The Baltimore Orioles enter Monday with a record of 15-30 and fired manager Brandon Hyde over the weekend. However, all is not lost for the Orioles, as many teams have made a managerial change that led them back on the right track to the playoffs.
In years as recent as 2022, a team that fired its skipper midseason went on to play October baseball. The Orioles are the third team to fire their manager this year, following the firings of Derek Shelton by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bud Black by the Colorado Rockies.
The 2022 Philadelphia Phillies struggled through May and fired manager Joe Girardi on June 3, prompting the Phillies to go on a run that was good for the third-best record in the National League from that point on. This propelled the Phillies to the playoffs and ultimately earned them a trip to the Fall Classic.
While the Phillies did not win the World Series that season after firing their manager, their run sparked the team's future. Philadelphia returned to the playoffs in 2023 and 2024 and is again seen as a championship contender this year.
In the same season the Phillies fired Girardi, another interim manager led his club to the playoffs when John Schneider took over for the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays were sitting in the third wild-card spot when Charlie Montoyo was fired, but change was needed in a tightly contested race. When Schneider took over, the Blue Jays finished the season with a .603 winning percentage, clinching October baseball for Toronto.
In 2003, the then-Florida Marlins won the World Series, but not after turmoil during their season. The Marlins began the season 16-22 and fired manager Jeff Torborg, replacing him with Jack McKeon. McKeon led the Marlins to a 75-49 record the rest of the season, locking them into a playoff spot. The Marlins made noise once in the playoffs, beating the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees en route to their second World Series title as a franchise.
As history has shown, the Orioles' season is far from lost. It will take some work to get back into the mix now that there has been a change, but the season is still young. The Orioles' core of talent has to take a step forward and lead the team on a run that puts them back in playoff contention.
Baltimore is aiming for its third consecutive playoff appearance. Following a disappointing start, the Orioles must regain their momentum to revive their season.