Thanksgiving in Birdland - 2009

by Stacey on Nov 25, 2009 3:00 PM EST in Commentary & Analysis

There are a lot of things to be thankful for in Birdland this year. More than any year in recent history, I'd say. After years of futility, years of floundering, the Orioles are almost respectable again. They're not there yet, but it's close. I can feel it. To get there the Orioles need to show marked improvement from the teams over the past decade and they also need to prove they can compete with the rest of the teams in the AL East. Will it ever happen? I'm certain part one will. Part two is currently a mystery. But the pieces are starting to come together.

This team is getting younger, and it's getting better. Chris Tillman (21). Brian Matusz (22). Brad Bergesen (23). Adam Jones (23). Matt Wieters (23). Felix Pie (24). Nick Markakis (25). Nolan Reimold (25). That's a hell of a core, and that doesn't even take into account the young guys still in the minors. There could be injuries, there could be busts, but that is potentially the nucleus of a championship team. There are a lot of pieces that need to be added to it, of course, but it's there.

The Orioles used to be the worst kind of bad team, because not only were they bad, they were old and expensive too. That is no longer the case. Melvin Mora and his $8M/year are gone. So is Jamie Walker ($4.5M). Danys Baez (>$7M), gone. Ditto Aubrey Huff ($8M). After reaching a payroll of over $93M in 2007 that resulted in a paltry 69 wins, the 2010 Orioles currently have obligated less than half of that.

It's easy to look at where the Orioles are now and who is ahead of them in the division and feel discouraged. But another viewpoint is this: the Orioles have a young team that's full of talent and they have money to spend. They have a GM in Andy MacPhail who has proven that he's capable of showing patience, making big trades, identifying potential high-reward players, and sticking to his plan. How he'll handle Free Agents signings (impact FAs, not players like Mark Hendrickson) remains to be seen, but MacPhail has done so many things right so far that there is reason to believe in him.

Catch me any other day and I'll have a little more cynicism and a lot more doubt about the future of the Orioles. But it's the time of year to give thanks, so let's put that other stuff on the shelf for today and thank Wieters for the direction this team has taken.

Thanksgiving_medium_medium

Tweet Comment 36 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Well said

We also have the promise of a good Spring Training facility, better Carribean coverage, and an overall stronger minor league system. We may not make the Playoffs anytime soon, but Os are no longer the symbol of mismanagement, and-by 2011-we should be a good team that is fun to watch. Is that light I see up ahead?

by BaltoBen on Nov 25, 2009 3:10 PM EST reply actions

I wish all my fellow CCers a very, very Happy Thanksgiving.

Soon we will have much to be thankful for in Birdland. :)
And we can already be thankful for this awesome young core, as Stacey mentioned. Go O’s!

"He's a gazelle." -Adam Jones on Nolan Reimold.

by LenaO on Nov 25, 2009 3:40 PM EST reply actions

Great post

That’s a hell of a core, and that doesn’t even take into account the young guys still in the minors. There could be injuries, there could be busts, but that is potentially the nucleus of a championship team. There are a lot of pieces that need to be added to it, of course, but it’s there.

The Orioles used to be the worst kind of bad team, because not only were they bad, they were old and expensive too. That is no longer the case

The Orioles actually have enough young talent in place to make me believe it’s possible that the string of losing seasons won’t hit 14.

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Nov 25, 2009 3:42 PM EST reply actions

It won't hit 15

But I still think we’re a 75 win club next year.

"(Brock Lesnar) is never in good spirits and he's not in good spirits now." - Dana White

by duck on Nov 25, 2009 4:19 PM EST up reply actions

PLAYOFFS BABY

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 25, 2009 5:09 PM EST up reply actions

how sad is it that 75 wins sounds incredible to me?

by O'sFan21 on Nov 25, 2009 5:39 PM EST up reply actions

very sad

they had 74 wins in 2005 and 78 wins in 2004. I won’t be happy with anything other than ~~81 wins~~ a world series trophy.

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 25, 2009 6:16 PM EST up reply actions

happy thanksgiving everybody

by Dingbat Charlie on Nov 25, 2009 3:53 PM EST reply actions

You know what I'm thankful for?

Camden Chat. It eases the pain. Thanks, CC.

by O Nina on Nov 25, 2009 5:07 PM EST reply actions

Word to that.

"He's a gazelle." -Adam Jones on Nolan Reimold.

by LenaO on Nov 25, 2009 6:25 PM EST up reply actions

took the words out of my mouth

Thankful for Camden Chat, for my co-mods Stacey and duck, and to SC, for putting this place on the map.

