|
Nice post... added reply (pasted below for ease of reference).
So true, so true. I guess it takes a bit more than a cursory glance to see what the Orioles have done, and are doing. It is also possible that the Orioles probably haven't given the casual fan reason to give them the benefit of a doubt. However, for any casual fan that just so happens to lay eyes on this, or other similar posts please take credence in the contents. These are not yesterday's Orioles. Clubhouse cancer Miguel Tejada, roster clogging - high salary Jay Gibbons, and expensive veteran has-been Free Agent types (Sosa, Kline, Reed, Conine...) are no longer flavors of the Orioles' day. I agree, Angelos has stepped up and made positive moves LATELY, and it starts with this season's MVP, Andy McPhail. McPhail has come in, done his homework on the team and organization, leveraged his experience, and developed the road map to respectability and ultimately competitive baseball. This has occurred with what is seemingly an Angelos-less direction, but with Angelos' buy-in. Very tough to obtain, and long over-due.
It seems Trembly has the O's roster working in concert and playing well, and more importantly getting along and putting team first. Jay Payton for example. Clearly he brings more to the table today than phenom prospect Adam Jones, but he's not publicly whining about playing time (Frank Thomas could not be reached for comment), and making the most of his AB's and playing time.
From an organizational stand point the O's have legit prospects at every level for the first time in a long time. Single A Frederick, Matt Wieters is tearing the cover off the ball .393 and 4 jax, AA Bowie has Chris Waters with a 4-0 record & sub 2 ERA, and AAA Garrett Olson 1-1 sub 2 ERA and 24:7 (K:BB).
The important thing here is the O's are exceeding National expectations and not their own. Dave Trembly has them thinking and believing they can hang with the big boys on a single game basis, and at the end of the season the record and standings will be what they are. There is also light at the end of the tunnel as the organization has some depth, enough depth that Adam Loewen going on the DL, doesn't feel like the sky is falling. If this attitude and direction continue to play out as it has, Baltimore becomes more attractive to Free Agents that actually have something left to offer the team outside of name-value. Hopefully this bears fruit with the off-season signing of hometown star Mark Teixerra.
Yes, I'm drinking the kool-aid and it tastes soooo good. Those outside of Bmore, have no fear. There is plenty left to go around.
|
