Orioles legend Scott McGregor was a guest coach at spring training recently, and he came away from this brief coaching stint seeing shades of great Orioles teams of the past as today’s team tries to fulfill its World Series aspirations.
McGregor is one of the best pitchers in Orioles history. The left-hander played his entire career with the Orioles from 1976-1988, helping secure the Orioles their most recent World Series victory in 1983.
McGregor, 70, is one of several former Orioles to join the team throughout spring training. His main duty was to ensure that the team’s bullpen was operating as efficiently as possible during live batting practice sessions. McGregor enjoyed this role and the reaction the team has to his presence.
“That’s fun. They always enjoy that. They always say, ‘Hey, here he is, the master of the bullpen,'” McGregor said on Glenn Clark Radio Feb 27.
Yet in calmer times, McGregor also got the chance to interact with all the pitchers. This gave McGregor time to get to know the pitchers personally and what they might bring to the team. In some cases, actions spoke louder than words. He needed very few words with new Orioles ace Corbin Burnes to see what he can bring to the team.
“He was kind of quiet. We didn’t get into any big conversations,” McGregor said. “I’d say hi and I would sit behind to watch him throw a bullpen and say, ‘This guy is one big sucker, man.’ He’s got a great arm, he’s got really nice pitches and he looks to me like he’s just really focused. And that’s always a good thing.”
McGregor believes Burnes will strengthen the rotation through his leadership. Even with uncertainty surrounding starters Kyle Bradish and John Means, McGregor thinks Burnes’ presence will help give the team greater faith in the rotation.
McGregor also highlighted rising stars such as Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer and made comparisons to great Orioles rotations of his day, naming fellow legends such as Mike Boddicker, Mike Flanagan, Dennis Martinez and Jim Palmer.
“If you’ve got five starters that they’ve got … the odds are two of them are going to be rolling at all times,” McGregor said. “That’s the way it was with us back then. Palmer was always going. Flanny and I were pretty good. Then Dennis and Boddicker came. You always have someone that’s going to keep it going.”
One of the biggest surprises to come out of the Orioles spring training so far has been the stark change in lefty Cole Irvin, whose velocity has ticked up as part of a revamped arsenal.
McGregor believes if Irvin can maintain this and create a sustainable array of secondary pitches, he might turn himself into a valuable asset for the Orioles in 2024.
“I talked to him and he said, ‘Man, I worked out. I really focused on getting ready for the season and lost some weight.’ I saw him throw some bullpens and pitch. He looked like he did at the end of the season,” McGregor said. “It looked to me like he’s picked up from right in there. … As long as he’s getting his secondary pitches over the way he does, he’s a viable option in your rotation.”
Outside of Irvin, there may be other surprises for the Orioles to bring onto the roster before Opening Day. McGregor sees some promise out of some of the Orioles’ non-roster invitees. McGregor believes former Giants and Cardinals lefty Andrew Suárez and right-handed pitching prospect Garrett Stallings may be two key underrated figures for the Orioles to keep and eye on.
“The lefty, Andy Suárez, was very impressive to me and Stallings pitched three great innings the other day. He’s a little funky, but that’s always good,” McGregor said. “… Sitting back there watching bullpens, there was some impressive stuff going on. So, once again, [Mike] Elias has promised to help that pipeline and he sure is producing it.”
After speaking with various Orioles coaches and players, including skipper Brandon Hyde, McGregor believes that any negatives that came from falling short in the 2023 postseason are being used to fuel the Orioles to greater success in 2024.
Through his own experience, McGregor has seen tough losses turn into motivation for greater victories. He believes it won’t be any different when it comes to the current Orioles.
“I think I talked to Hyder and a number of the coaches and the players saying, ‘Guys, in ’79, we didn’t make it.’ We were there, but you still didn’t win your last game,” McGregor said. “I said, ‘Guys, we had a fire in our belly after that, because we wanted to get back.’ I’m sure that it’s the same way with these guys. They don’t forget that.”
For more from McGregor, listen to the full interview here:
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