Orioles fire Showalter and Duquette

BALTIMORE The Baltimore Orioles will continue their rebuilding project without manager Buck Showalter and executive vicepresident of baseball operations Dan Duquette, who were fired Wednesday after the team finished with the worst record in the major leagues.

With Duquette procuring the talent and Showalter making it work on the field, Baltimore snapped a run of 14 straight losing seasons and made the playoffs in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

But the Orioles finished 7587 in 2017 — losing 19 of their final 23 games — and this year staggered through a 47-115 season, the worst since the team moved to Baltimore in 1954.

The club issued a statement Wednesday night that read, in part: “We thank Dan and Buck for their many contributions over the past several years. Under their leadership, prior to the 2018 season and for six consecutive years, the club delivered competitive teams playing meaningful baseball into September . ... Everyone in Birdland and across our organization will cherish these memories, and we all join in thanking Dan and Buck for their contributions.”

Showalter and Duquette have contracts that expire at the end of October.

A three-time AL Manager of the Year, Showalter ranks second on the Orioles’ career list with 669 victories, trailing Earl Weaver.