Baltimore Orioles: Welcome to 2019!

It’s New Year’s Day, Baltimore Orioles fans! That means that 2019 is officially “this year.” Or perhaps more specifically “this year coming.” Tomorrow the team offices will re-open for business, thus ringing in the new year.

What will 2019 hold for the Birds? We know it’s going to be a big rebuilding campaign, in effect a continuation of the end of last season. However time will tell in the long run. If the Orioles can somehow find their way just a bit, 2019 will be a successful year.

And by find their way, I mean improve their record. So what I’m saying is that the goal for this year should be to win more than 46 games. If the Orioles can do that, the organization will have taken a step forward. I’m not going to split hairs over how many more games than 46 they should win, but you get the idea.

The team needs to make progress on it’s promise to rebuild. And thus far, there’s nothing that would indicate they aren’t planning on doing just that. With that in mind, I wish all of Birdland a very happy New Year!

Baltimore Orioles: Common sense turned on it’s head in 2018

I did a season recap for the 2018 Baltimore Orioles back in October. I’m not about to re-hash that now. It the fact is that 2018 was unkind to the Orioles and their fans. And the logic behind all of it made no sense.

Somehow Buck Showalter became an incompetent manager in the eyes of some fans. Things got so bad that he wasn’t offered a new contract. That aside, Showalter expected (and rightfully so in a sense) that guys would somehow progress back to their career means. The likes of Davis, Mancini, and others – somehow their numbers at some point had to improve to where their career averages said they should be, right?

They never got there. This much we now know. However that’s why I say that logic was turned on it’s head this year. In contrast, it seemed that Oriole opponents did more and more things outside the box, or against logic. And somehow it worked. Essentially in perpetuity.

I never felt that effort was the issue for the Orioles. Somehow it was just the perfect storm of things working against them. And all they can do is hope on this New Year’s Eve that with the regime change, perhaps 2019 will be different.

And of course let us not forget the send off made by Orioles fans to Adam Jones on the last day of the season. That was a single moment where everything made sense, in a year where common sense turned sidewards. To a lesser degree that farewell was for Buck as well, however the sentiment for him was felt much more in print and on message boards than at the ballpark that day.

Buck and Adam were the faces of a rebirth of the Orioles. And while they’ll be sorely missed, their legacies will live on. The hope of course is that someone on the current roster will step up and take that mantle moving forward.

Baltimore Orioles: Brandon Hyde and Mike Elias will grow with the team

The Baltimore Orioles will be all about change in 2019. Mike Elias is now the head of the organization (save for ownership), and Brandon Hyde is in charge of the operations on the field. Not to mention that we’ll see more change on the field in terms of the players than we have perhaps since circa 2008.

However the Orioles find themselves in a position in which perhaps they’ve never been. Literally the entire organization is going to be new (or semi-new) to their respective positions. Sure the Mancini’s, Davis’, and Trumbo’s of the world are holdovers. There are also a few holdovers in other areas of the organization, such as scout Nathan Showalter (Buck’s son). But I digress.

For the most part, everyone’s new. Mistakes will be made; I’m just telling you that up front. When Buck took over in 2010 there was an expectation of a certain par which came with an experienced manager (and one of his caliber at that). Not to mention that at the time Andy MacPhail (an experienced GM) manned the front office. While the team wasn’t necessarily stacked with veterans, there were lots of players who had been around for awhile at that point. None of that is true this time around.

Spring Training will have a huge say in who starts at which position and so forth. However once the (semi) permanent lineup is set, as I said mistakes will be made. And I’m not talking about grounders rolling under mitts, pop flies being lost in the sun or lights, or anything along those lines. That happens with veterans – as we saw in 2018. I’m talking about guys taking the wrong route to balls, missing cut off men, etc. And not only that…

…mistakes will be made by coaches also. Brandon Hyde has managed in the minor leagues, but this is MLB. He’s going to make mistakes. As will the base coaches among others. Ironically Showalter was a master at a trait at which so many young managers struggle: handling the bullpen. As I look around baseball, I see so many young managers flat out abusing their bullpens to the point to where someone’s arm could fall off. And it’s not just a recent phenomenon; it’s been going on for years.

Guys like Buck who turn into great managers all started by misusing their bullpens. So maybe expect a little of that from Hyde – maybe not, for all I know. My point is that he’s going to make mistakes; as Buck said so often, we’re dealing with human beings here. 

My hope is that Orioles fans are patient and forgiving with Hyde. Not to mention the players, and even Elias in the front office. These guys are all going to be new to their jobs. Yes from Elias to Hyde on down they’ve all seen their respective jobs done up close, but the fact is that they’ve never done them. And it’ll take some time for everyone to be on the same page. Because the entire organization is going to be collectively growing together.

Baltimore Orioles: All’s still quiet on the home front

Everything’s still quiet for the Baltimore Orioles. GM Mike Elias is taking some time with his family during the holidays, however it’s doubtful he’s totally unconnected. This is somewhat of an interesting time because you’re coming out of a major holiday (Christmas), and going into another major holiday (New Years).

The entire league is slow this time of year. Heck, the entire world seems to slow down. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But nevertheless, there’s not much news going on with the Orioles and the baseball world. Which means there’s not much more to write in today’s column!

