FanFest 2012 - Quick Thoughts

On Saturday, the Baltimore Orioles once again held their annual FanFest. I'll have more thoughts later on, and so will James; however, I’m going to give you all some brief thoughts from the day.

This year, the keywords were patience and realism, not optimism or false dreams. Over nine-thousand fans showed up at the Baltimore Convention Center – seemingly no small feat considering the weather and anticipation for the big Ravens’ game on Sunday – longing for baseball again.

Rather than selling fans hope, Dan Duquette, Buck Showalter and others were a tad more realistic this time around with their thoughts along with expectations. I think that’s a good thing as the team is rebuilding, most likely to finish in the second division; therefore, we should not be fooled.

Well, now fans know the real state of the Baltimore Orioles, so expectations for next season seem to be much more tempered. The mood at the convention center didn’t have the same buzz as in 2011, although people were happy to have a taste of baseball back in the region – if only for a day.

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