Mark Connor Resigns

[Aglets]

Not to be a jerk, but to me he's basically quitting on the team. He's been a pitching coach for a LONG time. He knows what's involved in it. He knows the hours and the length of the season. This is a cop out and he is simply quitting on the team. I'm VERY happy he is not ill, but to just leave because its too much work is a kick to the nuts to all those young men trying their best day in and day out.

Yea, this guy has been around the major leagues off and on since the early 90s or so. He should know what it takes. I'm not much of a JTreakian (conspiracy theorist) but I have to believe he knew what he was getting into ahead of time. Maybe he really did just overestimate his own abilties......but it seems like that's pretty simple.

Also, why so sudden? why tell the team 24 hours before you do it and leave them scrambling? that seems like real poor form. I wonder if we'll ever get the real scoop.

[Sports Guy]

I guess it's a function of my age, but I understand where Connor is coming from. He was reluctant to say yes in the first place, Buck talked him into it, and he realized as the season went along that he made a mistake saying yes. Heck, if he was going to hang it up at the end of the year anyway, I'd just as soon get Adair in there and see if he's the guy, so that better decisions can be made in October about next year's staff.

He knew what he is getting himself into. He had been a pitching coach for years. He knew about the daily grind.

He took the job and has quit. He left the team hanging...Its pathetic.

If his health were an issue, that would be one thing...But to basically say, ehh, i just don't feel like doing this anymore is a joke.

Either take the job or don't...This in between stuff is wrong.

[Tony-OH]

Not to be a jerk, but to me he's basically quitting on the team. He's been a pitching coach for a LONG time. He knows what's involved in it. He knows the hours and the length of the season. This is a cop out and he is simply quitting on the team. I'm VERY happy he is not ill, but to just leave because its too much work is a kick to the nuts to all those young men trying their best day in and day out.

I don't think you are being a jerk at all. You are telling the truth. The guy didn't have the desire anymore to do the job so he quit. I'm just glad he had the courage to do it rather then give a half-effort the rest of the year though. I give him credit for that, but clearly being a pitching coach on a last place team in the AL East is not the easiest of jobs.

[LookinUp]

It looks to me like, when the going got tough, Conner walked.

I guess it's better to have a guy who's committed than not, but I wish he'd have never taken the job at this point.

[ShaneDawg85]

Truth be told I never really wanted him in the first place. I thought Kranitz should get one more season based on the turnaround at the end of the year and the performance of the young guys, Matusz in particular. I also didn't really see why Connor was any better of an option.

[Ooooooohhhh!!!!]

Also, why so sudden? why tell the team 24 hours before you do it and leave them scrambling? that seems like real poor form. I wonder if we'll ever get the real scoop.

This is the part I have a problem with. It's not like he woke up and had an "I need to retire" epiphany. He must have been thinking about this for a while. If his head/heart weren't into it I'm fine with him stepping down, but couldn't he have given the O's some notice?

[clapdiddy]

Is there a reason that Griffin isn't being considered for the pitching coach position? Is he too valuable in the minors, or does he just like working with the younger players?

[El Gordo]

I think there is probably more to it than just thatr the job was becoming too demanding. It could have been that things weren't clicking with the pitching staff, but that is not something that would be mentioned in a public statement. In politics it's always the "I need to spend more time with my family" dodge that covers a multitde of sins.

[flashjordnk]

I think there is probably more to it than just thatr the job was becoming too demanding. It could have been that things weren't clicking with the pitching staff, but that is not something that would be mentioned in a public statement. In politics it's always the "I need to spend more time with my family" dodge that covers a multitde of sins.

Yeah...this really seems to be true. But that doesn't exempt from him wearing the quitter badge if they aren't willing to admit what the problem was here. But I tend to agree with whole heartedly with your point.

[ScottieBaseball]

I think there is probably more to it than just thatr the job was becoming too demanding. It could have been that things weren't clicking with the pitching staff, but that is not something that would be mentioned in a public statement. In politics it's always the "I need to spend more time with my family" dodge that covers a multitde of sins.

Politics isn't baseball, but don't let that stop your mind from wandering.

[flashjordnk]

Politics isn't baseball, but don't let that stop your mind from wandering.

When by multitude of sins, probably something along the lines of ineffectiveness, etc. More about performance or relationships with players was where I thought that was supposed to be going.

[Going Underground]

I think there is probably more to it than just that the job was becoming too demanding. It could have been that things weren't clicking with the pitching staff, but that is not something that would be mentioned in a public statement. In politics it's always the "I need to spend more time with my family" dodge that covers a multitde of sins.

I think you might be right. He came up during a different time ,when players might have listened more. This was one of the few coaches, Buck really wanted and now he is gone. Butterfield did not want to come here.

[El Gordo]

Politics isn't baseball, but don't let that stop your mind from wandering.

So in your mind there is no political aspect to baseball? That seems incredibly naive to me if true. I suspect that isn't the point of your post though.

[apollod]

I wonder why the O's never win.

My colleague, Jeff Zrebiec, put together this list of Orioles’ pitching coaches since 1994 and I thought it was worth sharing the day after Mark Connor resigned for personal reasons.

1994 – Dick Bosman

1995 – Mike Flanagan

1996 – Pat Dobson

1997- Ray Miller

1998 – Mike Flanagan

1999 – Bruce Kison

2000 – Sammy Ellis

2001-04 – Mark Wiley

2004-05 -- Ray Miller

2006-07 -- Leo Mazzone

2008-2010 -- Rick Kranitz

2011 – Mark Connor, Rick Adair

That’s 13 pitching coaches in 17 years – or 11 different guys (since Miller and Flanagan did it twice). Pretty stunning considering much of that time the Orioles had one hitting coach, Terry Crowley.

Counting Adair, Guthrie now has had four pitching coaches in five seasons in Baltimore. For him, he said it’s more about adjusting to the personality of the coach than any designed philosophy. He joked that all pitching coaches have the same mantra: Get outs and win.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/2011/06/a_little_more_on_the_orioles_p_1.html

Good point.. although just like all the crying on this forum about Terry Crowley, we'd have the same group of people complaining about having 1 pitching coach. And like somebody else said, it really hasn't had to do with the people doing the molding, it's the clay they've worked with. (Great Analogy IMO).