Baltimore Orioles: Brandon Hyde begins hiring coaches

Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde began hiring coaches yesterday. Tim Cossins was formerly a catching coordinator in the Chicago Cubs’ organization, sill be joining the Orioles. It’s unclear what his title will be, however he’ll be working with the Orioles’ catchers.

It makes sense that Hyde would bring some people with him from Chicago, where he was formerly the Cubs’ bench coach. As I said when the Orioles hired Hyde himself and GM Mike Elias (formerly of the Houston Astros’ organization), if you’re going to poach talent you might as well do so from winning organizations. The experience that these guys bring is incredibly valuable, because they all know organizationally what it takes to win.

Hyde has also hired Philadelphia first base coach Jose Flores. It’s unclear what his title will be, but he’s expected to work with infielders and coach base running. The Orioles made some blunders on the base paths last year, so Flores might have his work cut out for him. Flores also spent five years in the Cubs’ organization, which obviously bears a connection to Hyde.

Baltimore Orioles: Is television hurting sports?

With the Baltimore Orioles’ team offices closed for the holiday season, the only team in town right now is the Ravens. Of course if the Ravens beat the Cleveland a Browns on Sunday, they go to the playoffs as a division champion. However even for such a big game, the team is having to publicly ask fans to come out.

There have been empty seats at Ravens games all year. It’s also been a league-wide problem – attendance is down. There are varying reasons for this, and it’s not limited to one thing. But one common one I hear is that the TV product is so good.

So here’s the question; is this limited to only the NFL? Because baseball has it’s own attendance issues. Similar to the NFL, it also has high definition games with graphics and other features. Would people really rather sit and watch the game at home than in person?

Baseball and football are two different animals. Football’s right home games, while baseball’s 81. Football’s also once a week as opposed to everyday. And I would argue that’s what sustained NFL attendance for so long in so many areas. Ten years ago the Ravens wouldn’t have to beg fans to come to the game on Sunday. But now people look at the forecast, see it’s cold, and look at the benefits to watching at home, and they have a decision to make.

So what can be learned from this? Should the TV packages not be as good? The answer is no. But what teams need to do is to give people a reason to come to the stadium. The Orioles’ idea of letting kids in for free is an example of this. Yes, you’re giving away free tickets. But the more kids come to the games the more they’ll enjoy themselves. And they’ll become accustomed to being there. Watching on television will in essence become a second-tier experience.

That model isn’t going to work in the NFL. But the point is that you have to find a way to generate interest in coming out. Until that happens, people might continue staying home.

Baltimore Orioles: The holly remains hung the day after

The Baltimore Orioles’ offices remain closed. So does the Federal Government – but that’s another story. Is today a holiday also?

The Orioles’ offices are closed through New Year’s. As I said previously, don’t expect any big news until then. Manager Brandon Hyde went to Hawaii with his family for the holiday. However my understanding is that he was treating it as a working vacation, as he brought film and reports to look over in his hotel room.

So my recommendation is that fans enjoy another slice of fruitcake and perhaps another Christmas cookie. It’s still going to be a long winter.

Baltimore Orioles: Merry Christmas, Birdland!

A very Merry Christmas goes out to all Baltimore Orioles fans this morning! I see today as a measuring stick of sorts. By that I mean a measuring stick of time with regard to the off season.

There are still between three and four months before Opening Day. However keep in mind that pitchers and catchers report two weeks after the Super Bowl. The third week of February brings actual spring training games. That means box scores and game recaps!

Point being that the off season is slowly passing. That aside, enjoy your Christmas Day!

Baltimore Orioles: Buck Showalter era is the ghost of Christmas’ Past

As we sit here on Christmas Eve, my thoughts circled back to former Baltimore Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter. First and foremost, I hope that he and his family are well and enjoying the Christmas season. But the reason he crossed my mind is in essence because the era in Orioles baseball that he represents is over. This much we know.

But Christmas is a very reflective time for a lot of people – myself included. But I find myself looking back years as opposed to just into this year. Buck Showalter and the era he oversaw didn’t just bring winning back to Baltimore. It brought pride.

Anyone my age or older had known the Orioles as a winning team in the past. Obviously the franchise fell on hard times – for 14 years. However there were a whole other generation of people who had never known the Orioles as a winner or contender. Buck Showalter changed that.

I would argue that it started in earnest when the Orioles knocked Boston out of the playoffs on the last day in 2011. However they also had two immediate winning months under Showalter when he arrived in August of 2010. 2012 officially returned them to contention and to the postseason for the first time since 1997.

While that’s all in the past now my hope is that the memories last Orioles fans for some time. Those years should never be remembered for the cold and abrupt end they saw in 2018. They should be viewed through the lens of the magical era that they collectively were. My hope is that’s how Orioles fans look at it. And with that said…TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

Baltimore Orioles: Holiday doldrums

‘Tis the season for the Baltimore Orioles. In saying that, I mean the season where nothing happens. The Warehouse is closed, probably until after the New Year.

Point being, you won’t see much news out of the Orioles for the next week or so. New Manager Brandon Hyde took a bunch of film and scouting reports with him and headed for the sandy beaches of Hawaii. I’m not sure whether GM Mike Elias is in town or not, but presumably he’s with his family as well. For his sake I hope he is.

If any news breaks about the O’s moving forward…you know I’ll be on top of it. But don’t hold your breath!