For those who had Sam Perlozzo in the Major League Managers Office Death Pool for June, please collect your winnings next to the coffee and doughnuts.
The 56-year-old Perlozzo was welcomed on June 18 into the Orioles scrap heap of Ray Miller, Mike Hargrove and Lee Mazzilli—all managers who failed to produce a winner in Baltimore.
It’s yet another change in an organization of instability. Not since Davey Johnson took the Orioles to the playoffs in 1996 and 1997 has any good come from Camden Yards. Baltimore has suffered nine consecutive losing seasons and seems to be well on its way to a complete decade of disappointment.
The 2007 season has left O’s fans shaking their heads as talented catcher Ramon Hernandez found the disabled list before the end of opening week and starters Jaret Wright and Adam Loewen eventually followed. The bullpen, supposedly $30 million better than last year with Danys Baez, Chad Bradford and Jamie Walker, has been erratic. And O’s offense is offensive.
So out the door goes Sammy.
 Former Florida Marlins skipper Joe Girardi isn’t dying to help save the beleaguered Baltimore Orioles. |
So come on down…Joe Girardi? Except the former Florida skipper busted out the “I’m not ready to get back into coaching” excuse when what he really wanted to say was, “I’d rather go on a diet with Nicole Richie than take that gig.”
So the next duck in the firing line is…Just another sitting duck.
What else is there to believe under owner Peter Angelos’ decade of decline? Angelos is impatient, shrewd, and if you Google’d the word “curmudgeon,” he’d likely get the most hits.
Orioles fans are being led to believe that with the hiring of Andy MacPhail as President of Baseball Operations, Angelos is turning over the reins to reasoning. Will Angelos back off? Are baseball decisions going to be executed for the betterment of the team and not just for the owners personal liking a la the veto of the Brian Roberts trade?
Seeing is believing.
Wasn’t the house cleaning that witnessed Jim Beattie and Ed Kenney turn over the office keys to Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette going to better the franchise too?
What has happened to this once proud team?
Has karma reared its ugly head of perjury after Rafael Palmeiro got caught pumping steroids after lying? Is there a Jeffrey Maier curse?
Surely it is difficult having the bottomless pockets of both New York and Boston in the same division, but that excuse can only go so far. “Mid-markets” St.Louis, Detroit, Florida, Arizona, and Houston have been in World Series in just the past half decade.
With other “middies” such as the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers on top of their divisions and Colorado streaking before the All Star break, fans are left to wonder what are they’re doing so right and the Orioles are doing so wrong.
MacPhail, Flanagan, Duquette, and “the next sitting duck” are now on the clock, but there’s no need to worry: Mr. Angelos is keeping the time.
Wes McElroy hosts “The Final Round” on ESPN 840. Monday-Friday. 4pm-6pm