Other than losing to the Yankees and Red Sox, I would have to say there are four teams I can’t stand losing to and in order: Royals, Blue Jays, Nats, and Rays. Two other division rivals, a gut wrenching playoff loss to team that got hot at the right time and have players many of us can’t stand, and our neighbors thirty miles to the south.

So why do I hate losing to the Royals the most beside the Yankees and Red Sox? Obvious answer we got swept in the 2014 ALCS where the Royals scored six more runs than the O’s did in the series (two run loses in games one and two, and 1 run each in games three and four). I was there at the Yard for game one and things like the four run forth inning with Alcides Escobar’s solo homer (I mean the dude only hit three homers the entire regular season), and the Alex Gordon broken bat bases clearing double. Although we came back to tie the game at five in the sixth inning Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer (man he’s so annoying) homering in the tenth off Darren O’Day and Brian Matusz respectfully leading up to the 8-6 loss in game one. We all know how the series ends and there no need to talk about it. The 2014 season was the best Orioles team I ever saw in my lifetime (although I was one years old in 1997 when the O’s went wire-to-wire and loss to the Cleveland Indians in six games) and losing to an upstart Royals team sucked and I’m somewhat over it and at the same time I’m also not. Another reason I can’t stand the Royals is some of their fans. I say some because I’ve met a quite a few Royals fans in person and they aren’t that bad but I can’t stand the fans on Royals Review (see Mark’s Game Recap comments from last September). Lastly, on a personal note on why I can’t the Royals (and well KC entirely), many of regulars on CC know I work for the Shepherd University football team and we played in our first ever D2 Football Championship game and it was held in KC. The team we played was from 90 miles away and most of their alumni lived in the KC Metropolitan area and they were all there (with lots of Royals gear also). We ended up getting crushed 34-7 and it made me hate KC even more on a personal note.

Next up the Toronto Blue Jays, the team I hate the most in the division after the Yankees and Red Sox. There are a couple of things I don’t like about the Toronto Blue Jays. The big reason, Jose Bautista. Yes Bautista is a good player in Major League Baseball but I think he takes things a little to far when it comes to pride and celebrating. I’m honestly totally fine with players celebrating and showing emotion when they or their team do something very big in the middle of the game. Me personally especially when he does something against the O’s (and Darren O’Day) it goes to far. It then carries over sometimes during the game or to the next day. Examples include this year when Jonesy and Bautista got into during the middle of an inning in Toronto last April after Bautista took Jason Garcia yard after a pitch got away from Garcia and when behind Bautista’s back, and when Marcus Stroman threw over the head of Caleb Joseph which was very uncalled for. So basically I hate losing to the Toronto Blue Jays mainly because of Jose Bautista. Also kind of a side note I wasn’t alive yet when Cito didn’t put Mussina in the game in the 1993 All Star Game so that’s why I left it out.

Next on my list is the Washington Nationals. I find it hard to believe the Nats have been in DC for eleven years now. I remember it vividly as an eight year old when MLB made the decision to move the Montreal Expos to Washington. At that time I was in the 3rd grade at the Lab School of Washington in Northwest, DC. I remember everyone one day was an Orioles fan, and then the next day they all were fans of the new DC team (They weren’t named the Nationals until sometime in the off season). The only person at the school who didn’t switch alliances was I. It was a weird feeling at the time but I’m glad I stuck with my decision. From 2005-2011 both the O’s and Nats were terrible and every other sport in DC was talked about amongst my peers (they would talk about the MASN deal though and that the O’s were wrong….well they still do actually). The only time in that period where people talked about baseball was when the Nats took Strasberg and Harper as overall number one picks in back to back seasons and when the O’s got off to that awful 2-16 start to the 2010 season. Then came the 2012 season. The Nats had very high expectations, as they believed it was their year to break through. They would. However their neighbors 30 miles up I-95 were quietly making some noise FINALLY. When we came back for school in late August the Nats were on the verge of making the postseason for the first time ever (along with RG3 being the new QB for the Redskins) that was main talk amongst everyone. Although some knew the O’s were in the playoff mix they 95% didn’t believe the O’s would also make the playoffs. We all know what happened. We made the playoffs for the first time since 1997 and everyone at school wanted a beltway world series. I did also but I wanted the Nats eliminated before the O’s to really see who would jump ship. Both the O’s and Nats 2012 season came to an end on Friday October the 12th, 2012 but the way the Nats loss made me smile on the inside. Basically no game in particular made me hate the Nats but the whole Nats movement did it in for me.

Last on my list is the Tampa Bay Rays. This is kind of a default because the Rays are the other team in AL East. Losing to division rivals sucks no matter what sport it is. I hate losing to the Rays because they win unconventionally. They play somewhat National League baseball in my opinion where they don’t score many runs in the ballgame but they’ve had great pitching for nearly a decade now and they’ve been successful at it. Maybe me personally I’m not all that attracted to the Rays stile of play but it’s sure frustrating to see them win games like that and stay in contention the entire season.

This is my list with explanations for each and I hope you guys enjoyed it.