FanGraphs.com’s* Dave Cameron is rolling through his Organization Rankings for the upcoming 2012 baseball season and Monday he took an in depth look at the Orioles. If you’re an O’s fan who can’t wait for Opening Day, you might want to click to “back” button.
Cameron ranks organizations on a 20-80 grading scale with 50 representing the league average. Franchises are critiqued on 2012 Outlook, 2013+ Outlook, Financial Resources, Baseball Operations and Overall.
Unfortunately, the Orioles finished below averaged in each category.
- 2012 Outlook: 31 (29th in MLB)
- 2013+ Outlook: 37 (28th in MLB)
- Financial Resources: 42 (24th in MLB)
- Baseball Operations: 33 (30th)
- Overall: 36 (30th)
I found Cameron’s breakdown of the O’s financial resources to be particularly depressing.
This is the area where the Orioles should really be strongest, as Baltimore is a large metropolitan area that has a long history of supporting baseball, and Camden Yards remains one of the premier venues in the sport to watch a game. From 1995-1997, the Orioles had the second largest payroll in baseball, trailing only the Yankees. In 1998, they passed the Yankees, and spent more on their Major League roster than any other franchise. When the team was winning, Peter Angelos was happy to invest in the roster, but years of losing have caused a cycle of declining attendance and dwindling payrolls. The Orioles now spend a fraction of what the Yankees spend, and it’s hard to imagine that they were once a franchise that went toe-to-toe with the big boys in spending.
He later writes that the only way the Orioles will see an improvement in revenue will be if they put together a winner on the field and says that “premium free agents aren’t overly interested in playing for the Orioles until they prove they can contend again.”
I’m sad.
* – That’s two Fan Graphs references in four days, Ross.
0.5 FG:BSR post ratio strikes me as unsustainably high. And the article also made me sad. At least they are in the most competitive division in baseball.
Here is proof baseball is dead in Baltimore,,,,,I told you so……………
None of this should surprise anyone who’s been paying attention for at least the last decade. Well, unless you depend on The Sun for your “news.” There’s no effort being made to improve the product on the field, and the MASN money, when combined with a declining payroll, makes this a very profitable franchise for the ownership group. THAT’S depressing. Say all you want about Danny Snyder in DC, but at least he TRIES.
F Dave Cameron and F Spy…
You are not the only one who wants to F me,,,,,,,,,there are some very pretty women who are lined up to visit me at my waterfront property and ride my little red corvette,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Wait until Toronto shows there stuff this season.
They won 81 games last year and only improved.
But hey, at least we’ve got Wilson Betemit!
well put………..