| Buck Showalter | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Showalter with theNew York Mets in 2023 | |
| Manager | |
| Born: (1956-05-23)May 23, 1956 (age 69) DeFuniak Springs, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Managerial record | 1,727–1,664 |
| Winning % | .509 |
Managerial record atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
As manager
As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
William Nathaniel "Buck"Showalter III (born May 23, 1956) is an Americanprofessional baseballmanager. He served as manager of theNew York Yankees (1992–1995),Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2000),Texas Rangers (2003–2006),Baltimore Orioles (2010–2018) andNew York Mets (2022–2023). He also is a former professionalMinor League Baseball player and television analyst forESPN and theYES Network.
Showalter has earned a reputation for building baseball teams into postseason contenders in short periods of time.[1] He helped the Yankees rise from the bottom half of theAL East to first place before aplayers' strike prematurely ended the1994 campaign.[2] Under his watch, the Diamondbacks made their first-ever playoff appearance in only the second year of the team's existence.[3] Despite this reputation, Showalter has never appeared in aWorld Series; coincidentally, he left both the Yankees and Diamondbacks just prior to seasons when they won the World Series.[1] SinceDusty Baker's win in the2022 World Series, Showalter has become the winningest active manager in MLB never to win a World Series. In 22 seasons, he has reached the postseason six times, reaching the League Championship Series once.
A three-timeAmerican League (AL) and one-timeNational League (NL)Manager of the Year, he is the third manager to win four Manager of the Year awards, the seventh to win the award in both the American and National Leagues, and the only one to win the award with four different teams and in four different decades.
Showalter was born inDeFuniak Springs, Florida, on May 23, 1956,[4] and grew up in nearbyCentury.[5] His father, William Nathaniel Showalter II, served 23 years as a teacher andprincipal atCentury High School, from which the younger Showalter graduated. Before becoming a teacher, his father had been a Little All-Americanfullback in 1940 atMilligan College, and had considered a career in theNational Football League with thePittsburgh Steelers, but chose to become a high school coach instead.[6]
Showalter was known as "Nat", and had not acquired the nickname "Buck" prior to turning professional. Showalter playedcollege baseball at Chipola Junior College (nowChipola College) in Marianna, Florida, in 1976. From there he transferred toMississippi State University to play for theMississippi State Bulldogs.[7]
In 1976, Showalter playedcollegiate summer baseball in theCape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) for theHyannis Mets, where he won the league batting title with a .434 batting average, and was named league MVP. In 2002, he was inducted into theCCBL Hall of Fame.[8]
Showalter was anAll-American and set the Mississippi State record forbatting average in a season by hitting .459 during the 1977 season.[9]
He was selected by theNew York Yankees in the fifth round of the1977 MLB draft, and spent seven seasons in the Yankees'minor league system where he had a career average of .294 with 17home runs and 336runs batted in. He never played in the major leagues, rising no higher than Triple-AColumbus (one rung below the majors).[7]
Showalter was hired as manager of the Single-A minor-leagueOneonta Yankees of theNew York–Penn League in 1985, leading them to 114 victories in two seasons. In August 2017, he was named as an inductee in theNew York–Penn League Hall of Fame.[10]
In 1987, Showalter became manager of the minor leagueFort Lauderdale Yankees, leading the league with an 85–53 record in his first season. In 1989, Showalter managed the Double-AAlbany-Colonie Yankees of theEastern League, where he was named Minor League Manager of the Year byBaseball America.[citation needed]
In 1990, Showalter was promoted to the coaching staff of the New York Yankees, and eventually succeededStump Merrill as the team's manager for the 1992 season. During his four years as the Yankees' manager, the team posted a record of 313–268, finishing first during thestrike-shortened1994 season, thereby being named by theAssociated Press as theAmerican LeagueManager of the Year and became the 1995 American League manager for theAll-Star Game. The Yankees won the AL wild card in 1995, participating in the playoffs for the first time since 1981. However, they lost to theSeattle Mariners in theDivision Series. Following the season, ownerGeorge Steinbrenner offered Showalter a new, two-year contract, but demanded that Showalter fire his hitting coach,Rick Down. Showalter was unwilling to do this.[11] On October 26, 1995, the Yankees announced that Showalter and the team had parted ways "'under amicable terms'"; Showalter expressed surprise at the announcement.[12] While some sources say that Showalter was fired from the Yankees,[13][14] others indicate that he resigned his position.[15][16][17] Showalter finished his Yankees tenure with a regular-season record of 313 wins and 268 losses and a playoff record of two wins and three losses.[18]
