orange, the suicide of Mike Flanagan – it’s all been well-documented here at WNST.net.
We’re the only ones who have had the audacity to report the truth and we’ll continue that this week.
We’ve reported facts regarding the botched managerial searches and failure to recruit Joe Girardi and Bobby Valentine, who both interviewed in Baltimore and will be running the Yankees and Red Sox this year.
The keystone disgrace of the botched GM search last fall that landed an otherwise MLB pariah (and so far incompetent) like Duquette, who has already had the team thrown out of the one of the Asian markets that was allegedly the ticket to the promised for the franchise.
Duquette’s biggest accomplishments after inheriting a complete mess was to add Endy Chavez, Wilson Betimit and Dana Eveland (who has already been designated for assignment) while trading away the Colorado Rockies’ Opening Day starter in Jeremy Guthrie for a bag of baseballs because they didn’t want to pay him.
Duquette then participated in screwing Matt Wieters out of a legitimate raise – a “Welcome to the Orioles” moment if there ever were one. And the new GM has also dangled Mark Reynolds in trade rumors throughout spring training while the team’s best asset — Adam Jones – looks to be a future trading deadline bait extraordinaire.
There are even whispers of putting Angelos’ dearly beloved Nick Markakis on the trading block before Aug. 1st once the Orioles fall out of contention. But, of course, that would have to be run past Mrs. Angelos, who also is more involved in many more decisions around The Warehouse than anyone ever reports.
Oh, the front office is also bringing six “legends” back to shamelessly promote the glory of the one thing that era had – people who legitimately wanted (and NEEDED) to win to make money. And the Orioles will also be “celebrating” 20 years of mostly awfulness and shame at Oriole Park at Camden Yards with more shameless profiteering off the history of the team when they cared about winning.
Instead, as fans and as a community, we have the Orioles as a shell of their former glory in Baltimore.
It’s a disgrace – everything about it is so sub-par.
And Baltimore fans have apparently quit on hope for the near future with Angelos and the Orioles.
Every Orioles fan I chat with feels trapped.
Baltimore fans feel like it’s a “checkmate” and we’re held endlessly captive to Angelos’ profiteering and complete lack of concern for the pride of the city and the quality of baseball he’s fielding for our citizens.
OR as several local business owners have privately said to me: “He doesn’t care about anyone but himself…”
Or, as “Agent Orange” a.k.a. the world’s self-professed Baltimore Orioles apologist has often said in my kitchen while drinking beer. “Until Peter Angelos dies you’re not gonna change d**k about the Orioles!”
The amazing part of the Orioles is Andy MacPhail’s recent ability to extract himself from the stench of the Orioles without anything sticking to him.
Lee Mazzilli might be scarred…and Mike Flanagan is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound — but most people, if they actually stay in Major League Baseball, somehow seem to land in a better place.
Willie Randolph likes TV better. So did Buck. Perlozzo is busy trying to win World Series games in Philadelphia. And MacPhail will be commissioner sometime soon.
Just like the Orioles botched foray into dominating the Asian market – where “honor” is everything — and proceeding to lie in Korea and get thrown out within six weeks – everyone is constantly trying to “save face” when they discuss this smelling turd.
And MASN tries every night at the expense of the likes of Rick Dempsey, Jim Palmer and now Mike Bordick, who are caught up in this maelstrom of lies about intentions, civic awareness and profiteering that is obvious to anyone who isn’t stupid.
Every night I feel sorry for these guys when they have to make excuses for why all of this sucks and for guys like Palmer and Dempsey, who have not only watched the team fall into a state of disgrace but have also watched while dear friends like Flanagan have left us along the way.
All summer long we’ll be hearing Jim Hunter, Joe Angel and Fred Manfra tell us to look the other way until Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy are soon-to-be-showing-up to
