[nfbwatlk] Hargrove makes final substitution
Mike Freeman
k7uij at panix.com
Mon Jul 2 20:19:23 CDT 2007
Hargrove makes final substitution
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/322057_miller02.html
Hargrove makes final substitution
Last updated July 1, 2007 11:25 p.m. PT
By TED MILLER
P-I COLUMNIST
Mike Hargrove quit on the Mariners.
He's tired of the heat, so he got out of the kitchen.
Quitter: That's about the worst thing that can be said about a person in
sports. When things get tough, you're supposed to redouble your effort,
not walk
away, not abandon your team.
This assessment is undeniably harsh. Uncharitable even. Particularly
after watching a parade of hardboiled sorts -- such as Hargrove, his
charming wife,
Sharon, general manager Bill Bavasi and new skipper John McLaren --
struggle against gathering tears with varying degrees of success during
a news conference
Sunday that insufficiently explained Hargrove's decision to step down
eight games before the All-Star break.
Particularly considering Hargrove has this team, a lineup panned by
nearly everyone five months ago, playing its best baseball since 2003.
But, however harsh, this assessment needs to be examined, fully and
fairly.
On a day when the stunning Jeff Weaver reclamation project continued
full force -- eight innings, one earned run -- closer J.J. Putz earned
his first All-Star
invitation and the Mariners recorded their eighth consecutive victory,
2-1 over Toronto, Hargrove rendered all that invisible by saying goodbye
just as
this town was begrudgingly warming to him.
Yet no voice was raised in anger -- or catty whisper pushed through a
smirk -- within the organization after Hargrove bailed out due to what
he vaguely
termed a flagging ability to weather the demands of the job.
Bavasi said he was disappointed, but he supported Hargrove's decision.
He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Hargrove and betrayed not a whiff of
irritation
as a baffled media quizzed them on how this came to pass.
After the game, the players lined up to give Hargrove one last hug and
then voiced unanimous support for their manager inside the clubhouse.
Most said they were shocked. Some even confessed confusion. But they
backed Hargrove with seemingly genuine emotion.
That, in the end, holds the most weight.
"When you're talking about decisions of the heart, you can't really
second-guess that," Weaver said.
Said outfielder Jose Guillen: "I respect his decision. I really respect
him. I really love the guy. And, trust me when I tell you, there's not
many managers
I love."
If everyone associated with the team is legitimately fine with
Hargrove's decision, then why should anybody on the outside fault him?
If his explanation presented Sunday is truly sufficient inside the
clubhouse, then we should just say thanks, goodbye and good luck, Mike.
Even if there is another reason for the sudden exit that Hargrove
doesn't want made public, and that explanation, in fact, buttresses the
unanimous support
for him, then we should respect Hargrove's privacy.
Putz said he and his teammates understood "once you realized exactly
what his reasons were."
Of course, if things just as suddenly go haywire, and the Mariners
revert to their woeful ways of years one and two of the Hargrove Era,
this will be a
good place to point the finger and feel a little grumpy about how things
went down.
It will be McLaren's job to keep the recent magic churning.
When McLaren, Lou Piniella's former consigliere, was brought aboard this
year, many immediately started speculating he was lying in wait to
replace the
embattled Hargrove.
Few drew up this scenario, though.
"I always wanted to manage but I never thought it would come on terms
like this," McLaren said.
Particularly on terms that defy definition because they suggest
something is being left unsaid.
Hargrove was quoted in the initial news release from the Mariners as
saying "my passion has begun to fade." When asked about his fading
passion, he denied
that was the case and said he was irritated by the question.
He refused to say he was burned out. He said his fire still burned.
It was his last act of stubbornness with reporters that he didn't want
to be pinned down on the reason he no longer felt he could manage this
team.
"I think he feels he's doing the best thing for us," pitcher Jarrod
Washburn said.
Fine. That's what a manager is supposed to do.
Hargrove apparently decided that, even though the Mariners were surging,
they would be better off without him and this would be a good time to
step away.
Perhaps it's that simple.
"I can no longer do the job to the best of my ability," he said.
So, by this reasoning, Hargrove didn't quit. He just made a defensive
substitution, taking himself out of the game. Permanently.
HARGROVE'S RECORD
table with 8 columns and 20 rows
Year
Division
Team
Gms
Wins
Loss
Pct.
Finish
1991
AL East
Cleveland Indians
85
32
53
.376
Seventh
1992
AL East
Cleveland Indians
162
76
86
.469
Fifth
1993
AL East
Cleveland Indians
162
76
86
.469
Sixth
1994
AL Central*
Cleveland Indians
113
66
47
.584
Second
1995
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
144
100
44
.694
First
1996
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
161
99
62
.615
First
1997
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
161
86
75
.534
First
1998
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
162
89
73
.549
First
1999
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
162
97
65
.599
First
2000
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
162
74
88
.457
Fourth
2001
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
161
63
98
.391
Fourth
2002
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
162
67
95
.414
Fourth
2003
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
162
71
91
.438
Fourth
2005
AL West
Seattle Mariners
162
69
93
.426
Fourth
2006
AL West
Seattle Mariners
162
78
84
.481
Fourth
2007
AL West
Seattle Mariners
78
45
33
.577
???
Totals
Cleveland Indians
1,312
721
591
.550
Baltimore Orioles
647
275
372
.425
Seattle Mariners
402
192
210
.478
table end
* MLB changed AL and NL from two divisions to three in 1994.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P-I columnist Ted Miller can be reached at 206-448-8017 or
tedmiller at seattlepi.com.
