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MEDIA WATCHDOG: Steve Melewski, eternal optimist

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I have to hand it to Steve Melewski of MASN.

No one is more optimistic about the Orioles than him. Everyone from national baseball pundits, to our local media, to fans that call into sports talk radio stations agrees that no team has had a more frustrating and baffling offseason than our Orioles. Everyone that is, but Melewski.

In a world of universal doom and gloom, his strange and unexplainable cheerfulness is actually rather refreshing. Here we are, in the midst of the longest, coldest, most miserable winter, anxiously awaiting the days of sitting in the bleachers in shorts as boys of summer to take the field at Camden Yards with high hopes for the O’s to build on the successes of 2012 and 2013, but we all know that their head scratching offseason will likely lead to more disappointment in September. Melewski refuses to believe that however, completely ignoring a decade of recent history relating to the Orioles and their meddling owner, Peter Angelos.

His defenses of the O’s sort of reminds me of that girlfriend in a terrible relationship that continues to come back and hang on despite her boyfriend never giving her the proper respect she truly deserves. Melewski and other diehards should to be treated so much better, but they keep coming back, hoping things will be different this time and believing that they will work out.

In a recent column over on MASNSports.com, Steve wrote about the Orioles’ lack of spending and how it won’t necessarily lead to losing in 2014:

Some fans are stirred up over the payroll issue and the Orioles are probably never going to hear the end of that unless they win to start the 2014 season and then go on to have a better season than many of you who post here have predicted.

But I would like to point out some facts, and they are facts that you can’t really dispute.

You do not have to spend big to win. That point has been hammered home often in the majors, most recently just last year.

Of the clubs with the top 10 payrolls in 2013, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts Web site, just three made the playoffs. Of the clubs with the bottom five payrolls last year, three made the playoffs.

The information presented is valid, but ignores the fact that the Orioles enter this upcoming season with glaring holes that they never addressed. They traded away their closer, who earned over 100 saves combined over two seasons, with the intentions of adding a veteran back end of the bullpen guy and never did.

They let a veteran second baseman walk away and sign with the rival Yankees in hopes of an unproven career .221 hitter suddenly finding his stroke.

Their designated hitters and starting rotation ranked near the bottom in just about every category last season and they’ve done nothing to improve upon either position. All the while, GM Dan Duquette has promised that the team will spend near $100 million and add a veteran starter this winter. It’s not over yet, but unless the team debuts a new promotion at Camden Yards – $100 bill night for the first 10,000 fans 18 and over – there’s no way they’ll live up to those promises.

That’s where everyone gets confused and the fan base gets frustrated. Sure, spending doesn’t always translate to winning, but addressing a team’s needs instead of depending on blind faith in guys that couldn’t do it last year usually does.

Steve and his colleague Roch Kubatko do fantastic work covering the Orioles and I feel terrible for the abuse they take every time they tweet news and rumors and are pounded by the flurry of sarcastic responses from fans. It’s not their fault and they’re just doing their job. I’ve heard fans abuse Melewski and say that because he works for MASN he isn’t able to give an honest opinion. I can tell you that isn’t the case. Stop listening to Nestor’s conspiracy theories that make it seem the warehouse is run like Soviet Russia. It’s a team with a bad owner, not a communist country that strips away basic freedoms.

Kubatko broke the news of Grant Balfour’s failed physical. Do you think the team was thrilled when a reporter that works for MASN revealed that bit of information to the public? Of course not, but he was just doing his job.

Steve is Steve and he’s always going to be a glass half full type of guy in regards to the team he loves.

At at a time when everyone highlights the negative, maybe that’s not so bad after all.

3 Responses

  1. I like his attitude, there are some pretty good baseball people in this organization and many things happen during Spring Training. 2 yrs. ago you all were doom and gloom also. Let the story unfold before you pass judgement.

  2. I’m sorry, but MASN and The Orioles have the same owner. You could NEVER convince me that doesn’t play a major role in the journalism of Steve & Roch. OK, maybe they don’t have to send all their columns through the warehouse for approval, but you can bet in influences their decision making on some level. I know the people that I work for own many businesses that while I don’t work for those holdings in particular, I would never disparage their reputation from the mountain top, that can only lead one direction.

    No, the Orioles (and MASN by extension) have an agenda, both on and off the field and whatever it is, because it obviously isn’t winning, they also have their own handpicked “journalists” to help feed or douse the flames.

  3. I don’t know what you expect have a powerhouse lineup but need a pitching coach who can mold young players. Also this is the year we go to the world series. Every one should believe in buck he is a great manager and teaches every aspect of game we have a good core of players who need a new owner who wants to give Duquette more power to make better choices and bring back oriole name that is why I think angelos should sell to Cal ripen who bleeds oriole orange. Need to spend money to build an empire. But that is what buck is doing going after a awesome team and I am proud of what him and Duquette has done. Can’t wait for season to start go orioles.

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3 Responses

  1. I like his attitude, there are some pretty good baseball people in this organization and many things happen during Spring Training. 2 yrs. ago you all were doom and gloom also. Let the story unfold before you pass judgement.

  2. I’m sorry, but MASN and The Orioles have the same owner. You could NEVER convince me that doesn’t play a major role in the journalism of Steve & Roch. OK, maybe they don’t have to send all their columns through the warehouse for approval, but you can bet in influences their decision making on some level. I know the people that I work for own many businesses that while I don’t work for those holdings in particular, I would never disparage their reputation from the mountain top, that can only lead one direction.

    No, the Orioles (and MASN by extension) have an agenda, both on and off the field and whatever it is, because it obviously isn’t winning, they also have their own handpicked “journalists” to help feed or douse the flames.

  3. I don’t know what you expect have a powerhouse lineup but need a pitching coach who can mold young players. Also this is the year we go to the world series. Every one should believe in buck he is a great manager and teaches every aspect of game we have a good core of players who need a new owner who wants to give Duquette more power to make better choices and bring back oriole name that is why I think angelos should sell to Cal ripen who bleeds oriole orange. Need to spend money to build an empire. But that is what buck is doing going after a awesome team and I am proud of what him and Duquette has done. Can’t wait for season to start go orioles.

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