#46 Mike Flanagan Now Pitching

It was easy to recognize Mike Flanagan when he was pitching and later coaching for the Orioles--he had number 46 on his back and "FLANAGAN" printed across his shoulders. But once Flanagan moved into baseball management and the Camden Yard warehouse he was harder to identify--unless you knew he was the last man in Baltimore to pull on a double-breasted suit. Everyone knows Mike Flanagan threw the last competitive baseballs in Memorial Stadium, that he was the 1979 Cy Young winner with a 23-9 record, that he labored for three years with the Toronto Blue Jays, that he was on two Oriole pennant winners in 1979 and 1983, that he's a member of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame and most was done in an Oriole uniform.

But what was achieved while Mr. Flanagan was wearing those double breasted suits? Mike signed Oakland MVP shortstop Miguel Tejada, and Miggy continued the Oriole tradition of super shortstops and  then Mike was was instrumental in making Atlanta's outstanding catcher Javey Lopez an Oriole; when Lopez's talents started to age, Flanagan signed Ramon Hernandez away from the Padres.   Was it Flanagan who recognized that Brian Roberts was a keeper and traded Jerry Hairston, Jr.?  Somehow Mike  thought utility man Melvin Mora could be a regular third baseman (Mora played more games at third base than any Oriole except Brooks). Add first baseman Rafael Palmeiro to Mora, Tejada and Roberts and that's a pretty good infield. 

Also, when the O's needed a center fielder, Flanagan pried Corey Patterson from the Cubs system. Patterson if turned lose could easily steal 40 bases per season and has the ability to bunt .300.  It was during the Flanagan years that the O's decided that Nick Markakis was a hitting outfielder and not a pitcher. Then management decided to rush Nick to the big club, he floundered the first half of the 2006 season, but has been a constant .300 hitter since and is always among American League outfield leaders with assists. Adding Adam Jones to Markakis and Patterson is a nice quick outfield.

Flanagan claimed Jeremy Guthrie from the Cleveland system and since, Jeremy has been an innings eater and maybe all of baseball's premier tough luck pitcher;  ironically or maybe purposely, Jeremy wears number 46. And finally, it was during Mike Flanagan's tenure that the O's drafted catcher Matt Wieters.  Gutherie to Wieters is an outstanding battery. 

All of these creative personnel moves from Tejada to Wieters were made during the Mike Flanagan years in the Oriole front office and were done under the constraints of a lean ownership budget. Mike was a baseball "lifer" from player to coach, from co-general manager to broadcaster.

And with the untimely passing of Mike Flanagan, all of Baltimore has lost a good friend, and every Oriole past or present has lost a great team mate. A Mike Flanagan autographed baseball or a Mike Flanagan signed picture each with the remark "'79 Cy Young" are baseball treasures.