Baltimore Orioles Fire Manager Buck Showalter After Miserable Season

TheSportster

By Alex Hoegler

Published Oct 3, 2018

The Baltimore Orioles fired manager Buck Showalter after a historically awful season, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Sep 30, 2018; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter (26) walks off the field after speaking with an umpire in the third inning against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles aren't bringing back manager Buck Showalter after the team experienced one of the worst seasons in the history of Major League Baseball, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Two years after guiding the Orioles to an AL Wild Card berth, Showalter's group finished with a pathetic 47-115 record. It was the worst season in Baltimore's history, and the first time they registered 100-plus losses since 1988.

The 2018 season was filled with a ton of embarrassing feats. The Orioles became the first team since the 2003 Detroit Tigers that failed to win a minimum of 50 games. Franchise star Manny Machado - in the final year of his contract - was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On top of that, slugger Chris Davis appeared in 128 games and finished with a .168 batting average, the worst in MLB history for qualified hitters. He had a -3.2 WAR, which is almost impossible for any player to register in this era of baseball.

Showalter guided the Orioles to a surprise playoff appearance in 2012, when they finished with a 93-69 record. It was their first trip to the playoffs in 15 years, but the O's were dispatched by the New York Yankees in five games.

Two years later, Showalter led the Orioles to 96 wins and the AL East division crown. The Orioles swept the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS to reach the ALCS, but the Kansas City Royals swept Showalter's group. However, he was named 2014 AL Manager of the Year.

Showalter's tenure in Baltimore ends with a record of 669-684, but keep in mind that he led them to four winning seasons and three playoff appearances. Showalter brought new life into a long-time losing organization, but the Orioles had no choice but to start making changes after a very, very porous season where nothing went right.

But given the three AL Manager of the Year awards on his resume, Showalter should earn consideration for other managerial openings. He joins John Gibbons (Toronto), Jeff Banister (Texas), and Paul Molitor (Minnesota), as 2018 managers who were let go by their respective teams.

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