Three days after the end of the worst season in Baltimore Orioles history, the team parted ways with Buck Showalter, its second-longest tenured manager.
The news had been expected by Showalter, who met with John and Louis Angelos on Wednesday. He had also had a meeting on Saturday.
Showalter’s dismissal was first reported by The Athletic and confirmed by an industry source.
The Orioles have yet to make an announcement.
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Showalter came to the Orioles in August 2010 and had a record of 669-684. Only Earl Weaver, who managed 17 seasons, surpassed Showalter’s tenure.
The Orioles improved immediately under Showalter. In 2010, the team finished with a 34-23 record but fell back to a 69-93 record in 2011.
On the final day of the 2011 season, the Orioles eliminated the Boston Red Sox from playoff consideration with an exciting win, and expectations were heightened for the following season.
In 2012, the Orioles won the first American League wild-card game and had a 93-69 record, breaking a streak of 14 losing seasons.
The Orioles were eliminated by the New York Yankees in five games in the 2012 Division Series.
Though the Orioles didn’t qualify for the postseason in 2013, they were 85-77, and won their first AL East title in 16 years in 2014.
A three-game sweep of Detroit in the Division Series was followed by a four-game sweep by Kansas City in the American League Championship Series.
That was Showalter’s only trip in 20 seasons with the Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers and Orioles to an LCS.
In 2015, the Orioles had an 81-81 record, and followed that with their third postseason berth in five years in 2016.
Showalter came under fire for not using Zach Britton against Toronto in the wild-card game as the Orioles lost to the Blue Jays in 11 innings.
In 2017, the Orioles were again in the playoff picture, but lost 19 of their final 23 games to finish 75-87.
This year’s team was never in contention and limped to a 47-115 mark, just four games better than the worst mark in American League history.
Showalter will not have a role in the organization, and his future plans are unknown.
Originally hired on a contract that ran through 2013, Showalter received a five-year extension after the Orioles’ successful 2012 season. Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette, who was hired in November 2011, was extended concurrently with Showalter.
The contracts of both Showalter and Duquette were set to run out at the end of this month. There’s no word on Duquette’s future.
The Orioles will join the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays in searching for a new manager.
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