Roberts Speaking Out: Calling Out O's Fans - Reality Bites...

We all love him and we all want to be him; however, in a recent article in the Baltimore Sun, All-Star second baseman, Brian Roberts has decided to call out Oriole fans.

That's right.

Brian opines on the situation with O's fans staying home when the Red Sox and Yankee fans are in town...

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"I don't know why so many Red Sox fans want to be here and Oriole fans don't," Roberts said.

"You look around and you realize that you're swamped in red. It gets really old. To see Wily Mo [Pena] run off the field to a standing ovation after just tying the game is annoying."[Orioles fans] are missing out on an opportunity to watch one of the best pitchers in the league against a first-place team. Bedard was phenomenal tonight and deserved a lot more than what he got. I thought what we did in the eighth and nine innings was pretty impressive, too."

You'd just like to have the support of our fans. We have a pretty darn good team. When we win, I know people will come out. But it would nice if they came out to support us when we're in the process of developing a winning team."

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Folks, Mr. Roberts is right. As much we bitch and complain about Yankee and Red Sox fans taking over the park; um, wait a minute, downtown Baltimore and especially the Inner Harbor, it's our fault, plain and simple that outsiders are buying the tickets.

I know the ballplayers are professionals, but it must be absolutely demoralizing to see the visiting outnumber your own fans by a ratio (I'm throwing out Saturday's guess at maybe 75-25 or perhaps even 80-20 in favor of the Sox).

It's pathetic and just sad.

Red Sox fans, by no fault of their own, have our beautiful ballpark that we might as christen Fenway South when their team is town. It is pathetic that sections where I sit have may 10 O's fans, maybe 20-30 at the most and they all rooting for the other team.

This had to be worst I have ever seen it here in terms of Sox fans.

I wrote this on Oriole Magic (I covered the game today for them), and this is just a basic summation of my thoughts:

"Sorry, as a O’s fan, this bothers me. Does anyone in the Oriole marketing department give a sh*t about this problem, is all that matters is the bottom line? We as fans need to show up to more games against the Red Sox and Yankees, but something needs to happen. It’s awfully demoralizing to walk down Pratt St and the Inner Harbor filled with red and blue. This weekend, it looks like Fenway South and it seems the ratio of Oriole vs. Red Sox fans is worse than ever."

To the Oriole marketing department/front office: You've lost your fans, and they do care; however, they will not pay for an inferior product.

This franchise is in big trouble and from what I see from this weekend, the O's fans are speaking with their feet.

Brian, kudos to you for saying how it is and what it's like from the other side.