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Cajun Yankee
06-18-2007, 09:01 AM
Perlozzo on way out as Orioles manager?
June 18, 2007
Buster Olney - ESPN


The Baltimore Orioles were busy at work Monday trying to stay above the fray of Major League Baseball's worst teams.

High-ranking sources have told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that Andy MacPhail has reached an agreement to be the club's chief operating officer, and the Orioles also were arranging a meeting with Joe Girardi -- furthering speculation that manager Sam Perlozzo is on his way out after two-plus seasons.

MacPhail and Girardi overlapped in Chicago during MacPhail's tenure as Cubs president and CEO of the Chicago Cubs, which began in 1994 and ended in 2006. Girardi, who managed the Florida Marlins in 2006, was the Cubs' catcher for two stints totaling six seasons, the last from 2000-02.

MacPhail won two World Series championships as general manager of the Minnesota Twins in 1987 and 1991.

The Orioles are a season-worst 11 games below .500 after suffering their eighth straight loss, 6-4 to the Arizona Diamondbacks to wrap up a 1-8 homestand. Baltimore is 29-40 and last in the AL East, two games behind the fourth-place Devil Rays.

The Orioles were to fly to the West Coast later Monday for a six-game swing against San Diego and Arizona. Whether Perlozzo, who has been Orioles manager since replacing Lee Mazzilli on an interim basis in 2005, will be on the bench in San Diego remains to be seen. His status ultimately will be determined by owner Peter Angelos.

"It doesn't matter how good I think I did or how many of the right guys I bring in when everything you do that's right turns wrong," Perlozzo told reporters following Sunday's loss to Arizona. "There will come a point and time when it just won't matter. I understand that.

"Hopefully, it's not real close, but it could get close."

Baltimore is 122-164 under Perlozzo and finished fourth in the AL East last season. Perlozzo was the Orioles' bench coach from 2001 until replacing Mazzilli as manager.

Girardi is currently a baseball analyst for Fox and for Yankees broadcasts on the YES network. He began his playing career with the Cubs in 1989 and won World Series rings with the Yankees in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

Last offseason, Girardi indicated he was in no rush to return to managing when he turned down an offer to be the Washington Nationals' new manager, a job that went to Mets coach Manny Acta.

With one of baseball's skimpiest payrolls (approximately $14 million), Girardi managed the Marlins into wild-card contention for most of 2006 -- Florida missed the playoffs with a 78-84 record -- and was named NL Manager of the Year. He was unceremoniously fired days at the conclusion of the season by owner Jeffrey Loria. The two had been at odds since having a vocal argument that August.

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If Girardi takes this, so much for rumors about replacing Torre.

Jermz
06-18-2007, 09:58 AM
Do you think that Don Mattingly will ever take over as Yanks mananger? Are they grooming him for that spot?

I would love for the O's to give Eddie Murray or Rick Dempsey a shot at being the manager, but I would be happy with Joe Girardi being the guy to get us back on track.

GotMelk?
06-18-2007, 10:13 AM
The thing with Giardi is that he is a good manager, but will he be able to gain the respect of some of the Yankee players. Jeter, Posada, Mo all played with him. Mattingly is an idol in New York so the more I think of it Donnie Baseball will be the manager, and Giardi will go to Baltimore.

RubeBaker
06-18-2007, 10:20 AM
Girardi is more of the teacher type, someone who can take a group of young players an show them how to win. The Yankees, chock full of veterans, would not be a good fit for him.

I've been saying all along, Steinbrenner has been praising Mattingly, and he will be the next Yankees manager.

Captain Cold Nose
06-18-2007, 10:57 AM
Do you think that Don Mattingly will ever take over as Yanks mananger? Are they grooming him for that spot?

I would love for the O's to give Eddie Murray or Rick Dempsey a shot at being the manager, but I would be happy with Joe Girardi being the guy to get us back on track.

With Murray just getting fired (i.e. blamed) as the Dodgers hitting coach, now is not the time for him. Girardi should be considered, at least.

redlegsfan21
06-18-2007, 11:05 AM
So let me get this straight. Sam Perlozzo was fired for an underachieving bullpen and strugglely offense. In order to make things better, the Orioles hire the bullpen coach for the interm job. So one of the reasons that the team is struggling is used to replace the current regime. Doesn't make sense, why not the bench coach?

Brian McKenna
06-18-2007, 02:25 PM
MacPhail is sorely needed. The entire organization needs to be shook up, starting with the front office - gut it.

You can't put a mediocre team at best together and then fire the manager for fielding a poor team. Well you can but the buck started elsewhere.

Weak hitting at all outfield slots, first base and DH and refusing to give multi-year contracts to lure pitchers spells a divisional loser and that's right where they are - performing up to expectations.

bigtime39
06-18-2007, 02:49 PM
Do you think that Don Mattingly will ever take over as Yanks mananger? Are they grooming him for that spot?

