Manager Buck Showalter, EVP Dan Duquette get extensions till 2018 from Baltimore Orioles- MLB News
It is official now, the Baltimore Orioles will continue with their current coach Buck Showalter until 2018. The same has been decided for the executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. Both men have been highly regarded for their respective
roles in the resurgence of the Baltimore Orioles in which the team made it to their first post-season since 1997.
This is a great sign from the organisation as it has shown confidence on both men and should give the team a lot of stability. There were rumours about the extension of Buck being finalised for a while now.
Many see the 56-year-old as the force behind the success of the Baltimore ball club who didn’t have a winning season for a decade and a half. Buck Showalter is a two time Manager of the Year and in 2012, he missed the award by a whisker. It is certainly
a testament of his good work and abilities.
Not only has Buck received the approval of the team management but also the players who are pleased to see that Showalter will be staying with the birds for some time to come.
Matt Wieters, the catcher for the Orioles, certainly is happy to see the manager stay.
"As a player, it's nice to know who you are going to be working with, and especially Buck being back as the manager, seeing what he's done to this organization and what's been done since he got here," Matt said about the extension.
Nick Markakis, the Orioles’ right fielder feels that Buck is a great guy to be around. He said that the manager respects the players and treats them well and in return has earned the respect of players who are playing under his leadership.
"He's just an all around good person, a great guy to be around," Nick Markakis said. "He knows the game and he treats you with respect, he treats you like a big league guy. And teammates and players and personnel give him a lot of respect because that's
what he gives us. It's a good fit for him. I think you will see a lot more to come from him."
Dan Duquette is also an experienced name in baseball and has been associated with the game in some capacity for two decades now. He has been the general manager of three different teams, including Orioles for a total of 11 seasons.
His decisions in the 2011 winter were spot on and played a crucial role in the 2012 success of the Orioles. He has been a popular figure amongst the O’s and it is the right decision to keep him with the team.
One hopes that the birds will be able to replicate their performance from 2012 in 2013, if they are unable to improve upon it. They will come across new challenges but if they can keep their spirits high, they can surely achieve great results once again.
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