Much has changed about Camden Yards since Buck Showalter last managed a game there. But what captured his eye the most was something new a few blocks away.
“They’ve got a Topgolf now?” Showalter said. “Man, if they’d have had that here, I’d have been a little later to the ballpark.”
Friday’s matchup between the Orioles and Showalter’s New York Mets marked the longtime Baltimore manager’s first meeting with his old team since his tenure ended after the 2018 season. Managing the Orioles from late in the 2010 season until then, Showalter led Baltimore to a 669-684 record, with the team making three playoff appearances from 2012 to 2016 in a stretch in which it was the American League’s winningest team.
Speaking to a gaggle of Baltimore and New York media in the visiting coaches’ locker room at Camden Yards before Friday night’s game, Showalter recalled many positive memories from his time in Baltimore, such as returning from Detroit after winning the AL Division Series or surprising fans in Pickles Pub before a postseason matchup. But the team bottomed out with 115 losses in 2018, and Showalter was among those let go in an organizational turnover.
Five years later, Showalter’s successor, Brandon Hyde, has the Orioles (67-42) back atop the AL entering a series with Showalter’s Mets, who began the year with the largest payroll in MLB history but have underperformed and thus traded away several players before Tuesday’s deadline.
To reporters, Showalter repeatedly tried to deflect attention from his return. When the Orioles played a tribute video for him before the game, he practically hid before the dugout railing — having joked in the clubhouse, “I’d like to stay in here until the first pitch is thrown.” — before a standing ovation and cheers from fans prompted him to tip his cap.
“The news is Baltimore, how well they’re playing, the Orioles,” he said. “That’s great for the city and the organization.
“I’m really happy that the fans of the Orioles, who are as good as it gets, are getting some return for their support.”
Showalter noted how proud he is to see the growth of several players who were in the organization during his tenure, listing Austin Hays, Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan McKenna, Dean Kremer and Félix Bautista. In that group, only Hays and Santander played for Showalter in the majors, and he also served as the first manager for injured Orioles John Means, Cedric Mullins and Mychal Givens.
“I look forward to seeing them and what they’ve become,” Showalter said.
After his time with Baltimore ended, Showalter spent a few seasons out of the dugout before joining the Mets, guiding them to 101 wins and earning National League Manager of the Year honors last year. They’ve been unable to repeat that success in his second season, entering Friday with a 50-58 record.
Showalter acknowledged that this New York season had some similarities to his final year with Baltimore, when a team that hoped to contend was unable to do so and instead traded away major leaguers to begin restocking its farm system. For the Orioles, that 2018 season was the first of four straight as one of baseball’s five worst teams. They improved greatly in Hyde’s fourth season before his fifth featured an AL East contender.
Showalter chose not to opine about the timeline of Baltimore’s turnaround, though he praised the new front office for hitting on its high draft picks, which he noted not every rebuilding team is able to do.
“Things can happen quicker than some people might perceive, sometimes they take a little longer,” Showalter said. “We’re dealing with human beings. Things change quickly. It’s not always played on a stat sheet. It’s people that have emotions, things that happen in real life. Some people come quicker. Want to make the baseball gods laugh, tell ‘em about your plans. Nobody’s that smart.”
Instead, he chose to welcome the fact that a good Orioles team meant good crowds at Camden Yards. Baltimore’s previous homestand ended with the ballpark’s largest draw for a three-game series since July 2016.
“Whether it’s Citi Field or Camden Yards, it’s our responsibility,” he said. “You control it. They’re waiting to embrace you, you’ve got to give them something to embrace you about. It’s as simple as that. It’s your responsibility. There’s an excuse around every corner if you’re willing to go there. The way baseball’s structured, everybody can compete if you kind of know who you are and how you need to go about it.”
This series might prove to be his lone visit back, with his status as the Mets’ manager going forward in question amid this disappointing season. But he’s experienced that turmoil before, including in Baltimore.
“We’ve always committed to every community we’ve had the honor of being in,” Showalter said. “We buy a house, we move in, donkeys, dogs, the whole thing. My wife’s done a great job with resale through the years. And you realize nobody’s getting out of this unscathed.”
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