Manager Buck Showalter will return all of his coaches to the dugout for the Baltimore Orioles in 2016. Some people might argue that this makes very little difference in anything – but not me. In any business or industry, continuity is supremely important. This is no exception.
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Some folks might say that perhaps it’s not the greatest thing in the world that they’re returning a .500 coaching staff to the dugout in 2016. And that might well be a valid point in some circles. However this will be the first time in his tenure as manager that Showalter will have the same coaches year-over-year. Until now, there have always been changes.
Some folks will argue that they brought in Scott Coolbaugh, and their reliance on the home run got worse. And maybe that’s true. But you also have to work with the team you’ve been given. If there’s one slight criticism that I could make of the coaching staff, it might be that third base coach Bobby Dickerson seems at times to be somewhat overly aggressive when it comes to sending runners.
But that can be a good and a bad thing. Obviously at times guys are going to get thrown out at home plate due to an overly aggressive decision. However there are other times when you might end up knotching a run that you otherwise wouldn’t have gotten with a more conservative third base coach. Like all things in life and in baseball, it’s all give and take.
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At the end of the day, I do believe that continuity is a good thing. While the team may or may not look vastly different next year, the guys who do return will have those same familiar faces leading them from the dugout. And again, continuity is a good thing.
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