A former Phillies star is finally getting his chance to show that he has what it takes to manage in the big leagues.
Baltimore Orioles third base coach Juan Samuel got promoted to interim manager Friday.
Dave Trembley was fired Friday as manager of the O’s, who have the worst record in the major leagues and are staggering toward a franchise-record 13th consecutive losing season.
“What you're hoping to accomplish when you make a change like this is, you're hoping to ignite a spark, give everybody a clean slate,” president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said. “Sort of get out of that drumbeat of what's going to happen day-to-day and just give everybody a fresh start.”
The Orioles opened with 16 losses in 18 games, are 15-39, have lost eight straight and are coming off an 0-6 road trip in which they were outscored 34-8 in Toronto and at Yankee Stadium.
“The results on the field were not what any of us would have hoped for, and I understand that the organization felt the time was right to move in a different direction,” Trembley said in a statement. “While I am disappointed at the outcome, I feel it was a privilege to wear the Orioles uniform each day.”
Baltimore ranks near the bottom in virtually every AL offensive category, including batting average, runs and stolen bases. The pitching staff has allowed more home runs than any team in the majors except for Arizona and ranks 12th in the AL with a 4.70 ERA.
Sports
In partnership with NBC Sports Philadelphia
Now it's up to Samuel to try to make something of a season gone awry. He was to make his debut Friday night at Camden Yards against the Boston Red Sox.
“It's an opportunity that I'm not taking lightly,” he said. “We're going to turn the page. We're going to let these guys know, hey, the season starts today. The past is the past. What we do from now on is what we will be judged on.”
The 49-year-old Samuel was a two-time All-Star in parts of seven seasons in Philly during a 16-year playing career that ran through 1998. His only managerial experience came in 2006, when he led Binghamton of the Eastern League to a 70-69 record and a second-place finish.
Trembley is the second major league manager to be fired this season. Trey Hillman was dismissed by Kansas City on May 13.
Phillies marked the beginning and end for Trembley in B-More. He became a major league manager for the first time in June 2007 when he took over on an interim basis for Sam Perlozzo, the Phillies current third base coach.
Fan, follow and download: Get the latest from NBCPhiladelphia.com anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and NBC Philadelphia. Sign up for our sports newsletter. And, get breaking news delivered right to your mobile phone -- just text PHIBREAKING to 639710 to sign up. (Message and data rates may apply.)
