A Historically Bad Decade for the Orioles

I am probably one of the few people here who remember the 50’s teams, though I hasten to point out I was a kid. They arrived awful from St. Louis. Bill Veeck has stocked up a supposedly decent team to come to Baltimore in ’53 with him as owner. When he was forced to stay in St. Louis to bleed to death by the powers that be (think Yankees) he had to sell off a bunch of players to stay afloat. But starting when Paul Richards took over the team stadily improved — kept losing, but iimproved — until the breakthrough year in ’60. Most of the players I remember from that time came over in the zillion player deal with the Yankees where Don Larsen and Bob Turley were traded for more or less a whole team.

Mainly thanks to Washington and Kansas City, I don’t think they ever finished last during the 50’s.

It can’t possibly be as bad as the last.

I tell you what. When I wish upon a shooting star for pain for Yankee fans, I don’t wish for them to experience some sort of heartbreaking moment or two, I wish for them to live through a decade like this, and to feel so totally hopeless that they just sink into apathy.

Because that’s who I am, and it fucking sucks. It sucks. It’s the very worst feeling, feeling like this is just how it’s always going to be. Feeling like watching old clips of Robbie Alomar makes me wretch because seeing what it was like to have a packed Camden Yards is depressing. It sucks.

So bring on the next decade. For good or ill, I’m fucking ready for it.

I chose the Orioles over the Yankees, Mets, Phils, and Sox(all closer geographicly), during this run. Guys like Rodrigo Lopez and Jermey Guthrie were the aces of my staff, while Miggy and Roberts will always be remembered as infield studs. I was one of only 12, 000 the first time I visited the Yard, yet I somehow find my way into loving this franchise

But its all good, the waiting is finally over, the Baby Birds are ready to fly and I will not be the only High School Oriole fan in Jersey anymore, and I cant wait

but I am looking forward to the Orioles being in the World Series in two out of these three years: 2012-2014. Here’s to a ring or two this decade!!! (very wishful thinking, but why not?)

I’m still lurking around here. When the team came out of the all-star break and lost twenty or so out of thirty, I just couldn’t take it. But I wanted to chip in and express my support for the Birds in the future. The next decade cannot possibly be as bad.
I was in college in New England during the 2004 Red Sox playoff run and eventual World Series win. The tension and the drama of the ALCS that year was something else. It was fun just to be surrounded by a fanbase that was taken on a ride like that. It truly was. It was my first taste of the thrill of playoff baseball, because I was largely tuned out during ‘96 and ’97.
I just wish it would happen for the Orioles. If they could come up with a 90-95 win season and at least play meaningful games in August and September, Baltimore would go berserk. I’d love to see it.

…at being really bad. Man, what a terrible team for a long time. One of my fave memories of the decade has to when Miguel Cabrera singled in a run from second during an intentional walk. The 30-3 game. Mike DeJean. Good times, all. Or the opposite.

The O’s lost 107 in 1988, not 1989.