2024 Orioles Season Aftermath

“The pitch, HE STRUCK HIM OUT! And the Kansas City Royals move on to the Division Series.” And it happened again. First of all I will make one thing clear. This outcome was weeks, maybe even months in the making. With how banged up the Orioles were throughout most of the season, especially their pitching staff, there was little reason to believe that they would go far. Now you see why. This team went from the best record in baseball, to getting swept in the Wild Card Series in 2 months. IN WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE YEAR THAT THEY’D MAKE IT TO THE WORLD SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1983! Instead, they chose the worst possible outcome. Getting embarrassed on your home field again in front of a National Audience, when a rematch with the Damn Yankees was all but handed to you on a silver platter. You were facing a team that hadn’t been in the playoffs in a decade and had little playoff experience on the roster. But then we must dig deeper to find out that this next thing is about to tick off every diehard sports fan in the state of Maryland. This year for Baltimore Sports is the reincarnation of the Summer of 69. Losing to the same city twice in the same damn year. (Bobby Witt Jr and Patrick Mahomes = Tom Seaver and Joe Namath) And not only that, but laying massive eggs in front of the home crowd thanks to beating themselves at the worst possible times. 1 run in 18 innings. Yes the opposing pitching staff is damn good but this was with a now healthy Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg. This was with Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson finally getting out of a September slump. Corbin Burnes and Zach Eflin got 1997 Mussina’d and Key’d in both games because they couldn’t hit with runners in scoring position. There’s no excuse for this. NONE! I’ll be right back because I need to get my ax out of the shed. PAUSE

All I kept hearing from 105.7 the Fan and from Baltimore fans all weekend long was about how the Royals were an easier matchup for the Orioles than the Tigers. “Detroit’s the hottest team in baseball, and we’d rather play Kansas City!” This is the same crap that happened with Texas against Tampa Bay last year! The whole city wanted the Rangers because they were in theory a weaker opponent and they walked into town and crushed the O’s in back to back games. The AFC Championship Game from January and the 2014 ALCS should have been the warning signs of not wanting to play Kansas City again in the playoffs, but no one listened to me because they all thought this would be easy pickings before having to go to the Bronx. And now this city has lost their last seven playoff games to teams from Kansas City. They’ve overtaken New York and Pittsburgh as the most hated city in the Beltway Area. The ora of Taylor Swift and the arrogance of Nick Wright is once again consuming Charm City whole. MAKE THIS STOP! PAUSE.

I have a serious question to ask right now. Is the GM right now Mike Elias or Dan Duquette? Personally I can’t tell the difference between the two. Elias went from one of the hottest GMs in baseball to a guy who has fallen into the same traps that every GM of this team since Pat Gillick has fallen into. This year they had the most active trade deadline they’ve had since 1996. AND IT BLEW UP IN THEIR FACES! Eloy Jimenez and Trevor Rogers got exposed to the point where they were sent down to Triple A. The same would have been said about Gregory Soto but their bullpen is a freaking mess right now due to injuries. Both Austin Slater and Christian Pache have been nowhere near expectations, and the only players that have panned out are Seranthony Dominguez and Zach Eflin. And both of them are free agents at the end of the year. You had the chance to get Crochet or Skubal couldn’t do so because “OH MY GOD THE PROSPECTS WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR FUTURE!” Tell me this then, if you care so much about prospects, THEN WHY ARE YOU TRADING AWAY NORBY AND STOWERS FOR SOMEONE THATS NOT TANNER SCOTT! You needed an elite closer especially with Mount Felix being out for the year with Tommy John and you gave those guys up for Rogers. No wonder why those two are thriving in Miami. He better hope to god that Corbin Burnes does come back because if not and DL Hall as well as Joey Ortiz emerge into stars in Milwaukee. He’ll have his answers to the Scott Feldman and Bud Norris trades. PAUSE.

I didn’t want to say this but I have no choice, Brandon Hyde needs to be fired, THERE I SAID IT! What Hyde is doing right now behind the bench is the same crap that Buck Showalter did in 2016-18. Pulling his pitchers way too early in games despite having successful outings, letting his bullpen get hung out to dry, and playing veteran hitters over young guns who easily have higher upside. Look at this for a second. What manager decides to bench a potential generational talent in Jackson Holliday for most of September in favor of a journeyman in Emmanuel Rivera? No unless they drink stupid juice. Not only that, he sat Rutschman for most of August in favor of James McCann who is nowhere near Rutschman in terms of talent and leadership. Need I remind you that Adley Rutschman is THE FACE OF THE FREAKING FRANCHISE! Now you see why he’s been in a slump since late July, ITS BECAUSE HYDE WON’T LET PLAY HIM BEHIND THE PLATE AS MUCH AS HE SHOULD! He and Elias better be lucky for that tank they had from 2018-2021 or else they would be long gone. And oh by the way he still thinks Cionel Perez and Jacob Webb have potential after watching them serve cookies and hit batters all season. Ironman and Rubensplash you’ve got your work cut out for you trying to keep up with New York and Boston without having deep pockets. PAUSE.

I have come to the conclusion that the 2015 protests in this city involving the Freddie Gray incident put a curse on Baltimore Sports. This is not an overreaction, this is a legitimate case I’m making. Look at the O’s and Ravens records in the playoffs since then. 2-11 including 1-7 at home. (4-14 if you go back to the 2014 ALCS) Twice going one and done with the #1 seed, consistently choking at the worst possible times, John Harbaugh and Brandon Hyde getting constantly outcoached, the strengths of each team getting beaten at their own games, and worst of all most of those losses being against freaking Kansas City! Adley and Gunnar are going to be held to the same standard that Lamar and Mark Andrews are being held to whether they deserve it or not. This is a Buffalo McKinley type of curse, especially since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse back in March was also considered part of the criteria. (Criteria: Failing every time your team and city takes the nation’s center stage) And considering that this is on top of the Curse of Jeffrey Maier going back to 1996, it shows one thing. This city is possibly on the same level as Atlanta, Minnesota, and Buffalo in terms of choking. And that’s something I never thought I’d admit. PAUSE

To be honest, I have no idea what the Orioles do from here. Elias and Hyde have secured everything they have desired since arriving in 2019. A cornerstone behind the plate, a 5 tool shortstop, elite starting pitching, solid power all around, great defense, and a dominant closer. Yet it’s still not enough. And not just enough to win a series, it’s not enough to even win a single game in the playoffs. As the last few years have shown this team nor the rest of this damn city has no killer instincts when things tighten up in the playoffs. And with how many times the O’s have shot themselves in the foot, Rubenstein and company may be entering panic territory. In theory they shouldn’t because they just bought the team from the Angelos Family this past March, but considering that the fans in Charm City are becoming as toxic as Philly fans, they might need to make changes quickly. And this offseason is also very critical. Both Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander are due for massive contracts, what happens with Mountcastle and Eflin? What will Bautista look like next year? The future of this organization went from sky high to possibly falling into the same damn traps that doomed them with Showalter and Duquette, except this time they won’t have the excuse of a weak farm system. Not to mention there’s still the possibility of New York and Boston going big game hunting in the winter. At this rate if the Orioles are going to be able to get out of the mess they’re in, a lot of things need to change whether it’s through overhauling the coaching staff, executive branch, or giving up key prospects who aren’t ready or haven’t panned out. Well at least for the sake of Baltimore fans, the Ravens are starting to play up to their potential again, unless they too fall into these same damn traps for the hundredth time. PAUSE