Baltimore Orioles: Commissioner Rob Manfred extended

Baltimore Orioles’ ownership representatives John and Lou Angelos spent the week at the owners’ meetings. Obviously the big story is that they appear to have hired a new GM in Mike Elias. However the owners also voted to extend commissioner Rob Manfred for an additional five years in his current role.

This is noteworthy for the future of the game. And it’s something to which Orioles fans should pay attention perhaps more so than Elias’ hire. I can’t tell you that I’m against everything for which commissioner Manfred stands, because that’s inaccurate. But I do have serious questions regarding the direction of the game.

Preliminary indications seem to be that Manfred isn’t against radicle change in baseball. And there are a lot of radicle ideas out there, such as seven inning games, and starting extra innings with a runner in scoring position. The idea of ties has also been floated.

People seem to be very caught up in the pace-of-play, and Commissioner Manfred seems to get that. Speaking for myself, I might not be against implementing a pitch clock. At least more so than I would be seven inning games.

I suppose my point is that baseball is timeless. Sure it changes here and there – there are rule changes every year in every sport. But that doesn’t mean that changing part of the fabric of the game (such as nine innings) would be acceptable.

None of this is to say that any of that will happen. It’s just chatter. However it’ll be interesting to see what if anything Manfred decides to do with his newfound tenure.

Baltimore Orioles: Mike Elias to be named Birds’ GM

The Baltimore Orioles apparently have their new head man in the front office. Mike Elias, the Asst. General Manager in Houston, appears to be the choice, as first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The move isn’t yet official, but it’s happening.

Elias has a strong background in scouting, and has worked for several different organizations. If you’re going to poach front office talent from any organization, you may as well do it from one of the more recently successful ones in Houston. Elias has met with John and Lou Angelos on various occasions. The brothers are at the owners meetings currently, which could be why the team’s hesitating just a bit to make the move official.

This move could well represent a move towards a more analytical approach to the game, which was lacking in the recent past. Elias will of course hire the next manager, and it’ll be interesting to see if he finds that person in the Houston organization. Time will tell.

Baltimore Orioles: Mike Elias to be named Birds’ GM

The Baltimore Orioles apparently have their new head man in the front office. Mike Elias, the Asst. General Manager in Houston, appears to be the choice, as first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The move isn’t yet official, but it’s happening.

Elias has a strong background in scouting, and has worked for several different organizations. If you’re going to poach front office talent from any organization, you may as well do it from one of the more recently successful ones in Houston. Elias has met with John and Lou Angelos on various occasions. The brothers are at the owners meetings currently, which could be why the team’s hesitating just a bit to make the move official.

This move could well represent a move towards a more analytical approach to the game, which was lacking in the recent past. Elias will of course hire the next manager, and it’ll be interesting to see if he finds that person in the Houston organization. Time will tell.

Baltimore Orioles: What’s a reasonable win total in 2019? (updated)

The Baltimore Orioles had an historically bad record in 2018 – this much we know. The good news for whomever the next manager is will be that there’s nowhere to go but up. In theory. But when we look to next season, what’s a reasonable number of wins that we can or should expect from the 2019 Orioles.

First off it’s tough to predict that in November. Nobody can possibly know the answer to that before the roster is construed. However there a few tangible things that we can deduce. This season the Orioles had Alex Cobb and Andrew Cashner, neither of whom had much in the way of spring outings. Cashner signed a bit earlier than Cobb, so he actually got a spring start. Cobb didn’t, and went to extended spring training until mid-April before joining the Orioles.

Both of these pitchers struggled out of the gate in 2018. As time went on they corrected themselves, but of course they eventually produced quality starts that were losses because the bats couldn’t get untracked. But as time went on they slowly corrected themselves.

So I would submit that spring games and workouts are of supreme importance to pitchers (or to anyone). Thus regardless of the the makeup of the team, who the manager is, etc, those two will have a full slate of spring games and workouts next year. I suspect that’ll make for a smoother transition into the season, and hopefully a few more wins early.

The O’s also had some major injuries last year, such as Jonathan Schoop, Mark Trumbo, and Darren O’Day going down early. And if that wasn’t enough, one of O’Day’s replacements, Richard Bleier, was also done for the season early with an injury.

