You can’t always get what you want. It’s a well-known phrase, and one that seems to define the 2014 offseason for Orioles fans.
Personally, I wanted the O’s to bring back Brian Roberts. I understand why they didn’t, but I would have liked to see #1 run down the Orange Carpet on opening day. Part of it is the emotional attachment. Like many fans, Roberts was a favorite of mine. Whether it was his boyish good looks, his propensity for hitting doubles, or his get-your-uniform-dirty enthusiasm, I loved watching him play. He was the only bright spot on a lot of bad clubs. And I wanted those clubs to win.
But none of that happened the way I wanted. They didn’t bring him back, and if he had to end up elsewhere, I didn’t want him to end up on a hated rival’s roster. I certainly didn’t want him to end up in New York, in the void Robinson Cano left behind. For the second time, I didn’t get what I wanted. Brian Roberts was a Yankee, and I hated it.
Even worse, I knew that there would be a moment when Roberts was introduced to the crowd at Camden Yards.
Now batting for the Yankees, second baseman, number one, Brian Roberts
I don’t want to have to live through watching Baltimore boo Brian Roberts. And I don’t want to be tempted to boo him. I just can’t handle that. Baseball is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to crap on your heart.
What I really didn’t want was Brian Roberts to make it easy to root against him. But he did. Consider:
Ugh. So let’s review:
No, you can’t always get what you want. But in this case, couldn’t the universe throw me a bone?