520 replies to this topic

[NewMarketSean]

Bring Albert Belle in as a mentor this spring.

[fishteacher]

I'm 47 years old.  I am one of the few of this group that can profoundly remember when Cal caught the last out of the '83 World Series to win it all.  As a 6-7 year old kid, I thought during my lifetime I'd see the Orioles win many World Series...how quickly I realized (by the age of 10 or 12) that it is extremely hard to do; especially if you're not a big market team.  I have bought a few of jerseys of favorite players over the year...Markakis, Jones, Ripken, and most recently, Adley.  I can say I've realized that no matter how much I "fan" I have ZERO say in how things actually go, I don't know more about it than a manager, a scout, a general manager...I'm like us all...a stupid fan who also armchair QBs like the other 99.5%.  

 

However, I can say that I am so disappointed with how this season ended up.  I have watched more baseball the past two years and lived and died by watching games win or lose, and kept the mentality that in baseball, you can't win them all, and you go on streaks, guys get hot, guys get cold, it's "just baseball."  With that said, how this team ended the season is probably the most disappointed I've been in 20+ years; it was disgusting.  

 

No one could hit since July with men on base; early season ABs that were so grinding and awesome whether we got a hit or not, succumbed to a mentality of "swing for the fences".  This team, in the end, looked like a freakin' joke the past two days.  Kansas City sucks.  To say they are good is laughable, and we should be embarassed.  Please don't try to argue and say that we should not have won this series against a mediocre team; cuz that's what KC is.  

 

I can go on about who I'd keep or who I'd let go, but there are players that don't "play well" in our current park configuration...we need a monster RH bat that can get over the wall for God's sakes...or move the damned thing in to make it competitive because as of now, it's not helping us as much as it's hurt us.  Give me a Pete Alonso and bye bye Mounty (for the love of God).  

 

I'm ranting, I'm pissed off, I'm so damned pissed off I feel like i waste my time on this franchise and this town over and over again...it's been 40 years, and I don't have 40 more years to wait.  I hope Elias makes the moves to help us be better, because if we stay put with 75% of this team...we are screwed again and again and again.  

 

Better luck next year....let's go Ravens!

[fishteacher]

Oh and how did we go from one of the best teams in baseball last year at hitting with RISP, and this year, we sucked?!  I just don't get it...

[JoyinMudville]

Offensively, something changed

 

Last year they routinely had great at bats up and down the lineup. This year they put up some gaudy numbers but they reminded me a lot of the swing happy Jones/Davis Orioles who also got kicked out of the playoffs. They need to get back to that 'pass the baton' approach that they had last year. If that means changing the hitting coaches, so be it.

 

I feel like they're lacking a legit cleanup hitter.

 

I'd also like to see them move away from Adley as a DH when he's not catching. I think his problem in the 2nd half was he just got worn out.

 

I think Holliday, Cowser, Heston, Gunnar, Westburg, Mayo, and Heston still have their best years in front of them. Even if they do bring Santander back they should find another big bat for this lineup.

 

They're going to need to sign a starter or two. There's no reason to believe that we won't have our share of arm injuries next year.

[85Knight]

It's time to move on. Thank Hyde for what he did and endured. He got a lot of leash for being a good company man during the tanking years. He's not a war time manager, to use a Weber reference.

Hitting coaches gotta go. They're the scapegoat for what this team became.

French can stay.

I don't think we have a war time manager or GM but I doubt either will be gone. All of the coaches should be gone though. This was an epic failure.

[85Knight]

I'm 47 years old. I am one of the few of this group that can profoundly remember when Cal caught the last out of the '83 World Series to win it all. As a 6-7 year old kid, I thought during my lifetime I'd see the Orioles win many World Series...how quickly I realized (by the age of 10 or 12) that it is extremely hard to do; especially if you're not a big market team. I have bought a few of jerseys of favorite players over the year...Markakis, Jones, Ripken, and most recently, Adley. I can say I've realized that no matter how much I "fan" I have ZERO say in how things actually go, I don't know more about it than a manager, a scout, a general manager...I'm like us all...a stupid fan who also armchair QBs like the other 99.5%.

