BALTIMORE -- Buck Showalter's tenure as manager of the Orioles has ended.The Orioles, heavily speculated to go elsewhere with their managerial position, will move on from the 62-year-old Showalter after nine seasons. The news of his departure on Wednesday follows a season in which the O's went 47-115, the worst record in the Majors this year and the worst mark in franchise history.A source confirmed the exit, first reported by MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal.Showalter met with executive vice president John Angelos and ownership representative Louis Angelos on Wednesday, Showalter's second meeting with ownership in recent weeks. No other role in the organization was discussed, and Showalter, whose contract ran through this season, headed home to Dallas.
A three-time Manager of the Year, Showalter was part of an Orioles turnaround that included three postseason trips in five seasons from 2012-16. The team won the American League East and advanced to the AL Championship Series in '14.Showalter signed a five-year contract extension in 2013. He debuted for Baltimore on Aug. 3, 2010, and the Orioles won 6-3 over the Angels that night and won 34 of their 57 remaining games. The 2012 club won 93 games to end a streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons and earn a Wild Card berth.After missing the playoffs in '13, Showalter's club won its first division title in 17 years the following season, sweeping the Tigers in the AL Division Series before being swept by the Royals. Showalter earned AL Manager of the Year honors, his first time winning the award since 2004, when he was with Texas.Showalter brought an air of accountability to a long-beleaguered franchise, though the club's staple -- a standout bullpen and exceptional defense -- waned over the past few years. Many believe that Showalter's slip-up in the AL Wild Card loss in '16, when he failed to use All-Star closer Zach Britton in a loss in Toronto, was the beginning of his demise.Showalter was the third oldest manager in the Majors behind the Cubs' Joe Maddon and the Giants' Bruce Bochy. This season was his 20th as a big league manager, including four with the Yankees, three with the D-backs and four with the Rangers. This year's team was his first to lose 100 or more games.Showalter finishes 669-684 with the Orioles, a winning percentage of .494. His career record is 1,551-1,517, a .506 winning percentage.
Brittany Ghiroli/MLB.com
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