Great fit, everybody says so - then what the heck are the Os waiting for?!! How about we wait until a few more managerial positions open up in places that may be a better fit for Showalter than Baltimore? They're gonna screw this up, I just know it.

OF COURSE, Buck would be a great fit for the O's.

That's why I see Angelos and MacFail totally botching this deal and going with some other manager. Losers.

Andy, pull the trigger and get Buck before he goes elsewhere, give him what he wants and get us a manager. Stop the bs about the trade deadline its called multi-tasking

A bit off topic, but I was wondering.

Does Peter Angelos talk to the press any more? We never even saw him address the media after Trembley was fired. Most owners speak up and show themselves in public (see Steve Bisciotti when Billick was fired) when such events occur.

Just wondering if the owner ever tried to reach out to the press or the public?

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Jeff Z's reply: No, he very rarely does

Brad, I'm sorry, but that is the stupidest thing anyone can say. Multi-tasking? Are you serious?

Let's see, the GM has to sift through constantly changing offers and scouting reports about four or five of his own players not to mention all the other players on all the other teams who may or may not be good fits for a trade.

Then there's the small matter of getting the draft picks signed, MacPhail and the organization are already taking hits for not signing more of their top picks sooner.

Then there's the equally small matter of choosing the man who will lead the team for, hopefully, the next ten to 12 years. No small tasks any of them.

Yet this fan, who's idea of multi-tasking is probably changing the TV channel by remote control while drinking a beer, thinks that MacPhail can do all of those things just like someone talking on the phone and typing on a computer.

I don't know about you, but I would want the boss to have his attention solely on those matters at hand. No rushing, no doing things haphazardly just to placate a fan base that is understandably frustrated, but that is also upset because of the haphazard ways this team performed in the past!

So what do many of you people want MacPhail to do? The same bloody haphazard things that helped get this team in this predicament in the first place! Good Lord, people, think for a second!!!

This team is going to lose a good share of its games no matter who is the manager right now, so let MacPhail try to get some kind of foundation built to get us out of this mess. And if it means taking his time and doing it right, then we should all be grateful. I'm sure he is feeling the pressure himself and to his credit, he is resisting it. Good for him.

Speaking of great fits for the O's. I think Kevin Towers would be great fit as General Manager

I don't beleive Mcphail's phone is ringing that much, less text messages or however else GM's communicate. Mcphail, time for to step up to the plate and resign. What a mess this prganization is in right now. I understand you were banking on young talent to develop. Well i think your batting like 0 for 10 on that front. Poor FA signings (Atkins, Gonzales) Poor trade (Fox, Millwood). This really stinks. Buck, you may want to go somewhere else as this ship has sunk and I dont think it can be recovered.

It's this simple - if the O's are serious about turning this disaster around, they hire Showalter. If they balk and offer the job to someone else, they're not. Fans like me are in the same boat - hire Buck and I'm engaged, hire a second tier candidate and what's the point in wasting any more summers with them?

A better fit would be Pat Gillick. Everything he touches turns to gold. Oh, wait a minute... The Orioles ran him out of town about 12 years ago. Around the same time they actually had a winning season. Losers! Oh well, training camp for the Ravens has started. The O's should just get a corner of the sports page.

Ken,
Wow, with all that stuff Andy needs to do it's a miracle anything gets done at all. Actually, I believe quality organizations can accomplish all of these tasks in an expedient manner. If Andy doesn't have the time and/or energy necessary to do the job then maybe he needs to step down. I guess being a GM is hard work - perhaps some quality front office personnel could help Andy (although it doesn't appear that he likes to delegate). The bottom line is this: if the franchise is in such bad shape, from scouting to player development to overall organization philosophy, then the new manager needs to be hired, the new atmosphere needs to be established, the new organizational philosophy needs to be agreed upon and the first stage towards implementation needs to take place, and the Orioles need to send a message to their fans that they're serious about changing direction. Buck Showalter has turned around 3 franchises, most everyone agrees he's the best fit, what is the holdup? Hiring Showalter can help speed along amateur draft signings (he was Yankee skipper when they drafted Jeter - didn't we just draft a franchise shortstop), by sending a message to draft picks that the Orioles are serious about competing in the A.L. East. Quality organizations get these things done, while poor organizations drag out major decisions as the competition continues to lap them.

