Buck Showalter Disses Theo

In an interview with Men's Journal, Buck Showalter didn't hold anything back when asked about the Orioles' division rivals Red Sox and Yankees. First, he talked about how he feels about Jeter. 

"The first time we went to Yankee Stadium, I screamed at Derek Jeter from the dugout, Showalter told the magazine. “Our guys are thinking, ‘Wow, he’s screaming at Derek Jeter.’ Well, he’s always jumping back from balls just off the plate. I know how many calls that team gets – and yes, he [ticks] me off." 

Tell us how you really feel, Buck. I do somewhat agree with him, but there's no way he should be saying this to the media, especially about a guy as respected around the league as Jeter. 

However, I am not going to write about Jeter, a New York blogger can handle that. After ripping Jeter, Showalter turned his attention to Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. About Epstein, Buck said, 

"I’d like to see how smart Theo Epstein is with the Tampa Bay payroll,” he said. “You got Carl Crawford ’cause you paid more than anyone else, and that’s what makes you smarter? That’s why I like whipping their butt. It’s great, knowing those guys with the $205 million payroll are saying, ‘How the hell are they beating us?"

I have a major problem with this statement. First of all, I don't think Epstein is the best GM in baseball, and it's tough to be the best if you work for a big market team in a league without a salary cap. However, Showalter was so out of line with his comments. Who is he to talk, when he couldn't win it all in four years with the Yankees, the biggest market in MLB. He just sounds ignorant saying this garbage. Even with a ton of money at your disposal, you must draft well, and know which prospects to keep and which to trade for more assets. Arguably, this is Theo's biggest strength. There isn't really a big prospect he traded away that ended up working out. The best player Theo traded away (he wasn't with the team for the Hanley Ramirez trade) is Freddy Sanchez, and that was Theo's first year. So to question Epstein's smarts is dumb and out of line by Showalter. Can't wait to destroy the Orioles this season.