The Orioles are getting more love from the Red Sox writers of the Boston Globe this week in a piece that looks closely at the Bird’s success under manager Buck Showalter. Nick Cafardo of the Globe wrote about the Orioles “losing trend” and the idea of Buck Showalter instilling a winning atmosphere among the team.
The buzz phrase most often heard around the Orioles since the hiring of Buck Showalter as manager last Aug. 3 is “changing the culture.’’ The “losing culture,’’ that is, which appears to be changing rapidly, bringing hope, finally, of something sustainable after 13 losing seasons.
It almost feels as if the Orioles — who for almost two decades seemed to morph into their hapless St. Louis Browns ancestors — are brand new.
Last week the Globe ranked Showalter tenth among active managers in big leagues.
Do you think the Orioles will be able to snap their losing streak under Showalter?
I said this last week…I don’t know if Buck is #10 in MLB, time will tell, but I can tell you is that he is the best manager/coach in THIS town.
Good to get some praise from media in other cities, but is is funny that other Boston media had this to say about the Orioles last week:
The real problem for Baltimore is that pitching staff. Good luck keeping opponents to fewer than five runs per game when you are trotting Jeremy Guthrie to the mound as your ace. Sure he might give you 200 innings, but that’s about all you’re getting unless he can continue to post sub-30 percent hit rates.
O’s fans better hope that Brian Matusz can wear the crown as he’s been anointed (much like Matt Wieters) but the team is built as a dichotomy — offense for today and the pitching for tomorrow. It’s doubtful that Baltimore will win 65 games in 2011.
Jeff Pilson is an idiot. The O’s are much improved, and Guthrie is maturing to a fine pitcher. The O’s will be well. Finishing slightly over 500 is a real possibility.
65 games? does that mean the other teams in the division all win 90+ ??Boston writers take their cue from Gammons, who wouldn’t admit a Boston screw up if Epstein told him he screwed up himself.You think Theo intended to start last yr with Lowell and Mike Cameron and play Ellsbury in left? His buddy in SD screwed him up, then lets him off the hook by trading AGon this year for minor leaguers when he could have had some ready major league talent last yr. And if he gets nothing from the platoon of the career minor leaguers he trotted out last yr they’re lucky to win 80.Beckett was horrific, injured… Guthrie, Bergeson and Matusz are ready. Arrietta has major league stuff-ask the Yanks.I don’t expect the Os to win the division, but 65 wins?