Buck Showalter has been credited with so much since his arrival in Baltimore. You hear about him “changing the culture.” Or bringing his “intense focus” and “attention to detail.” One thing is for certain: regardless of how much credit he is due, the winning came with him. Beyond his abilities to shape this organization, Showalter has a way with words. His post-game press conferences can be must-see-TV.
If you missed your opportunity to see Sassy Buck (as we at Bird’s Eye View refer to his interview alter-ego), here’s a rundown:
Thursday
In this interview with Gary Thorne, who can be a terrible influence, Buck reminded viewers with tongue planted firmly in cheek that he was NOT managing after his ejection. He also reported that certain players get pee shy on testing day. Yes, really.
Wednesday
Reading between the lines, buck says that you have to give credit to the opposing young pitcher who played well, but that the lineup beat themselves. About the lack of offensive production, he said “there is no one more frustrated about it than I am about it.” Of course, in the same breath he said that he intends on figuring it out with guys who have done it before. Translation for the fans: you’re stuck with these guys.
Tuesday
The Orioles scored four runs early, then gave it all away. Said Buck, “we used all our powder in that one inning.” When asked about Mike Wright’s start, he said it was “kind of expected.” I wonder if that means they saw something in pregame warmups that he didn’t have his best stuff, or if they have simply known that he was bound to get knocked around by a good offensive club at some point.
Monday
See if you detect a theme this week. About starter Ubaldo Jimenez, Buck said “I feel bad for him, because we’re not scoring any runs.” The skipper compared this year’s offensive output to last year, doing his best not to say the words “Nelson Cruz.” He also dodged Thorne’s question about whether he was physically satisfied by Adam Jones. Alright, I phrased that awkwardly, but not altogether differently than Gary did.
Sunday
Buck’s assessment of Chris Tillman’s six-run day was that he (Tillman) was “real close to having a good outing.” That is some high quality dancing.
Of all the things I am thankful for in the last three years, one is that Buck Showalter is so damn entertaining at the podium. Though, to be fair, he’s got nothing on Dave Trembley.