Diner Question: Do you like Brandon Hyde’s managerial style?

View Comments

• The jury, of necessity, is still out until he’s given more to work with, but so far I think he’s done a fine job in a very difficult situation.

• Good article on Camden Chat. “Keeping Chris Davis on the Orioles is a statement harder and harder to make. Please don’t tell me he’s going to work on making changes in the off season. Rich you were wrong you were pretty positive they weren’t going to call Mason Williams up. Nice to have a legitimate outfielder in center instead of a infielder.

  • Bruce, you are correct. I did not think
    Mason Williams would get called up.

• The jury is still out!

• Yeah … so far I like the guys' style. Unshaven .. a bit over weight … sarcastic with the press ... AND he got feisty with Crush … what's not to like? As far as "on the field management", I agree with Geevee & PC in OC above … until there's some talent to work with, and especially in the pen, you can't make a call. But all in all, I like his demeanor.

  • What do you mean about “sarcastic with the press?”

    • Maybe 'sarcastic' isn't the word I was going for. Maybe I should have used "a bit testy" instead. I've seen a few occasions where he made light of some of the standard canned questions that have been posed to him which have obvious answers. (I wish I had the video tape of these interviews)

  • I’ve been there for about three-quarters of the postgames, and I recall just a few instances where he’d get testy with questions posed by the writers. (Our postgame sessions with him on the road are not usually televised.)

    • I'm certainly not there for 99% (actually I'm NEVER there) of his press sessions, so you'd know much better than I. Maybe the TV guys prefer the more 'entertaining' clips to the usual ones?

• I absolutely like his style of managing, and how he has kept the team engaged. Even though there has been some bone-head base running and stupid defensive lapses. I think he has done a good job.

  • How do you think he’d do as a dentist?

• For the most part, yes. However, and I qualify this by saying he hasn’t had much to work with, his handling of relievers is awful. I know the focus is on metrics but when a pitcher isn’t going well, overall, bringing him in because the metrics say he matches up well with a batter (ie: Fry for a lefty batter) makes no sense at all. In Fry’s case, recently, he hasn’t gotten lefty’s ( or much of anybody) out. He brought him in again the other night even with the bullpen overcrowded with arms and he failed... again. If he wants to pitch him use him in mop up situations, not while protecting a lead or a tie. Some of his other choices I find to be suspect as well. You asked... I answered. Just saying...

  • I agree regarding his handling of the bullpen. Atrocious, especially early on. The ‘pen underperformed especially early on, but he didn’t help things.

    • We also had no one who could get outs early on besides Givens, on occasion. Bleier got absolutely nuked every time he pitched. We still had ol Mike Wright hanging around. Castro was also horrific and Armstrong wasn’t on the team yet. Finding a reliever to pitch wasn’t an easy task.....

  • With a BP as bad as this one, any move he makes is going to look like a mistake. At this point I think I’ll trust his decisions are made for the correct reason.

• My analytics say yes.

• I think Brandon Hyde did some wonderful work around building team chemistry in a very difficult situation. I can’t imagine anyone else doing better. That alone is an impressive feat and worthy of congratulations.

  There are things that surprised me a little. Fundamentals have been lacking all year, and while I’m sensing a bit of a trend upwards, I need to see that continue. Base running gaffes and defensive miscues were far too often routine. I get that the team is not particularly talented, but that’s no excuse for the vapor-lock out there.

  And Hyde’s bullpen management was just bad. No two ways about it. Again, I realize that the team is not stacked with talented arms. But Hyde didn’t help. It’s taken to this far into the season to realize that Givens is unable to cross innings. It’s not a matter of being tired. On a recent outing he got the last out in the 8th, and couldn’t get anyone out in the 9th. A recurring motif throughout the season that was clearly evident, but he kept putting Givens in those situations which effectively ruined his trade value, and caused stress on other parts of the ‘pen that was already thin.

  Overall, he’s done a fine job in an impossible situation. I’m hoping to see growth from him the way we’re seeing it from the players.

  A round of virtual applause for his ability to manage a clubhouse, and keep morale high for the whole season even when they were getting their heads kicked in. That’s not easy, not at all.

• Yes. His honesty in player evaluation and in handling a woefully inadequate pitching staff is impressive.

• Jury is still out, couple of instances I wasn't pleased with, his pitching decisions, mediocre at best, chalk this up to inexperience, this year, I know I'm beating a dead horse, but was shocked at how he mishandled the CD debacle, that led to Bleier problem, I understand they're professionals, act like it, in his defense he may have done something behind the scenes, maybe not...go O's...

