Former Orioles manager Juan Samuel is back with the team that originally brought him to the major leagues, but he had nothing but good things to say about his time with the Orioles -- even though negotiations to return him to the coaching staff broke down over the winter.
"I thought I was heading back here (Baltimore), but it didn't happen to work out,'' he said before today's Grapefruit League game between the Orioles and Phillies at Bright House Field. "We couldn't get on the same page."
Samuel said that he was very happy -- and grateful to Andy MacPhail -- for the opportunity to get some managerial experience and bears no ill will torward the O's. He is one of two former Orioles managers on the Phillies coaching staff, along with Sam Perlozzo.
Of course, the thing I was wondering about when we -- the Orioles media contingent -- spoke to Samuel this morning was what he was thinking as the O's took off on a big winning streak immediately after Buck Showalter took over the team.
"We had some players just getting ready to come back from rehab,'' he said. "Brian (Roberts) was a big part of that lineup. Obviously, Koji started pitching well. I was just happy those guys could finish up on a positive note after a very troubled year."
This year, he said, should be better with all the Orioles' offseason acquisitions.
"I still keep an eye on them,'' he said. "They did very well. They should be able to score some runs."
Associated Press file photo