BALTIMORE — Pickles Pub was once the place where Baltimore Orioles fans drowned their sorrows. There were years when fans didn’t even go through the gates of Camden Yards, instead preferring to stay at the rowdy bar and play beer pong. Some of those games were probably more competitive than the Orioles games that were projected on the wall of the notorious Inner Harbor watering hole.
But then Buck Showalter came to town and the fate of Baltimore’s beloved O’s changed. Showalter was hired in the middle of 2010 with the Orioles coming off four straight seasons with 90 or more losses and heading toward a fifth. Two years later, Baltimore was once again a postseason team.
So, when Showalter, who became as revered a figure in the Charm City as Earl Weaver and John Harbaugh, decided he wanted to surprise fans he knew exactly where to go.
“My kids were kidding with me, they said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if you just walked in there the day before the playoffs?’” Showalter said Friday at Oriole Park before the Mets began a three-game series against the AL-best Orioles. “We had the workout the day before, so I walked in there and asked if they were ready for more and then walked back out.”
The manager did not stay for a game of beer pong, thinking it might not play well with the media the night before the postseason, but it still stands out as one of the more memorable moments during his nearly nine-season tenure in Baltimore.
Showalter is back in the city as a manager for the first time since the club declined to renew his contract after a 115-loss season in 2018 and let general manager Dan Duquette go with him. His status as the Mets manager is tenuous at best, with owner Steve Cohen placing the blame for a disappointing season largely on the players just a few days ago. However, Cohen only tepidly endorsed Showalter and did not guarantee that the four-time Manager of the Year would be back to finish the third year of his contract.
If Showalter was feeling any emotions, he didn’t show it. His own coaches aren’t sure what’s going through his head. His players don’t know how he’s feeling. Showalter wanted to keep the focus on the Mets and wasn’t in the mood to look back in time, but he did admit that he sees some similarities between the 2018 season and the 2023 season.
“Right now it’s about the Mets,” Showalter said. “I have the same feelings for Queens that I did for Baltimore. We’ve always committed to every community we’ve had the honor of being in. We buy a house, we move in donkeys and dogs. My wife has done a great job with resale.
“No nobody’s getting out of this unscathed.”
He did not make out of Baltimore unscathed. Showalter managed the Orioles to 669 wins, the second-most in franchise history behind Weaver, and took the team to the postseason three times, including to the ALCS in 2014. They were swept by the upstart Kansas City Royals.
The Mets come into Baltimore having just been swept by the Royals. It’s funny how baseball works sometimes.
The ending was more bitter than sweet. The Showalter family is not in attendance this weekend. It’s too painful for them to come back. Showalter’s son, Nathan, still lives nearby in Severna Park, and his wife, Angela, is frequently seen at games but both have opted not to come.
“Nobody wants to hear it,” Showalter said. “It is what it is.”
The Orioles showed a tribute video before the game. The fans gave him a lengthy ovation at the conclusion of it. The former Baltimore skipper tipped his cap to the fans. It’s clear he still means something to these fans.
Baltimore has been waiting to embrace baseball again and the city is finally able to do so. The club’s young talent is emerging and the Mets could take a page or two out of the O’s book regarding player development. Some of those young players were around when Showalter was still around.
“I say all the time, whether it’s Citi Field or Camden Yards, it’s our responsibility… They’re ready to embrace you, but you’ve got to give them something to embrace you about,” Showalter said. “Simple as that.”
The Orioles and their fans are still embracing Showalter, just like they did that day at Pickles.
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