• Hyde seems like a nice enough guy, however I'm gonna give him a D for his first year performance. I understand the talent level isn't what it should be, but we have seen constant fundamental mistakes on the bases and with the leather all year. I don't want to hear that the players are a bunch of nobodies, this is still the highest level of professional baseball and that stuff can't keep happening. His handling of the bullpen has been bad at times, though on a team run like a corporate production firm, I question whether he wasn't just reading off a printout from upstairs what pitcher to use. Finally, the dugout tiffs make me wonder just how good of a team chemistry he has supposedly built. I get that in the heat of battle competitive athletes can have disagreements, but I can't remember ever seeing anything like this in the Showalter-DD era which was supposedly super toxic, let alone twice in a months span. I don't know the backstory there, but where there is smoke...

  • Totally agree, defensive lapses, errors & baseball IQ should be solid for EVERYONE on a major league roster...go O’s...

• Mixed reviews. I think he's going to learn from this season just as much as his players are. This would be a tough team to lead even with a seasoned manager.

• He's a very robotic,bland,one word answer kinda guy which makes him perfect in today's bland,drab style of baseball. No more Sparkys no more Earls,no more Lous,and even no more Bucks. Until he gets a bullpen that he can really mismanage he's fine.

  • The days of the Billy Martins and Earl Weavers of the world are over. Nowadays the manager needs to look good in a post game interview and do exactly what the laptop upstairs tells him to do, which is follow the spreadsheet and take no risks whatsoever. Baseball teams are now run like big insurance Companies with the end result being simple...

    This s**t is boring.

• I would grade him out as a B- on his first year as manager. Given the lack of talent on this team, I think that they are going to end up with a better record this year is impressive. All of the comments above on bullpen mismanagement and poor fundamentals on defense and running the bases have merit, but a manager can only do so much. As to the Crush situation, I think Davis would have been toast once Hyde got inside his reach advantage. LOL I think Hyde is a brawler and I like his style, or lack thereof. He is a blue collar type that fits my image of Baltimore sports personalities of my youth to a T. Rough around the edges and pretty down to earth. I don't know if he'll be around at the end of this turnaround, but I think he is a good one to have in place during this transitional phase. Honest with the players, but never demeaning them to the press.

• Good question although I think it includes substance as well as style. As many mentioned, his management of the pitching staff is a work in progress, but I think he has improved over the season and expect him to continue. It's a part of managing that only comes with experience. As for the Little League blunders, I don't think you can put too much blame on the manager. It's a systemic issue. Fundamentals have to be taught and ingrained far below the ML level. You can't expect the manager to be doing drills with each individual during a crowded season of games. His only tool is some kind of discipline, usually benching or releasing non-performers. But for years the O's have carried too many (incompetent) pitchers, and there's no room on the bench. Similarly, pitchers are constantly being brought up, but the organization now prefers to slow track position players. Overall, I think Hyde has done a good job of getting marginal, insecure players to perform with very little sideline drama. And some players --e. g. Villar, Alberto, and Santander-- have positively thrived. I can't help thinking, though, that if and when the talent gets "elite," Elias will be looking for an "elite" manager.

• Like they say, you can't make chicken salad out of chicken ****. I think he's done fine, and will just get better in time. I liked the rant the other day, reminded me of Earl when he kicked dirt on the plate..

  • I've liked the guy since, at his initial press conference, he acknowledged he was awed to be in Brooks Robinson's presence - a nice, respectful touch. My guess is that at least half of today's major league players don't even know who Brooks Robinson is.

    As for the criticisms of Hyde's performance, which seem seem to center mainly on his handling of the bullpen, just remember the dreadful talent level he had to work with, especially in the first half of the season (the bullpen has improved recently).

• I like his style generally. The dirt-kicking shenanigans of a few days ago were over the top. It looked contrived. But overall I am fine with his blend of short-term tactics and long-term strategies.

• Yes he has done a good job for the most part, as I said at the beginning of the year this is scrappy. We knew they weren’t going to compete for the post season, this is a teaching season and he has handled that role. Also yes he needs to improve on his bullpen management in the case of Givens he is not a closer, he appears more comfortable as an 8th inning guy. Castro with his stuff or Harvey appear like viable candidates for this role.

