I too have some final thoughts about the season, the team, the fans, and myself as a fan. I discovered this page a few months ago in search of some fellow fans to discuss baseball and the Orioles. We dont always get along, but I can tell many of us here live and breathe Orioles baseball. Just a few years ago, baseball was on the verge of death in this city. Everyone I knew loved the Ravens, and the Orioles became that other team that stinks. I never gave up, and baseball has always been my favorite sport. In my lifetime, we havent had much to cheer about. I would watch losing season after season while everyone else I knew gave up on them. How much mediocrity and losing can one city and one fan base take? I really dont blame them. Some fans have come back from a long hibernation, and I think thats great. Since I discovered this page, my public persona has probably come across as a critic of the team, the manager, and unfortunately even some other fans who get on my last nerve from time to time. I am also a little bit superstitious and have made some outrageous claims to try to help the team in my own weird way. I hadnt changed my profile pic since the all-star break to try to keep the teams momentum... Some of the fans here have not taken my statements lightly, but thats ok. You dont know me and I dont know you... In reality, Im a lifelong Orioles fan who is happy to have found a place to discuss the team I love. I am grateful that weve had 3 winning seasons in a row, and proud just to see the Orioles playing good baseball again. There have not been many occasions in my lifetime when I could say the Orioles are a good baseball team, as you probably know. But I have a philosophical question for our fan base, which may help to explain the mentality I have and some of my comments directed towards the team and manager. Your opinion of me is not a grave concern of mine, but I want to share this for you... Should we be satisfied just to have a good baseball team because weve been bad for so long, or do we want to be the World Champions? To win the pennant, to be the best team in the American League, Major League Baseball, on the planet... Or is it good enough to win the division, beat the Tigers, have a good enough manager and a good enough team? In 3 years, we could have a completely different group of players who are not nearly as qualified. We could be entering another dark age of Orioles baseball as soon as next year. It could be ten or twenty years until we put together a team of this caliber again with our small market, low spending club run by Peter Angelos. I am very happy with the past 3 seasons, but I am not satisfied. I will not be satisfied until we are World Champions once again, and for the first time since Ive been alive as a witness. That is every players dream, every managers dream, every owners dream, and every fans dream. I am a passionate fan who wants nothing but the best for this ball club. I laugh to myself every time someone calls me a fake fan or a troll because I have something negative to say. I want the best for our players, our manager, and our organization, and Im not going to sugar coat it if they are not giving us their best. So should we settle for being good during our first chance in many years to be great? Should we settle for winning seasons in a potentially small window of opportunity? I believe we should not. Ill get over the ALCS loss and be back on opening day ready to win the World Series, just like Ive done every year since I was a kid. It was really nice to meet you guys and to talk some baseball with you all this year. I hope everyone feels better soon.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 03:33:07 +0000