© 1998-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligenceri
-------------- next part --------------
Hargrove makes final substitution
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/322057_miller02.html http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/322057_miller02.html
Hargrove makes final substitution
Last updated July 1, 2007 11:25 p.m. PT
By TED MILLER
P-I COLUMNIST
Mike Hargrove quit on the Mariners.
He's tired of the heat, so he got out of the kitchen.
Quitter: That's about the worst thing that can be said about a person in sports. When things get tough, you're supposed to redouble your effort, not walk
away, not abandon your team.
This assessment is undeniably harsh. Uncharitable even. Particularly after watching a parade of hardboiled sorts -- such as Hargrove, his charming wife,
Sharon, general manager Bill Bavasi and new skipper John McLaren -- struggle against gathering tears with varying degrees of success during a news conference
Sunday that insufficiently explained Hargrove's decision to step down eight games before the All-Star break.
Particularly considering Hargrove has this team, a lineup panned by nearly everyone five months ago, playing its best baseball since 2003.
But, however harsh, this assessment needs to be examined, fully and fairly.
On a day when the stunning Jeff Weaver reclamation project continued full force -- eight innings, one earned run -- closer J.J. Putz earned his first All-Star
invitation and the Mariners recorded their eighth consecutive victory, 2-1 over Toronto, Hargrove rendered all that invisible by saying goodbye just as
this town was begrudgingly warming to him.
Yet no voice was raised in anger -- or catty whisper pushed through a smirk -- within the organization after Hargrove bailed out due to what he vaguely
termed a flagging ability to weather the demands of the job.
Bavasi said he was disappointed, but he supported Hargrove's decision. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Hargrove and betrayed not a whiff of irritation
as a baffled media quizzed them on how this came to pass.
After the game, the players lined up to give Hargrove one last hug and then voiced unanimous support for their manager inside the clubhouse.
Most said they were shocked. Some even confessed confusion. But they backed Hargrove with seemingly genuine emotion.
That, in the end, holds the most weight.
"When you're talking about decisions of the heart, you can't really second-guess that," Weaver said.
Said outfielder Jose Guillen: "I respect his decision. I really respect him. I really love the guy. And, trust me when I tell you, there's not many managers
I love."
If everyone associated with the team is legitimately fine with Hargrove's decision, then why should anybody on the outside fault him?
If his explanation presented Sunday is truly sufficient inside the clubhouse, then we should just say thanks, goodbye and good luck, Mike.
Even if there is another reason for the sudden exit that Hargrove doesn't want made public, and that explanation, in fact, buttresses the unanimous support
for him, then we should respect Hargrove's privacy.
Putz said he and his teammates understood "once you realized exactly what his reasons were."
Of course, if things just as suddenly go haywire, and the Mariners revert to their woeful ways of years one and two of the Hargrove Era, this will be a
good place to point the finger and feel a little grumpy about how things went down.
It will be McLaren's job to keep the recent magic churning.
When McLaren, Lou Piniella's former consigliere, was brought aboard this year, many immediately started speculating he was lying in wait to replace the
embattled Hargrove.
Few drew up this scenario, though.
"I always wanted to manage but I never thought it would come on terms like this," McLaren said.
Particularly on terms that defy definition because they suggest something is being left unsaid.
Hargrove was quoted in the initial news release from the Mariners as saying "my passion has begun to fade." When asked about his fading passion, he denied
that was the case and said he was irritated by the question.
He refused to say he was burned out. He said his fire still burned.
It was his last act of stubbornness with reporters that he didn't want to be pinned down on the reason he no longer felt he could manage this team.
"I think he feels he's doing the best thing for us," pitcher Jarrod Washburn said.
Fine. That's what a manager is supposed to do.
Hargrove apparently decided that, even though the Mariners were surging, they would be better off without him and this would be a good time to step away.
Perhaps it's that simple.
"I can no longer do the job to the best of my ability," he said.
So, by this reasoning, Hargrove didn't quit. He just made a defensive substitution, taking himself out of the game. Permanently.
HARGROVE'S RECORD
table with 8 columns and 20 rows
Year
Division
Team
Gms
Wins
Loss
Pct.
Finish
1991
AL East
Cleveland Indians
85
32
53
.376
Seventh
1992
AL East
Cleveland Indians
162
76
86
.469
Fifth
1993
AL East
Cleveland Indians
162
76
86
.469
Sixth
1994
AL Central*
Cleveland Indians
113
66
47
.584
Second
1995
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
144
100
44
.694
First
1996
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
161
99
62
.615
First
1997
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
161
86
75
.534
First
1998
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
162
89
73
.549
First
1999
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
162
97
65
.599
First
2000
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
162
74
88
.457
Fourth
2001
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
161
63
98
.391
Fourth
2002
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
162
67
95
.414
Fourth
2003
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
162
71
91
.438
Fourth
2005
AL West
Seattle Mariners
162
69
93
.426
Fourth
2006
AL West
Seattle Mariners
162
78
84
.481
Fourth
2007
AL West
Seattle Mariners
78
45
33
.577
???
Totals
Cleveland Indians
1,312
721
591
.550
Baltimore Orioles
647
275
372
.425
Seattle Mariners
402
192
210
.478
table end
* MLB changed AL and NL from two divisions to three in 1994.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P-I columnist Ted Miller can be reached at 206-448-8017 or mailto:tedmiller at seattlepi.com tedmiller at seattlepi.com
.
© 1998-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligenceri
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