Bonding process continues to unfold in Orioles organization

New Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is seeking ways to familiarize himself with his players, the minicamp earlier this month in Sarasota and Saturday's FanFest event at the Baltimore Convention Center providing two convenient and effective methods.

The coaches are learning about the players, Hyde as a manager and each other. Much of it happens behind the scenes, but the enthusiasm was put on display over the weekend. From the first floor to the third.

Hyde has delivered a message to his staff that bullpen coach John Wasdin, promoted from minor league pitching coordinator, attempted to break down for the media. He pulled a theme out of it that resonated.

"Probably being freedom of who you are, if there would be a word to describe that," Wasdin said. "You feel a part of a group, part of the bigger picture. Not that the previous, where we were ... but it's like a family. It's like a get-together, it's like a family reunion. So when we all met each other for the first time, it becomes, 'I know you. We have stuff in common.' We're all coming from player development backgrounds.

"I think Hyde said early, we don't have any egos. We've already kind of been there, done that. It's about the player. It's about this organization and really seeing the Orioles blossom into something. If you think about it as, we're all kind of planting seeds to be harvested some way. So the environment in which we expose those seeds to, if there's harsh environments or there's water, there's nutrients, there's soil. All of a sudden, now we as gardeners, we get to see that and watch them bloom and watch them blossom. So the coaching staff is a huge part of that and the environment in which the players sees and feels.

"As a former player, you know when there's potential tension or there's discord in the relationship in your coaches or your peers. So I think they're going to feed off it. I think it's going to be awesome. The sky's the limit and I'm really super excited about this season."

There's the family theme that's beginning to develop. And we keep hearing about "collaborative efforts," whether in hiring major league and minor league coaches, handling the various responsibilities in player development and scouting or operating without a defined bench coach.

On that last point ...

"Obviously, Tim (Cossins) is our major league field coordinator," Hyde said. "That's his title. And I've known Tim for years. I think it's pretty well reported. I'm going to rely on him heavily from a game management standpoint, a game planning standpoint.

"I feel great about the experience in the pitching coach and hitting coach positions in Doug (Brocail) and Don (Long). Don's managed before. Doug's been a veteran pitching coach after playing 15 years. So I think the way our dynamic is going to be in the dugout is it's going to be evolving a little bit. But I think that I'm going to rely heavily on those three guys for game planning and game decisions."

In other words, a collaborative effort in assisting a first-time manager with past experience as a bench coach.

"I'm not really concerned about titles, to be honest with you," Hyde said. "I'm concerned about getting a really good coaching staff. I think that, I didn't just want to label Tim as any certain thing. Tim is going to be doing all sorts of things along with being a huge part of our catching game planning. So the title didn't even matter.

"I think the people that you have around you as a manager are really, really important and I feel like I've surrounded myself with awesome people, so I feel good about that."

The coaches already seem to be on the same page - some of them sharing a history together, others crafting a new relationship.

"It's very important because you have to be together," Long said. "You can have differing opinions, but you have to have a collective mindset and that starts with Brandon and what he wants from us and what he expects from the players and that's our job is to carry out that vision."

Hyde had a strong voice in the coaching hires, though again, it was a collaborative effort with executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias wielding his influence.

Long came to Baltimore after five seasons as Reds hitting coach. Brocail worked for the Astros, which gave him an edge with the new regime, and the Rangers.

"Don, I was in the (National League) Central against him, so we played 19 times and you kind of get a relationship with guys in your division, and obviously I really respected their offense," Hyde said.

"The Reds offense was, you had to bring it on a nightly basis and it was a relentless style, especially the middle of their order. So I liked Don a lot just from our run-ins throughout the years. And when I got the job, he was heavily recommended by a lot of people that I trust. I got on the phone with him and I really liked our conversation. You definitely dig and get some background done, and Don checked all the boxes for me and we're really fortunate to have him.

"With Doug, similar. A lot of people that have worked with him are close friends of mine and there was a lot of positive things said about Doug. I know that Mike and Sig (Mejdal) had a relationship with him already with the Houston days also, so that was positive.

"With all the experience, and just their way that they have. They're development guys who have a great way with players. It was an easy fit."

As former teammates in Texas, Brocail and Wasdin already became friends prior to their arrival in Baltimore.

"We were both bullpen pitchers at the time, so we have a relationship, and then just seeing him on the opposing diamond," Wasdin said.

"When I was with the A's coaching, he was with Houston coaching, so we'd see each other. We have a relationship that's gone on for a long time. I work well with him, he works well with me, so we can kind of bounce ideas off each other. We're going to lean on each other. It's run smoothly and I think it will only get better from here."

Hyde is getting his managerial legs under him, learning more about himself as the days and weeks pass. He's going to exercise an open-door policy with his players. In the meantime, before he's settled behind his desk, he wants to create a bond with them and learn what makes them tick.

He's been on the clock since his hiring last month.

"I think the most important thing for me is to get to know them as people first," he said. "The way you make an impact and the way you coach impactfully is by having a relationship there first. If there's no relationship, then it's a lot harder. So I think to really dive into them early, try to call as many guys as I could, get down to Sarasota, meet with some of the players, that was really, really important. So then when we jump in the second week of February, we can get the ball rolling on it and not have so much newness."

Hyde admitted last month that he was scrambling to learn the roster and the personnel throughout the minor league system. He studied video and sifted through notes on his flights to and from Maui while on a family vacation.

"We got the coaching staff, right? That was a big deal the last three weeks or month, getting the coaching staff together," he said.

"Got to see about 18 of our guys in Sarasota a couple weeks ago. That was a great experience. Anytime you can see the guy hit and throw, whatever, it's not on video, that was a really nice weekend. Good to see the guys (Friday) night, putting faces to the video that I've been watching. So, yeah, it's been a real get-to-know process, but I think it's been accelerated by the Sarasota weekend as well as FanFest, meeting everybody here."

Elias, Long and Hyde separately have been asked about their first baseman. How do you solve a problem like Chris Davis? They respond with the sound of musings.

(You don't have to like the reference, but at least respect the effort.)

"I've watched quite a bit of his at-bats, I've talked a lot to Don about him," Hyde said. "I'm not going to go into detail about the adjustments that I think we need to make. For me, I just wanted to get to know Chris. Talked to him on the phone a couple times, saw him (Friday) night, saw him (Saturday). I think we're off to a great start.

"I know he's heard about me from friends in the game and I think he knows we're going to be behind him 100 percent. And I want to give him every opportunity to have the years that he has had in the past. People have asked me about bounce back. I think bounce back is real. You don't just have the years he had by chance. There's obviously something in there, something to tap into. I know that he's hungry and ready to start the year."

Hyde can't pinpoint one reason why Davis' production has plummeted. Whether it's mechanical, mental, the weight of a $161 million contract. He's still formulating an opinion.

"I think there's all sorts of (reasons) why guys go into tough moments," Hyde said. "I think there's all different kinds of ways. I don't know his personal ... I haven't dug in that deep, to be honest with you, but whether it's confidence or whatever it may be, I think that there's all sorts of reasons why players go through tough times.

"I think that's not abnormal, that guys have tough years. But we're obviously looking forward to Chris bouncing back and having a good year this year."