McPhail defends pace of hiring a new manager

[Dipper9]

I actually agree with MacPhail on this. The barn is not on fire. Under Trembley it was. Under Juan Samuel, the Orioles have been playing better. They just swept possibly the best offensive team in baseball. Whats the rush? Let Samuel build his resume a bit.

We know you are a supporter of Samuel, but remember even a blind squirell finds a nut every now and then. ( I am referring to the Orioles, not Samuel.) We swept Boston early in the year in the midst of that terrible start, and we had hope it was a big turnaround, but it led to nothing. Let's see how the team plays after the break to see if they are really improving, or if it was just a rare sweep in an otherwise dreary season. Without the Texas series we were only 10-20 under Samuel, which sucks! Even with the sweep it still is only .412 ball.

[NewMarketSean]

No urgency.

No flat out desire to win.

That is what I have been saying for years.

[Frobby]

Eh. "The barn's not on fire" was a bad analogy, but MacPhail is right that it really doesn't matter if Showalter starts today or a month from now. This season is hopelessly lost, and the main reason to get Showalter in here before the season is over isn't to win more games in 2010, but just to get him familiar with his players and (to the extent he doesn't fire them immediately) the coaches so that he can be more effective in planning for 2011.

As to how the team is playing under Samuel, yes they are only 14-20, but they are 10-7 most recently. So it's not like they are currently in free fall so that it's desperate to get someone in here to try to stop the hemorrhaging.

[Hooded Viper]

Eh. "The barn's not on fire" was a bad analogy, but MacPhail is right that it really doesn't matter if Showalter starts today or a month from now. This season is hopelessly lost, and the main reason to get Showalter in here before the season is over isn't to win more games in 2010, but just to get him familiar with his players and (to the extent he doesn't fire them immediately) the coaches so that he can be more effective in planning for 2011.

As to how the team is playing under Samuel, yes they are only 14-20, but they are 10-7 most recently. So it's not like they are currently in free fall so that it's desperate to get someone in here to try to stop the hemorrhaging.

I have to agree here. I would much rather he focus on improving the lineup, as it stated in the article that he is, than signing Showalter quickly. This is just people pissing and moaning to p and m.

[Moose Milligan]

No urgency.

No flat out desire to win.

That is what I have been saying for years.

Don't think anyone can argue with this.

[Skeletor]

I have to agree here. I would much rather he focus on improving the lineup, as it stated in the article that he is, than signing Showalter quickly. This is just people pissing and moaning to p and m.

If I had faith that he would do that, I'd be okay with that. What has he done to improve a 29-59 team? Corey Patterson and Jake Fox. If you think he's going to improve this team at the deadline, I think you're going to be disappointed.

[Lucky Jim]

I guess I don't understand the big deal. My guess is they've agreed, but neither party is worried about timing - Showalter can learn while the details are ironed out, after all.

I'd rather it happen quickly, but there's no reason that this needs to be done any faster than it would be in the off-season. Unless there's a risk of losing Buck. My guess is that if that risk existed, Buck would be signed by now.

[waroriole]

I guess I don't understand the big deal. My guess is they've agreed, but neither party is worried about timing - Showalter can learn while the details are ironed out, after all.

I'd rather it happen quickly, but there's no reason that this needs to be done any faster than it would be in the off-season. Unless there's a risk of losing Buck. My guess is that if that risk existed, Buck would be signed by now.

:angryfire:Rabble, rabble, rabble:cussing:

[Arthur_Bryant]

Assuming that Showalter isn't going anywhere, then MacPhail is correct.

It was still a remarkably dumb thing to say, esp. in such a tone-deaf manner.

[Frobby]

If I had faith that he would do that, I'd be okay with that. What has he done to improve a 29-59 team? Corey Patterson and Jake Fox. If you think he's going to improve this team at the deadline, I think you're going to be disappointed.

Any moves we make at the deadline are more likely to hurt the team in 2010, rather than try to improve it for this year. They will involve trading productive veterans for younger players who can't really help much now but hopefully will in the future. Just like we've seen for three years now at the trade deadline.

[Hooded Viper]

If I had faith that he would do that, I'd be okay with that. What has he done to improve a 29-59 team? Corey Patterson and Jake Fox. If you think he's going to improve this team at the deadline, I think you're going to be disappointed.

I don't expect significant upgrades because we frankly don't have a lot to trade away. What I expect is to field the team that was envisioned and crippled by injuries at the beggining. I think the return of Roberts, Pie, Gonzo along with Bell and the continued maturation of Matusz, Tillman, Arrietta and Bergy will make this team much stronger in the second half than the first.

Truthfully, I am just hoping and praying Am can pull of a competent trade for a SS that could bridge the gap between Izzy and Machado.

[byrdz]

I have to agree here. I would much rather he focus on improving the lineup, as it stated in the article that he is, than signing Showalter quickly. This is just people pissing and moaning to p and m.

So AM's incapable of one of the most basic office worker skills like multitasking? The quicker you get Buck in here the more time he has to get familiar with the team and players. That prepares him that much more for next season where he can assess and make more informed decisions about which players and coaches he wants to keep. Not sure why that's not a good enough reason to get him in here immediately.

As far as keeping Samuel because the team somehow mustered a 10-7 record. I'm getting nightmares of Luis Hernandez playign SS for us again, because he hit a little bit. AM's decision so it's not unprecedented. Sample size people!

[Skeletor]

Any moves we make at the deadline are more likely to hurt the team in 2010, rather than try to improve it for this year. They will involve trading productive veterans for younger players who can't really help much now but hopefully will in the future. Just like we've seen for three years now at the trade deadline.

Then they can enter The Minor Leagues of Lost Potential that is our farm system.

[TiredofLosing20]

So AM's incapable of one of the most basic office worker skills like multitasking? The quicker you get Buck in here the more time he has to get familiar with the team and players. That prepares that much more for next season where he can assess and make more informed decisions about which players and coaches he wants to keep. Not sure why that's not a good enough reason to get him in here immediately.

The fact is you just don't know what is slowing the progress. Like others have said it is entirely possible that Buck needs to tie some things up on his end.

[BrunoCherrytown]

The barn's not on fire? Really Andy? WTF do you call a 29-59 record?

The players are responding well and playing well for Juan? Again, I say, Really Andy? They are 14-20 under Juan, and that's thanks to a recent 4 game win streak. 14 and 20 is a .412 winning percentage. If that is playing well...if that is MacPhail's expectation of the team, then we as Orioles fans are SUNK!

I was pissed at the pace before, but after reading this article I am FURIOUS!

I've been kind of conflicted on this recently.

I wrote a post somewhere that maybe Samuel is the right guy for the job, because he may help us attract hispanic free agents.

Because as I remember, Vlad years ago turned us down because we didn't have a big enough hispanic presence in the state. And MD is significantly below national average on that particular ethnic make up. I believe MD is something like 6.9% compared to nationwide figure of 15.4% - but that is slightly off.

And since the O's are seeming to play better under him - I'm not so negative on him staying around. And Ozzie is my favorite coach. So if we got our version of Ozzie that'd be cool with me.

And if he somehow, had a positive effect, at any level on us attracting free agents, i'd look at that as a plus. But obviously that's just me on an odd train of thought. Showalter could be the guy who helps us get better free agents.

Or neither...