The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the most disappointing organizations in baseball.
With eleven striaght losing seasons, the O's have been at the bottom of the cellar of the AL East for over a decade, facing beatdowns to the Yankees and Red Sox.
There hasn't been much to talk about in this decade beside these long woes.
All the hearts broke when Cal Ripken retired, who was virtually the last piece to Baltimore's success.
Peter Angelos, current Orioles owner, has been one of the more unpredictable ones in the years.
He has proved that at times he does not want to invest the money on players that could work well with the organization.
Yet, he has found a way to players such as Danny Baez to long term deals, which involve millions of dollars.
The arrogance Angelos has shown to the organization, such as his unthoughtful acquisitions, resulted in a riot outside of Camden Yards from Oriole fans ranting about wanting him to exit the franchise.
Hey, atleast the fans are voicing their opinions in disagreeing with Peters plan.
Wait, since when was there ever a plan?
Since the glory days of the '80s, where the Orioles had the dominant staff led by Jim Palmer, that thought is now non-existent.
The decade of failure has resulted in just not being able to put any competitive pitching staff together.
Remember Sidney Ponson?
After dealing with enough frustration, Angelos decided to stay out of running the organization for good.
The man hired Andy MacPhail, the former advisor who built up the Chicago Cubs.
People expected he would be able to improve the franchise, but with what he pulled off in his first off season of work was a great time for O's fans.
After trading Miguel Tejada to the Astros, Andy pulled a great trick out of his sleeve, by dealing pitcher Erik Bedard to the Seattle Mariners.
Bedard, who had the best season of his career, was traded high to Seattle, who in return gave up top prospect Adam Jones, George Sherril, Kameron Mickolio, Chris Tillman, and Tony Butler.
What a blockbuster it was at the time. However, the Orioles took a great beating in '08 without Bedard, by finishing in last place for the first time since 1988.
During that year, however, promise became upon the Orioles organization, which we wouldn't have expected for a long time.
Matt Wieters, the 5th overall selection in the 2007 draft, began his dominance in the minors.
In playing in Advanced Single A and Double A, Wieters earned himself the tag: Number One Prospect In Baseball, according to Baseball America.
It seemed the Orioles have found a gem in Wieters, who they can build around.
As we come to the present day in 2009, the Baltimore Orioles are making strides that have put them in the headlines recently.
Pitcher David Hernandez made his Major League Debut last night against the Tigers, which resulted in a win.
Adam Jones, the prized piece in the Bedard trade, has been playing his way into the All Star Game as a representative of the Orioles. Jones, is hitting 357 with 11 HR, and 36 RBI'S.
A breakout season for him, after struggling in his first full year with the O's.
And the great news, the anticipated await of Matt Wieters is finally here. MacPhail gave Wieters the call up to the major leagues, after hitting a crushing 368 avg in his last 10 games.
Many people do not believe Matt Wieters is the savior of the Orioles, but just a piece of the big puzzle.
His presence on the field will be more then just a piece. Already being compared to the likes of Carlton Fisk, and a Hall Of Fame Catcher, these are huge shoes to fill.
But the city of Baltimore has faith that Matt Wieters is just the beginning of a new Orioles look.
The rest of the minors, however, is also becoming a great topic for the O's.Chris Tillman, another piece of the Bedard trade, statistically has been the most impressive thus far, is 5-0 with a 2.13 ERA. It is possible Tillman can make the MLB club late in the season if he continues to dominate Triple A Norfolk.
Jake Arrieta and Brian Matuz, two of the other top pitchers for the Orioles, are making strides in the farm, and are about a year away from the Major League level.
The big downfalls of the Orioles seem to be finally paying off.
The organization has a direction, a top minor league farm, and a young squad on the major league level making strides.
"The Boys Are Back In Town."
A new reign in Baltimore is soon to begin, and for the fans sake, it will be sooner then later.
Matt Miselis is a writer for BleacherReport.com
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