Excitement for Opening Day in Baltimore is reaching levels it hasn’t seen since the Orioles made three postseason appearances in a five-year span from 2012 to 2016.
Buck Showalter was the man on the dugout steps for all three of those postseason appearances — the Orioles’ only trips to October in the 21st century until they won 101 games and captured the American League East crown a season ago.
Showalter spent eight and a half seasons in Baltimore — the longest managerial tenure of his career — and he says Charm City holds a special place in his heart.
“Take a picture, it’s not going to happen much anymore in today’s sports world,” Showalter said on Glenn Clark Radio Feb. 9. “… We committed completely to that community and loved our time there. We were treated great and I have great memories there. Heck, I talked to Zack Britton for almost an hour [recently].”
Showalter led the Orioles to their first winning season in 14 years in 2012 and two years later snapped a 17-year drought without a division title. He was replaced by Brandon Hyde following the 2018 season.
Hyde spent nine years with the Marlins organization and seven years with the Cubs, handling a variety of roles at those stops before earning his first shot as a manager. In the fifth season of his tenure in Baltimore, Hyde led the Orioles to their first 100-win season since 1980, just two years after the Orioles lost 100-plus games for a third consecutive full season.
“I thought [Hyde] was a good hire at the time. I love his path,” Showalter said. “A lot of people want to go from A to Z without going through the process. … You have to fail sometimes. You have to be around minor league players. You have to be around winter ball and different things that go on to understand the culture that has to be created.”
After they enjoyed success in 2023, the Orioles’ biggest challenge will be managing unfamiliarly high expectations this upcoming season, according to Showalter.
“You’re not going to sneak up on anybody, you’re not the little engine that could anymore,” he said. “But you know what plays? Talent plays. They’re very talented, and I think they’re ready for the challenge of people kind of laying in the weeds for them and being ready.”
That sentiment is especially true after the Orioles traded for former National League Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes. Many observers called for the need for an ace to lead a young rotation that features talented arms but not a lot of experience.
Burnes provides exactly that. The right-hander has posted three consecutive All-Star campaigns, making at least 28 starts and striking out 200 or more batters in all three seasons.
“I know the American League East wasn’t too fond of them acquiring Burnes,” Showalter said.
With Burnes entering a contract year and fully prepared to test free agency, the 29-year-old might be a one-year rental for the Orioles. But that’s the type of move franchises like Baltimore sometimes have to make to keep up with bigger-market teams, and stockpiling minor league depth makes it possible.
As manager of the New York Mets the last two seasons, Showalter experienced firsthand how bigger markets operate. Despite a payroll that shattered the previous MLB record, the Mets finished just 75-87 last season.
“It was very big for us in Baltimore to know who we are and know who we’re not,” Showalter said. “You’re not going to do some of the things the Yankees are doing or the Red Sox or the Dodgers.”
Showalter, who has managed five major league teams across four different decades, is content with his career from the dugout. He has spent time as a television analyst for ESPN, and there’s a possibility there for a career beyond managing.
“I’m considering some options right now and we’ll see where it takes us,” he said.
For more from Showalter, listen to the full interview here:
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