Saturday’s Bird Droppings: Where Buck Showalter misses Baltimore

Morning, Birdland!

Where do you think Buck Showalter will go from here? He’s 62 years old and will certainly not be coaching in MLB in 2019. He’s done the TV thing already. And it’s possible that an extended vacation could do him some good after eight years at the helm of the Orioles.

Most players and managers are associated with one organization, even if they bounce around the league for the better part of their careers. Showalter has been in charge of the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Rangers, but when anyone evokes Showalter’s name it’s likely that they will think of him in the black and orange.

Can he get another manager job? Count me as skeptical. First, there are the obvious struggles his team had in the last year he was in control. Then there are the questionable comments he made in regards to analytics and modern strategy in the game. Most teams are going to want someone open to new ideas, and the trend has been to hire younger coaches with fresh perspective. Showalter does not fit that mold.

A return to TV could be a more favorable option. Showalter has a charming way about him and has the ability to make monotonous things sound interesting. On top of that, he knows baseball and can provide insight that others lack. It would be neat to see him as regular part of MASN broadcasts, but the wound is likely too fresh and who knows if it will ever completely heal.

Links

Buck Showalter writes a letter to Baltimore - Baltimore Baseball
Buck cared about Baltimore. That much was obvious. There is one little nugget in here where Showalter gets a tiny dig at the front office. “Being around Andy (MacPhail) for about a half-hour, I knew that we shared a real connection about doing things right...it could have been more, but that’s the subject for another day.” Dan Duquette gets no such mention.

Maryland Stadium Authority moves closer to Wi-Fi at Camden Yards - Baltimore Sun
The Orioles are bound to have a roster full of unfamiliar names in 2019. Now, you will be able to look them up on your phone without eating through your entire monthly allowance of data. Welcome to 2010, Camden Yards!

As baseball powers focus on competitive balance tax, Orioles payroll puts them on opposite end of spectrum - Baltimore Sun
There’s a clear disparity between the haves and the have nots in baseball. The Orioles are have nots, and may remain that way for a few years. Free agency will make that quite clear.

Qualls staying with Orioles - MASN Sports
This is a weird one. The Orioles are getting rid of most of the signs that Duquette was ever part of the organization, but Kent Qualls, a direct Duquette disciple, will stay put. I won’t pretend to know much about the O’s front office and who is good and who’s not. Qualls might be fantastic at what he does, but it is odd to keep him in place while there has been such a massive exodus of other Duquette-era employees.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is it your birthday? Happy Birthday!

Unfortunately, there have been no Orioles birthdays or any other important historical events in the team’s history on this day, according to Baseball Reference. We don’t count the St. Louis Browns years. Sorry!