However, I can say that I am so disappointed with how this season ended up. I have watched more baseball the past two years and lived and died by watching games win or lose, and kept the mentality that in baseball, you can't win them all, and you go on streaks, guys get hot, guys get cold, it's "just baseball." With that said, how this team ended the season is probably the most disappointed I've been in 20+ years; it was disgusting.

No one could hit since July with men on base; early season ABs that were so grinding and awesome whether we got a hit or not, succumbed to a mentality of "swing for the fences". This team, in the end, looked like a freakin' joke the past two days. Kansas City sucks. To say they are good is laughable, and we should be embarassed. Please don't try to argue and say that we should not have won this series against a mediocre team; cuz that's what KC is.

I can go on about who I'd keep or who I'd let go, but there are players that don't "play well" in our current park configuration...we need a monster RH bat that can get over the wall for God's sakes...or move the damned thing in to make it competitive because as of now, it's not helping us as much as it's hurt us. Give me a Pete Alonso and bye bye Mounty (for the love of God).

I'm ranting, I'm pissed off, I'm so damned pissed off I feel like i waste my time on this franchise and this town over and over again...it's been 40 years, and I don't have 40 more years to wait. I hope Elias makes the moves to help us be better, because if we stay put with 75% of this team...we are screwed again and again and again.

Better luck next year....let's go Ravens!

Don't feel feel bad. I'm older than you. I hope that helps.

[Ravens2006]

I was 8. Sick as a dog in bed that last game. Remember Cal catching the soft liner vividly and wagging his glove around. In what would become typically Cal-ish lowkey outward emotion. And being mad that I couldn't go outside with my parents while neighbors celebrated in the street. Cuz I was sick.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Too soon. Too damn soon. Why is this thread here already?

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Too soon. Too damn soon. Why is this thread here already?

Sorry man. Had to get my thoughts in on what we need to do. Id love to hear Elias in front of a mic tomorrow.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Do you think he's serious about winning only if he opts to be a meddlesome owner and makes a bunch of knee-jerk interventions after a disappointing end to the season? (Not snark... this is a real question...)

I was thinking about you in the 8th-9th.

In many ways, this fate feels like karma for intentionally losing so many games.

I’m prepared for how unpopular an opinion this will be. Whatever.

[BaltBird 24]

Shouldn't come as a huge shock. This team wasn't good for months. They were carried by a very strong April -June. Already over it. Being a fan of these guys since August has been a painful task. It wasn't good baseball.

Last year was an absolute gut punch. Played great all year. Won 101 games. Had all the momentum. Had a struggling team at home. Everything lined up perfect.

[BSLMikeLowe]

I'm 47 years old.  I am one of the few of this group that can profoundly remember when Cal caught the last out of the '83 World Series to win it all.  As a 6-7 year old kid, I thought during my lifetime I'd see the Orioles win many World Series...how quickly I realized (by the age of 10 or 12) that it is extremely hard to do; especially if you're not a big market team.  I have bought a few of jerseys of favorite players over the year...Markakis, Jones, Ripken, and most recently, Adley.  I can say I've realized that no matter how much I "fan" I have ZERO say in how things actually go, I don't know more about it than a manager, a scout, a general manager...I'm like us all...a stupid fan who also armchair QBs like the other 99.5%.  

 

However, I can say that I am so disappointed with how this season ended up.  I have watched more baseball the past two years and lived and died by watching games win or lose, and kept the mentality that in baseball, you can't win them all, and you go on streaks, guys get hot, guys get cold, it's "just baseball."  With that said, how this team ended the season is probably the most disappointed I've been in 20+ years; it was disgusting.  

