Reaction to Showalter’s Comments

I read the Men’s Journal article on Orioles manager Buck Showalter which you can read here. If you are an Orioles fan I think you will enjoy the article as it has some interesting insight into the way Showalter manages and just how much he cares for the game. However, this is not why the article is being talked about throughout the media. Unfortunately, the media has turned a few of Showalter’s comments into a bigger deal than they really are.

I am so tired of the political correctness that is put out in the media…this is especially true in the sports world. Let’s face it…players, coaches, and front office personnel can’t really say what is on their mind…not in today’s world. Of course there is a line that should not be crossed, but listening to players and coaches in interviews has become ridiculously boring. It’s the same old mottos and positive attitude that they are taught to use when speaking to the media. When someone finally does speak their mind and tell the truth then the media will jump all over it and overreact like they did with Buck Showalter’s comments.

A CBS New York article actually said Showalter “Rips” Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter in the interview. My response would be…so what? Who cares? Showalter said the following in the interview with Men’s Journal….“The first time we went to Yankee Stadium, I screamed at Derek Jeter from the dugout. Our young guys are thinking, ‘Wow, he’s screaming at Derek Jeter’ — well, he’s always jumping back from balls just off the plate. I know how many calls that team gets — and yes, he pisses me off.”

My guess would be that this is child’s play compared to all the things that are said in a baseball clubhouse during the course of a season. There are always instances in games when players do things that will annoy and piss off the opposing team. Unfortunately, fans don’t get to hear what is really going on in players and managers minds because of the politically correct society we live in. These are grown men with opinions, not the robots fans are so used to seeing being interviewed by the ESPN’s of the world.

I for one am glad Showalter made these comments. Showalter also drew criticism for the following comments about Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein -“I’d like to see how smart Theo Epstein is with the Tampa Bay payroll,” he jeers. “You got Carl Crawford ’cause you paid more than anyone else, and that’s what makes you smarter? That’s why I like whipping their asses: It’s great, knowing those guys with the $205 million payroll are saying, ‘How the hell are they beating us?’

I couldn’t agree more with these comments. Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman may be great GM’s, but how can you judge these guys on wins and losses when they have nearly unlimited payrolls? Showalter made a great point…how does paying the most amount of money when you have so much more money than everyone else make you smarter? I’m not saying Epstein and Cashman aren’t necessarily great GM’s, but I will never consider them anything more than the spoiled brats of major league baseball GM’s until they work for a team with a limited payroll and turn them into a contender.

I am too young to appreciate what the legendary Earl Weaver brought to the game, but from what I have read and heard Weaver didn’t hold back. He was an old school manager who told it like it was. Love him or hate him, he told people how he felt. Fans will never get this now-a-days. I think fans got a very small glimpse of what Buck Showalter is all about and hopefully fans liked what they heard. Showalter is an old school manager with a passion for the game and I hope fans get to see and hear more candid thoughts from Showalter. This likely won’t happen based on the criticism he has gotten for these comments, but I think Orioles fans should embrace Showalter for comments like these.

I miss the days of the mid 90’s when not only were the Orioles winning, but they weren’t letting other teams push them around. I understand that the Orioles should have respect for other organizations like the Yankees and Red Sox who have put winning teams on the field for the last decade, but I am tired of the Orioles looking like the baby brother to these teams. What ever happened to the bench clearing brawls between the Orioles and Yankees? The Orioles need to go out on the field and not let the big bad Yankees and Red Sox push them around or intimidate them. If a brawl or two occurs as a result, then so be it. I found those to be the most exciting games.

I love the comments Buck Showalter made. Why not throw the first punch? Let’s hope the Orioles finally put a winning team on the field in 2011, but if they don’t then let’s follow Showalter’s lead and go down fighting. Even if the Orioles lose this season, let’s at least make sure the other team remembers the Orioles. Let’s leave the other team hurting for once.