Expectations were high in the media and among fans, coming off a wire-to-wire 1997 season, and entering the 1998 season with a veteran-filled team with the highest payroll in baseball. There was some uncertainty, due to the loss of top manager Davey Johnson and closer Randy Myers, but most felt the additions of veteran leaders like Joe Carter, Ozzie Guillen, and Doug Drabek meant the Orioles would at least challenge for the AL East title. Some observers, such as we here at the Warehouse, were more skeptical, feeling that the ancient team was poorly constructed and unlikely to compete with the better teams in the division. One sportswriter dubbed the stadium Jurassic Park at Camden Yards to reflect the age of the roster.

The Os started out on a strong note, with a 10-2 record. However, it quickly became apparent that the "proven veterans" added to the roster were mostly deadweight, and in may the team endured a long 9 game losing streak, plunging them down into fifth place below the expansion Devil Rays. The age of the team showed through as the rotation was decimated by injuries to Key and Kamieniecki, and the Os endured subpar years from Anderson, Ripken, and everyone else. To make matters worse, ace Mike Mussina was sidelined for almost a month with two freak injuries, a wart on his pitching finger and a broken nose after a line drive from Sandy Alomar hit him in the face.

By the all-star break, Guillen had been released and the Orioles were 38-50, in fourth place, 26 1/2 games out of first place. The season looked like an utter disaster. Something seemed to happen at the break, however, and the offense was suddenly reinvigorated. The Orioles charged out of the gate, winning nine straight games, twenty-two of their first twenty-seven, and ultimately going 30-8 over a six week period. On August 19th, the team stood 68-58, ten games over .500, and visions of the wild card danced in the heads of the faithful. Our more realistic side noted that the Orioles were still 25.5 games behind the Yankees, and far behind the second place Red Sox.

Although it was an unpopular opinion, we noted that the Orioles would have had to make the largest comeback in history just to catch the Red Sox, and that it didn't seem likely. Our pessimism proved prophetic, as the Orioles almost immediately went on a 10-game losing streak, sealing their fate. After that, the only question was whether the team could stay above .500, but they dropped 11 of their last 13 games, making even that modest goal impossible.