In other baseball news, Orioles had their best season since 1997

[JohnKleeb]

:shrug: if that means anything. I'll have two teams next season anyhow, and I havent been to Baltimore in two years now bummer.

[WindRavenX]

1. Did I not say they were gonna improve?

And next year should be even better John!!!

[JohnKleeb]

2. You were right

and if it wasnt for that goddamn 11 game losing streak in the middle of the season, we would have been over 500. Maz as manager and Miller as pitching coach is a good thing, now tell me :shrug: why did they keep Hargrove for so long and where is that crusty cluck now?

[WindRavenX]

3. Isn't Maz wicked awesome?

Love the guy. You're gonna like him :toast:

[JohnKleeb]

4. He's done something that Hargrove couldnt

Now only to get some good pitching and I might have a reason to go to Baltimore more often other than to get crabcakes and to go to BOPs so I can get a watermelon pepsi :). Really if it hadnt been for that one losing streak, we would been over 500, the sad thing though is that camden yards is nothin like it once was, as far as getting crowds.

[WindRavenX]

5. wtf? watermelon pepsi???

Is that for real???

[JohnKleeb]

6. you can flavor your drinks at this joint

It's at Fells Point if you ever go to Baltimore. Really Baltimore is more than just the Babe Ruth museum and beautiful baseball park, its food, well and a harbor.

[maveric]

7. What happened to the once high flying Orioles?

They were a great team during from the mid 60's to the ealy 90's.
I think back at all the greats wore that uniform: Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, Paul Blair, Dave McNally, Dave Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Mike Flanagan,Cal Ripken,Eddie Murray,Mark Belanger, Davey Johnson,Dennis Martinez,Scott McGregor,Pat Dobson, Milt Pappas....
I'm a lifelong Red Sox fan but my #2 team in the AL are the Orioles.

[JohnKleeb]

9. Two words man

Peter Angelos

Actually the decline started in the mid 80's after Weaver's last stint as manager. Those were some great years, sigh, I'd love to see the O's be more than just a spoiler for the Yanks or Sox, can I dream of 3 some battles?

[nickgutierrez]

8. Melvin Mora for MVP

No, I'm not kidding.

[JohnKleeb]

10. or Tejada

Melvin was 2nd in the leauge last year too I believe, he's really blossomed. We just need good pitching and the Yankees and Red Sox will fear us! :D.

[nickgutierrez]

11. Tejada's in the top 5, I think

Mora, Vlad, Ichiro, Tejada, Manny (in no particular order after the first two) should be the top five, IMO.

[JohnKleeb]

12. We just need better pitching

Haven't had a true ace since Mussina left for New York. Won't it be pleasantly sweet when they win the division next year and go all the way, oh man I don't hate him but I'll chuckle at Mike Mussina, because after all he did go to the Yankees to get a Cy Young or World Series ring, he hasnt got either with the Yankees, granted though Angelos was a dick, so I cant blame him for leaving.

[Tangledog]

13. Your guys need a farm system

I remember the days when every time the Birds of Baltimore got into trouble, they'd call up Rochester and requisition Wally Bunker or Eddie Murray or somebody. They led the majors in young people who knew how to play baseball. I've been away from baseball for a while, but for the last decade, at least, they've been a team of free agents and stopgaps, very uninteresting and just not a team the way they were until partway through the 80s.

Of course, I'm also one of those who thought they should have gotten rid of Cal Ripken about 6 years before he was ready to retire. He was just killing them. The range of Todd Zeile, the bat speed of your typical American League closer, and he's your shortstop? I'm surprised that the fans didn't turn on him, he was screwing up the team so bad.

[JohnKleeb]

14. Actually

http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/ripkeca01.shtml
He hit 340 in 1999, if he had been healthy, he would had a very good years. Well, fans are loyal to their longtime players here, and yes a farm system was needed. Umm, Ripken stopped being the shortstop in 1997, when Bordick became SS, he moved to 3B. I agre with your point about the farm system though, back in the day, there was no one better.