OT Orioles have reason for high hopes

[mr.miracle]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/column...rry&id=4309422

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insid...ory?id=4310817

While it won't happen this year and probably not next, the Orioles could finally be in a position to at least be competitive and perhaps find that elusive winning season again in the next couple of years. Things are actually starting to look brighter with what might turn into the best outfield in baseball in the next two seasons, a potential all-star catcher in the future in Wieters and plenty of young arms down on the farm.

Lets hope after a ridiculous stretch of embarrassing years this team finally makes a run at the top teams in the East in the next couple of seasons.

[Vintagedeputy]

The O's have some decent guys....Markakis, Jones....anything's possible!

[LastingsMilledge85]

Their young guys like Reimold, Markakis, Weiters, and Jones look great and will probably have a respectable team, but it is so hard to compete in that division and I don't feel the Orioles can do it despite them having a good, respectable team.

[shoremen44]

2 years... the O's will no longer be the doormat... agreed the AL east is crazy good, but with the young hitters and pitchers like Berguson and Tillman(yet to come)... I am very hopeful for the first time in many years

[LastingsMilledge85]

They don't have the payroll to compete with the Red Sox and Yankees though. The Rays will always fight, and now even Toronto is good. It's nice to see that the O's are a respectable team, but I can't see them in the postseason with the teams in their division. Nothing would make me happier than to see a team like the O's, Jays, and Rays top the AL East over the trillion dollar Yankees and Red Sox.

[mr.miracle]

They don't have the payroll to compete with the Red Sox and Yankees though. The Rays will always fight, and now even Toronto is good. It's nice to see that the O's are a respectable team, but I can't see them in the postseason with the teams in their division. Nothing would make me happier than to see a team like the O's, Jays, and Rays top the AL East over the trillion dollar Yankees and Red Sox.

They could compete if they can put a good team on the field. It is really a catch 22 for them. If the team can return to respectability, they can starting putting 35000 plus in the seats again. Without knowing the exact numbers, supposedly Angelos really negotiated a heck of a deal with MASN for broadcast revenue. If they could even fill that stadium to 65% capcacity on a regular basis, they could run their payroll up over 100 million easy that is assuming that they would get an owner who really cared.

While the Orioles will never be in the stratosphere with the Yankees, they can certainly get within shouting distance of the Red Sox. Unfortunately, unless their is a drastic shakeup, I don't know if the fans will return until Angelos sells this team. People in Baltimore are so disgusted with his inept ownership that they have basically given up. About the only smart thing he has done in 15 plus years was bring in Andy McPhail although that may be too little to late. If Angelos would not have allowed this team to become the doormat of the league he would never have put the team in such desperate straits to begin with.