Buck Showalter rips Jeter, Theo Epstein

He is absolutely right! Go O's!!!

I like Showalter real alot, and I like the attitude & professionalism he is bringing to his team. However those are stupid things to say about Theo Epstein. Theo's job is to scout, and acquire the best valued talent based off of a budget his ownership gives him. Let's face it Red Sox ownership is all in, and Orioles ownership is not much of anything. This is not a salary cap discussion. Buck should be more concerned with his ownership's history of not putting a quality product on the field. So, you are telling me that Showalter would resist his GM/Owner from buying very competitive talent for the sake of keeping his payroll down....ridiculous. But I guess if Buck has nothing, he has nothing to lose.

He didn't "rip" Jeter or Epstein. He stated the obvious as he sees it. Love the candor.

My college coach grew up with Buck and I got to meet him years ago. Buck is a very good baseball guy and a LOT of fun to talk to.

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:
Theo's job is to scout, and acquire the best valued talent based off of a budget his ownership gives him.

How smart does Epstein have to be to:

A. Recognize that Gonzalez and Crawford are 2 of the top players in the game at their position.
B. Recognize that they are free agents.
C. That he can pay them whatever it takes to bring them to Boston.

I'm pretty sure that you, or even I, could have done that!

It's not about whether what he said is true or not.....It's about Showalter's sense of timing. Why say those things preseason? If I were the Yankees or the Red Sox, I'd make it a priority to kick the O's butts every time we meet. Which given their history shouldn't be that hard. Even he admits he should have kept his mouth shut. For the last 13 years, the O's have been pathetic. Only the Pirates can make them look good, comparatively speaking. I am firmly off the Matt Wieters band wagon after last years lackluster performance. This team needs a breakout year from him. In AA I saw a guy with great tools and athleticism but it just hasn't translated. He's the only guy I could see saving Showalter from eating crow and a fourteenth miserable season. They finish fourth if they get lucky.

I don't think those comments will have any effect on Jeter or Epstein to be honest. I also think it was pretty stupid of Showalter to make these comments. You don't like Jeter because he dives away from balls just off the plate...OK that's fine. But publicly stating this isn't going to make your team any better, or the Yankees any worse, or cause him to stop doing it. And questioning Theo Epstein's intelligence is ridiculous. He uses the resources he has and what the ownership and the city of Boston has provided him with to go out and try to field a championship team. And every year since Theo has taken over, the Red Sox have been contenders. Showalter is a man with a career winning percentage barely over .500 and absent of a World Series ring since he started managing in 1992.

I've heard good things about Showalter as a manager and obviously the O's responded well to his presence towards the end of the season. But this seems to be a rather "open mount insert foot" scenario that I don't see coming out as beneficial for his side.

I would argue that although Jeter & Theo are the subject of Buck’s comments, the comments were not directed at them. I believe Buck is trying to fire up the Orioles. Knock the kings of the AL East down a notch or two. Make the Yanks and Sox appear human and vulnerable to his players.

These are the comments of a Manager trying to fire up his team before the start of the marathon that is the MLB season. If you’re Buck, what’s the downside of taking a little shot at Jeter &Theo? They’ll beat your team more often? Hard to believe that’s possible. Will Jeter & Theo hold it against Buck into their old age? Doubt it. This isn’t hall-of-fame induction time, this is get the train rolling down the track time. Get your players to start believing they can win … because who knows, they may actually do it (I mean seriously: The Giants won the World Series, right?!)

My son was with the D'Backs their very first year. I went to a game at Bank One in early August, getting there early to watch BP. Buck evidently asked son if I was going to be there. Then he went over and said come down here.

Ended up talking to him, visiting the clubhouse, talking baseball. I didn't ask, but he said to not worry, they were keeping my son up there for the rest of the year. Almost like he knew what I was thinking.

These were all things that were unnecessary and unusual. Pretty impressed with the way he treated a dad of a player just called up for the first time. It doesn't surprise me that he would say what's on his mind. Even in our conversation he said some things that would interest sports writers.

Title of ESPN story a bit of sensationalism.

Showalter is as smart as a fox.

