Hard to believe that an owner can take a once proud and perenially contending team into the perennial doormat of the AL. The O's used to have the 'Sox number. I will never forget how they overcame the 'Sox in the 70's a few times at the end of the season. '74 was a terrible 'Sox collapse to the O's.
This is the organization that produced and taught pitching. I remember how commentators would laud the O's pitching staff on how they would sit in the dugout and talk pitching in between starts; and, reach out to teach the youngsters. Mike Boddicker was a student of Jim Palmer.
And, their farm system produced such great players. The front office used to make great trades (remember Frank Robinson from the Cincinnati Reds?).
When the O's used to play at Memorial Stadium, off of Loch Raven Boulevard, their fans were great. I happen to attend an O's game there in '79 the night after Yaz had recorded his 3,000th career hit. When Yaz strolled to the plate, the O's fans gave him a standing ovation. I was proud of Yaz that night but just as proud to be a baseball fan. I will always remember the O's fans and their class that night.
They have a beautiful ballpark at Camden Yards. They just need a new owner.
In my humble opinion, baseball teams need to be owned by owners who love the game and are willing to bring in the right people and let them run the organization. I very much remember how Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, referred to his role as "guardian of a New England asset" and how his job is to allow the coaches and front office run the team.
Further on the love of baseball, we need a real commissioner, not a puppet and lackey. The game needs strong leadership and Bud Selig is not the guy for the job.
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This is going to come as a shock to Red Sox Nation, but I grew up an Orioles fan! {gasp} Yes, it's true. I loved the Ripkens, Eddie Murray, and Brady Anderson. Another chap named Mike was my favorite player-Mike Boddicker! I got his autograph (I think I was 12 at the time) and I was convinced we were going to be Mr. and Mrs. Orioles Pitcher!!
ReplyDeleteBut let's face it. These are not Cal Ripken's Orioles. I'm not sure whose Orioles they are, but I know they ain't mine! I'm not afraid to say it. Peter Angelos ruined this ball club.
In 2005, the Red Sox became my local team. It's hard to answer people when they ask me what part of New England I'm from. I've taken to replying, "Fenway South." This usually elicits some odd looks. But I explain that the Orioles are as foreign to me as the San Diego Padres. I feel like I'm a visitor when I go to Camden Yards. This is not my team, these are not my boys. I'm not being a fair-weather fan. I've been going to Boston to do research for grad school for the past 5 years and would pack up and move up there today if I could fit all my junk in my truck. I'm a Bostonian by association!!
This has nothing to do with jumping on a team's bandwagon just cause they're winning (or in the case of the first part of the season-not!) Sorry O's. Even if you were winning, our relationship is over. You're not the same as you used to be. Sorry, Boddicker. If you would've kept on pitching, maybe things would be different....
A word about Selig. He's a toad. Peter Angelos is a toad. Neither one of them will ever turn into a prince, so it'd be best to release them back to the pond of stupidity with all the other old croakers.
As much as I hated to see the O's under Earl Weaver beat my 'Sox, I did respect them and their players. One could not help but admire their infield: Brooks; Belanger; Davey Johnson; and, Boog Powell.
ReplyDeleteTheir pitching was always outstanding. I remember that rotation of McNally, Palmer, Cuellar, and Dobson.
I remember the trade for Boddicker in '88. GM Lou Gorman sent CF Brady Anderson and RHP Curt Schilling for Boddicker who left via free agency a few years later. That trade was almost as bad as Jeff Bagwell for RHP Larry Anderson. The latter spent about a month in a 'Sox uniform. We know about Bagwell's career n Houston.
The few times I went to see the O's at the old stadium, the fans would really enjoy when Earl Weaver would coming running out of the dugout to argue a call. He was a good showman.
Of course, Cal is a real class act. I was acually rooting for the O's in the mid-90's when they had Cal, Brady, and a few others.