Orioles layoffs hit Mr. Splash and the Oriole Bird

Of everyone you'd expect to lose their job after a bad Orioles season, the guy with the hose in the outfield wasn't near the top of the list.

Andy Kostka

@afkostka

Among those let go was the Orioles employee who played the role of Mr. Splash, the mascot-like figure who sprayed water on fans in the outfield at Camden Yards, per sources, as @Britt_Ghiroli reported last night. t.co/aZXniSZpX3

Andy Kostka@afkostka

The Orioles are laying off multiple members of their business operations staff, brand and content team and game presentation department, per sources. A team spokesperson said the Orioles can confirm changes were made within business operations but declined to comment further

Mr. Splash was one of the few things at Camden Yards that worked from start to finish. He soaked the Bird Bath crowd and everybody loved it. Now the employee who played him is out. According to The Banner, that same employee sometimes wore the Oriole Bird costume too, so 1 cut may have taken out both acts. The Banner also reports the Splash Zone is expected to return next season, which means somebody else will be holding the hose.

Barstool Baseball

@StoolBaseball

In Their Latest Round Of Layoffs The Orioles Reportedly Have Laid Off The Oriole Bird @editti22

The internet went straight to the obvious joke, and fair enough. When a team's own mascot gets laid off, people are going to clown it. The rest of the list is less funny. The Banner reports it includes the longtime team photographer, a senior graphic designer and several people in ticket sales, corporate partnerships and hospitality. These are business-side people who didn't throw a single pitch in a losing season.

Andy Kostka

@afkostka

The tally of layoffs is 16 team employees, sources said, and there were a handful more of off-air employees from Mid-Atlantic Sports Network let go. On the Orioles layoffs: t.co/NlUCneGt1F

Business president Catie Griggs sent an internal memo saying the changes were about making sure the team is staffed for the work ahead, not about reducing headcount, per The Banner. That's a hard sell after you cut 16 people. Here's the backdrop: Baltimore won 101 games in 2023 and has followed it with 2 straight losing seasons. Attendance ranked 24th of 30 teams this year, and the franchise hasn't won a playoff game since 2014. The Banner also reports the cuts aren't tied to the lockout expected in December.

The baseball side is reshuffling at the same time. The Orioles are looking for a general manager to work under president of baseball operations Mike Elias, and the profile is pretty specific.

Andy Kostka

@afkostka

What Jon Meoli is hearing on the Orioles' GM search: "The candidate set includes up-and-coming player development leaders from other organizations who would be brought in to help reinforce Albernaz’s agenda of raising the standard." t.co/VGm5PskBMJ

So the plan is to hire a player development person who backs up what Craig Albernaz wants. Elias's background is scouting, and that may be the point of bringing in a development-minded GM. The clock is tight, too. Meoli writes that a lockout set for December 1 leaves Baltimore about a month after the World Series to get its offseason work done. The fans can live with losing Mr. Splash if the new hire actually fixes the roster. If the losing continues, they've lost the guy with the hose and still have nothing to cheer for.