If you recall, there was a school of thought - related here - that the decision to retain Dave Trembley was made before Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail traded away closer George Sherrill and cleanup hitter Aubrey Huff. I don't know whether that was actually the case, but it was logical in the wake of earlier statements by MacPhail that Trembley's future would depend, at least to some degree, on the performance of the team during the final weeks of the season.
The rationale: MacPhail is a fair man and it would not have been fair to put the carrot and stick in front of Trembley at the start of the season and then pull the rug out from under him in the second half.
This decision certainly has disappointed a lot of fans and message-board posters who have been hoping for a new manager for months. Now, they'll have to wait and see what transpires during the offseason and lay in wait for Trembley when the 2010 season starts in April.
This is not exactly a high-risk play by the Orioles. If they don't show any progress early next season, it's not as if Trembley is signed to a rich multiyear deal. He's a reasonably priced manager who now has another year of security. If the Orioles decide to make a change in-season next year, it's not as if it's going to break the bank.
Personally, I approve of this move (as you all know) because I believe in stability and I don't believe that Trembley was even remotely to blame for the team's dismal performance.
That said, I would like to see a more relaxed Trembley next season and a more authoritative one. That might sound like a contradiction in terms, but the Orioles have sent a message to these players that the manager is the manager and the onus is on them. Now, Trembley needs to manage as if he's their boss instead of their uncle.
He doesn't have to tell the players in advance exactly when they are going to play and force his own hand with a preordained lineup. He has to get tough with anyone who lets up or loses focus. The fan-board complaints about the team's lack of intensity and fundamentals during the first half were legitimate. Things improved after the All-Star break, but he needs to make sure they improve some more next spring.
I also think he needs to go with the flow of the game a little more, but that's just an opinion. I'm not so presumptuous as to think I know more than he does about game strategy. He just seems a little too predictable at times.
In other words, the Orioles didn't need a new manager, but they could use a new and improved Dave Trembley.
