Orioles Name Juan Samuel Interim Manager

The Orioles today announced that third base coach Juan Samuel has been named as the club's interim manager, replacing Dave Trembley. Samuel will be introduced as interim manager in a press conference today at 2:30 p.m. in the Auxiliary Clubhouse at Camden Yards. Samuel, 49, is in his fourth season as third base coach on the Orioles' coaching staff and 27th year in professional baseball. Prior to joining the Orioles, Samuel spent the 2006 season as manager at Double-A Binghamton in the New York Mets system, leading the team to a 70-69 record and second-place finish in the Eastern League. After retiring as a player following the 1998 season, Samuel spent the first seven years of his coaching career as a first base and third base coach for the Detroit Tigers. In his 16-year major league playing career, largely as a second baseman, Samuel was a three-time National League All-Star. In 1984, he was named NL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News and was runner-up in the BBWAA vote after batting .272, leading the league with 19 triples and finishing second with 72 stolen bases for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the only player to reach double figures in doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases in each of his first four major league seasons and stole 396 bases in his career. In addition to second base, Samuel also played first base, third base and all three outfield positions in his time with Philadelphia (1983-89), the New York Mets (1989), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1990-92), Kansas City (1992, 95), Cincinnati (1993), Detroit (1994-95) and Toronto (1996-98). Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by Philadelphia on April 20, 1980, Samuel was enshrined on the Phillies' Wall of Fame in 2008. A resident of Estero, Florida, Samuel was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic and is the first Latin-born man to serve in a managerial role for the Orioles. Trembley was named interim manager on June 18, 2007 and then hired as the 17th manager in team history on August 22, 2007. He compiled a 187-283 record in nearly three seasons as the Orioles' manager. Trembley originally joined the Orioles organization in 2003, spending two years at Double-A Bowie before moving to Triple-A Ottawa. He was named bullpen coach for the major league staff prior to the 2007 season. The club has also announced that Gary Allenson, previously the manager of the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk, has been named interim third base coach. This season was Allenson's fourth as manager of the Tides and the fifth season in his second stint as a manager in the Orioles' minor league organization. He has previously served on the major league coaching staffs of the Milwaukee Brewers (2000-02) and Boston Red Sox (1992-94). Statement from Dave Trembley: "I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to Peter Angelos and Andy MacPhail for the opportunity to serve as manager for the Baltimore Orioles for the past three years. The results on the field were not what any of us would have hoped for, and I understand that the organization felt the time was right to move in a different direction. While I am disappointed at the outcome, I feel it was a privilege to wear the Orioles uniform each day and I thank all the fans for their tremendous support. I hope the team will soon return to the winning tradition they enjoyed for so many years."