If you know me at all, you know that I am an avid Baltimore Orioles baseball fan. Have been since I attended my first game in 1968. I attend Spring training in Sarasota, Florida, split an Oriole season ticket package, and pretty much plan my evening and weekends around the televised games.
The Orioles arrived in Baltimore in 1954. From the mid 1960’s through the 1980’s, they were, arguably, the “gold standard” for Major League baseball teams. They won six Pennants and played in five World Series – – winning two of them. Their approach to the game of baseball became known as “The Oriole Way”.
Then, something happened. “The Oriole Way” was lost. Fifteen consecutive losing seasons ensued between 1997 and 2012. Enter Buck Showalter.
Buck was hired late in the 2011. To be honest, I had serious misgivings. I knew that Buck Showalter was a winner – – having built World Series Championship teams for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers. The problem was, Buck was never around to see the teams that he built actually win the World Series. In each case, Buck was fired and his successor enjoyed the fruits of Buck’s labor.
Buck was frequently categorized as a “control freak”, anal and obsessed. A perfectionist. In short, his organizational skills and penchant for perfection eventually “wore out” those around him. Well, their loss was our gain.
The downtrodden Oriole’s immediately began playing winning baseball when Buck arrived – – finishing the 2011 season in high fashion and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1997 during the exciting 2012 season. Another winning record ensued in 2013 and the 2014 version of the Baltimore Orioles continues to battle for first place in the tough American League East.
I have read several articles about Buck Showalter. Recently, I read a twenty four page article authored by a writer who was privileged to spend a week with him in his Texas home last winter. The main purpose of the article was to determine whether or not Buck has mellowed and whether he was indeed a control freak. The conclusion was that both were actually true.
“DETAILS ARE AN EXHAUSTING BUSINESS”. This was the Buck Showalter quote that absolutely jumped off the page for me in this lengthy article. It is not the control freak or the perfectionist that is responsible for his success, it is an unwavering commitment to details. And, details are, indeed, an exhausting business.
I pride myself on attention to detail. While it may sometimes appear to be micro-management or anal behavior to some, I know for a fact that my office is among the most organized, efficient and compliant in the local industry. I am frequently appalled when I see the sloppy and incompetent work of many licensed salespersons and the absolute failure to supervise by their Brokers. It simply doesn’t happen here. Won’t. Can’t.
If you do business with our firm or any of our capable sales associates and Associate Brokers, you can be sure that you are receiving highly supervised, scrutinized, and carefully monitored service. It plays into the theme that I shared in one of my previously published blogs and which was espoused by the late Vi Thompson – – “By design we will never be the largest. Through endeavor we will always be the best”.
Buck would agree – – “Experience Matters!”
Ray “Buz” Wolfe, Jr.
Broker/Owner
Wolfe & Company Realtors
*Ray L. “Buz” Wolfe, Jr. is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is not an attorney and is not licensed to practice law. No comments made within the confines of his blog should be construed as legal advice.
**All statistics cited obtained from Central Penn MLS are believed, but not guaranteed, to be accurate.