The Baltimore Orioles have been around since 1954, and that means they have gone through plenty of managers throughout their history, 20 to be exact.
The question is, who is the best manager in Orioles’ history? While that question is quite simple in most fans’ eyes, it doesn’t make it simple when you try and name the top five.
Well, without further ado, here are the top five managers in Orioles’ history.
5. Davey Johnson
Former player turned manager, Davey Johnson was pretty close to being off the list. However, his managerial skills with the team and being able to do something that wasn’t done for a long time helped push him over the edge for the number five spot.
Johnson was the Orioles’ manager for the 1996 and 1997 seasons, and he had managerial experience before those years, as he managed the New York Mets from 1984-1990 and then managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1993-1995.
Johnson managed a total of 325 games and carried a record of 186-138-1. Johnson was named AL Manager of the Year during the ’97 season after managing the Orioles to a division title and a 98-64 record. He would go on to have a postseason record of 9-10, losing in the ALCS twice.
Johnson took a team that hadn’t made the postseason since their 1983 World Series Championship and not only made the ALCS back-to-back years but won an AL East Title. Johnson would have a successful managerial career, winning 1,372 games and managing a total of 2,445 games. He would become a World Series Champ in 1986 and win another Manager of the Year award in 2012 with the Washington Nationals.
4. Joe Altobelli
Joe Altobelli’s career as a manager was successful, but he was mostly known for one particular season. Altobelli became the manager for the Orioles between 1983-1985, and he would do something quite incredible in his tenure.
The Orioles were going through a rough patch of being unlucky at the time. They had just finished the ’82 season, when they finished second in the AL East for the third straight year. Well, in 1983, they finally got over the hump with the help of the managerial skills of Altobelli, winning the World Series over a dominant Philadelphia Phillies team.
Altobelli had a 212-167 record as the Orioles manager and finished second in Manager of the Year voting in 1983, losing out to White Sox skipper Tony La Russa. Altobelli would also manage the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs during his time in Major League Baseball before his passing in 2021.
3. Hank Bauer
Hank Bauer’s managerial career was weird, to say the least. He was given the reigns to one of the greatest teams in Orioles’ history and did more than what was expected before that season. The Orioles hired Bauer before the 1964 season and managed the team up until his release on July 7, 1968.
Bauer had a record of 407-318-1 with the Orioles during those seasons, and that included a World Series Championship sweep in the 1966 season against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bauer would have three 90-win seasons, but due to the league’s format back then, there were no divisions. The Orioles won 97 games in 1964 but finished third in the AL after the New York Yankees won 99, and the Chicago White Sox won 98.
Bauer would start his managing career as a player/manager in 1961 with the Kansas City Athletics before solely becoming a manager in 1962. After his release from the Orioles, Bauer would manage the 1969 Oakland Athletics before becoming the skipper of the Tidewater Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, in 1971–72.
2. Buck Showalter
Buck Showalter has to be one of the greatest managers to never win a World Series. Showalter became the Orioles’ manager on August 3, 2010, making him the third manager of the 2010 season. He would hold the position until after the 2018 season.
Showalter took a rebuilding Orioles team that hadn’t made the postseason since 1997 and took them to three times, winning the AL East in 2014. Showalter would have a 669-684 record as the O’s manager and had a 6-8 postseason record, including a trip to the ALCS in 2014.
Showalter’s first manager job was with the New York Yankees from 1992-1995. He was with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1998-2000, the Texas Rangers from 2003-2006 and finally the New York Mets in 2022 and 2023. Showalter is a four-time Manager of the Year winner but has yet to make it to the World Series.
1. Earl Weaver
Name a better Orioles manager than Earl Weaver. Weaver was so impactful in Charm City that his No. 4 is retired by the organization.
Weaver became the O’s manager for the first time on July 11 of the 1968 season. He managed the most games in Orioles’ history, with 2,541. For reference, Buck Showalter is second with 1,353, and only one other manager has more than 1,000 games.
Weaver had a record of 1,480-1,060-1 in the regular season and helped manage the Orioles to six different postseason runs, which included five division titles.
Weaver was a World-Series-winning manager in 1970 and won four different pennants. He was also inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. After Weaver was released following the 1982 season, the Orioles brought him back midway through the 1985 season and had him for the 1986 season as well.
What do you think of our rankings? Who is the best manager in O’s history, in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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