Ok, so I can’t claim the title as my own creative genius, although I’m pretty sure Shakespeare uttered those words at some point during one of his plays. But the Orioles, who recently suffered their 13th straight defeat before knocking off the Rays tonight, are most definitely mumbling the words during the long walk from the dugout to the clubhouse each night. Honestly, how could they be talking about anything else? The situation is becoming unbearable and drastic. I’m not talking about just any sort of drastic, either. This is almost 1988 drastic, the last time the Orioles have lost over 100 games in one year, and nobody wants to re-experience that.

If you’re unfamiliar with the galvanic 1988 season, a proud moment in the history of every team but the Orioles, we can recap quickly. For one, the O’s set the major league record for the longest losing streak to start a season after dropping the first 21 games they played. Six months later, the team was experiencing triple-digit losses and the fans were crying hysterically. While fans in 2009 did not have to suffer through such painful experiences, this end of season collapse is drawing very parallel comparisons.

The Orioles have set a standard this season, and maybe they did it on purpose. Since this worthless attempt to show up for the past two weeks, it is obviously a ploy to make next years’ team look that much more admirable. And why not? At this point, even 100 losses is not disrespectful, only because no real fan of major league baseball is remembering that Baltimore has a baseball team. Those losses are going to be like dirt on the living room floor; Starting from the top, it’s all going to be swept under the carpet, left to be found years later when articles such as this one are being written again.

Our best bet, as fans, is to leave this miserable state of mind, allow the team to limp towards the finish without it’s crutches, and see what the front office does during the off-season. There really isn’t any reason to consider the second half of September part of the season, mainly because the team we all root for hasn’t seemed to understand the concept either. There is a point to the regular season, in any sport. Mainly, if you’re a contender, which all fans hope you are, it is to establish position in the post-season. If, for some unfortunate reason, like if you are associated with the Baltimore Orioles’ organization, the purpose of September is to call up young talent, play the spoiler role, and provide relief to a fanbase that has seemed to lost any respect within the trash-talking world over the past 11 years.

The O’s may think that this one win will conter the losing streak they’ve found themselves eyes deep in over the past two weeks.

Needless to say, it’s a bittersweet feeling to have die hard fans. They are there through the thick and thin, no doubt about it. But, the thin seems to bring out the worst; Times like these, when we’ve come across difficult situations, faced challenges eye to eye, the closest fans are the ones to try to bring you down the fastest. They are the ones that are watching every move. It’s not the folks that find it convenient to join in when the team gets good, but, instead, the ones that stand solid are the reality check.

Team/Player Photos: Baltimore Orioles v Toronto Blue Jays on Jul 28, 2010

While our opinion may not make any impact on the last few games of the season, or even the first few games of next year, we can avoid being denied the responsibility of finding our dedication to the team completely disrespected by the continual late season drop off that the Orioles seem to suffer through every year. The Orioles are part of Major League Baseball, which, as far as I understand, is still a highly paying league that requires the following of millions of fans in order to survive year in and year out. So why do we still feel a responsibility to continue supporting a team that has done nothing but give everyone in Baltimore and its surrounding areas false hopes?

So let the 2009 season end, because, really, we all can’t wait for operations to shut down so we can move on to bigger and better things. But, let the Baltimore Orioles know that even their most dedicated fans are beginning to let frustration take precedence over everything else. There is only so much people can take before faith is lost and fans walk away. Let’s hope that 2009 is the last of a string of years during which the O’s don’t seem to have any clue as to what it takes, because there isn’t much more that anybody can put up with.