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Miller's crossing

Orioles poor start, chemistry not insurmountable

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Posted: Wednesday April 28, 1999 03:57 PM

Despite an $84 million payroll that's the third highest in the majors, the Baltimore Orioles have the worst record in the American League. As a result, manager Ray Miller has put himself in a dicey situation.

When Miller publicly blasted his team earlier this week and compared his pitchers to 12-year-olds, it rubbed some of his players the wrong way. It made them feel as if Miller was a captain deserting a sinking ship.

On Tuesday, Miller held a lengthy, closed door meeting with his team. He refused to apologize for his comments, but he did invite and receive feedback and criticism from his players. I think that's the proper way to handle a team's problems -- in the locker room.

Baltimore overhauled its roster this offseason -- bringing in 11 new players. But so far, it isn't paying off. The O's pitching staff is the worst in the American League. Many of Baltimore's key hitters aren't even hitting their weight.

But the O's do have some cause for hope. Whether he intended to or not -- Miller's outburst should help motivate his team.

Plus history tells us that there have been a number of teams which have started slow and made the playoffs -- although none as slow as the Orioles' start this year.

The 1991 Minnesota Twins started off 2-9 and ended up winning the World Series. The 1995 Reds dropped their first six games before making the playoffs. And the 1989 Blue Jays won just eight of their first 20 games and still made the postseason. And remember -- there's now a wild card slot to shoot for also.

The Orioles' situation is bad -- but it's not insurmountable. I think Miller was right to point fingers at his underachieving players -- even if he should have done it behind closed doors the first time. I believe Miller can still get the job done, and it's too early for him to get the ax.

 

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