The Balitmore Orioles can say they are home to the 2014 MLB Executive of the Year, and the 2014 AL Manager of the Year.
Dan Duquette, who is the executive vice president of baseball operations for the Orioles, was given the award on Monday after his leadership in the front office helped the O’s to their best season in 17 years.
Duquette won the award back in 1992 as well, when he was the general manager for the Montreal Expos.
Big signings and roster manipulation carried out by Duquette were crucial to the O’s success this season. Not only did Duquette manage to sign big names like Nelson Cruz and Andrew Miller, he was also able to find players that were disregarded by other teams, players he knew had loads of potential.
Duquette brought unlikely heroes to Baltimore, like Steve Pearce, Caleb Joseph, and Delmon Young. When asked about Duquette, All-Star center fielder Adam Jones told the Boston Globe, “He’s getting players over here that other places didn’t necessarily want or fell out of grace. He gets people who come over here and have a hunger to succeed.
For Showalter, this is the third time he has won Manager of the Year, oddly enough all being 10 years apart. Showalter first won the award when he was skipper for the Yankees in 1994, and then won it again in 2004 with the Rangers.
The 96-66 record and the first AL East title since 1997 are impressive enough, but how Showalter was able to mix-and-match players on the team was remarkable.
Over the course of the season, the O’s lost star players Manny Machado and Matt Wieters to injury, and Chris Davis to suspension. Even with all of that, the O’s didn’t skip a beat, winning the division by double-digits for the first time since 1971.
When asked about the award, Showalter said, “It’s such a great reflection on our organization. It’s pretty humbling.”
The duo of Duquette and Showalter led the O’s in the front office and in the dugout to their most successful season this century, and deservedly were recognized for their tremendous achievements this season.
Congratulations to Dan Duquette, Buck Showalter, and the Baltimore Orioles organization on a great 2014 season, and here’s to an even better 2015 season.