Buck Showalter

Check out this banner of Orioles manager Buck Showalter that allegedly will be hung at Camden Yards sometime between now and Opening Day. Well, Baltimore, are you ready?

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was tossed in the top of the sixth Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels after complaining about home plate umpire Angel Campos' strike zone. When Campos called a pitch that appeared to be well off the plate a strike against Nick Markakis in the sixth, Showalter yelled something and was immediately ejected. It was his first of the season and 20th of his career for Showalter. John Russell took over managing duties. Showalter has been displeased with the strike zones in each of the games during the Angels series.

For the first time in their young careers, Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman - the club's top picks in the 2011 and 2012 drafts - pitched in the same game , a 5-2 Orioles' victory over the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla. Bundy, 20, started, went two innings, allowed one hit, two walks, an unearned run and struck out one batter. Gausman, 22, pitched three innings, allowed two hits and struck out three including Jonny Gomes twice. Bundy threw 35 pitches, 18 for strikes, and hit between 91 and 94 with his fastball.

I'm not sure what Buck Showalter did during his three-day vacation over the All-Star break. But I know one thing the Orioles manager didn't do: watch Robinson Cano win the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night. “It's hard to watch the home run hitting contest,” Showalter said before Thursday's loss to the Indians . “Obviously, the balls are juiced. Those aren't normal balls that they're hitting. I've been in Arizona for a long time and you don't hit balls where they're hitting them.

  I wonder if Darren O'Day's heart has started back up yet. Because when the Orioles' reliever was pranked recently by manager Buck Showalter for a Major League Baseball Fan Cave video, you wondered if the poor guy was going to need a defibrillator before it was all over. This was an absolute classic. It went like this: before a game against the Mets in New York, O'Day was supposedly being interviewed by a Wall Street Journal reporter to talk about something called a "Solowheel.

A transcript of Buck Showalter's news conference Tuesday afternoon at the winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn (provided by ASAP Sports):   Q. Buck, is it any more special having the winter meetings here in Nashville?  Obviously, a place you spent a lot of time. BUCK SHOWALTER:  I spent a lot of time.  Most people don't stay in AA that long. I didn't mean it that way.  Someone said, you're the all time career hits in Nashville.  Yeah, I was here for 20 years playing in AA. No, it's a great city.  Met my wife here.  That's probably the greatest thing.  Spent some off¿seasons here working to make ends meet.  A lot of memories.  A lot of memories.

Buck Showalter just weighed in on the designated hitter rule and how the debate about it might change following the realignment that will require interleague series throughout the regular season starting in 2013. “Whatever's best for the fans and serves the love of the game," he said. “Personally, I'd like for it all to be the same. Grandfather it in or out. Let's all play by the same rules. If the fans want to see Vladdy DH some more, let's everybody have the DH. I don't think it is going to happen, but you'd like for it to be consistent.

The Orioles are still waiting on a decision from Randy Wolfon how he is going to proceed with his aching left elbow. Wolf has talked with team orthopedist John Wilckens and Lewis Yocum, the Los Angeles Angels team physician who performed Wolf's 2005 Tommy John surgery. They expect an answer soon. The Orioles have summoned outfielder Bill Hall from the instructional league in Sarasota, Fla. The veteran right-handed hitter is insurance for Lew Ford, who is improving but still dealing with a groin issue.

One of the most impressive things about the Orioles' turnaround under Buck Showalteris Showalter's ability to experiment in-season. And his knack on pulling the plug when it doesn't work and sticking with it when it looks like it might. How many times have we heard over the years that this guy might work out at that spot, but that's more of a spring training thing? The answer is plenty. Yet Showalter isn't afraid to try things and see if they stick - even if it means losing a game or two. Because the result could also win you a game or two. There have been some duds, like the revolving door of infielders in the outfield earlier this year.

Here are some more nuggets from Buck Showalter's meeting with the media. On Jim Johnson. Showalter said whether Johnson gets moved to the rotation or stays in the bullpen as a late-inning reliever is still dependent on what moves are made this offseason and “what presents itself that may change that.”  Showalter called Johnson a “key piece” because he allows the club the flexibility to have in either spot. A decision will be made for spring training “I talked to [Johnson]