SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter likes to say that he has a secret weapon in Craig Gentry. The veteran outfielder, who for the second straight season signed a Minor League contract with the team, is cherished by the manager.
Showalter believes that other teams must adapt when he inserts the 34-year-old into the game. For years, the Orioles have depended on power and have had few players with Gentry's attributes. Showalter is convinced that Gentry makes opposing teams wary.
"They go, 'They've got Gentry, we're going to have to do this,'" Showalter said.