3637 replies to this topic

[russsnyder]

First of all, great to have a playoff spot locked up. Feels good.

Secondly, this may be a lot of nothing, but I have a lot of connections in the National Symphony Orchestra due to my career and education. They are currently on strike as of a couple of days ago due to not being compensated in a way that is commensurate with their peers. Ugly situation all around.

The chair of the Kennedy center is David Rubenstein.

None of that should suggest he's not going to increase spending on the team or support a winning organization, but it tracks with the price hikes in tickets and consessions, and doesn't exactly paint him in a positive light.

I think this is a bit unfair.

Rubenstein is going to step down from the board of the National Symphony in January 2025. He has a pretty good history of philanthropy, and I think He's generally a good man. From what I read about the negotiations, Management's position is that the Union is essentially asking them to make up for salaries the musicians lost during COVID. Being a member of that symphony seems like a pretty good gig to me, but what do I know?

Lastly, Rubenstein takes some heat around here for raising concession and ticket prices and for selling advertising rights to T Rowe Price.

I don't necessarily think any of these things paint him in a negative light. While I understand people being frustrated, He's running the business the way he sees fit. I'm fine with it as long as he spends money on the team. There's nothing that indicates that he won't do that.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Think the Os best chance for any award this year is gonna be Cowser winning a GG. Henderson will be a finlist for GG and Silver Slugger at SS but I think he loses both to Witt. Cowser also has a shot at ROY but Gil is the fav there now. Santander has a shot at a Silver Slugger too. Not sure anyone else will be nominated for anything. I guess Burnes might make top 3 for CY but that is going to Skubal

[russsnyder]

Think the Os best chance for any award this year is gonna be Cowser winning a GG. Henderson will be a finlist for GG and Silver Slugger at SS but I think he loses both to Witt. Cowser also has a shot at ROY but Gil is the fav there now. Santander has a shot at a Silver Slugger too. Not sure anyone else will be nominated for anything. I guess Burnes might make to 3 for CY but that is going to Skubal

I think that you are right on all counts.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Suarez might be comeback player of the year, but I guess that's not really a major award.

[russsnyder]

Suarez might be comeback player of the year, but I guess that's not really a major award.

It probably isn't considered a major award, however, I think it's a significant award. Resurrecting your career, especially in the manner that Suarez did, is very impressive IMO.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Suarez might be comeback player of the year, but I guess that's not really a major award.

 

Before this year, his last ML pitch was 2017... 

 

It can't be said enough how important Suarez was to the 2024 Orioles, and how ridiculous that would have sounded if in March that's what you said was going to happen. 

[BaltBird 24]

It's also ridiculous how we needed Saurez to be as good as he was knowing that Bradish, Means, and Wells were ticking time bombs.

Elias needed to do better for a pitching staff held together by duct tape.

[Ravens2006]

In a nightmarish alternate universe where John Angelos truly meant to keep the team to himself, I think there is zero chance they would have taken on Burnes contract (even 1 year at not crazy big money) nor would they have added Eflin's contract. It would have been Means, Bradish, Grayson, Wells, and Kremer. Or something like that.

So that alone gives me some optimism that the purse strings are going to be loosened over the coming years. The flexibility to add and keep talent will likely be better. Time will tell. The concession prices started to ramp up again last year, so that didn't start with Rubenstein. Granted it didn't stop this year either. Lesson I learned was "take it in with you". If they do away with that at some point, then it's TV only and I'll still be pissed. This off-season and next year will be the first time the new ownership group will have completely unfettered control of everything, so it'll be interesting to see where things go.

A group of "musicians on strike" doesn't move the needle for me either way. And if the Kennedy Center "retort" data / factoids are anywhere near accurate... it sounds like those musicians are compensated well in many ways. If that's not good enough, then quit and go join their non-NSO peers.

[Ravens2006]

It's also ridiculous how we needed Saurez to be as good as he was knowing that Bradish, Means, and Wells were ticking time bombs.

Elias needed to do better for a pitching staff held together by duct tape.

I've been as hard on this franchise as anyone (I think?) for a decade now, but I don't recall thinking Bradish and Wells were ticking timebombs coming in to the season. Maybe I'm forgetting. Some risk? Sure. Means based on HIS health resume the last couple years, yes. But Bradish I feel like the expectation was that he'd rehab and when fully cleared by Bradish again. They made the move for Burnes. He added Eflin. Suarez was a lottery ticket that has paid off nicely. Grayson wasn't a huge injury risk (perceived anyway) coming in.

