Besides joining a gym and starting a diet, here are three New Year’s resolutions you might actually stick with through 2013. As a Baltimore Orioles fan, you’ll want to add these to your list of goals over the next 364 days.
1. Show Your Orioles’ Pride
I understand what a decade and a half of losing can do to a person’s confidence in their favorite team. I’ve lived it. But 93 win seasons don’t happen to fluky teams. Good teams win close games and the Orioles did that better than any other ball club last year. Be proud. Wear your cartoon bird gear, pack the Yard and let the baseball world know that the O’s are here to stay.
Let’s all stop worrying about the Blue Jays offseason and instead tell the fans north of the border that they should be worried about Buck’s birds because they aren’t going away.
2. Don’t Take This Roster For Granted
Stop worrying about Josh Hamilton or Zack Greinke. This Orioles roster is full of guys that can be stars. Could you imagine how Adam Jones would be received if he was a Yankee? What would Cardinals’ fans think about a guy like Manny Machado? How would Boston treat Nick Markakis?
It’s this roster that took the O’s to the postseason and it’s these stars that can do it again in 2013. They’re hungry. Enjoy watching this bunch.
3. Put Your Faith In Buck
Throughout all of the 2012 season I would tell people that Buck Showalter was the smartest guy in the dugout. The naysayers called winning close games “lucky”, I say it came from masterful bullpen use.
The thing that astounds me about Showalter is that he always finds a way to squeeze every ounce of talent out of his roster. He puts guys in the best place to succeed. You have to have faith in the skipper. He’s earned it.
Zach Wilt is the Founding Editor of BaltimoreSportsReport.com and host of the BSR Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @zamwi or send him an email: zach@baltimoresportsreport.com.
Where is your ‘higher standard’ for this lucky O’s team ? Talk about a double standard , take a look at your article on the Ravens again and compare it to this patsy article………………
14 losing seasons are in the rear view, as is last season’s playoff appearance.
Zach is right, if guys like Markakis, Machado, Hardy, Wieters, Jones, Davis, and to a lesser degree, McClouth were on another squad, or even signed by rivals in the AL East, people would be up in arms! These guys are already here along with Bundy and Gausman.
Forget the past, live for now. 14 years is a long time to forget, but if you can’t forget then maybe it’s time to take up another hobby. The Orioles have always done it with guys like Roenicke and Lowenstein, Dauer, Dempsey, and Todd Cruz, while the Yankees had Reggie and Catfish Hunter and the likes. Big names don’t always win games- ask the Marlins, Angels, Dodgers, the Red Sox, the Rangers – who the no-name Orioles bumped in their own park, they’ll all tell you. It’s chemistry, mixing the a few bigger names with some situational guys.
I still ask, who did you want the Orioles to sign? Hamilton? Wow, with all his issues?!? Swisher? You’d give the Yankees your #1 pick for Swisher? LaRoche? Really? Greinke, the nutjob?
As spy stated, tossing softballs at the O’s organization then fire fastballs at the head of the Ravens.
Pole, do you expect the same results from all your employees? If Tuna shows up for work, you expect a solid 3 hours out of him. On the other hand, if Johnny Sweatpants only calls in sick 3 days a week, you consider promoting him.
What I’m getting at is expectations. The Ravens have set the bar high. If the Orioles go to the playoffs 4 more years in a row without getting past that point, you should expect the same criticism.
If I have a good employee, I cut them a break some times because of the excellent work they do day in and day out. I don’t berate them constantly for motivation. I also keep an eye on the guy who calls in sick because he has a history of being a turd.
Double standards is what is wrong with this country and it can kill any company also,,,,,,,,,,,,,,treat everyone equal or it will come back to bite you in the ass………………..
Spy,
Not sure why the previous comment was sent. Spy, Do you see both organzitions being treated equally here?
Look, to me picking on the Orioles the last few years has been like picking on the weak kid on the playground- Too easy and what does it prove?
I promise, if the Orioles rattled off 5 straight playoff appearances and could advance no further, fans would be jumping in their $hit too.
You can see it however you want, but the teams are judged by two entirely different measuring sticks.
You are right MGW , one team wants to win and the other wants to become the richest owner in sports………………..It’s like the Ravens are run by republicans and the O by democrats……………..Pole , these two teams are treated completey different by fans especially on this site where if you are a Ravens fan the ownership believes something is wrong with you and if you criticise the O’s , they know something is wrong with you…………………..hell yea there is a double standard……………..
MGW said “14 years is a long time to forget, but if you can’t forget then maybe it’s time to take up another hobby”… I have… I throw knives at my neighbors front door…
I will say one thing, Buck should have been “Manager of the Year”…
But, last year was a fluke…
I said it before, last year was the worst thing that could happen to the O’s. They won. That puts it into Angelos’ head that he doesn’t have to spend money on players (As it’s showing already this off-season) to win. A couple of “B” players would have been good for the O’s to fill some holes in the rotation or field but Angelos won’t part with the green.
I’m goina go out on a limb here and say the O’s finish around .500, a few games either way in the win/loss column.
Like last year, If the Orioles are winning I will keep my mouth shut so my friends can enjoy it. If they are losing though I will run my mouth.
BTW for those of you who have wrote to me on my personal email, I will be appearing at Marley Mall this Saturday from 1-3 for pictures. Bring your camera as it will be a blast just like last month!
I agree with these comments,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,last year was bad for the fans , and good for Peter the Great,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,