Write On Sports LLC - "Trouble in Baltimore" by Chris Licata

Trouble in Baltimore

2006-09-27 23:29:44 | By: Chris Licata

Peter Angelos and the Baltimore Orioles are in trouble. Big trouble.

As if enduring the franchise's ninth straight losing season wasn’t enough, the Orioles owner was embarrassed Thursday night when nearly 1,000 fans staged a walkout in protest of how he has run the team. Donning black t-shirts that read “FREE THE BIRDS”, the fans walked out of the game in the middle of the fourth inning at 5:08 p.m. – in honor of former O’s stars Brooks Robinson (No. 5) and Cal Ripken Jr. (No. 8). While the Orioles managed to stage a terrific comeback, the actions of these fans overshadowed the game and highlighted just how dire the situation has become for this once-proud franchise.

The Orioles haven’t made the playoffs since 1997 and are not showing any signs of turning things around. The O’s have a dismal 67-86 record and, if not for the triple A-esque play of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, would be in dead last in the American League East. Baltimore is 7-21 against the Yankees and Red Sox this season and subsequently attendance is down 6,000 people from 2005, bringing the average to 26,874 fans per game over 74 games.

It shouldn’t be this way. The Orioles are one of the most historic franchises in the history of baseball. From 1966 through 1971 the Orioles were in the World Series four times, winning it in 1966 and 1970. The Orioles also won the world title in 1983 when a young shortstop by the name of Cal Ripken Jr. caught the final out against the Philadelphia Phillies. If not having one of the greatest players of all time affiliated with your team isn’t enough, the Orioles also play in one of the most beautiful stadiums in baseball – Oriole Park at Camden Yards. So what is Angelos’ explanation for why the team has struggled recently?

“Whoever joins that protest has no comprehension of what it costs to run a baseball team,” Angelos said during an interview with ESPN.

Uh-oh Peter, you’re not going to go down that road are you?

“When you get down to facts, putting together a team that can compete in the AL East means having a payroll between $100 million-$110 million,” Angelos added.

Yep, he went there.

In an argument echoed by Toronto Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi a few weeks ago, Angelos thinks it is impossible to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox with only a $70-million payroll. What Angelos needs to realize is the “payroll/buying World Series Championship” arguments have not only been completely debunked, but are really starting to get old.

A paycheck can’t beat out an infield hit. A signing bonus doesn’t field a hard ground ball in the hole. A bank statement won’t strike out a key hitter in the bottom of the ninth. The 2003 Florida Marlins won the World Series with a $49-million payroll and the 2005 White Sox did it with a $75-million one – both teams went through the Yankees and Red Sox respectively to win their title. Even the Devil Rays, who have the second lowest payroll in the league at $35 million, are in a position to take the season series from the Red Sox, currently down one game at 9-8 with two games at Fenway this week.

Finally, just to shoot one last hole in Angelos’ argument, consider the fact that with a $72.5-million payroll the Orioles are exactly No. 15 out of 30 teams in spending. Of the 15 teams that spend less than them, five of them are still in the playoff hunt – including division leaders Oakland and San Diego, as well as AL-Wild-Card-Leading Minnesota. The Florida Marlins, who collectively make less than a number of New York Yankees players at $14.9 million, are only four games out of the Wild Card, at the time of writing, in the National League

Angelos’ problem is not that he doesn’t have the cash; it’s that he doesn’t know what to do with it. Ten million dollars of this year’s payroll is tied up to All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada. While Tejada may be one of the most talented players in the game, he has become a head case in Baltimore by constantly fueling the rumors that he wants out of the city via trade. How does Angelos handle this situation? By ignoring it. Last July around the trading deadline, the O’s refused to pull the trigger when the Angels reportedly offered blossoming young superstar Ervin Santana for Tejada. With Erik Bedard proving to be a solid starter the Orioles could have used Santana to create a much-needed one-two punch in the rotation – something that Kris Benson was supposed to do this off-season (Benson was acquired from the Mets and has gone an embarrassing 11-11 with a near 4.50 ERA).

The fans are angry in Baltimore and with the arrival of the Nationals in nearby Washington D.C., it’s not inconceivable to think that a new generation of Marylanders will drift away from their states storied franchise.

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