The Orioles have a significant perception problem, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Executives on other teams believe Baltimore’s next general manager will have less power than any other GM in baseball. Here are the details, plus other notes from around MLB:
- Orioles owner Peter Angelos is less involved in baseball operations than it may seem and manager Buck Showalter would love to work with bright executives, but outside executives don’t see Baltimore as an attractive place to work.
- Jerry Dipoto and Tony LaCava have turned away the Orioles in favor of other teams and some other highly-regarded assistant GMs have said they wouldn’t be interested if Baltimore called.
- One executive suggested Showalter should take over as GM and hire a new field manager, according to Olney.
- Red Sox executive Allard Baird has come up in the Orioles’ GM conversations, according to Olney (on Twitter). Here are the latest details on Baltimore’s search.
- Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum has a good chance of obtaining his first permanent job as an MLB manager, since the Cubs and Red Sox are both interested in his services. As Olney notes, the Red Sox and Cubs are working from similar managerial lists.
Has Thad Levine still not received an interview request? As a Rangers fan, I hope he doesn’t. But I’m starting to get the impression they aren’t gonna find someone nearly as qualified as him who would actually want the job. I can’t imagine there being a better match for the team now
Yeah I pretty much agree with this.
he how about the old orioles like cal ripkin jr. or jim palmer or even rick dempsy
Former players with zero front office experience? Sounds like something the Orioles would do. Probably because they already did that with Mike Flanagan.
not to mention he is from the area, right?
Yea, that’s what I meant. The guy was born and raised an Orioles fan, and happens to be one of the most qualified GM candidates out there. But you never hear anything about them reaching out to him, which is stupid after they couldn’t get Dipoto or LaCava. Think they finally did though according to the most recent thread on here
presumably every front office guy in the game would relish the opportunity to become a GM, even if only to advance his baseball career. you’re talking about one of the most exclusive jobs in the world here; there are literally only 30 positions to be filled and a few of them are already taken by entrenched execs. after years of hard work, you finally get that opportunity, you get an offer to become the GM of an MLB team
and you turn it down. jokes aside, that tells us all we need to know about the baltimore position, doesn’t it? yikes
Yeah, klaw said he cant see anyone with an ounce of respect taking the job.
Law has a very well known and obvious distaste for the Orioles organization. He goes to great lengths to bash it whenever possible. He’s only slightly less obvious than Rosenthal about his open dislike for Angelos, so I take everything he says with a whole shaker of salt.
You mean that the Orioles being turned down by LaCava, having Watson and Dipoto withdrawl their name from consideration and hearing that numerous baseball executives would decline the job if it was offered to them translates into Law hating the Orioles? I think the Orioles hate the Orioles. Right now they are the model for exactly what you shoudn’t do to a MLB franchise!
Personally, I think it makes the job that much more attractive. Think about it, if you go to Orioles and become GM, but can’t do anything and/or fail, everyone will give free pass because it was the Orioles, however, if you succeed and turn them around, you can fill out your own checks from there. How is that bad?
It’s bad because being GM of the Orioles equates to playing Angry Birds on your phone and not much else. Not very attractive job description on a resume.
How much does it pay? Cause if Angelos wants to pay me to play Angry Birds on my phone, well… :O)
Depends on how good you do. Getting a 3-star score means you get paid that week.
Brand damage and career suicide. Other than that, being the guy “in charge” of MLB’s LA Clippers is a great opportunity.
Allard Baird, one step forward, two steps back.
THAD LEVINE OR BUST.
Having lived in the DC metro area for 30+ years before retiring out west, I would suggest that the Orioles don’t have a ‘perception’ problem, they have an ownership problem (regardless of what Mr. Olney may suggest). I obviously can’t speak to the issue of whether Mr. Angelos is more or less involved in day-to-day operations, but he has clearly been involved in the big-picture decisions and has pulled the club down, down, and further down. To suggest that it’s only a ‘perception’ issue is avoiding the fundamental problems.
Ownership Problem and Perception Problem are not mutually exclusive. The problem with Baltimore is that people perceive it as a locale in which there’s not enough autonomy. Regardless of whether perception meets reality or not (Which is something that can be debated ad nauseum in either direction) does not negate the fact that it’s killing their search.
The Mike Flanagan suicide certainly can’t help ‘perception’ any.
Yeah, we all know Angelos was behind that.
Where do all these wingnuts come from?
A bit in bad taste don’t you think?
dude, wtf?
DAMN!!! Sad but true…
What’s the point in hiring a GM if he can’t, you know, GM?
Angelos is a meddler, regardless of whatever Olney claims.
Hey Baltimore, call me.
The Orioles have a significant reality problem.
At this point in the game, and belive me it pains me to say this, the O’s should just hire from within. The bright side is if they hire John Stockstill they have to hire a new director of player development. It sounds like the “bright” executives wont come to baltimore so the guy who is hired probably will only list 2 years or so. Might as well put a puppet gm in there and wait out Angelos to die or sell the team which ever comes first.
He’s 83, how many years left does everyone think he has in this world/with this organization. Over/Under 10 years?
Under! I’m thinking something will give within 5
His two sons Lou and Jon are worse, from what I hear.
I hate PA!
What did Pennsylvania ever do to you?
Orioles should hire Stringer Bell to take over as GM
So, LaCava liked the offer $-wise and could bring in 7 of his own guys, but wouldn’t be allowed to fire some other guys. If the guys he wanted to fire suck, then Angelos meddled for the worse. But, on the other hand, the Orioles have had some front office people that others think highly of (the Phillies and Joe Jordan). So, what’s important is that Law and Rosenthal get to bash Peter Angelos. I’m no defender of Angelos, but if Law and Olney and Rosenthal weren’t in the room, then who is creating the Perception problem?
Why would the Sox be interested in Tommy Maddox? He wasn’t even a good quarterback, what makes you think he knows anything about baseball?