I dunno... I wish they had another Ace and another closer, but I don't see it as a complete lack of effort or incompetence. For an organization that has collectively touted "bad luck" and ticked me off for a long time... for once I do give some credence to a touch of bad luck hitting them. Losing Grayson, on top of Bradish and Means both breaking again, and Wells, that's a lot.

Worthwhile this off-season to evaluate anything and everything they do with pitchers from a training perspective.

[JoyinMudville]

I really think the bigger question is do you concede the division title or do you keep fighting until it's over even though the chips are stacked against you. The fact that it was Burnes complicates things because he's gonna be your game one starter. I get the reasoning but I don't think that game was totally irrelevant either. Now there's still work to do before we can completely call off the dogs.

 

I think that is a legitimate question but, the Orioles didn't control their own destiny.

 

It would be one thing if we could clinch the division by winning the next four games but it is another thing when clinching the devision also requires another team to lose the next four games (three of which against a different opponent).

 

Hyde, and probably Elias, for whatever their faults decided that the best course of action was to set Burns up for success in what would most likely be our first playoff game.

[85Knight]

I think that is a legitimate question but, the Orioles didn't control their own destiny.

It would be one thing if we could clinch the division by winning the next four games but it is another thing when clinching the devision also requires another team to lose the next four games (three of which against a different opponent).

Hyde, and probably Elias, for whatever their faults decided that the best course of action was to set Burns up for success in what would most likely be our first playoff game.

So the Yankees lose tonight and face Skenes tomorrow but we assume they are gonna win so we pull our starter. Sorry but I don't get it.

By the way, they are still battling Cleveland for the no.1 seed so they have no reason to let up.

[Mackus]

So the Yankees lose tonight and face Skenes tomorrow but we assume they are gonna win so we pull our starter. Sorry but I don't get it.

By the way, they are still battling Cleveland for the no.1 seed so they have no reason to let up.

Well they benched Judge today so maybe they don't agree with you about no reason to let up.

[85Knight]

Well they benched Judge today so maybe they don't agree with you about no reason to let up.

Maybe they'd rather lose and not have to face the O's.

[Mackus]

After clinching, I'd have both Suarez and Kremer throw today, maybe 2 innings/30 pitches. Gives them 4 days off before Thursday and two/three days off before possibly being needed if there is an emergency in game 1 or 2. Akin follows them then Baker & Bowman available to finish it.

Tomorrow can option Baker and/or Bowman and get Rogers and/or McDermott up here to pitch most of Sunday.

Get an inning today or tomorrow for whoever wants an inning in prep of Tuesday.

[dude]

It can't be said enough how important Suarez was to the 2024 Orioles, and how ridiculous that would have sounded if in March that's what you said was going to happen. 

 

It will get lost because facts that don't support narratives always get lost, but in a competitive season, the Orioles "found" Suarez.

 

You don't need to lose to 'find' useful guys.

[BSLChrisStoner]

It will get lost because facts that don't support narratives always get lost, but in a competitive season, the Orioles "found" Suarez.

You don't need to lose to 'find' useful guys.

No one ever has made an argument you have to lose to find guys.

The argument is building as the Orioles built was one way to build...


The Orioles choose to build as they did, and now they've reached the postseason two years in a row, and are set for an extended window (largely because of how they choose to build).

There is no one way to do things.

I think each team has their own set of variables.

I think given what the Orioles faced when Elias took over, he choose the best path.

You don't, that's ok.
You think they should have operated differently in 2018-2020, that's fine too.

Just want to criticize Elias?
Critique him for not obtaining a legitimate high leverage reliever at the deadline.

[BaltBird 24]

90 wins is a pleasing number.

[mdrunning]

It will get lost because facts that don't support narratives always get lost, but in a competitive season, the Orioles "found" Suarez.

 

You don't need to lose to 'find' useful guys.

But you can easily delude yourself into thinking you're a contender, which is what the Orioles were doing during the final years of Buck and Dan. Then you represent the worst of all worlds: perhaps competent enough to keep trying to come up with a winner before the train hits, but not good enough to truly contend and perhaps reap the resultant windfalls.

[russsnyder]

This is a different team with Westburg and Urias back in the lineup. Westburg especially has solidified the infield defense at second. I really like their chances in the playoffs with these guys back.

[dude]

90 wins is a pleasing number.

 

I agree.  Although if any of had said "90 wins is a pleasing number" at the end of May, they'd have been ridiculed.  

 

I do like getting 90 though, you can have a streak of 90+ win seasons and that feels better than a streak of 87+ or 88+ win seasons.