The last four+ years of Orioles baseball has been much more bearable thanks to all of the above.

"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic

by zknower on Nov 26, 2009 10:17 PM EST up reply actions

Happy Thanksgiving, Hons

by fishoutawata on Nov 25, 2009 5:54 PM EST reply actions

i'll be thankful

when trembley is not our coach!!!!!!

by chuckthefan on Nov 25, 2009 9:08 PM EST reply actions

There's an intelligent thought! Trembley is the problem!!!

by O'sFan21 on Nov 26, 2009 10:33 AM EST up reply actions

But didnt you see how much punctuation he used?

That’s a relatively well crafted post.

by kba26 on Nov 26, 2009 12:09 PM EST up reply actions

don't forget...

We paid Jay Gibbons about $5 million in 2009!

Not only are the big contracts gone, but we hopefully won’t see any more Adam Eatons, Victor Zambranos, or Steve Trachsels on the Opening Day roster.

I’ll take the small victories as they come.

by ugen64 on Nov 26, 2009 12:34 AM EST reply actions

I'm thankful for

Camden Chat, because it’s the only place where I can talk baseball (outside of my family) without 12 year old jerks saying ORIOLES SUCK every five seconds. I feel I’ve become a better O’s fan since finding this blog.

I now have a blog: http://justanotherbaltimoresportsblog.blogspot.com/

by BaltimoreSportsFan on Nov 26, 2009 8:45 AM EST reply actions

What is it

with your generation being primarily Yankees and Red Sox fans? I turn on the Little League World series and kids from Texas are saying how much they love Derek Jeter and David Ortiz.

I mean come on BSF, you need to set these children straight son!!

by sickuvitall on Nov 26, 2009 9:26 AM EST up reply actions

All of thier lviing memories are PHN and MFY being dominant.

I now have a blog: http://justanotherbaltimoresportsblog.blogspot.com/

by BaltimoreSportsFan on Nov 27, 2009 1:03 PM EST up reply actions

ORIOLES SUCK!

by O'sFan21 on Nov 26, 2009 10:34 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Doesn't count

You’re not 12.

"(Brock Lesnar) is never in good spirits and he's not in good spirits now." - Dana White

by duck on Nov 26, 2009 12:33 PM EST up reply actions

aha

rec’d

"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic

by zknower on Nov 26, 2009 10:17 PM EST up reply actions

I second that

There’s this one guy who’s a Phillies fan – fine, OK. But he’s also a “Yankees” fan even though he hates every player on the team. It makes no sense…OH WAIT, he’s not a real fan.

It’s not about being faithful anymore, it’s about the big bucks and who wins. They can go on defending the Yankees’ spending sprees, but it’s a load of bull. It’s no use to argue with fairweather fans.

Trust me, I’m in high school and it’s hard to take it. I’m almost afraid to call myself an O’s fan in front of them because they’ll just go off about hating the owner blah blah blah. Yankees fans shouldn’t even be talking about ownership.

/rant over.

by DCO'sfan on Nov 26, 2009 1:26 PM EST up reply actions

dude,

HS sucks, but wear that O’s hat with pride. It will make you all mysterious and then chicks will dig you.

(this assumes that you’re a dude, and that you like chicks. if either is not the case, then just switch genders above as appropriate).

"I doubt he could reach [second base]...mostly cuz his fucking arm was in Aybar's nuts." – twistedlogic

by zknower on Nov 26, 2009 10:19 PM EST up reply actions

One of the best days of my life

Was the day I stopped caring if people thought I was cool. Sadly, it wasn’t until way after high school was over.

DCO’sfan, when the Orioles are good again and you’ve been standing tall for them during these dark days, you’ll be the one laughing at those fair weather fuckers.

Some Day, Matt Wieters Will Make The Cooperstown Crowd Laugh By Talking About The Time He Batted Behind Melvin Mora And Luke Scott. -Keith Law via Matt Wieters Facts

by Stacey on Nov 26, 2009 11:21 PM EST up reply actions

Man

HS was pretty damn awesome. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

by O'sFan21 on Nov 26, 2009 11:42 PM EST up reply actions

I'm a girl

But yes, I still do have pride in my O’s, despite the ORIOLES SUCK comments!

by DCO'sfan on Nov 27, 2009 11:21 AM EST up reply actions

yes

yes my thought is trembley is the problem. trembley seems to have this losing i ok attitudes, the aww shucks we will get them tommorrow type of guys. we need a fire storm an ozzie guillen, jim leyland, type of manager that no losing isn’t ok an won’t be tolerated nor accepted attitudes.

by chuckthefan on Nov 26, 2009 5:23 PM EST reply actions