Are the Orioles and Red Sox trading places?

Here's a rundown of Orioles news with a Red Sox twist.

Trading Places

It seems the Orioles and Red Sox are trading places in 2012. The last time the Orioles had a winning season was 1997. The last time the Red Sox had a losing season was also 1997.

In 1997, the Orioles' $55 million payroll was second only to the Yankees' $59 million payroll. Boston had the 12th largest payroll in baseball.

In 2012, the Red Sox have baseball's third-highest payroll at $173 million payroll, just behind the Phillies at $174 million and further behind the Yankees' $198 million. The Orioles, meanwhile, currently have baseball's 19th-largest payroll.

If you can't win the World Series, you might as well win the season series

After Wednesday's 5-3 victory, the Orioles have an 8-3 lead in the season series against the Red Sox with seven games remaining between the teams in 2012. The Orioles have won the season series with the Red Sox only once since 1996. That was in 2004 when the O's won 10 games to Boston's nine. Boston, of course, won the World Series that year.

Buck vs. Bobby

With the Red Sox visiting Baltimore, two former Texas Rangers managers find themselves staring at each other from their respective dugouts. But who was the better Rangers manager?

Buck Showalter compiled a 319-329 record and a .492 win percentage during four seasons in Texas. Bobby Valentine managed twice as long in Texas, compiling a 581-605 record and a .490 win percentage over the course of eight seasons. 

Neither manager took the Rangers to the post-season. The Rangers' best efforts under each manager were 89-73 in 2004 (Showalter) and 87-75 in 1986 (Valentine). 

It seems the two managers had similar levels of success in the Lone Star State.

As the O's go, Buck goes

The Orioles hope to find themselves with a record better than .500 at the end of the 2012 season. Buck Showalter hopes to find himself in the same situation as Orioles manager.

With Wednesday's win versus Boston, Buck Showalter is two games short of a .500 record for his Orioles career. The last three Orioles managers to have winning records were Davey Johnson (186-138, .574), Johnny Oates (291-270, .519) and Joe Altobelli (212-167, .559). 

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Aug. 15, 2012