Monday, June 18, 2007
Perlozzo out as skipper; MacPhail hired as COO
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ESPN.com news services
Sam Perlozzo's brief tenure as Orioles manager ended Monday.
The team has called a 1 p.m. news conference where it will announce that Perlozzo has been fired. Orioles executives Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette informed Perlozzo of the decision Monday, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reports.
Bullpen coach Dave Trembley, who has served as a minor league manager in the organization, will be the interim manager when the Orioles begin a six-game trip in San Diego on Tuesday.
Sources told Olney that Baltimore has arranged a meeting with former Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi to discuss the job. It is expected that he will be given a chance to accept or reject the job.
Meanwhile, the same sources said Andy MacPhail has reached an agreement to be the Orioles' chief operating officer.
MacPhail and Girardi overlapped in Chicago during MacPhail's tenure as Cubs president and CEO of the Chicago Cubs, which began in 1994 and ended in 2006. Girardi, who managed the Florida Marlins in 2006, was the Cubs' catcher for two stints totaling six seasons, the last from 2000-02.
MacPhail won two World Series championships as general manager of the Minnesota Twins in 1987 and 1991.
Perlozzo was victimized by an underachieving bullpen and a punchless offense that ranks last in the AL in home runs. Baltimore was 27-27 and second in the AL East on May 31 before losing 13 of 15, including the final eight games of a 1-8 homestand that ended Sunday.
After Sunday's 6-4 loss to Arizona on Sunday, there was talk in the clubhouse of Perlozzo's imminent dismissal. Several players publicly defended him, including Kevin Millar, who called for a players-only meeting in San Diego on Tuesday.
"Sam Perlozzo doesn't throw the ball and doesn't catch the ball. We know that for sure, right? He doesn't hit the ball," Millar said. "He doesn't play. We play. And we've got to find a way to play better."
Baltimore is 122-164 under Perlozzo and finished fourth in the AL East last season. Perlozzo was the Orioles' bench coach from 2001 until replacing Mazzilli as manager.
Girardi is currently a baseball analyst for Fox and for Yankees broadcasts on the YES network. He began his playing career with the Cubs in 1989 and won World Series rings with the Yankees in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
Last offseason, Girardi indicated he was in no rush to return to managing when he turned down an offer to be the Washington Nationals' new manager, a job that went to Mets coach Manny Acta.
With one of baseball's skimpiest payrolls (approximately $14 million), Girardi managed the Marlins into wild-card contention for most of 2006 -- Florida missed the playoffs with a 78-84 record -- and was named NL Manager of the Year. He was unceremoniously fired days at the conclusion of the season by owner Jeffrey Loria. The two had been at odds since having a vocal argument that August.
Baltimore is seeking to end a franchise-record run of nine straight losing seasons. Since Davey Johnson took the Orioles to the playoffs in 1997, Ray Miller, Mike Hargrove, Mazzilli and Perlozzo have failed to produce so much as a .500 record.
Buster Olney is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. The Associated Press contributed to this report.