More leftovers from Hyde

More leftovers from Hyde
As new Orioles manager Brandon Hyde stresses the importance of giving a full effort, whether through conversations over the phone, in face-to-face meetings or in spring training drills that send a message that carries into the regular season. He's going to seek out the older players who can provide examples to the younger crew. And he's also going to expect that same level of commitment no matter the date listed on a birth certificate. "A veteran player can really set a tone for the club,"...

Grover on being a Rule 5 selection by the Orioles

Grover on being a Rule 5 selection by the Orioles
Taylor Grover was sick in bed, given permission by his manager in Venezuela to skip a few games, as the Rule 5 draft unfolded in Las Vegas. He tried to stream it on his phone, struggling to get a wireless connection, and almost missed its most critical moment. The one that would change his life. The Reds had signed Grover, the 27-year-old pitcher fresh out of two independent leagues, and left him exposed two weeks later in the Triple-A phase of the draft that closed the Winter Meetings. The...

Because You Asked - The Quest for Peace

Because You Asked - The Quest for Peace
I can't let 2018 pass without emptying out my mailbag. Especially since it passes for cardio exercise in my household. No need for a treadmill that would only collect dust anyway, or be used to hang wet clothes. I can work my biceps by lifting all of the duplicate questions. You ask 'em, I answer 'em and someone else asks the same ones. It's a tradition unlike any other. Let's get started on the latest sequel to the "Because You Asked" series, which will garner more award nominations...

Orioles hiring Tim Cossins for coaching staff (updated)

Orioles hiring Tim Cossins for coaching staff (updated)
New Orioles manager Brandon Hyde checked with the Cubs, his most recent employer, to gauge the availability of their coaches and minor league personnel as he scrambled to assemble a staff in Baltimore. He's succeeded in prying away one member of the organization. Tim Cossins is joining the Orioles with the responsibility of working with the catchers, per an industry source. His exact title isn't known, but he's going to be one of the coaches under Hyde. Former bench coach John Russell had...

Searching for the good in a bad season

Searching for the good in a bad season
Former Orioles manager Buck Showalter always said it's a mistake to take over a losing team and assume that everything is wrong and needs to be fixed or replaced. It wasn't his approach in the summer of 2010, as the Orioles were continuing a streak of losing seasons that reached 14, and Brandon Hyde won't make those assumptions after 115 losses fueled a teardown. "No doubt," he said last week on 105.7 The Fan. "I have a ton of respect for Buck and he's got a ton of experience in that, so...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
One of the common refrains in baseball is how hustle never goes into a slump. New Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is a firm believer. The Orioles won't present a roster with the same level of talent as the contenders. That's not how a rebuild works. It won't bring the same experience. It won't include the same number of elite prospects. But there's no reason why other teams should be able to outwork the Orioles, to put forth more effort. Jogging up the line on a ground ball, conceding the...

How did Mancini improve at the plate in the second half?

How did Mancini improve at the plate in the second half?
For Trey Mancini to turn around his season, he had to go back to hitting the ball the other way. The change in direction returned him to normal. Or as close as he was going to get this summer. The contrasting splits on Mancini are as pronounced as anyone in 2018, though he reversed Dylan Bundy and finished on a much higher note. After placing third in Rookie of the Year voting in the American League the previous summer, Mancini slashed .216/.292/.363 with 12 home runs over 91 games in the first...

Roster rumors rare for Orioles

Roster rumors rare for Orioles
Orioles fans aren't likely to find a new player under their tree on Christmas morning. The stocking stuffers won't include a pitcher or outfielder. Dump bourbon in your egg nog - unless rum or brandy is your preference - and stay patient. Not a creature is stirring, but there's going to be roster activity by spring training. Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias issued the warning at the Winter Meetings. Not the one about reports being "overzealous" and "inaccurate."...

Notes on teaching, Dave Trembley and Steve Johnson

Notes on teaching, Dave Trembley and Steve Johnson
No matter who fills out the Orioles coaching staff in 2019, the ability to teach is going to be crucial, with so many young players vying for roster spots and assorted veterans in need of some tweaking, if not a complete overhaul. "I think the game in general has become a lot younger," manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday night on the "Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan. "The older-type veteran guys, it just seems like it's really becoming a younger game. Teams are giving younger players a...

Hyde on learning more about his players and competing

Hyde on learning more about his players and competing
Brandon Hyde can speak in general terms about the players in the Orioles organization. He's been their manager for only a week. The specifics will come later after he's more familiar with everyone, a task that's going to occupy much of his winter. A full plate includes an education on personnel, which feels more like a crash course. That's why he's embarking this weekend on a working vacation. "I've got iPads loaded up right now in my hotel room," he said Thursday night on the "Hot...