Jeter has been trying to out fox the plate umpire on pitches off the plate for years (and sometimes very successfully)!

Theo, according to Buck, may not be as smart
as on the field baseball old timers have heard for years.

A Rip? No way.
Reality check: Yup
Motivational Technique: No question

I don't perceive this as Buck ripping anyone. He is just being candid, which I find refreshing. We are all conditioned to hear canned interviews and responses. So when someone speaks their mind, it comes across as provocative, and is hyped by the media.

I love it. It reminds of the time we joined forces with the in laws and got my son a new puppy. On the way home, the dog threw up on my mother in law. The first thought that popped into my mind:"Gawd I love that dog!"

I had the same reaction when Buck snipped at the Evil Empires, I and II. What the heck...

You guys are like the buddies who pointed out a gorgeous young lady across the street clutching a frail old man's shaking hand. Simultaneously, the friends say to each other, "Where there's life, there's hope."

Keep drinking the cool aide and someday the O's will be significant again.

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:
I like Showalter real alot, and I like the attitude & professionalism he is bringing to his team. However those are stupid things to say about Theo Epstein. Theo's job is to scout, and acquire the best valued talent based off of a budget his ownership gives him. Let's face it Red Sox ownership is all in, and Orioles ownership is not much of anything. This is not a salary cap discussion. Buck should be more concerned with his ownership's history of not putting a quality product on the field. So, you are telling me that Showalter would resist his GM/Owner from buying very competitive talent for the sake of keeping his payroll down....ridiculous. But I guess if Buck has nothing, he has nothing to lose.

When the Orioles would spend big money they spent it wrong. Then they got gunshy on spending. Their owner is a joke.

quote:

Originally posted by getagoodpitchtohit:

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:
Theo's job is to scout, and acquire the best valued talent based off of a budget his ownership gives him.

How smart does Epstein have to be to:

A. Recognize that Gonzalez and Crawford are 2 of the top players in the game at their position.
B. Recognize that they are free agents.
C. That he can pay them whatever it takes to bring them to Boston.

I'm pretty sure that you, or even I, could have done that!

Crawford was not on the Sox radar screen. They didn't think they had a chance. They did not want to drive the price up if they did. Ryan Kalish was expected to start in left. Epstein saw an opening and went for it. It's called timing. The Red Sox gave up several top prospects for Gonzalez taking the risk they can sign him.

The Sox have to compete with the Yankees every year. They have a lot of money because the team s well run. But they don't have Yankee money. Epstein can't make a lot of mistakes. Sox GM is a high profile, high pressure position.

Best comment in the article ...

"Whatever," Francona said. "For the record, I think Theo's really smart, whether he has a high payroll or not. ... I'll stay away from that."

Francona paused a moment, then added: "I think Theo's proved with his choice of managers that he's pretty smart."

Something about players, scouts, managers, coaches all performing that can make a GM look like a genius or a dummy.

In Epstein's case, going into last year, he pretty much looked like a genius.

Actually the number of moves that have turned out favorable for the Red Sox is amazing. Some of those moves have been questioned when they were made, but seem like they usually work out well.

Time always has a way of making things better or worse. But the Red Sox have a very strong organization with IMO one of the best managers in baseball. He would be my first pick, anyway!

I agree with my manager.....Francona. Theo is smart. I hope he always has the next biggest payroll to work with.

I also agree with BucK that Jeter always jumps away from pitches he takes. I guess that's why they (I) call him Jeter the Cheater. I'm not the only one...admit it. Feel better.

Francona is one of the best at managing personalities. Managing personalities is grossly underrated. When he managed the Phillies he was a bum when he was in charge a weak team.

I think this was just the next step in the psychological buildup of his teams confidence by Buck. He is showing that he's not cowed by the Yankees or Red Sox and does not expect his team to be either. Trying to keep building that us against them feeling that will help the Orioles grow as a team.

Great comeback: Showalter wants to see Theo with Rays payroll; Theo complies, sends picture of himself standing beside Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.

Buck didn't come out sounding very intelligent to me out of this. I don't know if he felt this would fire his team up or what, but Jeter and Epstein I'm sure didn't care.

Stu