Opinion: Baltimore Orioles are not in the mood to listen to the media.
Despite media disdain and laughter, it’s blatantly obvious that the Orioles were ready to spoil the American League East party in 2023.
Do you remember the movie, “Major League” with Charlie Sheen and Tom Berenger? A group of ragtag misfits rally around each other to spite their owner. Well it seems like that’s what the Orioles are doing right now. A team just out having fun and doing what they can to win ball games. You can say that the O’s are playing with house money and disregarding what the media is saying about them. There was a part in the movie where the team decided to film a commercial for American Express but let’s do it with the Orioles. Imagine it.
Everyone: “Hello! You know us! We’re a Major League Baseball team!”
Grayson Rodriguez: “But since we haven’t won us a pennant in over 40 years, nobody recognizes us, not even in our hometown.”
Gunnar Henderson: “That’s why we carry the American Express card!”
Adley Rutschman: “No matter how far out of first we are… It’s cool… You know, it keeps us from being shut out at hotels and our favorite restaurant type places.”
Anthony Santander: “So if you’re looking for some big-league clout, apply for that little green homerun hitter.”
Austin Hays: “Look what it’s done for us! People still don’t recognize us, but!”
Brandon Hyde: “We’re contenders now!”
Cedric Mullins (sliding in): “The American Express Card, don’t steal home without it!”
You saw in the beginning of the season, how the media just said: “The Yankees improved! It’s their division to lose!” and “Yankees can’t lose, they got everything going for them.” The legacy media showed their predictions of Yankees and Red Sox in the ALCS or to win the World Series with their rosters built with media-market riches and cable deals.
The media chastised the Orioles saying that they made no moves and last year was just a fluke. They also reminded viewers that they just can’t compete in the American League East. Well, to that, the Orioles got up and said to the media, “hey, hold our beers.”
The Orioles, after losing 2 of 3 to the Red Sox to open the season, the O’s raced out to a 20-9 start that nobody saw coming despite making very little in terms of moves. But again, the media said to that: “Don’t worry, the wheels will fall off. They don’t have enough firepower to compete with the likes of the Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, much less, the Blue Jays. They’ll finish last. Last year was just a flukey season.”
The Orioles are out playing fun baseball and being ignored in the media for big games (Sunday Night Baseball, FOX Saturday baseball). The team had a few national home and away games but that’s about it. Every media outlet was still banking on the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees to recover quickly and retake the division and wild card advantage. However, this was not the case. The Red Sox and Yankees are languishing to the delight of modern fans who want to see new teams in the postseason. Yes, we will see some newcomers in the playoffs this year, no doubt.
As Brandon Hyde put it in a game against the Houston Astros, “We’re not thinking about the future, we’re thinking about the right now, the present.” The media has been pushing hard to disrupt the Orioles flow with postseason chatter but again, the team is just not in the mood to listen. A few players have stated that the locker room is competitive with card games, video games, and crossword puzzles galore. Kyle Gibson allegedly stated that some players don’t even want the television on except to play a video game. Aaron Hicks came in and saw a very relaxed atmosphere and a team-first management and culture. Apparently, he even noticed some players studying college material, reading a book, or just sitting back keeping to themselves.
Fast forward now, so you all remember the Kevin Brown situation that got the media riled up about the team (instead of punishing the Oriole Ownership). The legacy media saw the Kevin Brown situation as a way to say: “Finally, we got them! Let’s start badmouthing the team for this!”
It didn’t work out because it wasn’t the team in general and it was the ownership that did it. I don’t even think the main roster and management even noticed anything on twitter or the social media pages. The Orioles probably just casually ignored the situation and continued to play ball. The team went on and acted like nothing happened. Kevin Brown was back and life went on.
This young team of eager players are going out there and playing the finest baseball possible to win games. Yes, the team has had games where they should’ve won but thankfully, some of these games have been: “no harm, no foul, would’ve been nice to win, but no harm, no foul.”
What is the media’s problem with Baltimore? I don’t get it. We’re a city that loves our teams win or lose. We do pay for a good product on the field and want to be entertained but it takes a few bad seasons to be good again. The Orioles were accused of tanking. No, the team was just basically a Triple-A product with no real star talent from 2018-2021 having to start from square one.
Media, do the Orioles a favor and keep badmouthing them, because it’s only going to make the team stronger and that much better. The Orioles have more surprises coming your way and that much I’ll guarantee.
If there is a motto for this team right now, it would be this: “Just play your game and screw what everyone thinks about you.”
LET’S GO O’S!!!!!!
