It might not mark the end of the Andy MacPhail era in Baltimore, but Buck Showalter’s hiring and arrival in Baltimore has ended the “complete control” portion of MacPhail’s tenure with the Orioles.
A source associated with the Orioles tells WNST.net that Showalter will have “substantial control” of in-season player personnel matters, although MacPhail will still be the person in charge of securing free agents and roster additions via trades and waiver claims.
“In the past, Andy pretty much dictated who came up, who went down, who played and who didn’t,” says the source. “Andy didn’t fill out the lineup card, but he definitely said to Trembley and Samuel, ‘I’m bringing Tillman up and he needs to start every 5th day’ and the manager had to comply. That won’t be the case with Buck. He’ll have substantial control of the playing roster throughout the season. He’ll be able to say to Andy, “I don’t want this guy on the 25-man roster, get me someone else that can help’ and Andy will need to work some magic.”
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July 30th, 2010 at 8:22 am
Drew-
MacFailure out and therefore who is the next man up as the O’s GM???—Remember from my call this morning, it was GM Stick Michael who hired Buck in NY to skipper the Yankees—Doesn’t seem like MacFailure has much more time as the GM especially since Eric Wedge was his man while P.A. demanded Buck.
How about we start a short list of potential GM’s to work with Buck considering his “substantial control”.
Regards,
Steve Phillips
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July 30th, 2010 at 11:24 am
I think the first thing Buck needs to do is clean house in the dugout and get his guys in there and fine Adam Jones $10k for every bubble he blows. Then he needs to somehow try and get the sh%t back to boot level by season’s end.
It doesn’t take a lot to make strides when you’re at rock bottom, I kind of know a little about that in the business world. If he takes this team to 75 wins next year, they’ll re-name the manager of the year award to the Buck Showalter award. I’m encouraged to see him steering the ship.
I wonder if MLB will allow Buck to place an asterisk to his win-loss record that he took on the 2010 Orioles a la Duke basketball did with Coach K years ago.
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July 30th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
How do you know?
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July 30th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
glad they made this move, but it’s so darn depressing that the warehouse will soon be peddling “the rebuilding process” for what, the third, fourth time during the team’s 13-year, worst-in-the-history-of-the-franchise futility run. telling someone to be patient is one thing. telling them, okay, now, be patient again! is not a formula for reviving fan faith. showalter could be great. he’s a real baseball guy, unlike some of the clowns lord peter showers with power. but as long as lord peter is in harness, it’s hard to believe that things will get better. here’s hoping.
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July 30th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Is Buck a Davey Johnson Clone and does Peter really know who he signed?
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July 31st, 2010 at 10:16 am
So, Buck Showalter has been promised to have substantial control of the playing roster. Well, as you know, politicians are always making promises too.
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August 1st, 2010 at 10:31 am
i really hope thats true…buck needs to get rid of the dead wood-millwood,isturis,luke scott,albers,hendrickson and fox,upgrade each of those…in house upgrades where possible-britton,ryan adams,mahoney,gambino,patton and henson.top free-agents over the winter-closer,firstbase,shortstop and a no 1 starter. (DF: Wow, you’re really living in fantasyland. But I like it. The view is much better than what we have hear in Baltimore.)
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August 1st, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Buck can say anything he wants but unless Peter the Great says OK , nothing will happen,,,so in reality , nothing has changed…