Some colleagues were discussing their favorite players from their childhood, when I started wondering: who is my least favorite member of the Orioles from 1998-2011? This time frame I refer to as The Dark Period was home to a lot of terrible players… guys who shouldn’t have sniffed the majors.
For me, the answer is easy. I have a special place in my heart for Kevin Gregg. I don’t know why the guy drives me so crazy. It’s possible that, because his two years with the club (2011-2012) straddled the transition between The Dark Period and real baseball. Maybe my expectations were raised beyond what Gregg could possibly offer.
Whatever the reason, that guy sucked.
I opened up the question to Twitter, and got a lot of entertaining responses. Here are just a few:
@BirdsEyeViewBal Mike Gonzalez should be on there too. God i remember him blowing a save on opening day
— Eli (@MrEli301) February 26, 2015
Me too. *cries*
@BirdsEyeViewBal Garrett Atkins — Faye (@Hheever) February 26, 2015
@BirdsEyeViewBal Garrett Atkins, Aubrey Huff, Sosa
— eammon (@eammon) February 26, 2015
But Aubrey Huff hit for the cycle! And he thought the world of Baltimore!
@BirdsEyeViewBal Brandon Fahey, Sidney Ponson, Daniel Cabrera, Garret Atkins, Adam Loewen, Kevin Gregg, Val Majewski, Radhames Liz — mark heidelberg (@markdaniel89) February 26, 2015
@BirdsEyeViewBal Kris Benson had a slow deliberate pace that only elongated shitty games. Crazy Hot wife. Emphasis on CRAZY.
— Chris Maurer (@MaurerFTW) February 26, 2015
@BirdsEyeViewBal can we forget Geronimo Gil ever existed?
— Corey (@FUPAxTROOPA) February 26, 2015
The internet did not disappoint on the Negative Nancy front, either:
@BirdsEyeViewBal I’ve got news 4 u.They aren’t resigning our studs so we are going to have another 14 year losing streak. Get ur list ready
— john peters (@Jpet1112) February 26, 2015
OK, guy. OK. ***** I don’t know what this is, exactly. I don’t know if I am supposed to be encouraged by how far the Orioles have come, or depressed that I really had to deal with teams that bad for so long. Whichever the case, what was really heartening was the responses. People who felt just like me. People who remembered – not so fondly – the terrible Orioles, people who suffered with me. People who still flinch at the mention of “30-3.” You’re great, Birdland. And I’m really enjoying celebrating the good times with you. Who are your least favorite Orioles?