The Oriole Way still a ways off, but on its way

Mike Burke

The Baltimore Orioles are making remarkable progress under manager Dave Trembley — a.k.a. Captain Kirk, a.k.a. T.J. Hooker, a.k.a. Priceline Negotiator, a.k.a. Denny Crane.

Why, just last August, two months after he took over as interim manager for Sam Perlozzo, when the Orioles announced they had agreed to a one-year deal, with a one-year club option for Trembley to manage the team on a permanent basis, the Birds promptly went out and lost to the Texas Rangers, 30-3. On Friday, the Orioles announced they had picked up their option for Trembley to manage the team next season, with yet another club option for 2010, and the Birds promptly went out and lost to the Oakland Athletics, 11-2.

By my calculations, that’s a plus-18 in run differential. Not bad, but next season if the Orioles pick up the latest option on Trembley’s contract, maybe they should do it on an off day.

Actually, it’s no surprise Trembley will be back. He’s done as good a job as anybody could with this team, which you have to admit was much better and much more interesting deeper into the season than any Orioles team has been for 11 years. But, alas, the 162-game schedule does not lie, and the Orioles have once more been exposed as a team that once it’s low on arms might as well say it’s out of arms due to the dreadful neglect the Orioles farm system absorbed for the better part of 25 years.

To see what a farm system means, particularly to a mid-major market team as the Orioles now are, look no further than the Minnesota Twins, who would have to be considered small market. Year-in and year-out, despite losing their star players to free agency or sending them off in trades for more prospects, the Twins are right there in the hunt, entering yesterday’s play 1 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, and 4 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the wild card chase.

A big reason the Twins are there every season is stability — stability in the front office and stability in the dugout, whether it’s Tom Kelly, who managed the Twins for 15 years and two World Series titles, or Ron Gardenhire, now in his sixth season as manager. By comparison, the last Orioles manager to last at least six seasons was Earl Weaver, who skippered the O’s from 1968 to 1982.

The biggest reason a team has stability in the dugout, of course, is because there is effective player development in place. The Twins don’t have the resources to spend on big-dollar players, so they hire great scouts and player development coaches and simply grow their own.

Not lost on Orioles fans, of course, is the man who built this player development system, none other than Andy MacPhail, President of Baseball Operations in Baltimore. MacPhail, of course, has seen player development work in Baltimore before as he is the son of Lee MacPhail, former Orioles general manager in the 1960s. It was Lee MacPhail who had the deal for Frank Robinson in place and on the desk for his successor, Harry Dalton, to pull the trigger on in 1965, providing the largest farm system payoff in franchise history. Not only can you grow your own, you can trade them for established players who fill needs at the big-league level.

Andy MacPhail began building the Twins’ player development system 23 years ago, and like the foundation of a grand house, it’s still holding strong, through any turbulent environment or searing conditions — known in baseball as free agency and soaring salaries. When MacPhail took over the Chicago Cubs in 1994, the Cubs had reached the postseason just twice in 50 years. In his 12 years in Wrigleyville, the Cubs got to the postseason twice and are still an annual contender.

The Orioles first and foremost need pitching. As MacPhail has said a hundred times since he arrived in Baltimore, the game is first, second and last about starting pitching, and starting pitching is developed, not purchased.

The Orioles have gotten off to a promising start in flooding their farm system with strong, young arms, through trades and the amateur player draft. That trend will continue, meaning it’s likely to be at least two more years before Orioles fans can be at all hopeful for their team to contend.

That’s not an easy pill to swallow, particularly after 11 straight losing seasons, but as MacPhail continues to build player development and stability in scouting and in instructional staff, Orioles fan can count on their team being a contender year-in and year-out.

Just like the Twins. Just like (who knew?) the Cubs.

In the meantime, Orioles fans must remain even more patient. And, oh yes, pray every day for Bud Selig’s health and contentment of job. Because the next commissioner of baseball is likely to be Andy MacPhail

See you next week

I’m out of the office for the following week, so please send your inquiries concerning the Times-News sports section, not to mention your scores, game reports and news briefs to the lads who will be here this week: Chris Appel at cappel@times-news.com, Jeff Landes at jlandes@times-news.com and Mike Mathews at mmathews@times-news.com.

Mike Burke is sports editor of the Cumberland Times-News. Write to him at mburke@times-news.com.But not until Monday, Sept. 15.