yesterday on Tuesday when WNST wasn’t allowed a question of Dan Duquette.
And while there were a few decent questions that were asked of Duquette – he danced around most of the legitimate inquiries anyway, laughed a few off and essentially settled in for several more years of tap-dancing around the real issue: will the team ever make a REAL commitment to get better players so they can compete in the AL East and become relevant?
Duquette, after thanking a bevy of lawyers, did his best nervous-Nelly dance and avoided every legitimate question with “scouting and development” answers, which means the team won’t be spending any real money on the best players in the sport.
So here are my Top Five questions from today’s sham down at The Warehouse:
1. Where is the owner?
And once he’s found six blocks away – I guess it’s too much to ask that the guy who owns the team can make it in his limo for six blocks through the Inner Harbor – let’s ask him why no one legitimately inside Major League Baseball wanted this job?
2. Who is really taking ultimate responsibility for winning and losing in Baltimore? Is that Buck Showater? Is that Peter Angelos? Is that Dan Duquette? Who gets final say on deals and signings?
3. What’s with this VP title? What, exactly, are your job responsibilities, Builder Dan?
4. Where does Andy MacPhail fit in all of this? Will Duquette be breaking bread with him? Has he broken bread with him to find out the reality of this situation?
5. Hey Buck, why didn’t anyone INSIDE of Major League Baseball want this job?
Once again, we’re now 14 years into the abyss.
Like Ray Lewis always says, “It never changes…”
And I suspect it won’t until Peter Angelos is gone. Holding him accountable or having him come out of his cave clearly isn’t going to happen.
But that’s not going to stop me from pointing out the dirty truths about the Orioles: they’re really not TRYING to win.
They’re trying to make as much money as possible and they’re succeeding.
And the questions will only be asked by those whose questions are “pre-approved.”
That’s democracy in America in 2011.
That’s your Baltimore Orioles…