I would love for the O's to give Eddie Murray or Rick Dempsey a shot at being the manager, but I would be happy with Joe Girardi being the guy to get us back on track.

Be careful what you wish for: Murray has been fired from two hitting instructor positions, and refused to go to the minors to manage when interviewing for the Orioles vacancy after 2003. Dempsey is reportedly as dumb as a box of rocks.

bigtime39
06-18-2007, 02:50 PM
So let me get this straight. Sam Perlozzo was fired for an underachieving bullpen and strugglely offense. In order to make things better, the Orioles hire the bullpen coach for the interm job. So one of the reasons that the team is struggling is used to replace the current regime. Doesn't make sense, why not the bench coach?

Because of Tom Trebelhorn's wife's illness, Trembley has been splitting his time between the bullpen and bench coach roles. He also has managed 2500+ minor league games.

Zagi-CRO
06-19-2007, 02:44 AM
"As you might imagine, today has been a very difficult one for me and my family," Perlozzo said in a statement. "I am very disappointed that I will no longer be managing the Orioles. That being said, I wish them nothing but the best. I have been with the team for 12 seasons and I consider myself an Oriole. I believe that I have represented the club well during my time with them and I hope that the fans believe that, too."

Knick9
06-19-2007, 09:19 AM
Personally, I believe the O's have absolutely no clue what they want to do. They shell out money and lose. That's it. They have a payroll to just be mediocre. You can thank Peter Angelos for that, because we should know by now that he's one of the worst owners in baseball history. He doesn't care, in spite of what he says.

The organization's been a joke for some time now. They never want to contend, which at the very least Toronto tries to do. Millar is a bum. Tejada would still be great trade bait. Mora's not getting any younger. The pitching staff needs deodorant, because I can smell the stink from here. ;)

It will be this way until there are more legit shakeups (front office).

natsnsoxfan
06-19-2007, 09:41 AM
This team stands almost no chance of contending with Angelos as the owner. He refuses to pull the trigger on big trades, they could've gotten rid of Tejada last year and brought in Ervin Santana and I think it was Erick Aybar or Brandon Wood and I there may have been one other player involved too. Point being, they could have brought in one helluva young pitcher to put along side Bedard and a future 3B/SS and he wouldn't allow the GM to say yes.

Brian McKenna
06-19-2007, 01:27 PM
Personally, I believe the O's have absolutely no clue what they want to do. They shell out money and lose. That's it. They have a payroll to just be mediocre. You can thank Peter Angelos for that, because we should know by now that he's one of the worst owners in baseball history. He doesn't care, in spite of what he says.

The organization's been a joke for some time now. They never want to contend, which at the very least Toronto tries to do. Millar is a bum. Tejada would still be great trade bait. Mora's not getting any younger. The pitching staff needs deodorant, because I can smell the stink from here. ;)

It will be this way until there's more legit shakeups (front office).

Being from Baltimore I was getting offended reading your statement but by the end I realized that I couldn't argue against anything you said.

ChrisLDuncan
06-19-2007, 02:26 PM
I was watching Jim Rome today, and I hate him, but he had a good point. Sam Perlozzo is by no means Connie Mack, but Connie Mack couldn't even help this team. Maybe it's the owner...let Andy McPhail do his job. Trade Miguel Tejada and start rebuilding so this team can stop being an embarassment.

RubeBaker
06-19-2007, 03:44 PM
Didn't pitching coach Leo Mazzone hop over to Baltimore from Atlanta just to work with his buddy Perlozzo? I wonder if he'll be back next year.

ESPNFan
06-20-2007, 09:00 AM
Be careful what you wish for: Murray has been fired from two hitting instructor positions, and refused to go to the minors to manage when interviewing for the Orioles vacancy after 2003. Dempsey is reportedly as dumb as a box of rocks.

Well let me kindly refute this "report". Don't let his on air antics fool you. Dempsey knows whats going on and is respected by people in the organization and around Baltimore. I think he would be a very good manager. He's a pratical no-BS guy who wouldn't let a guys reputation influence his decisions. The problem he and any other manager would have is the talent that the Baltimore front office is providing him with. That's where MacPhail is needed, to overhaul the teams talent and rebuild.

bigtime39
06-20-2007, 12:11 PM
Well let me kindly refute this "report". Don't let his on air antics fool you. Dempsey knows whats going on and is respected by people in the organization and around Baltimore. I think he would be a very good manager. He's a pratical no-BS guy who wouldn't let a guys reputation influence his decisions. The problem he and any other manager would have is the talent that the Baltimore front office is providing him with. That's where MacPhail is needed, to overhaul the teams talent and rebuild.

Well, as with Eddie Murray, the Dodgers would like to disagree with you.
I am, however, very much looking forward to the McPhail era in Baltimore.