Duquette introduced as executive vice president
The Dan Duquette era has officially begun.
Duquette, 53, was introduced as the Orioles’ executive vice president of baseball operations at a news conference Tuesday morning at the Warehouse. He becomes the seventh man to hold the team’s top executive spot in the past 16 years, succeeding Andy MacPhail, who resigned as president of baseball operations last month.
In his first remarks as a major league executive since 2002, Duquette pledged to turn around an Orioles team that hasn't had a winning season since 1997.
"I'm here to build a contending team that everyone in Baltimore can be proud of," said Duquette, who wore a white dress shirt and orange tie under a dark suit.
"I'm so thankful for this opportunity to the Angelos family. I'm going to do everything in my power to help this club succeed."
Duquette, the general manager of the Montreal Expos from 1991 to 1994 and Boston Red Sox from 1994 to 2002, was at one time considered one baseball’s shrewdest executives. He is credited with orchestrating some of the personnel moves that led to Boston’s winning its first World Series in 86 years in 2004, two years after he was fired.
However, Duquette was also known for a brashness that rankled many in baseball, both in Boston and around the big leagues.
In nine years between major league jobs, Duquette’s activities included starting the short-lived Israel Baseball League, establishing and running a sports camp for kids and owning and operating a college-level summer team.
"I've kept my skills sharp. ... I've maintained my contacts." Duquette said Tuesday. "My focus is going to be sharper [after being away from the game].
"This challenge is the kind of challenge that I look for and the kind of challenge that I successfully met" in Montreal and Boston, Duquette said later.
He is the second Duquette to hold a prominent position in the Orioles’ front office. His cousin, Jim, also served as vice president of baseball operations in 2005-2006, working alongside Mike Flanagan.
A Baltimore native, 
Comments
Man, it just gets worse and worse. Now, a has-been who hasn't been employed for 10 years. REALLY sucks to be an Oriole fan.
Posted by: Gene | November 8, 2011 11:43 AM
I think we will know more of Duke's direction and authority, not with the FAs he signs or players he trades, but with the front office personnel decisions and his early efforts that would indicate any change in the status quo.
If the talk is all about free agents and players, and not about scouts, player development, and change of culture, then we know what type of GM we have.
Posted by: PeteyPablo | November 8, 2011 11:46 AM
When MacPhail was introduced, he was introduced as "President" of baseball ops. Duquette is "executive Vice President" of baseball ops. Does that mean that someone else will be hired above him?
Posted by: Chip | November 8, 2011 12:06 PM
Hey Gene..then don't be !! move on..go join the Yankee fans..hey then YOU will be a winner!
Posted by: ED | November 8, 2011 12:11 PM
In the end, it doesn't matter what the name is of your GM, just whether or not he is doing the right thing.
Look at the Ryan/Smith fiasco in Minnesota now. Rayn taught Smith, but Smith deviated from the plan.
Maybe this guy will succeed, maybe he won't. But by July '12, we'll all know, as fans, if we trust him. If player development takes precedence over 2 year deals for 30 year old scrubs in decline; we may be onto something.
Posted by: AZ Chuck | November 8, 2011 12:14 PM
To Gene and all you other Oriole fans, you are getting a top-notch GM. The nucleus of the Red Sox team that broke the curse in '04 was basically put together by Duquette. To my knowledge the only knock against him was that he was brash, uncivil to some media, and uncommunicative at times. Ironically such an approach may well help him in getting the Orioles back to prominence. He's undoubtedly learned from that experience and, hey, playing in the AL East the Orioles could use a little toughness. Sincerely, longtime Red Sox fan.
Posted by: TimothyB | November 8, 2011 12:55 PM
I don't know. Maybe I just still haven't gotten over this past season. I'm just not seeing this. I hate to be a naysayer. Maybe it will work out - the reality being what else do we have? It's just a nagging, sinking feeling (ugh)...
Posted by: ruth | November 8, 2011 12:55 PM
I'm gonna give DD the benefit of the doubt here for starters. Can he turn it around?
I doubt it. Has the owner scrapped the bottom of the barrel? I think so. Will he get along with Buck? I hope so. Will any
elite (a new word for high priced) player come to Baltimore? I doubt it. Will DD
do better than Andy? Hard to know. Maybe he'll get lucky.
Posted by: Leonard Arzt | November 8, 2011 1:57 PM
Whoops, Dan says "share this new opportunity to build a perennial contending club here in Boston" @ 1:20 into the video highlight - http://www.baltimoresun.com/videogallery/65942974/Sports/Dan-Duquette-the-Orioles-new-executive-VP
Posted by: Rob Baker | November 8, 2011 2:02 PM
Well, being originally from Boston (I'm an O's fan and season ticket holder now), we were excited when we got this guy from Montreal. He'd built a great team there (Vlad, Cabrerra, Pedro, et al.) and we thought he'd do the same in Beantown. Well, he IS credited with putting together the nucleus/farm system that did bring two world series wins but there are some great reasons why he was ostracized from MLB for a decade. My guess is Angelos was desparate, nobody wanted to work for him (too cheap, controlling, etc.) and Duquette would do pretty much anything to get back in. Quite frankly, this could've been much, much worse.
Now, will he turn arounnd the O's? No chance. The fish rots from the head down....
Posted by: RWF | November 8, 2011 2:24 PM
Now quickly trade one of the O's promising young OF's for Jair Jurrjens ...WE NEED PITCHING
Posted by: Mike | November 8, 2011 2:45 PM
Had Duquette been involved in the original conversations along with DiPoto and LaCava, I would feel a lot better about this. It's just the thought that we're getting someone scraped off the bottom of the barrel that doesn't sit well with me. However, I feel we got lucky to get who we got. Stockstill would have had me fuming.
Ultimately, I'll go into this as I do all things Orioles, with cautious optimism.
Posted by: Ben | November 8, 2011 2:59 PM
Brittiny Ghiroli asked Duquette, "do you hacve a specific timeframe, 2 or 3 years, when the Orioles will start winning?". Duquette's replied with a laugh, "we win today, not tomorrow. That's my goal". I had to laugh at that one. I'll believe it when I see it happen, but that was a good response.
Posted by: dave in glen burnie | November 8, 2011 3:28 PM
I wonder how many times he was turned down by other teams when he applied for a GM job
Posted by: Ken Gelbard | November 8, 2011 3:34 PM
How sad is it that this is the best the O's could do? This guy has done nothing significant for almost a decade. Sell the team!
Posted by: HKA | November 8, 2011 4:38 PM
WHO CARES! NOT ME!!!
Posted by: bill | November 8, 2011 4:47 PM
no one cares. No one's even posting comments....
Posted by: dc | November 8, 2011 10:16 PM