Today is a day I used to look forward to since I was probably 5 years old. All the Spring training is done and the boys are back in town for another season of Orioles baseball. 10 years ago Greazy and I were down town with all the other thousands of O's fans looking for a repeat of the Wire to Wire performance from the 97 season. If you told me then that now, 10 years later, we'd be looking at a likely 11th losing season in a row I'd have told you that you were crazy. How could a team that went Wire to Wire in97 not be able to play .500 ball the next year or any year after that for what is likely 11 years?
The answer is simple, poor ownership and no front office. It's been a Merry Go Round of GM's and consultants from Syd "Don't call me Fog Horn Leghorn" Thrift (God rest his soul) to Frank Wren, to Mike Flanagan and some other guy. Now we have Andy McPhail who is being heralded as the Savior of the organization. He is expected to follow in his father's foot steps and bring the Orioles back to their former glory. So as we did in 1988 we've traded away almost every key player/pitcher we have and are essentially starting over. By 2010 the O's are expected to be a legitimate contender with their young players in the minors and these guys we've traded for this off season. Only time will tell but if history is any indicator as long as the O's stay the rebuilding course they should actually be competitive. In 1990, two years after the worst start in MLB history the O's were very close to winning the division. Had their been a Wild Card at that time they would've probably made it.
So as I sit here today reading the Baltimore Sun I guess I have to hang my hopes on the future. What is amusing is the Sun is not featuring much on the team or game but there is a two page story about the "Crab Shuffle" a video board feature that happens during the 5th inning of every game. Don't get me wrong, of all the stupid between inning things that go on (7th inning stretch excluded) I love me some Crab Shuffle. I'm never wrong because I can keep my eye on the ball, however I don' t know that this piece of the ball game deserves a two page article in the Sun. So happy Opening Day all around, I'm sure the Red Sox and Yankee fans are excited. I personally can't wait to go see Chi-Town in August and the Nat's stadium in April.
On a side bar I'm going to have to make our lovely president George W. Bush my stiff of the week for having the worst home run call I've ever heard on ESPN last night with the legendary Jon Miller.
No comments:
Post a Comment