Orioles hire Buck Showalter

[Tyler Durden]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5420224

Source: Orioles hire Showalter

By Tim Kurkjian
ESPN The Magazine

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.

[Cool Papa B.]

Great move by the Orioles. Buck is an excellent manager and is really good young ball players and developing talent. the Orioles still have a long way to go, but this is a step in the right direction.

[LSJF]

Good for Buck, he'll turn them around.

[Rich Miano]

Buck's a good manager, but Angelos is a nut job. Don't know if they ever turn it around until he sells

[chirorob]

Why Buck, why?

You had a nice little TV gig. Now you have a trainwreck owner and you are in the toughest division in baseball with no chance to win for years.

My prediction, back on Baseball Tonight in 18-24 months.

[DevsJetsYanks88]

He won't be there much longer than 2 seasons.

[VincenzoTestaverde]

Originally Posted by Rich Miano

Buck's a good manager, but Angelos is a nut job. Don't know if they ever turn it around until he sells

This is basically career suicide for Showalter. The Orioles don't want to spend any money and their in a division with the Yankees and Sux. Even if the Rays lose Crawford and Pena they will still have good starting pitching and Evan Longoria the next few years. He should have waited for the off-season for another job to open up.