Remembering 2014 Orioles Fan Fest

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The unsettled nature of the Orioles’ 2015 season is extreme, only in the fact that Dan Duquette might be leaving for the Great White North. Other than that… things have generally unfolded as they have under the Duquette/Showalter regime.

As we approach Fan Fest on January 31, remember that last year’s event was pretty similar. Though the fan base was full of optimism – the team looked to build on its second consecutive winning season, led by Chris Davis‘  MVP-caliber season – the roster still had a ton of holes in late January. The February spending spree that netted Ubaldo Jimenez and Nelson Cruz was s till a few weeks away.

Fans had no idea what to expect from the Orioles. Some were worried that a misspent offseason would let the recent success slip away… just like now. Listen to this clip of Dan Duquette addressing fans during one of the fan forums.

The same questions were asked: why aren’t we spending money, Dan? Why aren’t we bringing in pieces to augment the existing nucleus? How can we hope to contend with your usual assortment of spare parts and question marks?

Here in 2015, the answers aren’t much different, are they? While clamoring for activity, fans can’t really beat up the team for having more faith in outfielders Steve Pearce, Alejandro De Aza, and David Lough than they do in some of the free agents out there. As Ken Rosenthal recently noted, there may even be some reason to believe De Aza is a better option than Cruz, Nori Aoki, and Colby Rasmus.

This Dan Duquette situation is downright strange, and has brought a level of tension both inside the Warehouse and throughout Birdland. But take a step back, and look at the moves that haven’t happened, and the small moves that have. You’ll see a signature Duquette offseason unfolding in Baltimore, and history suggests that minor acquisitions late in the game may pay the greatest dividends.

We may not like it (I hate it). But remove the distraction and you may find that we’re no better or worse off than we were last year: going into Fan Fest full of hope, but aware of the challenges that remain.

Featured Photo Credit: Cody Colston