Some final 2016 gripes while looking ahead to 2017

It's the last day of the year and you know what that means - one last chance to gripe or complain about something about the Orioles for this calender year.

If you don't do it here today, you will have to wait until 2017 to start anew.

I kid, I kid. Hey, I can be as snarky as the next guy or gal, probably more so. My emotions can get the best of me in the comments section sometimes. But I do try to always be true to my feelings and thoughts and just say what I feel. Sometimes I write things and question them later. We probably all do.

But hey, this is no time for hugs or being calm. It's our last chance to whine in 2016! What annoys you about anything we read or say here, or heck, even me (gulp)?

My answers:

* Reading someone say the Orioles are content to just make the playoffs. So they want to make it and then hope they don't get very far? Don't want to lose too many days of the offseason right?

This is preposterous. You have to make the playoffs to have a chance. There are a lot of ups and downs in 162 games. Playoff baseball is unpredictable. Teams that look great then lose every year. Making the playoffs is a great goal - always.

* Seeing comments where fans write, "Well, pardon me for wanting to win the World Series." Great comment. You are right poster, no one else here wants to win the World Series. You are on an island. Confounds me, too, but thanks for sticking up for your team!

I'll stop at two of my own whines to end another year of sometimes contentious discussion on our message boards.

Random O's hopes for 2017 (in no particular order):

* More feel-good stories like Trey Mancini getting called up and channeling Babe Ruth. Or like watching a 27th-round draft pick (Donnie Hart) make the show and get David Ortiz and Bryce Harper out. (Selfish reporter hope here.)

* More four- and five-out appearances for Zach Britton. Can't go to the well too often here, but he'd be up for it.

* More situational hitting. There are games where the Orioles do some nice things in this regard. Now it needs to be a daily focus.

* More rest for the regulars. No one needs to play all 162 games.

* More players willing to fall on the sword. The Orioles already have plenty that fit this bill. When you mess up, just say so. Fans respect a player that says, "I cost us that game." While players need to build on positives when they have a bad game or rough stretch, trying to spin a bad performance doesn't look good or play well with the fan base.

* More players that run hard to first base and run hard when a ball is hit to the outfield ... even before it hits the grass.

* Continued great clubhouse leadership from guys like Adam Jones, J.J Hardy, Darren O'Day, Chris Tillman, Britton and Chris Davis. The O's clearly got that from Matt Wieters and Mark Trumbo as well. It is great that baseball has so many advanced stats to absorb now and provide us such great information, but leadership and chemistry can't be measured. But both are huge in my opinion.

* Win the World Series. Now it's on record. Me and one reader here truly want the Orioles to win the 2017 World Series.