The Baltimore Sun profiles Rick Kranitz, the new Orioles pitching coach.

Largely because of Kranitz’s history with molding young pitchers, the Orioles hired him in October to replace celebrated pitching coach Leo Mazzone. The Orioles had enlisted Mazzone after the 2005 season to build a pitching dynasty similar to the one he helped develop with the Atlanta Braves. Instead, his staffs over two seasons were wrecked by injuries and inexperience and posted two of the worst single-season team ERAs in franchise history.
Several Orioles tired of Mazzone’s gruff demeanor and rigid methods and philosophies. Club officials, while respecting Mazzone’s ability and resume, concluded he was not the right fit to mentor a young staff and decided not to retain him.
“Leo had a certain philosophy, and for that relationship to continue, you really had to make a commitment to teach that philosophy from Rookie ball on up,” Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said. “Leo has a tremendous track record, and I thought he did a good job here. But we as an organization were not willing to commit to [his philosophy] the whole way through.”

The Orioles have had a system philosophy of teaching everything the same way from rookie ball to the majors since Earl Weaver instituted it in the late 1960s. The organization is very hesitant to change that. I remember hearing a story in the 1990s. A new manager came in and wanted to change the way the team executed relay throws. Cal Ripken immediately stopped the idea, because it wasn’t the Orioles way. If Mazzone’s methods are as good as he showed in Atlanta, why not change the system and institute the method top to bottom?