This week, we open up the show by welcoming our guests Jon Coe and Chris Melvin of Seven Sports Bar & Grille (4:36). Both Coe and Melvin are Baltimore sports fans. This segment was recorded later in the week than the rest of the show, making Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette’s departures from the Orioles the focal points. You’ll also hear some takes on this week’s MLB Wild Card games, impressions of the Ravens through their first quarter of the season, and some NFL contender/pretender debate.
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After the segment with Melvin & Coe, we welcome in Nolan and Ian to break down the Ravens’ 26-14 win over the Steelers (37:31). We chatted about the Jimmy Smith-less secondary stepping up, Alex Collins‘ fumbling problems, and as always we went over Who’s Trending in either a good or bad way (56:00) following the big win on Sunday Night Football.
In the second part of our Ravens segment, we went over some things to watch for this week as the Ravens head to Cleveland to take on the Browns in what’s the second game of a three-week road stretch for Baltimore (1:06:50).
Up next, we shifted gears to baseball (1:16:58). This part of the show was recorded on Tuesday before the Showalter and Duquette news broke, so a big chunk of this week’s Orioles talk focused on Adam Jones. We also reminisced on the Orioles’ worst season in franchise history and briefly looked ahead to the offseason.
To wrap up the show, we dive into our weekly numbers segment, taking a look at the best Baltimore sports athletes to wear the number 19 (1:27:43).
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The Orioles abysmal 2018 season ended this past Sunday with a cathartic victory over the Houston Astros. As Baltimore honored Adam Jones while picking up a 4-0 win, they also officially ended the worst season in franchise history.
With that behind them, the team’s focus quickly shifts to the offseason. The Orioles will be looking to build on their 2018 trade deadline moves as they continue to gear up for a big rebuild effort. The two biggest points of focus in this offseason have been the expiring contracts for Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter. On Wednesday it was reported that the Orioles would not be making an effort to retain either of them.
Buck Showalter will not be back with the #Orioles in any capacity, sources tell The Athletic.
Both Showalter and Duquette helped bring winning baseball back to Baltimore but their time is officially up as the team looks to start from scratch in the coming years. While these reports of Duquette and Showalter’s dismissal surfaced pretty quickly, it’s probably safe to say things will quiet down for the reminder of the playoffs and then heat up again when the offseason calendar officially begins.
There are currently no rumors surrounding who might replace Duquette or Showalter. The only piece of information we have occurred a few months ago when the Orioles interviewed former Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti. It was unclear what position Colletti was specifically interviewing for, but his name could surface again in the coming weeks.
BALTIMORE — Less than 72 hours after the Orioles shut out the Houston Astros 4-0, capping off their worst season in franchise history, the club has parted ways with manager Buck Showalter after a tenure of just over eight years.
The Orioles have yet to confirm the move, but multiple sources within the industry close to the situation, including MASN Orioles insider Roch Kubatko, revealed the news on Twitter.
This isn't a surprise, of course. Everyone knew for a while that we were headed here. Only question was whether Buck might take another position in organization. He's flying back to Dallas today #orioles
According to Kubatko, Showalter initially met with Orioles ownership over the weekend and had another conversation today, where he was told he would not return as the team’s manager. The Orioles expressed interest in moving Showalter to a new role within the team, but no agreement was reached and the skipper is leaving Baltimore.
Showalter’s managerial stint with Baltimore began on July 29, 2010 with the Orioles holding an MLB-worst record of 32-73. The Orioles won 34 of 57 games under Showalter to finish out the 2010 season. After going 69-93 in 2011, Showalter and the Orioles finished with a winning record in 2012 for the first time in 14 seasons at 93-69. The O’s finished second in the American League East, earning a trip to Texas for the American League one-game Wild Card Playoff.
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2012 marked the first year that a second Wild Card team made the playoffs. The Orioles made the most of their opportunity, beating the Rangers 5-1 before falling in a five-game divisional series to the Yankees.
In 2014, the Showalter-led Orioles won their first AL East division championship in 17 seasons when the Birds went 96-66, good for the #2 seed in the playoffs. After the Orioles convincingly swept the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS 3-0, the Kansas City Royals got the better of the O’s, sweeping them 4-0 in the ALCS. In the 2014 World Series, the San Francisco Giants topped the Royals after seven games, winning their third championship in six seasons.
The final time the Orioles reached the postseason under Showalter came in 2016 when the Blue Jays edged Baltimore 5-2 in the 2016 AL Wild Card game. The 11-inning affair saw the most controversial decision of Showalter’s time with the O’s, as the skipper elected to not use closer Zach Britton at all in the game. Britton made the 2016 All-Star team and ended the season with an ERA of 0.54. He did not blow a save all season.
Buck Showalter reportedly will not return as the Orioles manager next season.
From 2012-2016, the Orioles posted a 444-366 record (.548), the 4th-best record in MLB and the best record in the AL. pic.twitter.com/Zj41nZueXP
After the 2016 Wild Card game, things started to go downhill for the Orioles. Baltimore held a 22-10 record on May 9, 2017, but since then the Orioles have played to a combined record of 100-192, finishing in last place in the AL East two consecutive times. The roster underwent a complete overhaul this past summer, and franchise cornerstone Adam Jones likely played his last game in Baltimore this past weekend to cap off the departures.
Even though Showalter led the Orioles to more wins than anyone in the American League from 2012-2016, his managerial career with Baltimore ends with a winning percentage of .494 (669-684). Don’t let that statistic tell the full story. Showalter’s presence changed the culture in the Orioles’ locker room and established a winning precedent. He held players accountable, always making them available to talk to the media even after their worst performances. He commanded respect, but never lashed out at a reporter or a fan wanting an autograph. He cared for and respected his players, both on the baseball diamond and in their personal lives.
At 62-years-old, Showalter’s career as a manager is closer to the end than the start. Teams seeking an established manager with a winning attitude could express interest in him, but it’s also possible that Showalter returns to his TV gig as a baseball analyst. It’s worth noting that Showalter has grandchildren, so perhaps some time off at his home in Texas could prove beneficial in the long run, especially after two very challenging seasons in Baltimore.
As for the Orioles, the club has made it known that they want to make their roster younger. Whether the youth movement includes the manager too remains to be seen. Over the summer, Duquette said that the Orioles want to include analytics and technology in their rebuild, so it’s likely that ownership is seeking a younger manager to grow with the team and implement the analytics that Duquette talked about. This opinion can be tossed out the window if the Orioles dismiss Duquette too, but an announcement pertaining to the status of the general manager should be coming soon.
