This club is worse than the Washington Nationals.

There, I said it. It's out in the open, on the table for everyone to see.

Before the season started, it looked like the Nats were capable of putting up all-time numbers for futility.

But, as the song goes - 'Hey, look at me now.'

The O's are 67-91, with a run differential that should have them at 68-90.

The Nats are 72-87, with a run differential that leaves them at 68-91.

The O's spent about 90M this year for their roster, the Nats about half that.

Both teams had severe losses to their starting pitching. The Nats, however, seemed to have better luck (or skill) in finding replacement hurlers that, for at least the time being, could actually simulate major-league performance. When the O's pitching faltered for good in mid-August, no one except Brian Burres submitted anything near an acceptable series of pitching performances.

Despite Trembley's protestations, the Proof in the Pudding suggests that the team has quit, too, though that's probably a reflection of the horrific starting (and caustic bullpen). While the Nats have been playing spoiler in the NL East, the O's have especially turned Camden Yards into a killing field, with them on the receiving end.

The worst of it is that the Nats did this in their 'blowup' season, while the O's have yet to commit themselves to blowing up the club. Neither team has a particularly good farm system, with the best prospects for both in the lower minors. With the lack of quality pitching in the O's system finally exposed for the sham that it was, the long-range outlook doesn't look promising for either club. But at least the Nats have a small payroll and flexibility (Though signing Belliard and Young to longer-term deals could be seen as 'Oriole-esque' decisions); the O's have neither. The Nats at least picked up Kearns a season ago and Wily Mo Pena this year, the type of moves the O's should be making instead of signing Jay Payton and Aubrey Huff to multi-year deals.

So the marketing department (which must be the worst in baseball, too; they don't seem to have a collective brain cell between the lot of them) proposes a bang-up finish this weekend...a Fan Appreciation Weekend in front of what must certainly promise to be an All-Yankee crowd. I know that traditionally you'd like to have your appreciation weekend on the final weekend of the season...but how can you think that a weekend series with the Yankees would be the right time to do it?

As it turns out, at least it means someone will be in the stands. But those giveaway t-shirts are mostly going to go to waste. Saturday's game is nearly sold out, and the other two have large pre-sales, as well. Would anyone place a wager that the crowd will not be at least 80% Yankee fans for all three tilts?

I didn't think you would.

We've seen some lows over the past ten seasons: Dave Johnson's self-destruction and Peter Angelos enabling him. Pat Gillick loading up the 1998 club with worn-out dreck. Ray Miller's horrible tenure and Robbie Alomar's disintegration. Frank Wren. The stewardship of Toxic Syd Thrift, who was at least good for the creation of this website and a lot of satiric articles (but is probably the single most responsible person, along with Peter Angelos, for the downfall of the franchise.) Shawn Boskie. The water-treading Hargrove years, complete with a September collapse for the ages. Well, no, we only thought it was for the ages...it proved to be merely a harbinger. Mike Timlin as a closer. Albert Belle. Then, the Beatigan Years. Maz. Omar Daal. Steve Kline. A couple of massive collapses. Rafael Palmeiro and Vitamin-D-Gate. Steroid allegations, Jay Gibbons signed to a long-term deal, a couple of revamped bullpens that were massive flops, another waffling manager, and yet another collapse of historical proportions just when the team's young pitching was changing fans' perception of the O's.

So here we are, fans of a ballclub worse than the Washington Nationals.

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Please, pinch me. Say it isn't so.

Next year, what folks have been predicting for years will probably come to pass...the Rays' young talent will probably pass the O's by. The Sox and Yanks will reload (and the Yanks have better young talent than the O's, anyway, even without their money; the Sox probably do, too), the Jays are standing pat with a .500 club, and the Rays will be better...while the O's will be treading water with a bad ball club replete with albatross contracts and some pitching possibilities which, with the exception of Bedard, are totally unproven. It certainly looks like last place, doesn't it? With the same likely for 2009, as well?

But we'll be here. Because it's our ball club.

Come on, O's. At least start doing the right things. It's our only hope - and yours.