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Friday, July 30, 2010

MASN: Kurkjian’s quote on Showalter

Here is what Kurkjian said about Showalter coming to Baltimore to manage the Orioles.

“It’s a great fit for the Orioles, that’s for sure. They get as prepared a manager as I’ve ever met in 30 years of covering baseball. They get one of the most observant baseball people that I’ve ever met in my entire life.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat in that war room at ESPN watching 15 games simultaneously with Buck Showalter and him looking at me and saying ‘did you see that, did you notice that.’ Of course, I didn’t, because nobody can see what Buck Showalter can see.

“Now, he has a huge job ahead of him in Baltimore. They are going to blow that thing up and start all over as they should, because they are in tremendously bad shape right now.

“But there is nobody, and I mean nobody better at starting over and building something than Buck Showalter. He’ll start it in rookie ball all the way through the big leagues.

“There is no guarantee how well he is going to do, but I promise you that team will play better and be better the second he shows up. And they will look better on the field in everything that they do, because he will insist upon that. That’s who Buck Showalter is.”

No, more like…That’s who Tim Kurkjian is.

Repoz Posted: July 30, 2010 at 02:03 PM | 20 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: announcers, media, orioles, television

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1. Avoid running at all times.-S. Paige Posted: July 30, 2010 at 02:24 PM (#3603468)

nobody can see what Buck Showalter can see

I am going to include this line in the next lesson I teach to my students. I urge everyone out there to somehow work this line into something they say. If I was giving a speech at a friend's wedding, it would definitely make it. I would be sure use it a funeral of a dear friend. If you're breaking up with someone, say it. If you're trying to pick someone up, use the line. It's the best line ever.

2. Gamingboy Posted: July 30, 2010 at 02:31 PM (#3603475)

nobody can see what Buck Showalter can see

This reminds me of that 30 Rock episode where it is wondered how Kenneth the Page views the world, and it is revealed that he sees the world as being a collection of muppets.

Still, I'm with Zuvella, this is totally meme material.

3. Greg Goosen at 30 Posted: July 30, 2010 at 02:34 PM (#3603479)

Too bad Buck couldn't see that David Cone was running on fumes in 1995 after throwing 146 pitches and walking Doug Strange.

4. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 30, 2010 at 02:39 PM (#3603487)

Too bad Buck Showalter thought a gassed David Cone was a better option to nail down a big win than Mariano Rivera.

(yes, hindsight, I know...blah blah...but Mo had already been dominant in that series and Buck failed to harness what was obviously an emerging weapon the way, say, Mike Scoscia did in 2002)/

5. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 30, 2010 at 02:39 PM (#3603489)

ooh, and coke to Goosen...or half a coke anyhow

6. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 30, 2010 at 03:34 PM (#3603559)

If Showalter had any kind of real insight, he would have run, not walked, away from this job.

7. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 30, 2010 at 03:39 PM (#3603566)

You don't see what Buck Showalter can see
Every day as Warren G
You don't hear what Buck Showalter hears
But it's so hard to live through these years

8. Cabbage Posted: July 30, 2010 at 03:51 PM (#3603586)

He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake.
He knows when you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake.

So...You better hustle,
You better not cry
You better not balk,
I'm telling you why.
Buck Showalter is coming to town.

9. chemdoc Posted: July 30, 2010 at 03:58 PM (#3603600)

Never saw what he saw.

10. David Nieporent (now, with children) Posted: July 30, 2010 at 04:03 PM (#3603610)

If Showalter had any kind of real insight, he would have run, not walked, away from this job.

There is that. (On the other hand, standards are pretty low in Baltimore at this point; if he can hold the Orioles below 100 losses, he'll be an improvement.)

11. The Curly W Theory Posted: July 30, 2010 at 04:21 PM (#3603636)

nobody can see what Buck Showalter can see

I am going to include this line in the next lesson I teach to my students. I urge everyone out there to somehow work this line into something they say. If I was giving a speech at a friend's wedding, it would definitely make it. I would be sure use it a funeral of a dear friend. If you're breaking up with someone, say it. If you're trying to pick someone up, use the line. It's the best line ever.

I'm working on my material for a conference I'm speaking at next weekend, and I'll see what I can do.

12. DiPoto Cabengo Posted: July 30, 2010 at 04:26 PM (#3603642)

Yay, Pittsburgh picks first in the 2011 draft!

13. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: July 30, 2010 at 04:26 PM (#3603644)

The number in Baltimore's "Games Behind" column is higher than the number in the "W" column.

14. Yeaarrgghhhh Posted: July 30, 2010 at 04:53 PM (#3603686)

If Showalter had any kind of real insight, he would have run, not walked, away from this job.

I don't get this argument. What's the downside for Buck? If he turns the team around, he's a hero and a genius. If he doesn't...well, the team sucked anyway and no one could have turned them around. And if he clashes with Angelos and gets fired after a year, he's got a three year deal and no one will think less of him because Angelos didn't like him.

15. tocom Posted: July 30, 2010 at 05:29 PM (#3603752)

He's not to be reached, he's to be reached
He's not to be reached, he's to be reached

Called the fool and the company,
On his own where he'd rather be
Where he ought to be, Showalter sees what you can't see, can't you see that?

16. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: July 30, 2010 at 05:58 PM (#3603805)

Showalter was good with the State, and he's done some ok stand-up and short films recently. He gets a little outshined by Michael Ian Black, though. Not sure how he'd do in Baltimore.

17. Delino DeShields & Yarnell Posted: July 30, 2010 at 06:05 PM (#3603814)

this is totally meme material

Move over, Chuck Norris.

18. Greg Goosen at 30 Posted: July 30, 2010 at 06:49 PM (#3603894)

Is Showalter venturing where Bobby V feared to go? He is good at bringing order to a floundering organization and setting a coherent plan with a supporting front office. Whether he can adjust on the fly in a playoff series remains to be seen. He didn't in the 1995 ALDS and the 1999 NLDS. But the Orioles, who have as many managers this year as the Baltimore Ravens have head coaches in their 15 years, will worry about that when (if) the time comes.

When Lee Mazzilli was fired in 2005, Suzyn Waldman said he learned in his stint and would be better in his next managerial job. So far 29 teams have not given him a chance.

19. Don Lock Posted: July 30, 2010 at 10:05 PM (#3604195)

Buck seems as good a choice as any. The Orioles have tried a no-nonsense, old school boss in Ripken Sr., tried a manager who had won before in Hargrove, tried several rookie managers. Nothing has worked so far. Keep in mind that although Showalter has turned bad teams into better ones, he couldn't turn them into pennant winning teams. I suspect he needed better players.

Is it true he wouldn't take the Orioles job unless they traded Tejada? Why didn't the Padres make an offer for Lugo or Izturis? Both have played SS in pennant races before and I think are both better fielders at Short than Miggy will be.

20. Kiko Sakata

Posted: July 30, 2010 at 10:23 PM (#3604220)

The Orioles have tried a no-nonsense, old school boss in Ripken Sr

Cal Ripken, Sr., was the Orioles manager 23 years ago (heck, he's been dead for over a decade now). I'm pretty sure he pre-dates Angelos. They've been to an ALCS since they got rid of Ripken. How do you get the string of Orioles managers who haven't "worked so far" to go back to Cal, Sr.?

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MASN: Kurkjian’s quote on Showalter

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