Ever since the departure of Ripken, the Baltimore Orioles have been finding themselves to be consistent dwellers in the AL East cellar, finishing below.500 every year since in ’98. But if you have happened to catch an Orioles game of late, this team no longer looks like the bunch that had a pitiful 64 wins through ’09 and had only 29 wins up until this year’s All-Star break.
Call it the “Buck” effect if you will, but ever since Buck Showalter took over the reins of this flailing ball club, the Orioles have been playing some of the hottest baseball. With a record of 21-14, Showalter has revived life into a once lifeless team, which has the same basic personnel as it did before the arrival of Showalter. After the first week, when the Orioles put together a modest 3 game winning streak, it was easy to write this off as coincidence. But now, with a .600 record over a 35 game span (22% of the season), it is clear to see that not only do the O’s have some talent, but with the right man at the helm, they could pose a formidable opponent in the tough race for the AL East crown.
Now, there is no way to explain exactly what has happened here, but the Orioles young and talented center filed, Adman Jones summed it up best with the following quote
"I think what's really going on is everyone knows his reputation as a hard-ass. He's going to get on you for doing this, he's going to say something about everything. I think that's actually worked. Hey, let's get it done. You might as well. You don't want him on you. I think that's the approach a lot of guys are taking. Hey, let him sit in there with that scowl. If it works, it works.
"It's just that his presence, well, you can just feel the change coming. He's been on some winning ballclubs, he knows what it takes. Everybody knows his reputation around here. They know it as someone who's going to get on you, and it's working for us."
Scared much? You Bet!
Buck is a proven winner and highly regarded baseball personality. He has brought a tough, old-school attitude to Baltimore, knowing ho w to deal with a young team and maximize potential. The Orioles impressive turnaround has made me start thinking that they could finally post a winning record for the ‘2011 season, with the chance of flexing some muscle in next year’s race for the AL East crown if they can shore up some spots in their bull pen and maybe add one good veteran starter.
Do I foresee a World Series contender in this team? Well, not for at least 5-10 years. But what I do see is a young, solid core, that with proper guidance, could turn around this team and review the once stroried baseball tradition in Baltimore.
Prediction for 2011: Orioles finish 4th in the division with anywhere from 75-85 wins. I would put them at 83 and 81.
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