My nerves are frayed in a jangled mess over my once-cherished Baltimore Orioles. Being a fan is no longer fun. I have no more energy to root for the home team that once produced a litany of Hall of Famers and proudly flew World Series pennants.
Who are these guys, and why can't the Buck of Baseball wave his managerial wand and transform these guys into winners?
For years now they have tried free agency, trades, long-forgotten managers, general managers, etc. Yet they achieve the same result: the stultifying inability to win ball games.
It becomes especially oppressive when the Red Sox and Yankees pay a visit. Humiliation is painstakingly played out on the diamond and in stands rife with opponents' fans. How much can a one-time rabid fan like me take?
I have but one question for Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos and general manager Andy MacPhail: If field manager Buck Showalter cannot lead this ball club out of the doldrums and back to their winning ways, then what's next for this ball club?
The spiraling steps to the basement seem never-ending. It's time for me to get off this dreaded ride.
Patrick R. Lynch, Nottingham