From what I hear, dollar bills are the best means to wipe egg from one?s face. For the Orioles, the best time to perform such a task is this winter, when they can make a big splash in the offseason and attempt to rid themselves of a terrible public image built up over nine consecutive seasons of losing and heartbreak.
Whatever the front office does this winter, it must reach out to its fan base ? the Baltimore fan base ? and show that this team understands their frustration by being willing to improve.
The fans want a winner. They want it now. And they deserve it, especially after suffering through so much negative O?s drama on and off the field.
Nine straight losing seasons, and as of Saturday, another steroid controversy. But Tuesday, reports came out that Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons are not tied to steroid use after all by former O?s pitcher Jason Grimsley. That?s tremendous news because Roberts and Gibbons are two of the players that do, in fact, want to be here. Roberts is one of the most active O?s in the Baltimore community, and fans respond to that.
In fact, they need more of it.
The Orioles franchise seemed to reach an all-time low last winter. After the second-half tailspin and accusations of steroid use by Rafael Palmeiro, Miguel Tejada asked out of town. Then, Baltimore icon Elrod Hendricks passed away, and only Melvin Mora found time to attend his funeral.
Who can blame the Orioles fans for losing interest? This season marked the eighth time in nine seasons that the team has finished in fourth place.
Thank you, Tampa Bay.
Now is the time to mend the Birds? wings and get them up and flying again. Whether these latest steroid allegations involving Orioles players are true or not, the team has a major public relations project to undertake. And for goodness? sake, shell out some money for free agents because we all know the money is there. The MASN deal should bring in a value near one-third of the team?s current payroll.
Fans are pining for the team of old, the one that boasted a string of 18 straight winning seasons from 1968-85. Instead, this club has shown little reason to believe that they won?t challenge the string of 12 straight losing seasons the St. Louis Browns had from 1930-41 before moving to Charm City in 1954.
We won?t see “Baltimore” returning to the road jerseys anytime soon, so it?s time to get creative. Take a page out of the ever-growing world of minor league baseball, perhaps: If we?re going to lose, at least make the games fun.
The real Baltimore fans aren?t the wine-sipping corporate folks that invaded the Camden seating bowl upon the stadium?s opening. They?re the fans that huddled together on 33rd Street in the fall of 1991, crying as an era of Orioles baseball ended.
It?s time to end this latest era, the one of losing and despair. The future starts now.
Sean Welsh is a staff writer for the Examiner. You can reach him at [email protected].
