Posted on 10/03/2004 11:56:40 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
BALTIMORE - Rookie manager Lee Mazzilli knew all along he would be back in the dugout next season with the Baltimore Orioles. Having gained on-the-job experience in guiding the team to a third-place finish this year, he expects to accomplish even more in 2005.
"I'm under contract for next season, and hopefully two more years as well," he said Sunday before the Orioles' finale against Boston. "We have a mission that we're set on doing, and we're on that track. We made a lot of progress this year."
Mazzilli signed a two-year contract in November as the replacement for Mike Hargrove. The deal, which earned him $450,000 this season and will pay him $500,000 next year, includes two option years.
Baltimore will finish with a losing record for a seventh straight season, but will end a run of six consecutive years in fourth place in the AL East. The Orioles are also assured of winning more games than in any season since 1997.
Although Baltimore endured a 12-game losing streak in August, the team finished with a winning record in the second half while proving it could compete with some of the contenders.
"In my mind, to be honest, it was a learning and growing process for all of us, going through this year with Mazz," Orioles executive vice president Jim Beattie said. "We've talked about getting better, and we all got better in the second half of the season. So I don't know that there was ever a big concern on my part that he was ever questionable."
Beattie was especially pleased with the enthusiasm the team showed down the stretch. In years past, the Orioles struggled in September when it became apparent another losing season was assured.
"It was a little more fun. I liked the energy we saw in the clubhouse," Beattie said. "This time of the year you get a lot of players playing for themselves, but I think we saw our players still playing as a team and trying to win ball games."
Mazzilli hopes that during the offseason, Beattie can enhance a young starting rotation and add a right-handed slugger in the middle of the lineup.
He also expects to be a better manager.
"It's just a year of experience under your belt, just like my guys that played a full year for the first time that feel they're going to be better next year, guys like (Larry) Bigbie and (Brian) Roberts," Mazzilli said.
I find the Os manager rather interesting. He says he hopes to accomplish more in 2005, I sure hope he does.
But I do wonder with baseball returning to DC how will that impact the franchise.
I just want to see the Os win. The days of Cal sees so long ago.
Well, must be off to watch Football (I am a Cowboys fan, beloved a Redskin fan)
BTW, the VA Tech Hokies won yesterday, along with my Utes. Life is good in our household today! :)
Oh ya gotta have heart....
Angelos is known for putting poor talent on the field and was the number two cause for the dramatic decrease in attendance in Baltimore--the highly organized boycott of the Orioles by loyal DC baseball fans was number one. Apparently, with the value of his team and annual revenues guaranteed by MLB, Angelos will have even more incentive NOT to spend his own money to field a competitive team on par with the Yankees and Red Sox.
Experts are saying we could be looking at losing seasons as far as the eye can see, so long as Angelos remains team owner.
Maybe he'll sell the team sooner than later. I hope so for your sake . . . TheTopRead
Perhaps we need to have heart when it comes to both teams. CNN just did a small segment on the return of Baseball to DC and it appears many think it is a good thing.
There just has to be way to make it affordable so that it indeed is considered the family past time.
I remember as a very young kid going to a Senators' game with my parents at the old Griffith stadium. I think general seating was about $3.50 while the left field bleachers was 75 cents! We always had a great time (when not worrying who was gonna steal our car!)
First I am a fan through marriage. But, I do know my beloved loves his team. He has not been happy with the Os in the past years. His brother a huge fan, finally sent out an e-mail, like an obit notice saying that his team had died and he was finished. He was a guy who loved the team as much as his brother. But, it is tough to watch an owner spend so much money for the elite players and the players knowing this and for what ever reason not playing well at all. But, hey the played that earned their sweetheart deal. Damned the fans.
So, your post is illuminating. I had heard the attendance is down. The return of the DC team may be the worst thing for the Os or the best, to get off their behind and earn their salary. But, with the upper management as it well that may not happen.
I recall when the Skins was bought by that young computer whiz, the team went down and quick. They are slow to recover. I almost thought both teams would die a slow death.
Money is important, talent is even more important and management well that is the most important. Both teams need that .. or they are sure to fail.
Does anyone know if they've officially named the new DC team? It is actually the Senators again or have they not yet decided? Sorry, I've been a bit out of the loop lately...
Peace . . . Topread
See ya there . . . TheTopRead
Sorry, but it's hard to beat a six-year streak under .500 and in last place to scare away fans (that's why my brother quit taking his son to the O's). Couple that with two damned Yankees as head coaches who have absolutely failed instead of hiring some very willing and able former Orioles who grew up in the organization and understand how to build talent instead of buy it and you have recipee for attendance disaster. No boycott has ever been as effective at fan suppression as that.
No, they haven't named the DC team, yet, but they plan on renaming the Expos prior to the start of the '05 season. Leading contenders are Senators, Nationals and the name of an old Negro-league team from DC (Blue-Greys or some such - memory is faulty).
Hmph, well if they want a name that's fitting for the city, they ought to called them the Washington Liberals.
As a Yankee fan, I'm glad Mazzilli did well in the second half. He's not in the best situation there, because he didn't get to pick his coaches, and there was all sorts of speculation that he'd be fired after this year.
I never heard of any such "organized boycott" of Baltimore by DC fans. Attendance has been slipping badly for years, due to lousy baseball. The Yankees and Red Sox games still sell out, though.
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