Showalter was not re-hired after that season in part because of the playoff loss, but mostly because he stood up for his players during the strike. The Yankees won theWorld Series the following year and they would win the World Series in four of the next five years. However, Showalter could not watch the Yankees win the World Series, saying, "I feel badly for the fans" in New York for what they lost during the 1994 strike.[19]
Showalter appeared as himself along withDanny Tartabull in the September 1994Seinfeld television episode "The Chaperone".[20]
In November 1995, Showalter was approached to manage an expansion team that would begin play in 1998. Named theArizona Diamondbacks, Showalter was interested in taking a more active role in developing the eventual roster, complete with a $7 million contract for seven years. He had a handshake deal with the team, but Yankees ownerGeorge Steinbrenner made one last ditch effort to his home in Florida about wanting him back (Joe Torre had been tapped to manage for the moment). Showalter elected to honor his agreement with Arizona.[21] In the Diamondbacks' first season (1998), Showalter managed the team to a 65–97 record, but following numerous off-season player acquisitions, which includedRandy Johnson,Armando Reynoso,Todd Stottlemyre,Luis Gonzalez,Tony Womack, andSteve Finley, Showalter managed the 1999 team to a 100–62 record and theNational League West title, making them the fastest expansion team in MLB history to win a division title. They lost in theNLDS to theNew York Mets. After the team regressed to an 85–77 record in 2000, the Diamondbacks fired Showalter on October 1, 2000, with the team citing a need for a "lighter touch" as compared to the disciplinarian approach by Showalter.[22] He had a three-year record of 250–236.[18][23] Just as the Yankees did after replacing him, the Diamondbacks, managed byBob Brenly, won theWorld Series the following year.
After a few years as an analyst onESPN, Showalter was hired as manager of the Texas Rangers on October 11, 2002, following a last-place season under managerJerry Narron. In his first season with the Rangers, Showalter managed the team to a 71–91 record—again in last place; but following the high-profile, off-season trade which sentAlex Rodriguez to the Yankees, Showalter's Rangers jumped out to an early-season record of 17–9 by early May of the 2004 season. The Rangers stayed in playoff contention for most of the season, performing far better than most had predicted. The Rangers failed to make the playoffs, finishing third in theAL West, though Showalter was again namedManager of the Year. In Showalter's four years with the Rangers the team failed to finish better than third (of four teams) in theAL West. He was fired as manager on October 4, 2006.[24] He finished his Rangers career with a 319–329 record.[18]
Showalter was hired as a senior advisor to baseball operations for theCleveland Indians on December 1, 2006,[25] and then returned toESPN as ananalyst, before being appointed to succeedJuan Samuel asmanager of theBaltimore Orioles on July 29, 2010.[26] He chose to wear uniform number 26 as a tribute toJohnny Oates.[27] Signed to a contract through the 2013 campaign, he inherited a ballclub with the worst record in the majors at 32–73.[28] In his debut as manager on August 3, the Orioles recorded a 6–3 win over theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim atOriole Park, leading to a three-game sweep.[29][30] The team's first-ever season series sweep of the Angels was completed by the end of the month.[31] The2010 Orioles won 34 of 57 games played under Showalter, second only to the Phillies during the same stretch.[1]
Showalter managed the 1,000th victory of his major-league career in a 7–1 triumph atYankee Stadium on May 1, 2012.[32] Showalter finished the 2012 season with a record of 93-69 (.574), ending a 14-year streak of losing seasons for the Orioles going back to 1998.[33]
Under Showalter, the Orioles reached the postseason for the first time since 1997, defeating theTexas Rangers in the Wild Card game on October 5, 2012. The Orioles were later defeated by theNew York Yankees in the2012 American League Division Series, 3 games to 2. Showalter was named theAL Manager of the Year byThe Sporting News.[34] He was re-signed through 2018 with the Orioles.[35]
After finishing out of playoff contention in the 2013 season, Showalter led the 2014 Orioles to the AL East title—the franchise's first in 17 years. The Orioles subsequently swept the Detroit Tigers (3–0) in theALDS for Showalter's first major league ALDS title, before being swept themselves (4–0) by theKansas City Royals in theALCS.
