| | A change in the dugout is nothing new for the Baltimore Orioles. After all, managerial turnover in Baltimore is as common as crabcakes.
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ORIOLES LOWDOWN |
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|  | | Mike Hargrove fills the hot seat in Baltimore. |
1999: 78-84
Runs: 851, 8th in AL
Allowed: 815, 3rd in AL
Key facts
B.J. Surhoff became the third Orioles player in history to record 200 or more hits (207) in a season last year.
Mike Mussina has pitched 200 or more innings in each of the last five years.
Brady Anderson posted a career-best .404 on-base percentage in 1999.
Tim Kurkjian's scenarios
Best-case: Scott Erickson makes a fast recovery from arm trouble, the bullpen improves dramatically and the Orioles stay in the wild-card chase until the final month.
Worst-case: Ace Mike Mussina decides not to sign long term; then it could be time to start over
Prediction: 4th in AL East
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But it's no stretch to suggest that the single most important figure for the Orioles this season might be Mike Hargrove, the team's fifth manager in seven seasons.
Hargrove inherits an older team -- Charles Johnson is the only starting position player under 30 -- and one that has underachieved the last two seasons, particularly given the size of their payroll, annually one of the fattest in the game.
For the Orioles to rebound from the AL East nether regions, Hargrove must put an end to the clubhouse cliques and selfishness that has characterized the team in recent seasons.
Dealing with egos will be nothing new for Hargrove, who led the star-packed Cleveland Indians for the last eight years. Hargrove even has a past history with the O's most notorious personality, Albert Belle.
Orioles officials say Hargrove has run an efficient and structured spring camp, which should help the club get off to a better start. Playing in a competitive division -- two teams won 94 games or more, and a third won 84 -- the O's can ill afford to spot the rest of the AL East much of a head start.
Managing the Orioles now is akin to managing the New York Yankees in the 1970s and 1980s, before George Steinbrenner mercifully stabilized. Intense media scrutiny, high fan expectation, a hands-on ownership and a complicated front office structure make the job a pressure-cooker.
But unlike predecessor Ray Miller, who had managed only one year before being given the job, Hargrove has considerable experience. What's more, he's won, having directed the Indians to five straight division titles and two World Series appearances. It's probably no coincidence that the Orioles' last postseason appearance came under Davey Johnson, another veteran manager with a proven track record.
Ultimately, the Orioles' success will turn on the health of aging veterans Cal Ripken, Brady Anderson and Will Clark, and how the bullpen holds up.
But Hargrove's steady hand will be counted on to steer the O's back to respectability after two years of also-ran status.
-- Sean McAdam
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Lineup comments and grades from ESPN The Magazine
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Player
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Comment
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Grade
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B. Anderson, CF
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Career-best .404 OBP. Led AL in HBP for third time in four years
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B
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Mike Bordick, SS
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Defensive marvel whose hitting has markedly improved -- 52 extra-base hits
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B
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B.J. Surhoff, LF
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May be the most intense All-Star-level player in the game
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A
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Albert Belle, RF
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Comes to play -- has averaged 161 games, 614 ABs last four seasons
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A
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H. Baines, DH
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How will Cooperstown view DHs? He's 217 hits from 3,000
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A
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Will Clark, 1B
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Some Thrill -- has knocked in more than 92 runs just once in last 8 seasons
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D
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Cal Ripken, 3B
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As he turns 40, what will his back allow him to do?
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C
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C. Johnson, C
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Only Pudge Rodriguez and John Flaherty threw out a higher percentage of runners
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B
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D. DeShields, 2B
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Forget the big contract. Tell the owner to butt out. Let Jerry Hairston play
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D
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Pitching comments and grades from ESPN The Magazine
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Pitcher
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Comment
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Grade
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M. Mussina, SP
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Career .673 winning percentage second only to Pedro -- minimum 100 decisions
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A
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S. Erickson, SP
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Can he bounce right back from elbow surgery? O's need the 240-inning mentality
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B
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S. Ponson, SP
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Quick learner. Ready for breakout season under pitching coach Sammy Ellis
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B
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J. Johnson, SP
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Good stuff but unpolished. Needs to build stamina, sharpen breaking pitches
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D
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M. Trombley, RP
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Gutsy forkballer who's averaged 73 appearances last three seasons. Tired arm?
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C
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Mike Timlin, RP
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Good news: 18 saves in last 19 opps. Bad news: 9 blown saves, 9 losses
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C
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