Title: Birds Finally Hire Showalter
Description: First game on the bench Tuesday
Jay - July 29, 2010 05:48 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
The Baltimore Orioles have hired ESPN analyst Buck Showalter as their next manager, a source confirmed Thursday.
Showalter's first game as manager will be Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels, the first game of a seven-game homestand.
The Orioles, a major league-worst 31-70, fired manager Dave Trembley on June 4 and replaced him with Juan Samuel on an interim basis.
Former Indians manager Eric Wedge, former Texas Rangers and New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine, former Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey and Samuel interviewed for the job.
Showalter, 54, is 882-833 as a major league manager. He was named Manager of the Year twice, in 1994 with the Yankees and in 2004 with the Rangers. He helped rebuild the Yankees into a power after a down period and he was the primary builder of the fledgling Arizona Diamondbacks in 1997; that team won the World Series with Bob Brenly at the helm in 2001, a year after he was fired.
In 2004, he led the Rangers to 89 wins, 19 more than when he took over two years earlier.
Showalter will have work to do in Baltimore, which hasn't fielded a winner since 1997 -- the team's last playoff appearance -- and faces the daunting prospect of rebuilding while competing with the deep-pocketed Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East. The Orioles are a major-league worst 18-33 at home. |
About time...
Skipjack - July 29, 2010 06:21 PM (GMT)
You beat me to it Jay! That is good news though…I think he will be the manager most like Davy Johnson. I hope he makes a difference, if not, then at least he will be different.
Jay - July 29, 2010 09:41 PM (GMT)
Best O's news I've heard in a while. I just hope the FO doesn't meddle/overlook him (which is higly unlikely), and let Buck rebuild this club.
Career200 - July 30, 2010 01:00 AM (GMT)
How do we know it is Buck who is going to do the rebuilding? Would it be more appropo to hope that Buck doesn't meddle with the FO?
Sluggo - July 30, 2010 03:45 AM (GMT)
My heart loves this pick. However, my head keeps reminding me that that the hope around the Showalter hiring mirrors the hope that was around MacPhail when he was brought in............................and the win-loss record has steadily declined since then.
My head also reminds me of the last time we had a strong, independent manager -- and we all know how that worked out.
Milto - July 30, 2010 03:57 AM (GMT)
I am glad we have a manager, and fairly satisfied it's Showalter since Salazar wasn't available.
Career200 - July 30, 2010 10:20 AM (GMT)
I haven't been this hopeful since the O's hired Mike Hargrove.
Jay - July 30, 2010 01:05 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Career200 @ Jul 29 2010, 09:00 PM) |
| How do we know it is Buck who is going to do the rebuilding? Would it be more appropo to hope that Buck doesn't meddle with the FO? |
Well I'm hoping with the hiring of Buck, the system shift. I think we've all seen the FO blunders with trying to rebuild. Buck has a track record for building teams. Hopefully the FO gives him enough rope to make that happen.
Career200 - July 30, 2010 01:54 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Jay @ Jul 30 2010, 08:05 AM) |
| QUOTE (Career200 @ Jul 29 2010, 09:00 PM) | | How do we know it is Buck who is going to do the rebuilding? Would it be more appropo to hope that Buck doesn't meddle with the FO? |
Well I'm hoping with the hiring of Buck, the system shift. I think we've all seen the FO blunders with trying to rebuild. Buck has a track record for building teams. Hopefully the FO gives him enough rope to make that happen.
|
What blunders are those? I've been attributing this season mostly to the failure of players like Jones, Wieters, Tillman, Matusz, Bergesen, and Reimold.
Jay - July 30, 2010 02:14 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Career200 @ Jul 30 2010, 09:54 AM) |
| QUOTE (Jay @ Jul 30 2010, 08:05 AM) | | QUOTE (Career200 @ Jul 29 2010, 09:00 PM) | | How do we know it is Buck who is going to do the rebuilding? Would it be more appropo to hope that Buck doesn't meddle with the FO? |
Well I'm hoping with the hiring of Buck, the system shift. I think we've all seen the FO blunders with trying to rebuild. Buck has a track record for building teams. Hopefully the FO gives him enough rope to make that happen.
|
What blunders are those? I've been attributing this season mostly to the failure of players like Jones, Wieters, Tillman, Matusz, Bergesen, and Reimold.
|
I'm not specifically referring to this season. I'm talking about the past 13 years since Davey Johnson left. The poor signings directed by ownership/FO, not letting managers have their own staff, etc. If they hired a manager who evaluates all the talent on the field and in the minors, and makes moves based on the improvement of the team, he needs to be allowed to do that.
I heard some quotes from McPhail on 105.7, and he said Showalter will be very involed in the personnel of the franchise. For this team to show improvement, that's what needs to happen.
Milto - July 30, 2010 02:21 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| I heard some quotes from McPhail on 105.7, and he said Showalter will be very involed in the personnel of the franchise. |
A text-book answer.
Jay - July 30, 2010 02:32 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Milto @ Jul 30 2010, 10:21 AM) |
| QUOTE | | I heard some quotes from McPhail on 105.7, and he said Showalter will be very involed in the personnel of the franchise. |
A text-book answer.
|
I agree, but I'm hopeful. The FO knows the history of Showalter and how he does like control, and I couldn't see him taking the job/the birds giving him a three year contract, if there wasn't an understanding.
Also, being that his contract doesn't start until the 2011 season, it seems like Buck is taking the rest of the season to get to know his players, and begin evaluating them. Some might be playing for their jobs, others might be getting instruction on how to improve and correct poor mechanics/flaws.
Career200 - July 30, 2010 03:50 PM (GMT)
Yeah, one thing to remember is that MacPhail's contract runs soon I believe.
Personally, I'm happy overall with the work he's done and wouldn't mind seeing him renew. But I have the sense that he'll be looking to take a job with MLB when that contract is up. There are those persistent rumors of him being the Commissioner one day. Then, there's all this talk about Cal Ripken being tutored for front office work.
All the pieces seem to fit neatly for MacPhail leaving and for Cal Ripken to take over baseball operations sometime over the next few years. Maybe the question that needs to be asked is what Ripken and Schowalter think of each other.
Bark - July 30, 2010 07:15 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Career200 @ Jul 30 2010, 11:50 AM) |
| All the pieces seem to fit neatly for MacPhail leaving and for Cal Ripken to take over baseball operations sometime over the next few years. |
I don't know if I want important organizational decisions made by a man who could never decide on his batting stance.
Milto - July 30, 2010 11:42 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Bark @ Jul 30 2010, 03:15 PM) |
| QUOTE (Career200 @ Jul 30 2010, 11:50 AM) | | All the pieces seem to fit neatly for MacPhail leaving and for Cal Ripken to take over baseball operations sometime over the next few years. |
I don't know if I want important organizational decisions made by a man who could never decide on his batting stance.
|
Bark, I love the way you can conserve keystrokes and still comprehensively cover an issue. There is nothing left to say. You have one hell-of-a point.
Bark - July 31, 2010 02:12 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Milto @ Jul 30 2010, 07:42 PM) |
Bark, I love the way you can conserve keystrokes and still comprehensively cover an issue. There is nothing left to say. You have one hell-of-a point. |
Thanks Milt. I think that is the best compliment I have received this year.
Milto - August 10, 2010 03:13 PM (GMT)
