The Baltimore Orioles and Dan Duquette in Toxic Times
Jun 01, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; General view of Eutaw Street and the Warehouse at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
As everyone connected to writing about the Baltimore Orioles has said concerning the situation of Dan Duquette and his potential relationship with the Toronto Blue Jays, this is the story with legs that never goes away. How can it? Not until something stronger has been said from Duquette himself.
Say it ain’t so Dan. Say it ain’t so!
It is sort of like a marriage where one side continues to hear that a third party has their heart intent upon breaking up the current relationship and marrying the desired spouse. Until the onlooking partner is assured that the meddling has no possibility of consummation, the relationship is going to be extraordinarily strained.
There are so many ironies in this entire story. For one, Orioles fans and Peter Angelos (speaking of strained relationships) find themselves on the same side in a strange turn of fate. The Orioles owner has twice now had to poke his head out of his hole long before Groundhog Day to state unequivocally that there is a contract in place that is expected to be honored. The end.
The other irony that slaps me upside the head is that Dan Duquette is being fought over like a bunch of football studs wanting to go to the prom with the homecoming queen and head cheerleader babe. (Did I just equate Dan Duqette with a babe?)
Just three years ago he was not on anyone’s short list for a general manager sort of baseball job, having been out of such since 2002. He was not the Orioles’ first choice. The O’s were laughed at with scoffing derision at the time of his hiring. Now he is the object of desire. Weird.
The most troubling thing I have read about this situation is a sentence in this morning’s column by Roch Kubatko, speaking about how the story never goes away. He said …
"I’ve heard the situation described as “toxic” by more than one person in the organization."
That is not a good thing to read. And again, without a definite statement that clarifies and puts this saga to rest, it is difficult to not see it in the terms that so many writers are couching it: that it smacks of aggressive meddling on the Jays’ side and disloyalty on Duquette’s side.
I never “get” disloyalty from people. Especially in pro sports where the numbers involve salaries per year that most of us out here will never make in an entire lifetime.
But it seems to my mind that if you have been rescued from the dustbin of baseball execs, given a chance to succeed, and then agree to an extension of your contract suggested by the gracious management that rescued you, you would have a sense of obligation to see it through. And even if God himself asked you to be manager of the Heavenly Halos, you might put him off a bit by saying, “You’ll surely understand I have to first be loyal to my word and previous contract, especially for these folks who believed in me and gave me a chance.”
What is even more interesting is to read remarks made exactly two years ago this very week in January 2013 when both Showalter and Duquette had their contracts extended.
Here is what Duquette himself said after the press conference that announced the extensions …
"I’m really grateful for the opportunity from the Angelos family and also the opportunity to serve the fans of Baltimore. I have been out of it for a while. I truly missed it and I appreciate being back. Every day, I try to give my best for the team and fans. Being away from it really accentuated the opportunity and to make the most of it."
In an article the next day, there were more specific remarks from Duquette that spoke to the value of extended time in an organization to build a consistent winner from the ground up …
"We have to build our farm system so we can be competitive. When you have some stability, you can put some programs into place that should be able to become routine so that your process gets better so that you’re more efficient developing players so that they get here a little quicker.That’s what the time gives you the opportunity to do, to build the organization from the ground up. But, make no mistake about it, we’re putting all our resources into today’s game, but we can also build a good organization so that we have a competitive team over time."
So, building a competitive organization over time … surely those remarks should be understood to mean more than two additional years, especially in the context of a contract extension just granted.
Apparently the opportunity in Toronto offers more money and a bigger title and position. Apart for the obvious disconnect as to why anyone would want to work for that organization, the contract with the Baltimore Orioles was not minimal. In a Dan Connolly article from two years ago …
"The club … does not release the salaries of non-player personnel. But an industry source said both Duquette and Showalter received deals that were “market to slightly above market value.”"
From the Angelos family and leadership group two years ago are these remarks from Louis Angelos …
"Continuity is important for an organization. Buck came in and he rejuvenated just about every aspect – what happens on the field, in the dugout and clubhouse. Dan came in and his impact was immediate as well. During the interview process, Dan stood out heads and shoulders above everyone we talked to and we had a great group. …The way they worked together it was clear at an early point that the ability to work together and the dynamic with Mr. (Peter) Angelos, it was a perfect team. The exchanges were positive and lively and the commitment by all three men is exceptional. You want to keep that team together and that’s what we’ve done."
Well, Mr. Angelos, maybe that’s only what you think you’ve done.
And this next remark from two years ago is just simply sad at this point. Nick Markakis said, after enduring five manages and three execs …
"That’s what you want, that consistency. It’s tough having a revolving door and people coming in and doing their things in a different way. If you look at Buck and Dan, they have track records and backgrounds of being successful. To have them both working with you and working for the organization, it’s a big relief."
So this is not a dump on Dan Duquette day, after all, he’s the dumpster guy, right? Seriously, the enflamed emotions of the Orioles fanbase is rather quite flattering for Duke. People generally do not want him to leave; they want him to stay and keep building a winner. And although no GM or leader of any organization of size and substance can outrun all his critics, Duquette has largely won over the followers of the Birds, and they just want him to finish what he set out to do and agreed to keep doing just two years ago this very day.
So, regarding this whole chronicle with the Blue jays, and to paraphrase the apocryphal quote of a young fan to Joe Jackson upon the occasion of the Black Sox Scandal, “Say it ain’t so, Dan! Say it ain’t so!” That’s all you’ve got to do to put this to bed for good.