Things couldn't be more desperate in Birdland. Short of the miserable 1988 season, when the Orioles lost their first 21 games with a team that included Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken, Fred Lynn, and Mike Boddicker, their 1-11 start which looks very much like late September of last year when apart from a winning burst their last four games was pure agony where a 13 game losing streak almost guaranteed a 100 loss season had it not been for the last weekend. We know how our rivals like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays do business. We also see how our other pro team, the Ravens does things. It's all about winning. Everything else is secondary. It seems like for the Orioles, it's all everything else, but winning? Winning requires intensity, and that's just not evident in any aspect of the Orioles play. Once again, we refer to what Jim Hunter observed last week that many players simply accept line drive outs turning right into the dugout rather than going all out to first base.
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With the team appearing in total disarray, a manager who looks shell-shocked unable to explain the inexplicable whose demise appears a foregone conclusion, what's left of Birdland is looking for their messiah, some great titan who can scale the warehouse walls, leap upon the field and with a wave of his hand make everything well again. Among the Orioles faithful, they know who their messiah is. They're forever looking for signs of the second coming. Our savior, Cal Ripken, be thy name, when will the Iron Man, the legend of 2632 consecutive games swoop into the hallowed grounds in Baltimore and raise up the dead, heal the sick, enable eight innings from starting pitchers and four for four days by batters, and lower beer prices back down to a buck a beer?
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A divine messenger from the national press, Ken Rosenthal, reported that the deities were spurned by forces of evil. The great Ripken was poised to deliver the Orioles from eternal damnation but the arch-enemy, the wicked Peter Angelos spurned the deal.
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Alas, could it be that the great Rosenthal is a false prophet? No one has confirmed his story and denials are as plentiful as excuses for the Orioles losing.
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Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun and WBAL radio provides the reality check that fans might not want to hear. Cal Ripken is not the answer. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-schmuck-ripken-0418-20100417,0,216088.column
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The Orioles fans have no reason to trust Peter Angelos, particularly given the way he destroyed the leadership team that brought the Orioles last winning team in 1997 and that by the time Syd Thrift was in charge, the organization was the laughing stock of pro sports. The organization was in total ruins with no farm system and a dreadful team of cast-offs and rejects on the major league level. Mike Flanagan and a couple of assistant GM types were charged to fix the team. While their efforts were noble, the results were not though they did score a handful of fine players like Nick Markakis. Only one of the games top executives could accomplish what needed to be done and it would not and will not happen over night.
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If Andy McPhail fails, it's all over folks. The Orioles now have a big fat farm system with the AA Bowie Baysox, and A level Frederick Keys and Delmarva Shorebirds in first place in their leagues. Their top team, AAA Norfolk Tides, are a game under .500, and how many of their players have been called up to Baltimore since opening day?
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The worst thing the Orioles can do is to cave into angry fans and make some knee-jerk reactions for good PR sake and possibly screw up the plan in place that should allow for a sustainable winning team in the future. That being said, they cannot continue on the present course. Changes must be made starting with the dismissal of Dave Trembley, along with that, the pitching coach's status must be seriously evaluated.
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Of course, this answer has been endorsed by the sports talk show callers a long time ago, and they've selected the next Orioles manager, former catcher, Rick Dempsey with Jim Palmer as pitching coach. For good measure, maybe Eddie Murray should be hitting coach. Who among former Orioles could round out the staff at 1st and 3rd base, bench, and bullpen?
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There's something cozy and nice retreating into the past and thinking that some great figures from the Orioles' glory days might be able to train and motivate today's team to become "magic" once again. It's wishful thinking.
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Perhaps there are some folks who could help the Orioles win who've been here before. Maybe Rick Dempsey would be a good manager. While it might be a heartwarming touch, whether or not the proper candidates have prior Orioles experience should only be a minor resume enhancer compared to their proven ability to get results with major league players. Baseball history will prove that great players don't necessarily make good coaches and managers. For the rare Joe Torre, who played successfully and became a great manager, the likes of Sparky Anderson, Earl Weaver, Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa, and many others had little or no major league experience and none were of any great consequence as players. Interestingly enough, most players who become managers were catchers of second basemen.
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Sad to report, the promise of deliverance for the Baltimore Orioles will have to wait for another day, but we want it to be resounding through out Crab City, when they return to Baltimore on April 27th, a new manager should be presenting the lineup card to the umpires. While there is no miracle cure for the 2010 Orioles, the club house culture must change. Only a manager can make that happen.
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