With Matt Borgschulte taking a job with the Twins, neither of the Birds’ 2024 co-hitting coaches will be returning to Baltimore next year.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
For Orioles fans who wondered if heads would roll after the O’s offense flatlined for much of the second half and then scored just one run in the postseason, it appears we have an answer.
Maybe it’s not exactly heads rolling, but Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte, the co-hitting coaches who presided over this year’s disappointing offense, won’t be returning to the coaching staff next year. Yesterday Borgschulte accepted a position as hitting coach with the Minnesota Twins, rejoining his former organization, and O’s reporters confirmed last week that the club won’t be bringing back Fuller.
It seemed inevitable that the Orioles would make some changes to address the lineup’s often frustrating plate approach, which cost them dearly in the playoffs. While the Birds scored the fourth-most runs in the majors (786) and hit the second-most homers (235), they too often seemed overly aggressive at the plate, with a 7.9% walk rate that ranked 19th in MLB.
Those undisciplined at-bats were especially evident with runners in scoring position, when O’s hitters would get themselves out by chasing pitches out of the zone, often failing even to make contact when just a fly ball or a well-placed grounder would score a run. In situations where all the pressure should be on the pitcher, it was instead Orioles hitters who seemed to panic. The lasting image of the 2024 season may well be Colton Cowser striking out swinging at a pitch that broke his hand in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. We wish Colton all the best in his recovery, but that at-bat was emblematic of Orioles hitters’ poor approach in clutch situations for much of the year. The O’s posted a .741 OPS with men in scoring position this season, a drop of nearly 100 points from the previous year.
Of course, Fuller and Borgschulte were also the hitting coaches in 2023, when the Orioles had a dynamic, productive offense that came through in the clutch time and time again. So it’s not as if the blame for 2024 can be laid entirely at their feet, unless they somehow just forgot everything they’d taught in previous seasons. Fans don’t really have any idea of what coaches are doing behind the scenes or how they’re working with individual players.
Still, given the frustrating way that the season ended, and some prominent hitters who either regressed or failed to take a step forward — notably, Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday — it’s probably not the worst thing for the Orioles to find a fresh set of eyes to work with their young talent.
Links
Borgschulte also leaving Orioles coaching staff – School of Roch
More on the latest hitting coach departure. Ugh, and just when I had finally learned how to spell “Borgschulte.”
Reviewing a difficult 2024 for Orioles’ Ryan Mountcastle – BaltimoreBaseball.com
Speaking of disappointing hitters, Ryan Mountcastle became a non-factor for most of the second half, partly due to injuries. With Coby Mayo ready for the majors and in need of a position, Mountcastle shouldn’t be feeling too secure about sticking with the Orioles next year.
Baltimore Orioles: What Kind of Contract Will Corbin Burnes Get? – Eutaw Street Report
I’m going to say…a big one. #analysis
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with the greatest pitcher in Orioles history. That’s right: Jack Flaherty.
I jest, of course. Happy 79th birthday to Jim Palmer! The Hall of Famer spent his entire 19-year career in Baltimore, winning 268 games and three AL Cy Young awards, and pitching for all three Orioles championship teams. He’s still plugging away as the O’s color analyst on MASN, a job he should hold for as long as he wants. Enjoy your day, Jim!
It actually is Jack Flaherty’s birthday, too. He’s 29. Other former Orioles born on Oct. 15 include right-hander Cody Carroll (32), outfielder Chad Mottola (53), and infielder Glenn Gulliver (70).
This was a memorable date in 1970, as the Orioles won the World Series for the second time in franchise history, routing the Reds, 9-3, in Game 5. In front of 45,341 fans at Memorial Stadium, the O’s gave up three runs in the top of the first but then scored nine unanswered to start the celebration. Frank Robinson, whom the Reds famously (and foolishly) traded away, blasted a two-run homer to start the Orioles’ scoring, and Merv Rettenmund added a dinger and an RBI single. The offensive support was more than enough to back a Mike Cuellar complete game.
And on this date in 1983, the O’s pulled within one win of a World Series title with a 5-4 win over the Phillies in Game 4. In a back-and-forth game at Veterans Stadium, the O’s took a 2-0 lead, then fell behind 3-2, then rallied for three runs in the sixth and seventh to eke out the victory. Light-hitting second baseman Rich Dauer had a fantastic game with three hits and three RBIs, and pinch-hitters Ken Singleton and John Shelby both drove in runs in that crucial sixth inning.
I won’t discuss what happened on this date in 1969, 1997, and 2014.