  • Castro hasn’t even mastered the middle innings. I’ll take mike over him any day of the week. Long term, I think( and hope) that Harvey is the solution. That’s if we don’t try him in the rotation again. But considering his slight frame and past injury history I’d keep him right where he is now. SP is an obvious need but I don’t want to force a square peg into a round hole. Harvey looks good right here

• Rich you should do more diner questions!

  • Devo, you’re right. I have only done three this season and I promise to do more in the offseason.

• I think he’s done at great job with a roster that has had very few players who would be on other teams’ 25-man (or even 40-man) rosters — as witnessed by the fact that many of them were, in fact, cut from other teams. They will finish with a record that will probably be 5-10 games better than last year. I suspect that Hyde and Brocail have got as much out of this pitching staff as possible. I look forward to seeing them and Don Long work with more talented players over the next few years.

• I respect that he accepted the offer to manage this team and be part of the rebuild. Knowing there would be more losses than wins this season and the next. I wish confrontations between him, his coaching staff, and the players were settled behind closed doors. I hope as a first-year manager, he, the coaching staff, and the players learn and grow from each other and the franchise move forward. And the emphasis continue to be short-term about player development, fundamentals, and an opportunity for players to seize positions and earn more playing time.

• Given that it's his first year as a ML manager and given the "talent" he had to work with, he has done a very good job. My thoughts on his managerial style are totally overshadowed by gratitude. Given the Orioles bleak prospects this year, we were lucky to find anyone with solid credentials and strong potential to take on the hopeless, thankless, ulcer-inducing task of trying to mold a competitive team. I offer thanks to Mr. Hyde for taking on the challenge, not criticism for being imperfect.

  Suggestion for the off-season: have some 'open mike' Diner sessions where we readers can ask questions of Rich the Expert. E.g., I would like to know if MLB teams can trade draft choices like NFL teams do. I don't think this ever happens. Why?

  • MLB draft choices can’t be traded except for competitive balance picks which are usually around the 3rd round. Have no idea why they don’t allow teams to trade their picks. One theory, totally my own, is they don’t want the players ( or their agents) manipulating the draft. Example- lets say Adley Rutschman didn’t want to play for the Orioles. He could request that the Orioles trade him to the team of his choice or he won’t sign. That way he could go where he wanted and still be the 1st overall pick. I think MLB is afraid that the large market teams would wind up with the top players if draft choices could be traded. But that’s just a guess

  • Professor Cohen, I was going to answer your question but Clay beat me to it. You can always ask questions, and I'm happy to answer them, but I will consider doing a q and a in the off-season.

• He has done as well with the pitching as anyone could since he has one starter and absolutely no relief pitching at all. Where I find him lacking is just in the basics, men on 1st and 2nd nobody out no tries at a sac bunt except for Martin and Villier. Meanwhile since he has so few MLB hitters even the K Man should not be an exception. It seems like the hitters are doing what they want to at the plate. Most of these guys are really poor hitters and are here by accident and should be told that. I think that's lacking and Hyde should do basic baseballing.

  As for Davis (The K Man), they have to pay him but they sure as hell don't have to play him. WHY ARE THEY?

• Sure do! He holds players accountable, and fights for his guys when he thinks they’ve been wronged. Two thumbs up!

  • Really held CD & Bleier accountable...lmao...go O’s...

• The Orioles have received what they needed from a “good baseball man” with experience in winning organizations: patience (do you think he likes all the losing?), a positive attitude, and an understanding of management’s long term goals.

  He’s avoided burning out pitchers.

  He has given — and continues to give — Givens ample opportunity to overcome what we must conclude is a head problem of some sort. The man throws gas; he records a lot of strikeouts.

  The Davis altercation was a learning moment for him; whatever he said to Chris will probably be delivered in the clubhouse runway in the future. We will see no dugout conflict with players in the future.

  He’s the right man for the job.

• Hyde's style sure beats Showalter version 2.0. Pre Orioles, Buck had this tough rep...someone who ruled with an iron fist. There's a story about him having a conniption over a player's socks. Version 2 of Buck was like a parent who wanted to be "friends" with his kids, so they wouldn't hate him. It should be obvious that last year's squad (pre trades) had far more potential/talent than this year's team. It's a tribute to Hyde that he'll likely have a better record as a rookie manager than what Buck could turn out last season. Everything else aside, the fact that Hyde has the backbone to bench Davis most nights is enough to give him my endorsement over Showalter.