Hyde talks about process of hiring coaches

Hyde talks about process of hiring coaches
New Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he's reached out to coaches on this year's staff while in the process of making hires for the 2019 season. Hyde stated during last night's "Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan that he wouldn't offer any promises, but he's open to considering candidates from all corners of baseball. He isn't committed to bringing in an entirely new crew, though it could be the eventual outcome. Other potential hires were contacted besides the holdovers, but Hyde...

More minors, Hyde and Mancini

More minors, Hyde and Mancini
The Orioles haven't made any decisions regarding their minor league staffs with so much other work to be done, including the hiring of major league coaches to pair with new manager Brandon Hyde. Triple-A Norfolk doesn't have a manager after the Orioles decided to part ways with Ron Johnson. They could promote from within, perhaps elevating Gary Kendall from Double-A Bowie, or seek an outside hire. Pitching coach Mike Griffin remains under contract and could stay with the Tides or be...

Pulling more out of the Brandon Hyde press conference

Pulling more out of the Brandon Hyde press conference
The press conference introducing Brandon Hyde as Orioles manager can be picked apart like a turkey carcass. How Hyde separated himself from the other five candidates. How the front office intends to maintain a daily dialogue with him. The task of constructing a coaching staff. The usage of analytics. Hyde's slow rise to up-and-coming star. One of the biggest curiosities for me involved the level of front office influence inside the manager's office and the dugout. How much authority will be...

Elias digs deeper into managerial hiring process

Elias digs deeper into managerial hiring process
We may never know with pinpoint accuracy when Brandon Hyde received his offer from the Orioles to become the 20th manager in club history, when he accepted it, when it was safe to stitch his name across the back of a jersey. It really doesn't matter as we move forward, but someone in the organization insisted yesterday that, as reports surfaced at the Winter Meetings that Hyde would become the next manager, the Orioles hadn't started the process of negotiating a deal with him. We can argue...

More from Elias and Hyde at today's press conference

More from Elias and Hyde at today's press conference
Before executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias presented new manager Mike Elias with his No. 18 Orioles jersey and cap, before they shook hands as cameras and iPhones captured the moment with varying degrees of clarity, the former Astros assistant explained his latest hire and why it felt like the right fit. "Today represents the culmination of what was a very intensive, very thorough search for the next manager of the Baltimore Orioles," Elias said at today's press...

Hyde on staying "patient and positive" as Orioles manager

Hyde on staying "patient and positive" as Orioles manager
Brandon Hyde was announced today as the Orioles' 20th manager following an "intensive, thorough" search, as described by executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. They met a few weeks ago, had dinner together and Elias was convinced that Hyde would be "a good fit." The bonding process continued today while Hyde's wife and three children watched his 35-minute press conference from the front row inside the auxiliary clubhouse. Elias said Hyde's name was the first one that he...

Hyde hiring will be discussed today at press conference

Hyde hiring will be discussed today at press conference
The Orioles will introduce Brandon Hyde today as the 20th manager in club history during a noon press conference at Camden Yards. Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias, hired a month earlier, will join Hyde in the auxiliary clubhouse. Hyde brings 16 years of professional coaching experience, though only one game as a major league manager. He was the Cubs bench coach in 2014 and 2018 and the first base coach from 2015-17 after serving as Marlins bench coach from June 2010...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
The Orioles selected former first-round pick Richie Martin from the Athletics organization in the Rule 5 draft primarily for his plus defensive skills. The glove and the arm. Tools that they need at shortstop. However, there also is the projection that he's going to keep trending upward offensively, encouragement born from his .300/.368/.439 slash line in 118 games this summer at Double-A Midland of the Texas League. Martin batted .234/.311/.332 in a combined 109 games between Midland and...

Roster decisions developing slowly

Roster decisions developing slowly
There is going to be a point in the offseason when the Orioles are directing the vast majority of their collective energy toward constructing their 25-man roster and providing new manager Brandon Hyde with more options by improving the overall depth. Hires will be completed, staffs will be filled and the Orioles can expend most of their energy on free agency and the trade market. Trades are more likely until later in the winter, when the Orioles can scratch their free agent itch. Executive vice...

Orioles hire Brandon Hyde as manager

Orioles hire Brandon Hyde as manager
Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde will be introduced at noon on Monday as the 20th manager in Orioles history. Left behind at the Winter Meetings are the confusion, controversy and criticisms over the reported confirmations coming out of Las Vegas. The club has made it official. Hyde is the replacement for Buck Showalter, who guided the Orioles to three playoff appearances and one division title in 8 1/2 seasons at the helm. Showalter learned on Oct. 3 that his contract would run out and the...