An Open Letter to the Ghost of the A.L. East Past

To: The Ghost of the A.L. East Past

From: Roar from 34

Re: The Curse of the Early '80s (aka Sorry for creating the Rockies, Marlins, and Rays)

Dear Ghost,

You're not one for subtlety, are you? Consider your point well taken.

Clearly you hated the idea of expansion in the '90s, and realignment wasn't really your thing either. Major League Baseball broke up your division, and you've been taking out your frustration on some former A.L. East teams ever since.

I'm an Orioles fan. As you know, you've put me and my fellow loyalists through quite a bit of suffering lately. I'm waiting for the team to sign Job as a utility infielder. Guess we'll leave that to the baseball gods. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It all started when you humbled the 1982 A.L. East champion Milwaukee Brewers with a dozen consecutive losing seasons starting in 1993. That was the year baseball expanded in Colorado and Florida.

Next you came after the 1984 A.L. East champion Detroit Tigers who, like the Brewers, suffered a dozen consecutive losing seasons. Their run started in 1994, the same year that baseball introduced the Central divisions via realignment.

And you currently have the 1983 A.L. East champions, my beloved Orioles, in your grip. As with the Brewers and Tigers, your message has come in the form of a dozen consecutive losing seasons. The madness started in 1998, another expansion year.

Bah-humbug to those who suggested you were but a bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese... more of gravy than of grave. Clearly the Ghost of the A.L. East Past is real.

Now that we've witnessed your steroid-free power, I implore you to leave us O's fans alone. Besides, there were other teams in the old A.L. East who could use some humbling.

Perhaps you've seen that they have a different stadium in New York these days; looks like the 1981 A.L. East Champions could use some new ghosts. I hear their owner is a real Scrooge.