We’ve won like two games since the All Star Break. The second half is starting to look worse than the first half. This is a CLASSIC example of why the fans aren’t following the Orioles. Take your time MacPhail, by all means, take your time. However, we need to see some kind of movement! Something that shows you’re working on this problem. If you don’t want to hire Showalter right now, that’s fine. You need to be aware of two things. First, if he ends up elsewhere you’d better be fully prepared to defend yourself. Second, SOMETHING needs to be happening. SOMETHING!!! I’m sickened, and further insulted, that Davey Johnson’s name has not been mentioned. He’s clearly the fan favorite for the job. Are we interviewing anyone else? Are there happenings behind the scenes that we’re not aware of? Is Samuel getting an “interview by fire?” If Showalter does not come to Baltimore then know two more things. First, MONEY IS NOT AN EXCUSE! Not for anything, not any longer!!! Angelos has been tight fisted too long! Second, you have no choice but to hire a top tier manager! No, first timers or retreads! Not Samuel, not Dempsey or any one else. If it’s not Showalter, it better be Pinella, Torre, or Girardi. Someone of that caliber. Though we may not agree with candidate X, we’d better be able to see your point.
As far as I’m concerned MacPhail’s tenure with the Orioles is resting fully on this decision. If he screws this up, he’d better step aside or be prepared to head back to Minnesota after the 2011 season

Wake up everyone. Buck ain't coming here. Why in the world would a manager of that caliber want to step into this mess? It's not going to get better. Leyland went to Detroit because he saw what Tramell was setting up. This here is a ridiculous mess where we get garbage for free agents and we over evaluate our talent. We like to think that we pulled one over on Seattle. What's left from that? Jones and Tillman. 5 for 1 in Houston for Tejada? What? Luke Scott?

MacPhail and Angelos will dither around on hiring Showalter until he's no longer available. Apparently Showalter is his own man and O's management prefers a yes man. See past hires like Flanagan, Thrift, Perlozzo and Trembley as evidence. People who were not yes men like Gillick, Johnson, Wren and Mazilli were run off. There is no hope until someone not named Angelos owns the team.

Lou

ken:

"And if it means taking his time and doing it right, then we should all be grateful."

Taking his time and doing it right may not be compatible, so I don't know "grateful"(?!) we should all be. Dave Trembley was fired nearly 2 months ago, so acting like now would be a bad time what with the trade deadline and the draftee signings to deal with is no excuse. This is why MacPhail should've hired Showalter BEFORE now. Showalter wouldn't have to manage this year, but he could at least start to take stock of the players and consider what the team needs.

Also, it may make the team appear to be serious about winning in 2011, which could fool some free agents into signing here.

I suppose MacPhail should wait until other managerial openings pop up. Rest assured, I'm sure the Orioles - a last-place team with a great owner - will be the most attractive team to prospective managers.

Why do I have this vague feeling that MacPhail won't follow through with his professed intent to hire a proven major league manager?

Did anyone ever think Showalter is fine with coming in after the trading deadline so he then has the same players and so forth. Maybe he would even rather come in at the end of the year. No one really knows why he's not here yet, or even if he's going to be.

I'm 72, grew up in Baltimore, left for Military in 58, but even though I've been in Houston since 63, every morning i still check the O's box score first, the Astros second. It is so humiliating to see the O's franchise in such a mess. Twelve consecutive losing seasons, my god! The absolute worst team in MLB, but I'll still pick up tomorrows paper and seee who they lost to that night. MAybe someday before I die they'll break 500.

Houston Al

Houston Al - Thank you for your service to your country and it is certainly no fault of yours that you were of no help whatsoever to your home city.

Next time your country asks you to defend this great land, I have no doubts that you will agree to do so in a secomd flat.

But next time you are asked to defend your hometown, tell them: Been there, done that, waste of time. After all, you cannot defend the indefensible.

i can't imagine a more poorly run franchise that these homegrow baltimore orioles..why would any manager consider coming here..the culture of losing has to be remedied and the question i want to know is how to do it...farm system seems to have players but these orioles lack sound fundamental baseball and the overpriced players just dont believe they have anything to correct..but like the guy from houston..when i lived in san diego nearly 12years i looked to see how the o's were doing..moving back to the area i still check em...listening to flanagan an palmer gets harder each game but i still follow my hometown team...

McPhail always states that "he's in no rush". Once again his slow-to-act style will curse him. Showalter will be the new manager of the Atlanta Braves !!!

I believe that 2011 is the final year on McPhail's contract. He may not want to return to this organization, but if he does, I hope that Angelos does the right thing.

Unless Buck REALLY enjoys crab cakes with NattyBo, I'm not sure that he would want to preside over the ghost town that is Camden Yards. To speak nothing of our rec league pitching staff, shoddy defense and inconsistent hitters. He'd also have to deal with our slithering owner coiled on his pile of asbestos. Can we just hire the good folks from "Makeover" and initiate a baseball edition?