I wrote back in September that Brandon Hyde deserved recognition for a successful season in Baltimore. I stopped short of making a case for the Manager of the Year award, but I felt the skipper had earned some praise. The Orioles exceeded expectations in an abridged season, and Hyde played a large role in that.
Just one day after pitchers and catchers reported to Sarasota, the annual “hope springs eternal” day for baseball fans, I find myself reflecting on the fact that I spent 700+ words hyping up the manager of a fourth place ball club.