Buck Showalter will be the next manager of the Orioles and this has to make many an Oriole fan happy.  Showalter is the first real name to manager the team in a very long time, and he comes with a strong reputation for discipline and fundamentals.  And that is something that this Orioles organization needs.  No one is going to get away with any lazy or sloppy play on the Camden Yards diamonds.

As the past couple of managers have had stars to deal with, Showalter will not.  He will have a lot of very young players, and some very talented ones. And those players don’t need a manager to be their friend, they need someone who will show them how to succeed. This Mike Kingman piece traces Showalter’s history, and speaks of his strong relationship with his father, who passed shortly after Buck took over as manager of the New York Yankees in 1991.

At first, I wasn’t too keen on this hiring- it seemed like going to far the other way from where the team was.  But after doing my reading yesterday and this morning, I think I have done some warming up.  Besides, Showalter doesn’t have to be the manager forever, but for the next few years he can help the franchise remember what is like to want to win.  This quote from Don Mattingly about Showalter as his manager confirmed that he is the right guy for the Orioles- just what they need right now.

“We were floundering, and Buck gave us stability,” said Don Mattingly, New York’s six-time All-Star first baseman. “Buck kept saying, ‘We’ve got to get guys in here who are bothered when we lose, and get rid of those who aren’t.’

There may have been some other candidates out there who could do the same thing.  But the difference here is Buck Showalter has the reputation to impress the owner- a less experienced manager might waiver under the eyes and the temper of Peter Angelos.  Showalter will gain the respect of Peter Angelos the tighter he takes control of his team- and that right there will help the organization. This is a move that will change the American League East, maybe not tomorrow, but in years to come.