As long as the Yankees get knocked out of the playoffs, I'll be happy.
Did anyone read that bullcrap commentary the NYT columist wrote about O's fans? My husband wrote a great letter back to him
Here it is, if you haven't:
September 28, 2005
Baseball Should Investigate the Orioles for Fraud
By WILLIAM C. RHODEN
BALTIMORE
WHILE Commissioner Bud Selig is investigating steroids and vitamin
B-12, he should also investigate the Baltimore Orioles - for consumer
fraud.
Until last night, when they finally beat the Yankees, the Orioles had
been the embarrassment of the stretch drive. While the Mets, the
Royals, the Tigers, the Blue Jays and the Devil Rays have done their
part to upset the contenders, the Orioles have been the pin cushion of
the playoff race, the American League punching bag, a runway for the
Red Sox and the Yankees, a trampoline boosting aspirations in Boston
and New York.
Toronto is pushing the contenders, the Mets have handed Philadelphia
crushing losses, Detroit beat the White Sox, and even Kansas City, the
team with the worst record in baseball, handed Cleveland a loss on
Sunday. To add to the intrigue, perennially downtrodden Tampa Bay beat
Cleveland last night.
Before yesterday's victory, Baltimore had lost 10 consecutive games to
the Yankees and the Red Sox, four of them at Camden Yards, the place
the Orioles marginally call home.
What's so bizarre about this is that Baltimore has ceded its ballpark
to New York and Boston. Last weekend, Red Sox fans were so prevalent
here that it looked as if they had rented out Camden Yards for a
private party.
Now Yankees fans attempted to take over Oriole Park.
Last night, the Orioles and their fans took back Camden Yards. Just
when the Yankees appeared to be on cruise control, the Orioles
reminded them that they still have gaping holes in their pitching
staff.
Baltimore is suffering through its eighth consecutive losing season.
Next year, Peter Angelos should consider putting his Orioles on the
road full time - the baseball equivalent of the New Orleans Saints -
and lease Camden Yards to other Major League Baseball teams.
Don't the Washington Nationals need a slicker place to play?
We all have bad days. We run some races we'll never win. Until
yesterday's victory, the Orioles seemed to be packing it in. Alex
Rodriguez said he sympathized with the Orioles. He has been there
plenty of times with the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners.
"I've been on teams that were knocked out by June 1," he said. "It's
really a mental grind - the toughest thing I've had to do as a
professional is being knocked out of the race so early and still have
to go out and play the way you're capable of playing."
Sam Perlozzo, the Orioles' interim manager, said: "It's sad. You know
the Boston fans are going to come down because they can't get tickets
in Fenway. But they wouldn't come rushing down here if we were better.
First of all, they couldn't get the tickets because our people
wouldn't sell them. We need to get that back in order somehow."
The Orioles' season is lost, but the integrity of the competition
still matters, the pride in knocking a contender out of the race.
"We spoiled a lot of parties," said Rodriguez, recalling his seasons
in Texas, "and it was fun doing it. I remember knocking Seattle out
one year, we made it really tough on Oakland and Anaheim, and it was a
big thrill."
But these Orioles aren't ruining any parties, and until yesterday they
didn't seem to mind. I know this sounds harsh. The Orioles began so
hot but then fell apart, and in early August the integrity of the
organization was shaken when Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for
steroids after testifying before a Congressional panel that he never
had used performance-enhancing drugs.
Last week, the Orioles were jolted by disclosures that Palmeiro told
investigators that a substance Miguel Tejada had given him was a
possible cause of the positive test. Tejada said that he had given
Palmeiro vitamin B-12 injections, and the Orioles then announced that
Palmeiro would not return to the club this season.
"These people have been through so much this year," Rodriguez said.
"These guys, today, are dying to kick our butts. Nobody here is laying
down for anyone."
A franchise can have a bad season or two or three. But the Orioles
have been overcome by a culture of losing.
Angelos resisted the move to Washington by the franchise formerly
known as the Montreal Expos. In fact, the presence of the Nationals
will make him work to rebuild his franchise's credibility. The
Nationals have an exciting young team that, until the last two weeks,
was in contention for the wild card.
But Palmeiro, in some ways the face of the Orioles' franchise, was
disgraced and driven from the team, and perhaps from baseball.
Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. took batting practice and infield
practice yesterday. A native of the Baltimore suburbs, even he knows
the Orioles' predicament is terrible.
"It's frustrating and it's embarrassing," Ehrlich said. "It's not
terribly surprising given the season that we've had."
So how does Angelos regain the glory of a once-proud franchise?
Perhaps he should sell it.
As a result of the Orioles' lack of effort down the stretch, the Red
Sox and the Yankees have a full head of steam heading into a weekend
series in Boston that could prove pivotal.
There's even the possibility of a one-game playoff between the Red Sox
and the Yankees. If that happens, Major League Baseball should play
the game here, at Camden Yards, where Red Sox and Yankees fans feel
comfortable.
Camden Yards is everybody's home away from home.
