3:20pm: The O's officially announced the hiring and noted that interim manager Juan Samuel will once again be the club's third base coach.
1:22pm: Showalter's contract runs through 2013, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
12:42pm: The Orioles have hired Buck Showalter as manager, reports ESPN's Tim Kurkjian. Showalter's first game will be Tuesday against the Angels. Kurkjian notes that Eric Wedge, Bobby Valentine, Rick Dempsey, and current interim manager Juan Samuel also interviewed for the job. Showalter brings an 882-833 career record and two Manager of the Year awards from his career managing the Yankees, Rangers, and Diamondbacks.
Great news… looking forward to seeing what he can do.
thank god
Do you think he’ll make Mike Gonzalez the closer or let Simon ride it out?
I’m not expecting a miracle, but some inspired play from a lifeless team with no identity would be uplifting…
Bucks a good manager and all, I’m just glad I don’t have to hear him in the broadcasting booth anymore
Too bad for the Orioles. I think it’s very disappointing that, with so many young managerial candidates out there looking for their first opportunity, we still have to see dopes like this guy, Jerry Manuel, Bobby Valentine, etc. continue to get jobs. The only thing this does for Baltimore is help out the local barbers.
Soxman, I have to respectfully disagree with you. Buck is a great fit for my O’s. We here in Baltimore have had to suffer through the likes of these “first time” managers for years, and it has helped get us to this point. Buck has a track record of instilling an identity throughout an organization, and for anyone who isn’t familiar with the Orioles, we have absoultey no identity. I for one am extremely excited to get him in here. This doesn’t change the fact that we have very little major league talent right now, and no protection for our hitters, an offense that can’t do the fundamental things required of it, and young pitchers who are having to over do things just to get a chance at winning a game. We have a poor defense to boot. Hopefully Buck puts these prima donnas in their place and gets us on the right track.
If he gets this team back to winning games, he will have his own statue made in Baltimore.
Curious to see if Showalter is the right guy for that team. He’s a well known micromanager, my guess is he’d put Girardi to shame in that regard. How are the O’s going to respond to that? Maybe well since they’re a relatively young team, maybe that’s what they need. Showalter grates on his players though, 2013 is going to see like a long time away for the players sometime in the summer of 2011. Good luck to the O’s, I hope it works out and they get back to respectability.
I hope the Orioles hire George Costanza, since he and Showalter used to work so well in New York. Maybe the O’s will switch to cotton uniforms…
I like this hiring for the O’s, saw him many years ago as Yanks Double AA manager, he works great with kids, and has a good mind for the game. Wish the Orioles the best, we need to get the AL East tougher.
That’s a good solid hire with good management, but as Buck proved in Texas bad ownership can sometimes get in the way of a good manager.
According to many sources (including ESPN’s interview with Kurkjian), Showalter’s specialty is rebuilding from the ground up, going as far down as the low minors. I don’t like his personality as seen on ESPN Baseball Tonight over the past four years, but he is likely the right choice for my team.
now they need to fire him so they can win the world series.
Former mgr’s who are now broadcasters… Kevin Kennedy must really like broadcasting because his name hasn’t been in a hat since LA interviewed him to come back and replace Davey Johnson. Last I heard anyway.