Trumbo and Bleier are obviously the only ones still on the team. But you have to assume that the injury bug perhaps won’t bite the Birds again in 2019. Furthermore does the law of averages not suggest that Chris Davis SHOULD be at least marginally better next year?!

Do all of these factors add up to a lot more wins? Probably not. But I do believe that when all’s said and done the 2019 Orioles will have more wins than the 2018 version did. But we can’t say for sure.

UPDATE (7:20 AM): USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported overnight that the Orioles are expected to hire Houston Asst. GM Mike Elias as their new General Manager. No word on a timeline, but that’s the word on the street. More as it comes!

Baltimore Orioles: Battle for Sarasota?

Yesterday I wrote about the Baltimore Orioles and their spring training experience. As I said, Ed Smith Stadium is second to none. It’s the best spring training experience in the league. And that’s a good thing for the Orioles for more than one reason.

In 2020 the Birds will begin sharing Sarasota with the Atlanta Braves. They’re building a new spring facility in the area, as 2019 will be their last year in their current facility in Orlando. How does that affect the O’s?

As I said yesterday, the Orioles have embraced Sarasota and Sarasota has embraced the Orioles since the partnership began. They’re very much embedded in the local community, and it’s very much a grass roots partnership. Local businesses purchase season tickets for Grapefruit League play, and local residents flock to games. Will Atlanta eat into that revenue?

The obvious answer is that the presence of another team in town will have an affect. But it’s up to the Orioles how big an effect it will have. They need to keep up their presence in the Sarasota community, and if anything step it up. If they’re able to do so, hopefully the community still stands behind them when the Braves come.

One thing that will change for the better will be the spring training schedule. With another team in the immediate market, the Orioles should be able to schedule easy road games in terms of their travel schedule. In 2020, that is.

Baltimore Orioles: Best in baseball in one category

The Baltimore Orioles are the best in baseball. In one area…fool you for a moment there, didn’t I?! But seriously, there is one part of their organization which is truly second to none: their spring training operation.

For years the Orioles trained in Fort Lauderdale, in a facility that was crumbling to the ground before their very eyes. Teams had no urge to come there to play the Orioles, who in turn had to struggle to scrimp together a home schedule in the Florida Grapefruit League. Then in 2010 everything changed.

That year the Orioles moved their spring training to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, FL. The park and the surrounding facilities were almost as antiquated as the Birds’ former facility in Fort Lauderdale – almost as antiquated. But the Orioles got an immediate upgrade in spring facilities when they moved there.

The O’s renovated the facility over a few years, and Ed Smith Stadium is now one of the best if not THE best spring training park in baseball. I’ve never heard anyone who’s been there say anything to the contrary. That goes for media, fans, and players. It’s a first class facility.

Whereas when they were in Fort Lauderdale the O’s had to beg teams to come play them, now it’s almost the exact opposite. Teams line up to come to Sarasota to play the Orioles. Some teams such as Pittsburgh and Toronto come in two or three times during Grapefruit League play.

That’s a testament to the Orioles’ organization that it’s such a great facility. Not only do teams want to come in and play them, but the fans come as well. The O’s have set and broken attendance records at Ed Smith Stadium over time. And the local Sarasota community has embraced the Orioles as well, and in turn the O’s have stepped up in the Sarasota community. It’s a great partnership.

Sadly the play on the field won’t be good at Camden Yards for some time. But BOTH Camden Yards and Ed Smith Stadium are facilities of which Orioles fans can be proud.

Baltimore Orioles: What are Baltimore fans to do?

The Baltimore Orioles have been in rebuild mode since the beginning of the summer. Officially, anyways. Many would argue they’ve been in rebuild mode for longer. Perhaps since the 2016 AL Wild Card game. But I digress.

We can assume that the Orioles will be in rebuild mode for some time. This much we know. However I’m on record as saying that I’m really looking forward to the 2019 Florida Grapefruit League season. It’ll be a chance for the fans to see what they have in the new team.

