Mark Viviano: Orioles Are Quietly Confident
I've been traveling to Florida to report on Orioles spring training for 20 years. Each year I'm interested to get a sense of the team mentality as they prepare for the season ahead. It's most noticeable how the mentality has evolved since Buck Showalter took over as manager and the O's have achieved success with their streak of three straight winning seasons.
You rarely see or hear Orioles players speaking about the team in a manner that could be considered cocky or brash, but I can tell you that within the walls of their clubhouse they are a proud, confident and close-knit group. Their confidence is exhibited more in how they play than in what they say. They take the lead from Showalter when it comes to how they comport themselves. Buck often uses the phrase "your actions speak so loudly I can't hear what you're saying." Paraphrased: talk is cheap.
Talk is cheap and predictions are somewhat meaningless- at least when it comes to the predictions that the Orioles streak of winning seasons will end this year. Showalter and the players I've spoken with in Sarasota are well aware of the dire prognostications and they face it (again) with a chip on their shoulder. Adam Jones had the best response when he simply shrugged his shoulders at the latest predictions of a losing season and said: "Let em keep saying that and we'll just have to prove them wrong, again."
Will the O's make another playoff run in 2015? The answer to that will play itself out in the next six months but it's clear here in March that the Orioles have a reliable road map to get to where they want to go and they're quietly confident and internally defiant that they can and will prove their doubters wrong...again.
