Buck Showalter is still being asked about his decision to not use Zach Britton during last year’s wild card game.
The Orioles were on the wrong end of a 5-2 score in last year’s American League Wild Card Game. Among the talking points afterward was Showalter not using relief ace Zach Britton late in a do-or-die game, a decision he was heavily criticized for. You can see Showalter’s postgame comments here.
That was in early October. Almost four months later, there are some who are still searching for answers.
The Orioles held their annual Fan Fest on Saturday and Showalter was among the many players and coaches to attend. During a session with fans, Showalter was asked about his thought process in not bringing Britton into the wild card game. This was his response.
Buck on what the thinking was behind not bringing in Zach Britton in the Wild Card game: "Wasn't really good thinking was it?" #fanfest
— The Baltimore Wire (@BaltimoreWireFS) January 28, 2017
Showalter has to be pretty high on the list of people who can’t wait for the new season to begin. He has put together an impressive resume in his 18 seasons as a big league manager. He has been named the AL Manager of the Year three times and turned an Orioles franchise long seen as a doormat into a respectable one. However, for all of the good things he’s done, the decision Showalter made on October 4, 2016 will likely be one he’ll always be asked about.