However of late we’ve seen an Oriole-like decline in the Birds’ NFL counterpart, the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore’s football birds are on a bye this week, and it really couldn’t have come at a better time. There are all kinds of rumors about the Ravens and where they go after the bye – meaning head coach and quarterback. However I also believe that you don’t make any draconian decisions in terms of ripping your team down until after you’re eliminated from playoff contention. Until that happens, you owe your fans and your city to make every effort to win games.

But you’d be hard-pressed to look at the Ravens and argue that they aren’t on the verge of a full tear-down and rebuild – similar to what the Orioles are going through. Does that mean that head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco are done? If it’s a full rebuild, odds are that’s exactly what it means. Whether or not that’s the right thing to do is another story, and is up to the beholder.

However Baltimore fans could be in for a world of pain in a sense, with both professional franchises rebuilding at the same time. (This assuming that the Ravens end up in that same boat at some point in the near future.) In the past when the Orioles had bad seasons at least fans could always look forward to September when the Ravens would kick off. If rebuilding is in their future, September will simply bring another painful season.

I think that the difference is that first off baseball’s much more of a grind than the NFL. It’s literally everyday from spring training until the end of September. Football at least is only once a week. However the NFL is set up for teams to go from contending, to rebuilding, and to contending again in a much shorter timeframe. So at least Baltimore fans have that.

In the interim, my recommendation is for people to just sit back and enjoy the games. Sure there’ll be some lean years in the immediate future. But Oriole Park at Camden Yards is still a great place to spend a summer evening or afternoon with your family. As is M & T Bank Stadium during football season. And if nothing else, Baltimore does stadiums the right way. Possibly better than any other city. At least you can sit back and enjoy a crab cake and a cold beer while waiting for a winner!

Baltimore Orioles: Buck Showalter addresses the fans

Buck Showalter‘s officially been the former manager of the Baltimore Orioles for ten days now. His contract expired at the end of October. One thing you can say about Buck was that he immediately and for the entirety of his tenure endeared himself to the Orioles’ fans. And he now continues to do so in absentia.

By way of baltimorebaseball.com‘s Rich Dubroff, Showalter penned a letter to Orioles fans that was published yesterday (click here to read the letter). If you click on the link and read the letter, I think you’ll be impressed. You can almost hear Showalter in his folksy manner saying the words.

As I said, Showalter immediately endeared himself to the city of Baltimore and the Orioles fans. We’re reminded of that in his letter, as he mentions how passionate the people are about the city. And you really only have to spend five minutes in Baltimore to know that. Almost immediately you’ll see someone wearing Maryland flag gear, an O’s or Ravens cap, a crab shirt, or some other provincial article of clothing. Such is life in the Old Line State and in Charm City.

Buck Showalter latched onto these things as soon as he arrived in town. And in fact, probably before – he references coming into town and seeing the passion of the fans when he managed the New York Yankees years ago. Every city or region is proud of itself. However I’d like to think that Baltimore takes it to another level. And that’s a good thing.

But Buck Showalter didn’t just admire these things about the city. He became a part of it. He moved to the area, and truly became a part of the community. He talks about the neighbors in his community, and getting snow cones after Sunday day games. And I think that’s something that fans have forgotten over time. Sports figures rarely work in their hometowns – withstanding the Ripkens. In Buck’s case he lived in the Dallas area, and my understanding is that he’s going back to that as being his full-time home. But rarely do they engross themselves in the community where they work in the manner that the Showalters did.

That was important to Buck, and that’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Some people will argue they don’t care where the guy lives and so forth. But the fact that he lived and breathed the same daily grind that the fans did vouches for something. Buck always said that he “got Baltimore, and Baltimore got him.” And that was because he lived here and was a part of it.

Many times during the 2018 season I wrote and tweeted that fans will miss him when he’s gone. Buck understands the business, and seems to harbor no ill feelings towards the manner in which his time in Baltimore ended. But I stand by that statement; he’ll be missed now that he’s gone. Does that mean that the next guy can’t be just as good? Of course not. But I think Buck and Baltimore will always go hand-in-hand.

And there’s a silver lining to this: he’s still connected to the organization. His son Nathan is still a scout for the Orioles. Nathan Showalter and his wife live in the area, so it stands to reason that Buck might pop up in town from time to time. For the sake of everyone involved, I hope he isn’t a stranger.