 

No one could hit since July with men on base; early season ABs that were so grinding and awesome whether we got a hit or not, succumbed to a mentality of "swing for the fences".  This team, in the end, looked like a freakin' joke the past two days.  Kansas City sucks.  To say they are good is laughable, and we should be embarassed.  Please don't try to argue and say that we should not have won this series against a mediocre team; cuz that's what KC is.  

 

I can go on about who I'd keep or who I'd let go, but there are players that don't "play well" in our current park configuration...we need a monster RH bat that can get over the wall for God's sakes...or move the damned thing in to make it competitive because as of now, it's not helping us as much as it's hurt us.  Give me a Pete Alonso and bye bye Mounty (for the love of God).  

 

I'm ranting, I'm pissed off, I'm so damned pissed off I feel like i waste my time on this franchise and this town over and over again...it's been 40 years, and I don't have 40 more years to wait.  I hope Elias makes the moves to help us be better, because if we stay put with 75% of this team...we are screwed again and again and again.  

 

Better luck next year....let's go Ravens!

 

Look on the bright side....imagine if you were around in '69? I was born May of that year, so I have no memories of it. You had 3 Baltimore teams (Colts, Bullets and O's) all of whom finished the regular season as the best team in their league, all of whom face-planted in the postseason.

 

And the worst part of it was all three lost to NY teams. I mean, yeah, I'm as sick of Kansas City right now as anyone, but we're talking New Frick'n York here. 1969 will always hold the mantle of most brutal sports year in Baltimore history.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Shouldn't come as a huge shock. This team wasn't good for months. They were carried by a very strong April -June. Already over it. Being a fan of these guys since August has been a painful task. It wasn't good baseball.

Last year was an absolute gut punch. Played great all year. Won 101 games. Had all the momentum. Had a struggling team at home. Everything lined up perfect.

But look at the 2023 Rangers, they said.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Shouldn't come as a huge shock. This team wasn't good for months. They were carried by a very strong April -June. Already over it. Being a fan of these guys since August has been a painful task. It wasn't good baseball.

Last year was an absolute gut punch. Played great all year. Won 101 games. Had all the momentum. Had a struggling team at home. Everything lined up perfect.

This is the gut punch year for me brcause now I know they cant do it. This group aint it. Has to change. Last year I could accept we got beat in a short series to a hot team. We were young. It was our first year being there. Growing pains. Whatever. Now I know which I guess in some ways is good but you obviously have to be willing to retool

[You Play to Win the Game]

Gunnar was a cool 0/7 with 4 K’s. Well done man. Well done. These guys are mid.

[mdrunning]

Don't feel feel bad. I'm older than you. I hope that helps.

I'm older than either one of you. I was 18 when the Orioles last won a Series and I never thought I'd be worrying about such things as increasing my FICA contribution for the next few years before they won another one.

 

I wonder what thoughts were going through Cubs' fans heads in 1908?

[TwentyThirtyFive]

But look at the 2023 Rangers, they said.

So youve been critical of Hyde on different things. Always next year, longevity, trust the process. Well the process has got us here. Im never gonna shit on 90 win seasons but is he capable of making the changes to rise above the plateau we've clearly hit. Im so worried hes not.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Gunnar was a cool 0/7 with 4 K’s. Well done man. Well done. These guys are mid.

Gunnar still gives away too many ABs.

[You Play to Win the Game]

So youve been critical of Hyde on different things. Always next year, longevity, trust the process. Well the process has got us here. Im never gonna shit on 90 win seasons but is he capable of making the changes to rise above the plateau we've clearly hit. Im so worried hes not.

No. something is way off here.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

So youve been critical of Hyde on different things. Always next year, longevity, trust the process. Well the process has got us here. Im never gonna shit on 90 win seasons but is he capable of making the changes to rise above the plateau we've clearly hit. Im so worried hes not.

And to the point you made in the game thread, about the Ravens vs the Os, Im absolutely certain EDC is willing to make the changes he thinks is necessary to win a ring. The end result may not be a ring but he goes for it.