The Smiley Smile Message Board

Been depressing to be a beltway fan this year... Nats and O’s are struggling. Though reading a biography on Brooks Robinson and finding a brand new O’s shirt with the classic cursive logo has kept me sane.

Struggling would be an improvement.   The Orioles are on pace to be historically bad, and just traded away the best position player they've drafted since Cal Ripken Jr.   

True that, the rich get richer...  :-\ Though  watching a game before the all star break where Brooks attended and the O’s won was a religious experience...

Unfortunately, that's what the Angelos Orioles have become.   When, all the team can do is celebrate it's glorious past because the present day club is so bad, it's a sad day.   I'm surprised Brooks, at 83, took a job with the team.  At his age, I don't know why he'd want to spend his remaining years with this trainwreck of a franchise. 

Damn, tough order at 83 and his current health problems...,

I don't know how much day to day work he'd do.   I think it's just a token job to drum up a little fan interest.   

Yep, Brooks was (and is) the master at fan interaction...

He is, I've had the pleasure of meeting him several times.   You'd never know by meeting him that he's a HOFer who won two WS.   

I just hate the thought of him being used as a puppet to sell a few extra tickets by the Angelos regime. 

Agreed, I am surprised he agreed to this job. The biography I read implied Brooks was estranged from the Angelos O’s for many years...

He was.   There were quite a few years where he wouldn't even come to the ballpark.   Remember when Cal retired?   They had the other legends there except Brooks.   

Good point, such bad times...

The sad part is, the Orioles had those dark times from 1998-2011, and this current team looks to be worse than any team during that era. 

Even worse times, Britton to the Yankees...

I'm OK with trading him to the Yankees.   Seems like we got two of their top pitching prospects.   With our record, and the prospect of not being good for a few years, I say make the deals with whoever gives the most return.

As a Jays fan, I am just thankful to the Orioles for keeping us out of the basement.

Tough times.... :-\

And the Orioles also released Chris Tillman, who seems to have forgotten how to pitch at the age of 30.   

But, if we're gonna be bad, let's get the #1 pick and not screw it up this time.