Well, it looks like the Orioles are already moving ahead with interviews with the managerial job not more than a week after Dave Trembley was released.
From the looks of it, Bobby Valentine is in town today to talk about the job, and the organization has already interviewed someone – former Cleveland manager Eric Wedge.
Wedge is believed to be the first candidate to be interviewed by MacPhail. Former New York Mets manager and current ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine is in Baltimore today to interview.
MacPhail was out of the office for most of Thursday, and one industry source said he was conducting another interview. But details of that have not been disclosed.
MacPhail is not discussing specifics of his managerial search. When contacted by phone Friday morning, Wedge declined comment.
Wedge, 42, took the Indians job in 2003 at the age of 35, and spent seven seasons in Cleveland, compiling a 561-573 record (.495 winning percentage). He was fired last year after the Indians lost 97 games.
In 2007, Wedge won the American League Manager of the Year award by guiding the Indians to 96 wins, an AL Central title and a Game 7 loss to the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series.
As well, two other names – Buck Showalter and Phil Garner have been mentioned as candidates as part of the interview process; however, they have not been contacted by the Orioles for a formal chat (unless both men are just trying to be discreet).
From the Orioles.com: Two other rumored candidates for the position — Phil Garner and Buck Showalter — both told MLB.com they have not been contacted by the Orioles for the managerial vacancy.
“It’s an honor to be mentioned for a Major League job,” Showalter told MLB.com. “It has the potential to be a great situation [in Baltimore]. It’s a very rich tradition. At one time, it was an organization the rest of the league judged itself by.”
Garner said he considers MacPhail an acquaintance and dismissed a FoxSports.com report that stated they are good friends and have been in talks, adding that he hasn’t talked to MacPhail in several years.
Like Showalter, Garner said he’d consider a job as O’s skipper if offered to him — but contact has not been made.
“You look at their situation, it might be the most competitive race [in the American League East], but that doesn’t scare you if you like to compete,” Garner told MLB.com.
“[MacPhail] has a good style, he appears to work with his manager closely and doesn’t micromanage. At least he doesn’t appear to.”
Last night, I ran into a fellow blogger – Stacey Long of Camden Chat – at Oriole Park and we mentioned this very same topic in reference to Rick Dempsey’s name and his lobbying for the managerial position.
I think the Orioles sincerely want to find a proven manager at the major league level — especially one that has a track record of being a winner in their career. That’s pretty obvious now.
I’m sure the Orioles and Andy MacPhail have a defined list of candidates they will interview at this point and each one fits a certain criteria.
Not that hiring a big name manager may necessarily fix anything with the major league team (case in point: Mike Hargrove); however, I really think the next manager will be one who seemingly try to do their best to eradicate the ‘losing culture’ and reach some of the struggling players.