Baltimore Orioles: Where’s Peter Angelos?

The slowness of the Baltimore Orioles’ search for a new GM and manager is well-documented. What’s unclear is the direction that things are headed. What’s also unclear is how involved owner Peter Angelos is in the proceedings.

We know that Angelos has been reported to be in failing health. However I suspect that unless he’s literally laying on his death bed in a semi-comatose state, odds are he’s at least aware of the current situation. That assumed, what’s his line of thinking?

Angelos reportedly turned control of the team over to his sons John and Lou in January of this year. On paper he’s still the owner and Chairman of the Board of the team. But (supposedly) he hasn’t been involved in team decisions or in the direction of the franchise since then.

And if you want evidence of that, look no further than now former manager Buck Showalter. According to various reports, (Peter) Angelos promised Showalter that if he wanted to be the manager past 2018, he would be. Over the years a lot of things have been said about Mr. Angelos, but one thing on which he’s always been consistent is keeping his word. If he says he’s going to do something, he follows through. And that’s a quality that I deeply respect.

So the fact that Showalter is gone should tell fans that the old man isn’t running the ranch any longer. On a personal note I would have liked to see the Angelos sons follow through on their father’s reported promise. However they can’t be blamed for not doing so. They never gave their word; their father did.

That aside, if in fact Peter Angelos isn’t in the aforementioned semi-comatose state, does he have a view on how his sons are proceeding? Furthermore is he giving or having to give any sort of approval on the moves that are being made? These are all legitimate questions.

Baltimore Orioles: Can snark be self-fulfilling?

When talking or reporting about the Baltimore Orioles, I call things down the middle. It’s part of my job; people often tell me that they want columnists and announcers to “openly root for the Orioles.” My response is that they think they want that, but they really don’t. When the media shamelessly roots for the team it comes across as incredibly unprofessional. Look no further than former ChiSox announcer, Hawk Harrelson.

However outside of the Orioles, I do have various teams for whom I openly root. One of those is the Washington Capitals of the NHL. During last night’s game against Pittsburgh, I tweeted to the effect of only a Pittsburgh team would argue that a goalie embellished being roughed and have the national media take up their cause. In fact, the national television crew calling the game felt that the Capitals’ goalie sold a roughing call to the officials.

Did he? That’s a matter of opinion. But my point was that Pittsburgh teams seem to always get the calls and the benefit of the doubt. And in this one spot where they didn’t, they complained and had the national media on their side.

I’m a sports fan just like the rest of the world. We make comments like that on occasion. Again, you’ll never see me say something like that regarding the Orioles, because I have an obligation to cover the team in as unbiased a manner as possible. However many fans do say things like that regarding the Orioles when they play other teams. Heck, Oriole players sometimes complain to umpires that they don’t get a fair shake. But do comments as such inadvertently prove to be true?

If national media members hear that they favor one team over another they’re going to say that’s ludicrous. That’s also going to ride in their gut for some time. But does human nature not dictate that the person might not start to resent that comment, and thus find himself at the very least NOT favoring the very team they were accused of being against?

Look at it from the perspective of an umpire or referee. If someone’s accused of favoring one team over the other, again does human nature not dictate that perhaps that ref/ump might give the benefit of the doubt the other way? Ultimately I do believe that national media figures and/or officials try to be unbiased. And most of them succeed. But there are certainly exceptions.

If you look at the NFL, many rival teams complain that teams such as the Cowboys, Steelers, Patriots, and others get more favorable coverage and officiating. In the NHL we see those same charges regarding the Penguins, the Lakers in the NBA (or perhaps just LeBron James), and the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and others in MLB. The ironic thing however is that again human nature dictates that when the opponents of the aforementioned teams complain about this, it gets worse before it gets better.

All of this is further ampified by social media. As an avid user, I’m the first to admit that. Again, I call things down the middle for the Orioles because I report on them. So do the likes of Boston and New York get favorable calls and/or coverage against the Orioles and others? The fact is that there’s no evidence which suggests that; the Orioles need to focus on winning. Do the Penguins enjoy those benefits against the Capitals (who ultimately defeated Pittsburgh last night)? They absolutely do!