Baltimore Orioles

Elite '08

162

162

Catherine H.

Bethesda, MD

I'm in an abusive relationship with the Orioles.

I love them. They crap on me.

I find ways to excuse their faults. They figure out new and different ways to insult me as a fan.

And yet here I am, in my 1983 World Series Champions Orioles shirt, holding out hope that one day they might realize:

IT'S NOT THE FREAKING MANAGER (seriously, Sam, you're in a better place getting out of that mess)

It's the ownership.
And the General Manager (sorry, Mike. You were a good pitcher, but you suck serious ass in the front office)
And the scouts.
And the shitty development system.
And the commitment to incremental change through costly (and mostly over-valued) free agents-- despite years of proof that THIS DOESN'T FUCKING WORK.

You can't be a successful baseball team if you don't develop talent in your own system. Name ten decent MLB players who have come up through the O's farm system since Mike Mussina.

Go ahead. Try. I dare you. I DOUBLE DOG dare you.

Right. You can't. Because they don't exist.

What the Orioles DON'T DO: improve their development system. get some decent scouts. make an honest commitment to rebuilding.

What the Orioles DO DO: let the inmates run the asylum. overpay for band aid solutions. allow the front office to run unchanged despite years of failure. give Peter Angelos' kid a job. fire the manager for show. blame MLB and "washington fans" for declining revenues and attendance.

I'm not sure if the O's front office is willfully ignorant of how bad they are at running a professional baseball team, or if they just don't give a fuck. What I do know is nothing, seriously, nothing has changed in ten years.

I have every reason to hate the Orioles.

And yet I can't stop loving them.

Clearly, I need therapy.

*********UPDATE, 9/27/07***************
I just have to say that if the Orioles sign Barry Bonds next year I'm officially going on protest and conditionally resigning my fandom. DO YOU HEAR ME, ANGELOS? I am one of the few f'ing people who still watch your shitty team with regularity because I LOVE IT, despite the years of neglect and mismanagement, but I WILL LEAVE YOU if you sign that man. So help me God, I will. Don't do it, Angelos. You've already abused me enough. Don't go there.

***UPDATE, 11/15/07****
Well it looks like the Bonds Threat Level has gone from Red to a decidedly calmer shade, thank you SF Federal Grand Jury. That being said, I HAVE NO FAITH IN YOU, ANGELOS. Don't try me.

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Elite '08

43

380

Jonathan G.

New Haven, CT

In terms of the current organization, this franchise is sad. Tons of history, and fans who really love the game are why I'm giving them 3 stars. It's just a shame that the current ownership has no idea what they're doing. I don't care what anyone says, you CAN compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. You just have to have a clue.

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