Shades of Weaver

It was a move worthy of Earl Weaver.  On Friday morning, about ten hours before the start of the American League playoffs, the Orioles had to submit their 25-man roster to Major League officials.  Unlike typical playoff series that are best of seven or best of five, this new round of the playoffs, the "Wild Card" playoff, is one game, winner take-all.  On Buck Showalter's roster, there was only one starting pitcher.  It was the man who would start and win Friday night's game, Joe Saunders. (The amazing Orioles beat the two-time defending American League Champions, the Texas Rangers, 5-1, behind 5.2 solid starting innings from Saunders and shut-oout relief from a bullpen that has to be the best in baseball.    There were ten other pitchers on the Orioles roster on Friday, but they were all relief specialists (Steve Johnson, who starts and throws in relief, was on the roster) who were with the Birds throughout September's playoff run.  Effective starting pitchers like Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez and Wei-Yin Chen were not on the roster.  Showalter has a well-earned reputation for winning close games and these Orioles were no exception.  They were 29-9 in one-run games, they had won their last 16 extra inning games in a row and were an astounding 74-0 in games they led after seven innings.  The Orioles would - will - submit a new roster for the Yankee series and it will be different than the one he had on Friday.  It will have to contain at least three starters, and maybe four.  Amazingly, Joe Saunders is not a lock to be on that roster because he won't be able to pitch for the next three or four days.  

Back when Weaver was running the show and the rosters expanded in September, the Orioles always had some surprise waiting for the baseball gurus in the league office.  One year, near the end of the splendid Mark Belanger's career, he was still the Oriole's regular shortstop but was hitting right around .200.  When the rosters expanded on Labor Day weekend, the Orioles recalled a promising rookie by the name of Bob Bailor, who would go on to have a great career in Toronto which took Bailor in the expansion draft.  But in that season when the Orioles were on the road in September he batted Bailor either first or second in the order to start the game.  The line-up card given to the umpire would list Bailor as the Oriole shortstop.  Bailor would bat in the first inning but never take the field.  When the Orioles took the field in the bottom of the first, the public address announcer would inform the crowd of a change at shortstop, Belanger for Bailor.  Bailor batted, Belanger played shortstop, and if another pinch hitter was needed later in the game, Weaver had his regular cadre of veteran hitters ready to go.  This move of Showalter reminds me of Weaver.  These are two managers who know the rules and how to use them better than the people who wrote them.