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On November 11, 2014, Showalter won his thirdAL Manager of the Year award, his first since 2004.[36]
The Orioles finished the 2015 season with an 81–81 record, giving them their fourth consecutive non-losing season. And in 2016, the Orioles finished tied for second in the American League East with an 89–73 record. They made the postseason for the third time in five years, but lost 5–2 in 11 innings to the Toronto Blue Jays during theAL Wild Card game.[33][37]
On October 3, 2018, days after the Orioles finished with a franchise-worst 115 losses, Showalter's and General ManagerDan Duquette's contracts ran out and the team announced that they would not be brought back.[38]
On December 18, 2021, theNew York Mets hired Showalter as their manager, signing him to a three-year contract. Showalter wore number 11, the number he wore every other place he managed except Baltimore, where he wore number 26 as a tribute toJohnny Oates.[39]
In 2022, he tied for the lead among all major league managers in overturns (26), and had the highest overturn percentage (78.6%), while he was the only full-season manager not to be ejected from any games.[40] Under Showalter, the Mets had their first 100-win season since1988, but their division lead (one that reached 10 games at one point) was gradually whittled away by September, with a three-game-sweep by theAtlanta Braves proving key to the finish as the Mets lost the division title to the Braves in an automatic tiebreaker.[41] The Mets would go on to lose theNL Wild Card Series in Game 3 to theSan Diego Padres.[42] After the season on November 14, Showalter was namedNL Manager of the Year.[43]
Amid a disappointing start to the 2023 season, in the words ofThe Athletic's Tim Britton, Showalter's performance came "under justified fire" from fans. In spite of that, on June 28, 2023, Mets majority ownerSteve Cohen held a press conference in which he affirmed that Showalter's job would be guaranteed at least until the end of what Cohen conceded was an "incredibly frustrating" season.[44] On October 1, during the final day of the season, Showalter announced that he was fired as Mets manager by newly appointedPresident of Baseball OperationsDavid Stearns.[45]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| NYY | 1992 | 162 | 76 | 86 | .469 | 4th in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| NYY | 1993 | 162 | 88 | 74 | .543 | 2nd in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| NYY | 1994 | 113 | 70 | 43 | .619 | 1st in AL East | – | – | – | N/A (strike) |
| NYY | 1995 | 145 | 79 | 65 | .549 | 2nd in AL East | 2 | 3 | .400 | LostALDS (SEA) |
| NYY Total | 582 | 313 | 268 | .539 | 2 | 3 | .400 | |||
| ARI | 1998 | 162 | 65 | 97 | .401 | 5th in NL West | – | – | – | – |
| ARI | 1999 | 162 | 100 | 62 | .617 | 1st in NL West | 1 | 3 | .250 | LostNLDS (NYM) |
| ARI | 2000 | 162 | 85 | 77 | .525 | 3rd in NL West | – | – | – | – |
| ARI Total | 486 | 250 | 236 | .514 | 1 | 3 | .250 | |||
| TEX | 2003 | 162 | 71 | 91 | .438 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
| TEX | 2004 | 162 | 89 | 73 | .549 | 3rd in AL West | – | – | – | – |
| TEX | 2005 | 162 | 79 | 83 | .488 | 3rd in AL West | – | – | – | – |
| TEX | 2006 | 162 | 80 | 82 | .494 | 3rd in AL West | – | – | – | – |
| TEX Total | 648 | 319 | 329 | .492 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
| BAL | 2010 | 57 | 34 | 23 | .596 | 5th in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BAL | 2011 | 162 | 69 | 93 | .426 | 5th in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BAL | 2012 | 162 | 93 | 69 | .574 | 2nd in AL East | 3 | 3 | .500 | LostALDS (NYY) |
| BAL | 2013 | 162 | 85 | 77 | .525 | 3rd in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BAL | 2014 | 162 | 96 | 66 | .593 | 1st in AL East | 3 | 4 | .429 | LostALCS (KC) |
| BAL | 2015 | 162 | 81 | 81 | .500 | 3rd in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BAL | 2016 | 162 | 89 | 73 | .549 | 2nd in AL East | 0 | 1 | .000 | LostALWC (TOR) |
| BAL | 2017 | 162 | 75 | 87 | .463 | 5th in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BAL | 2018 | 162 | 47 | 115 | .290 | 5th in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| BAL Total | 1,353 | 669 | 684 | .494 | 6 | 8 | .429 | |||
| NYM | 2022 | 162 | 101 | 61 | .623 | 2nd in NL East | 1 | 2 | .333 | LostNLWCS (SD) |
| NYM | 2023 | 162 | 75 | 87 | .463 | 4th in NL East | – | – | – | – |
| NYM Total | 324 | 176 | 148 | .543 | – | – | – | |||
| Total | 3,393 | 1,727 | 1,665 | .509 | 11 | 16 | .407 | |||
Showalter has been married to his wife, Angela, since 1983. They have two children, Allie, born in 1987, and William, born in 1991.[47] The couple met in Nashville when he was playing for theNashville Sounds.[48] When Showalter was manager of the Orioles, his wife was active in theKidsPeace charity for foster children.[49]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
| Preceded by | Oneonta Yankees Manager 1985–1986 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Fort Lauderdale Yankees Manager 1987–1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Albany-Colonie Yankees Manager 1989 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | New York Yankees Third Base Coach 1990–1991 | Succeeded by |