You can’t always get what you want. It’s a well-known phrase, and one that seems to define the 2014 offseason for Orioles fans.
Personally, I wanted the O’s to bring back Brian Roberts. I understand why they didn’t, but I would have liked to see #1 run down the Orange Carpet on opening day. Part of it is the emotional attachment. Like many fans, Roberts was a favorite of mine. Whether it was his boyish good looks, his propensity for hitting doubles, or his get-your-uniform-dirty enthusiasm, I loved watching him play. He was the only bright spot on a lot of bad clubs. And I wanted those clubs to win.
But none of that happened the way I wanted. They didn’t bring him back, and if he had to end up elsewhere, I didn’t want him to end up on a hated rival’s roster. I certainly didn’t want him to end up in New York, in the void Robinson Cano left behind. For the second time, I didn’t get what I wanted. Brian Roberts was a Yankee, and I hated it.
Even worse, I knew that there would be a moment when Roberts was introduced to the crowd at Camden Yards.
Now batting for the Yankees, second baseman, number one, Brian Roberts
I don’t want to have to live through watching Baltimore boo Brian Roberts. And I don’t want to be tempted to boo him. I just can’t handle that. Baseball is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to crap on your heart.
What I really didn’t want was Brian Roberts to make it easy to root against him. But he did. Consider:
Ugh. So let’s review:
- The Orioles cast off one of my favorite players
- That player got picked up by the team I hate most
- Now Brian Roberts is saying “all the right things” in New York, which fills me with rage
- The Orioles did NOTHING else in free agency to distract me from the situation
No, you can’t always get what you want. But in this case, couldn’t the universe throw me a bone?
I also don’t want THIS to make me feel better…
Brian was a great player in his prime for the O’s. Too bad he wasn’t healthy enough these past 2 years when the Birds were contenders. He’s gone & now I could care less what he says……
I disagree with the author. He said nothing negative about the O’s. He didn’t demean, slight or do anything unprofessional. He was the only thing to enjoy about the O’s for a long time. I’m sad that he went to the Dark Side, but I understand that it’s business. I also realize he wants a legitimate shot at a ring before he retires. If he thought we could have provided that, he’d have stayed.
He knows what we all know: The O’s will never contend for a Series title as long as they are owned by Peter Angelos.
cuts deep? knife twist? we should have got rid of that bum 5 years ago
steroid abuser
The Orioles and Fans were blindsided by his move to the Yankees, although the O’s front office seems to have been inexcusably clueless about a lot this off season… Roberts has been unhealthy for 2 of the last 3 seasons and a lot of fans stuck by him anyway. I agree – while business is business, it’s still the kind of thing that turns fans off. I think there was a better understanding and maybe justification when Moose defected.
I think everyone will get over B-Rob leaving to the Yankees, but I don’t know anyone who got over Mussina.
Don’t get me wrong – I didn’t like Mussina going either, especially to them. But it was a different circumstance and nobody was surprised by it.
No way you can give Roberts a hard time about this. What is he supposed to say, “I’ve always hated you guys, and NYer’s are jerks!”. Baseball is a business, the O’s didn’t want him so he signed with a team who did. The players get that its a business, its us fans that have a problem remembering that from time to time.
I had zero problem with him until this. It wouldn’t bother me as much as it does if he hadn’t apparently refused to do any Baltimore media after the deal happened. Just seems kind of shitty.
I don’t know, maybe he’ll do something cool like Heap did and take out a big ad thanking Baltimore when they come to town the first time or something, but for now it isn’t sitting right with me.
Who’s Brian Roberts?
So, he won’t be, “number 1, Brian Roberts, numbed 1.” I doubt the Yanks feel he’s worthy of unretiring Billy Martin’s number. He’s not Peyton Manning to the Broncos’ Frank Tripucka, that’s for sure.
11 maybe? That’s what Buck wore and he seemed to like Buck.
It’s going to be all sorts of weird.