The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the hottest teams in baseball since the All-Star Break, taking all but one series since then and establishing the best division lead in all of baseball.
Even though most of the credit must be given to the personnel who are actually playing the game, some of the credit needs to be given to the man in the dugout.
Manager Buck Showalter has kept everything in perspective for the club and has established a strong bond with his players due to mutual respect and appreciation.
The “I like our guys” phrase of Showalter‘s that has been popularized into a t-shirt giveaway at Camden Yards earlier this year isn’t just a cutesy saying.
Showalter stays loyal to his guys—albeit to a fault at some times—but for the most part things usually pay off as players are allowed to push through their slumps rather than be benched.
Still, Showalter isn’t afraid to mix things up at points in order for the club to improve as a whole, and these are just a few examples of his smartest moves of the 2014 season.