A formal apology for jinxing the Orioles

It’s easy to watch the Orioles this year and start placing the blame around. After 15 years behind the team’s wallet, Peter Angelos is a likely scapegoat. When you become enraged at the fact the Orioles are still lacking a decent corner outfielder with on-base capabilities for the fourth season in a row, Dan Duquette certainly gets some mentions. Even Buck hasn’t been able to avoid criticism as of late with some questionable bullpen decisions and a daily lineup that still makes no sense.

As much as you want to point at the top of the organization and scream- Don’t. I publicly jinxed this team last April, and this has all been entirely my fault. Hopefully by coming clean and coming to terms with this fact, the Orioles can start being watchable once again.

Nearly 14 months ago in an article that surely no one remembers, I did this. After the Orioles got off to a hot start last season, I tried to contextualize their 14-6 record through 20 games by comparing it to the other greatest starts in Orioles history. As you would expect, the comparisons were lofty to say the least. Four similar hot starts in the past had yielded two World Series titles, one wire-to-wire season as AL East champions, and a 91-win season.

I probably should have seen the flaws through my orange-tinted glasses at the time, but since the O’s 14-6 start last season which prompted the article, they’ve gone 80-127. That’s the pace of a 63-win team, nearly a 100-game loser.

So there it is, it was all my fault. Hopefully by getting it out there in the open, the magic can return to Oriole Park and even the most pessimistic of fans can go back to watching the Orioles without trepidation. In the meantime, just remember that it’s not the fault of the front office whatsoever, these are supernatural forces they’re dealing with.

When Buck continues to bat Chris Davis fifth with his OPS+ of 31, it’s not his fault. The team is simply cursed. When Brad Brach is bought in to protect a three-run lead despite having pitched both yesterday and the day before, it’s the jinx. When Peter Angelos dumps all of our international spending money for career minor leaguers, there are supernatural forces at play. When Dan Duquette fails to trade Machado at the deadline, yup. That’s just the jinx.

So just remember when Chris Tillman starts another game in an Orioles uniform, we already know the reason. It’s not that the front office is blind, they’re just cursed. Here’s to hoping this statement and formal apology can help begin to reverse the jinx going forward. These are going to be a critical two months for the future of the Orioles franchise. We can’t allow the supernatural get in the way of a proper rebuild.