A sampling of Showalter on 105.7 The Fan
By Roch Kubatko
Orioles manager Buck Showalter compared the Blue Jays' interest in executive vice president Dan Duquette to teams pursuing free agents on the roster during his call-in segment this morning on 105.7 The Fan.
Showalter didn't go into any detail regarding the Blue Jays' attempts to make Duquette their president and CEO. A report out of Toronto yesterday stated that negotiations have ended and Toronto will move in another direction. I've been told that the Orioles aren't aware of the Blue Jays' current stance on the matter, with one person insinuating that Toronto has supposedly backed off multiple times this winter, only to reemerge as a suitor.
"It's just like (Nelson) Cruz, (Andrew) Miller or (Nick) Markakis, we have somebody who did something well for us and other people would like to have him or covet him, I guess," Showalter said.
"Dan is not a free agent. Dan is working hard and doing a lot of things that don't make headlines."
There were no follow-up questions and Showalter easily moved on to other topics, including the national media's usual low expectations for the Orioles.
"We're right where we need to be," he said. "Everybody's picking us at the bottom of the division again. That's fine."
Showalter was more interested in new commissioner Rob Manfred's suggestion that he'd be open to eliminating defensive shifts. Few clubs use it more than the Orioles.
"That was the one I was walking by the TV and I said, 'What did he say?' " Showalter said. "I'd like to hear his thoughts on it. I'm pretty open-minded to everything, I'd like to think. When someone says something like that, I'm sure they've done a lot of research.
"My first question is, does this make our game better, where does it take us and why are we doing this? I'm sure we'll have some good answers."
Showalter joked that he's got to be careful what he says after being put on "double secret probation" by the commissioner's office following remarks related to speeding up the pace of games. Showalter has said in the past that fans aren't the ones complaining about it.
Showalter is a proponent of limiting the number of catcher visits to the mound. He didn't specify which teams are the biggest offenders, but the Rays are known for destroying the pace of games.
"The one thing that drives some crazy is the catcher visits," Showalter said. "I won't throw anyone personally under the bus or a team under the bus, but you probably know who I'm talking about. They may as well have an escalator going back and forth to the mound.
"I tell our guys, 'You shouldn't be running back and forth.' I think it's a poor presentation. I tell our catchers, 'You create doubt. If you're not ready and you don't know what to put down, you haven't done your homework.' "
When the subject turned to baseball in Cuba, Showalter said, "I think Henry (Urrutia) might help us this year and Dariel Alvarez might be as good a prospect as we have and there is. I'm excited about their stories.
"Some of the prognosticators don't even have him in the top 10. I look at some of these prospect lists. It's almost comical at times."
What are the chances that the Orioles make a roster move before spring training?
"Dan and I and the organization, we kick around things every day almost as far as trades and what have you," Showalter said. "One of the things we're going to be challenged with is we had a lot of depth last year that we created. When you sign a Nelson Cruz, it pushes a good one back a little bit.
"I think you'll see us do something between now and spring training. I do. And if we don't, I like where we are. You've got (Alejandro) De Aza in left field, you've got of course Adam (Jones) in center field, Steve Pearce and Chris Davis (in right), the infield. We'll have some competition in the bullpen.
"Tommy Hunter reminded me the other day, 'Andrew Miller made us really good, but we were a pretty good bullpen before he got here.' You've got to know who you are and who you aren't and stay true to that.
"I've got two guys, without naming names, we call it the 'Jake Fox Award,' who are probably going to go down there and have an unbelievable spring training. I'm looking forward to it. But you've got to be careful. The spring and fall are the big foolers in baseball. They will fool you in a heartbeat. You've got to be careful with your evaluations."
Showalter also stated again that Davis is projected as the first baseman, but he also can play right field and third base as part of a flexible roster. De Aza can shift to right and center, Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop can play shortstop, and Matt Wieters can play first base.
"Those are the things you better be on top of in spring training," he said.
"The great thing about our guys is they're receptive to it. We're at the point now where, 'What does the team need? You need me to play out there for five games? Let's go.' "
Showalter wants to go to a University of Maryland men's basketball game. It's on his "Maryland bucket list."
There were no follow-up questions and Showalter easily moved on to other topics, including the national media's usual low expectations for the Orioles.
"We're right where we need to be," he said. "Everybody's picking us at the bottom of the division again. That's fine."
Showalter was more interested in new commissioner Rob Manfred's suggestion that he'd be open to eliminating defensive shifts. Few clubs use it more than the Orioles.
"That was the one I was walking by the TV and I said, 'What did he say?' " Showalter said. "I'd like to hear his thoughts on it. I'm pretty open-minded to everything, I'd like to think. When someone says something like that, I'm sure they've done a lot of research.
"My first question is, does this make our game better, where does it take us and why are we doing this? I'm sure we'll have some good answers."
Showalter joked that he's got to be careful what he says after being put on "double secret probation" by the commissioner's office following remarks related to speeding up the pace of games. Showalter has said in the past that fans aren't the ones complaining about it.
Showalter is a proponent of limiting the number of catcher visits to the mound. He didn't specify which teams are the biggest offenders, but the Rays are known for destroying the pace of games.
"The one thing that drives some crazy is the catcher visits," Showalter said. "I won't throw anyone personally under the bus or a team under the bus, but you probably know who I'm talking about. They may as well have an escalator going back and forth to the mound.
"I tell our guys, 'You shouldn't be running back and forth.' I think it's a poor presentation. I tell our catchers, 'You create doubt. If you're not ready and you don't know what to put down, you haven't done your homework.' "
When the subject turned to baseball in Cuba, Showalter said, "I think Henry (Urrutia) might help us this year and Dariel Alvarez might be as good a prospect as we have and there is. I'm excited about their stories.
"Some of the prognosticators don't even have him in the top 10. I look at some of these prospect lists. It's almost comical at times."
What are the chances that the Orioles make a roster move before spring training?
"Dan and I and the organization, we kick around things every day almost as far as trades and what have you," Showalter said. "One of the things we're going to be challenged with is we had a lot of depth last year that we created. When you sign a Nelson Cruz, it pushes a good one back a little bit.
"I think you'll see us do something between now and spring training. I do. And if we don't, I like where we are. You've got (Alejandro) De Aza in left field, you've got of course Adam (Jones) in center field, Steve Pearce and Chris Davis (in right), the infield. We'll have some competition in the bullpen.
"Tommy Hunter reminded me the other day, 'Andrew Miller made us really good, but we were a pretty good bullpen before he got here.' You've got to know who you are and who you aren't and stay true to that.
"I've got two guys, without naming names, we call it the 'Jake Fox Award,' who are probably going to go down there and have an unbelievable spring training. I'm looking forward to it. But you've got to be careful. The spring and fall are the big foolers in baseball. They will fool you in a heartbeat. You've got to be careful with your evaluations."
Showalter also stated again that Davis is projected as the first baseman, but he also can play right field and third base as part of a flexible roster. De Aza can shift to right and center, Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop can play shortstop, and Matt Wieters can play first base.
"Those are the things you better be on top of in spring training," he said.
"The great thing about our guys is they're receptive to it. We're at the point now where, 'What does the team need? You need me to play out there for five games? Let's go.' "
Showalter wants to go to a University of Maryland men's basketball game. It's on his "Maryland bucket list."
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