Results tagged ‘ Managers ’
The Filibuster
John McLaren, the fiery, F-bomb dropping manager of the Mariners just
lost his job, perhaps in part because of his profanity laced tirade.
Bobby Cox set a career mark for ejections last season. And Lou Pinella
always seems to be cussing out someone, no matter if his team is in
first or last place. Does it really make a difference when a manager
hollers at, kicks dirt on or otherwise abuses the umps and who does it
best?
– Allen
I believe it was 1985 or 1986. I was just a bright-eyed kid who would hold his breath as he walked into the chasm of old Busch stadium — overwhelmed and overjoyed by the simple lush green of artificial turf. They were known as the runnin’ Redbirds back then and Vince Coleman was on the front line.
He walked to lead off the first inning and on the very next pitch he stole second. The ump called him out. Coleman went nuts. He got in the ump’s face, threw down his helmet and the crowd (me included) erupted with a supporting roar. It wasn’t enough to change the umpire’s mind because two seconds later, he tossed him.
Immediately, Whitey Herzog stormed from the dugout and dashed towards second base.
Absolute pandemonium.
He got tossed too.
I was only six or seven years old, but I got it. I was pumped. I was charged. I would’ve fought to the death for Whitey.
And that sentiment rings true still today for players and fans. Why do managers argue calls, risk being fined, and make scenes in front of 30,000 people? It’s part of their job. They are paid to lead, to discipline, to encourage and to fire up the troops.
Some are passive-aggressive (Bobby Cox), some are aggressive (Lou Pinella, Earl Weaver, Billy Martin) and some are just lameballs (Willie Randolph). No matter what the style, the purpose is the same. This is elementary.
As for who is the best? I’m not sure that any current manager could touch the combativeness of Earl Weaver or Billy Martin. Perhaps “Sweet” Lou Pinella is the closest we have as he always puts on a good show and his teams seem to respond: they win. And isn’t that the most important thing?
Of course, there’s always room for a loony toon or two, and I think we could all agree that minor league manager Phillip Wellman of the Mississippi Braves is the quintessential example of how sometimes one can take the whole arguing with the umpire thing a bit too far. If you live under a rock and don’t know what I’m talking about, check out this footage from June 2007:
Nutjob. Yes. But at least he was committed. And confident. Confidence can go a long way, especially if you’re looked up to as a leader and you have no clue what you’re doing half the time. Of course, I can’t relate to that. I can’t relate to that at all.
Don’t hate me cuz I’m right.
Peace,
Jeffy
Life Without Ozzie? No Thanks.
Does Ozzie Guillen lack in self-censorship where the DNC lacks in unity?
Yes.
Does Ozzie Guillen get a little nutso sometimes and say things he probably shouldn’t?
Sure.
Does Ozzie Guillen need to be quarantined from the press after a tough loss (or three)?
Definitely.
But let me tell ya, folks, a world without Ozzie Guillen is just unfathomable. For Southsiders like myself, a Guillen quote is as close a reminder of home as Connie’s Pizza or Ramova’s Grill or a drive-by shooting. And believe me, as much as I am oft to disagree with the psychology of Ozzie’s wild rants, I must admit to finding them oddly soothing and curiously pleasant.
There is definitely something to be said for being in the spotlight and not giving two s**ts what anyone else says or thinks about you, what you say and the way you go about your job. I admire that.
And I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that Ozzie’s tirades didn’t make me laugh. I only wish my boss was as understanding as Kenny Williams (click *here* for Tribune article). Imagine if I came in to work tomorrow and said: “What? Our summer catalogue isn’t finished yet? Susie Q didn’t set the templates? What? She used that friggin’ Trajan font again for the Chinese neolithic pottery section!?! What do you mean John Doe didn’t translate the bronze inscriptions from running script to seal script!?! I expect the boss-man to do [bleep] something Tuesday, and if we don’t do [bleep] anything Tuesday, there are going to be a lot of [bleep]
changes in this Asian art gallery! The book gallery too! [Bleep] [Bleep] [Bleep] heads will roll!”
Sounds good.
While this message board and this blog have taken the time to organize some of the more memorable quotes from Guillen’s past, I just want to post a few of my favorites:
On Chicago Cub Rich Hill:
“Who is Hill? That piece of [bleep] who pitched? Michael [Barrett]
realized he was wrong [in punching Pierzynski]. Michael realized he
overreacted.“But that little [bleep] Hill, he should be in Triple-A. He is going to
make Dusty Baker get fired. Shut up, you just got here in the big
leagues. When you make a comment like that, it was a cheap shot. You
don’t know the game.”
On Jay Mariotti:
“He’s a garbage.He’s always been a garbage.And he will die a garbage.”
On whether his children were involved in the Cubs/Sox brawl in May 2006:
“If my kids were on the field, [they were] going to get [their rear
end] kicked. What’s Ozzie [Jr.] going to do? Eat
somebody. My other one is 20 pounds and the other one is only 14.“One is a baby, one is too little, another one, the only thing he can do is eat somebody or drink somebody.”
And if that isn’t enough folks, check out this Youtube post featuring a love-filled conversation between AM 670 The Score’s Mike North and Ozzie himself last year. While you listen/watch, realize that sure, Ozzie can be awful but he could always be worse. I mean, he could be Bill O’Reilly or god forbid Howard Dean. In any case, when reviewing this material, you can hate me, you can hate Ozzie, but don’t hate me ‘cuz I’m right: the world needs Ozzie Guillen and his lunacy.
Peace,
Jeffy
I’m Jeff Lung and I Approve This Message
The whispers are getting louder regarding Tony LaRussa’s
controversial plan to have the pitcher bat eighth in the lineup. The idea here is to generate more runs as well as more RBI opportunities for Albert Pujols. Having first seen this implemented with some success
during the ’98 season and used sparingly last year, it appears that TLR will be
more stringent with his approach during the 2008 campaign.
Fear NOT Cardinal Nation! Though this teeters against the baseball machine of purism, I would like
to reassure you that this does indeed work. In fact, to prove it, for the last seven days
I have batted the pitcher in the eight-hole on my MLB 2K6 video game for the
Xbox and the following data has been collected for that stretch:
-
Record: 8 Wins, 0 Losses (had a doubleheader in one of them
due to a previous rain-out in Cincinnati) -
Ave. Runs per Game: 17
-
Total Runs Scored/Total Runs Against: 157-23
-
Albert Pujol’s HR total: 13
-
Pujol’s Total ABs with RISP: Every single time
So, clearly you can see that this is a valid baseball move,
just like the wheel play or the hit and run or the suicide squeeze. Naysayers, shame on you.
And speaking of shame, it appears that the Evil Empire’s
immoral infrastructure has now reached the Governor’s office—well, at least the
man who works (soon-to-be-worked) in
said office. Talk about curveballs, holy geez, who ever saw them comin’!?!
Good Day, Gov’nuh!
Don’t hate me ‘cuz I’m right…
Peace,
Jeffy
Red State Blue State
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