Back to 5.7 in the playoffs. Who knows how they flipped the switch.

 

We were at 5.2 at the end of June, 4.5 since. Sure doesn't feel likely though I agree.

[DuffMan]

They were very good through July 7th. 24 games over after beating Oakland. It's been a 2 month stretch of below .500, mediocre baseball since. Currently sitting at 20 games over.

Injuries certainly haven't helped, but something else just seems off.

No "Magic", I have 0 confidence in this team coming back from any kind of deficit these days.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Will be interesting to see the next two series on the road. Two teams that arent completely out of the WC race. Especially Det, who has been playing some solid baseball

[DuffMan]

Kjerstad has played the past 2 games in Aberdeen.  If he's feeing good I want him up here in the next couple of days.  The offense is anemic and needs help

[jamesdean]

What's maddening about this team is how predictable they are.  I don't even know why anyone gets upset about it anymore.  This has been going on for months.  It's not going to change.  They are who they are.  Luckily for them, all the other contending teams are in the same boat.  

[mweb08]

So Flaherty hasn't turned into a pumpkin since the trade. Mack and I debated who we'd rather have between he and Eflin, well both seems like the best answer as of now. And still no Rogers.

I'm glad the Yanks passed on him though.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Kjerstad has played the past 2 games in Aberdeen. If he's feeing good I want him up here in the next couple of days. The offense is anemic and needs help

Agree but he's a lefty too. We need a righty bat in this lineup.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Agree but he's a lefty too. We need a righty bat in this lineup.

 

Who do you suggest?

[Mackus]

In the last calendar month (since Aug 9th), only Urias (993), Mullins (940), and Gunnar (830) have an OPS over 700 for the O's.  Absolutely horrendous offense lately.  The team has a 687 OPS over that stretch, 22nd in MLB.

 

Santander is a 691, McCann 665, Cowser 665, O'Hearn 604, Mountastle 597, Jimenez 571, Rutschman 554, and Holliday 497.  Just brutal.  

[makoman]

I don't care about handedness, the team as a whole needs to get out of the funk.

 

Maybe Westburg, Mounty, Urias, Kjerstad can all provide some sort of spark by the playoffs. That's a lot of potential turnover in the lineup.

 

In other news, Roch said yesterday that Coulombe is starting rehab Wednesday. Webb continues tomorrow. Grayson is close to live BP.

 

The plus thing here is the playoff roster may be like 25% different from today's roster.

[DuffMan]

Agree but he's a lefty too. We need a righty bat in this lineup.

I mean it's not like the platoons are even working right now.   Won't know how he and others for that matter do in LvL situations until we try. 

[tennOsfan]

We have too many hitters who lack the ability to shorten their swing and simply poke the ball into the OF. Get a single. Especially important when there's runners in scoring position.

 

For postseason success, that's integral. Instead, we're swinging for the fences. Every at bat. Honestly, I don't think the organization values it. Perhaps the analytics weigh against it over the long term. But the playoffs aren't the regular season - you have to find a way to get on base against elite pitching and shortened games with relievers who have built-in off days for rest. Swinging and missing won't cut it. And that's what we are.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Who do you suggest?

Said it several times already. Westburg is the key to turning this offense around. Other than that there isn't anybody.

[85Knight]

Agree but he's a lefty too. We need a righty bat in this lineup.

They're not going to do it but if Westburg and Urias come back soon we'd be better playing them and benching Holliday. Hopefully Mountcastle can make it back too.

[makoman]

They're not going to do it but if Westburg and Urias come back soon we'd be better playing them and benching Holliday.

I don't agree that they wouldn't do it. If he continues to have a 500ish OPS in September and the others are healthy I think they are the playoff starters. Unless Urias comes back and is back to April form or something, then who knows.