Results tagged ‘ People Who Can Actually Manage ’
Who’s Your Daddy?
Well, the Dodgers look to be making a bit of a late run, with last night’s 8-3 shellacking of the rival Giants behind David Wells. And there’s no better place than Chavez Ravine to snag your final, purr-fect piece of Alyssa Milano’s *touch em all* collection before supplies….awww, who am I kidding?!
The Diamondbacks are in the playoffs!!
What?
Diamondbacks are in the playoffs!!
Fielding four rookies, four journeymen and worse, scoring less runs than their opponents all year, the Diamondbacks clinched at least the NL wildcard berth by winning their nintieth game of the season.
As they exchanged their usual postgame handshakes near the Coors Field mound, the full significance of the victory was not immediately apparent to Jose Valverde and his teammates, until approaching manager Bob Melvin announced the sliding Mets had lost moments before, clinching Arizona’s playoff berth -setting off a delayed, but wild infield celebration that extended into a champagne soaked clubhouse.
This team strengthened bonds with many fans tonight, and not just for the obvious reason. Everybody loves a winner. In addition, the comraderie, humility and lack of entitlement reflected in most of the postgame comments and celebrations underscored what a likable, diverse, yet close knit group these Dbacks are. There was no Curt Schilling in the middle of the camera frame, saying the wrong things, rubbing victory in other people’s noses. Just happy, grateful athletes, young and old, black, white and brown, celebrating together. And it was a pleasure to watch.
Eric Byrnes and Orlando Hudson, arm in arm by the dugout, provided perhaps the most unlikely event of this improbable season, when the pathologically garrulous O-Dawg actually got choked up on air and…could no longer speak! And you have to be happy for Byrnes and the veterans that no on else really wanted – Davis, Clark, Cirillo and Livan Hernandez, who it should be pointed out, won as many games as he lost and pitched 204 innings so somebody worse didnt have to.
Jeff Moorad pleasantly surprised many in his clubhouse interview, profusely thanking the fans for their support, and abandoning his trademark "I told ya so" posturing, in favor of a modicum of humility.
"This team has done everything and more."
Meaning the team has accomplished more than The Plan. That someone besides The Dream Team, or in addition to it, deserves credit for this triumph. Sincere or not, terrific tone from a leader. Kudos to Jeff.
Leave it to Ken Kendrick to do his best Curt Schilling imitation, however:
"At this moment three years ago, we were 51-111," Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick said. "Now we’ve moved steadily toward a championship. We’re hoping for more. We’re in a different place than we were and I’m glad about that."
Read between the lines. This improbable triumph really isnt improbable, you see. Luck has nothing to do with it. It’s been a plan. And not even Josh Byrnes’ plan, who arrived after the 2005 season. No, this is all the post 2004 vision of One Great Man who rescued our fair valley from the clutches of the disasterous Jerry Colangelo. The only surprise here is that Kendrick didnt get a word in edgewise about Jerry’s ancient, deferred salaries. I suppose there’s always tomorrow.
If there was One Man in the Arizona clubhouse who could be forgiven for some self-serving spin it would be Robert Paul Melvin, the often villified manager of this motley, unready bunch, who vindicated his entire professional career on this day. Champagne in his eyes, Melvin was asked by former teammate turned broadcaster, Mark Grace, just how big a moment this was:
Aw, you know Gracie, we’ve been through this before. In 2001, which seemed like the ultimate…and was the ultimate…but this is special.
If Melvin had elevated this victory above all others in franchise history, even his fiercest historical critics like Diamondhacks would have let it slide. But Melvin, to his immense credit, did exactly the opposite, praising neither himself nor using the opportune airtime to kiss up to this particular front office at the expense of the old one. Instead he praised his players, hugged them and kissed them, like a father at college graduation. Bob’s selflessness and even keeled handling of Gracie’s question, during his greatest moment of professional triumph, served him well. 
In case anyone has failed to notice by now, it’s served his team bloody well, too. Because whether these guys are good enough as individual players, they’re good enough as a team. Good enough for "disappointments" and castoffs like Stephen Drew, Augie Ojeda and Jeff Salazar to make important contributions down the stretch. Good enough to not play in anyone’s shadow, waiting for some superstar to make it happen. Good enough for the veterans to take ownership of the team. The way a graduate, given the right tools and some fatherly love, takes ownership of his life
Thanks, "Dad".
(Photos courtesy of Ed Andrieski and Bill Ross/AP)
This Old Man, He Played, Won
At the Diamondbacks inaugural game celebration in 1998, three greats were introduced to the crowd at Bank One Ballpark to evoke the game’s history. The biggest cheers were bestowed on icons Willie Mays and Rachel Robinson. The third man, one of the twenty greatest players in major league history, received polite applause. Tonight he is managing against the Diamondbacks and his name is Frank Robinson.
Historian Bill James ranks him as the third greatest rightfelder ever, behind only Ruth and Aaron. Playing the heart of his career in the leanest offensive environment since the dead ball era, he somehow managed 586 home runs, sixth all time. HOF rightfielders ranked below Robby, by James, are Gwynn, Clemente, Mel Ott, Al Kaline, Winfield and Reggie.
The most home runs ever hit by a twenty year old was in 1929, when the Giant’s Ott, a pull hitting lefty, hit 42 – the right field foul pole at the Polo Grounds was 258 feet from home plate. The second most home runs ever hit by a 20 year old is 38, by Frank Robinson on his way to winning the 1956 NL Rookie of the Year Award. He arrived a few seasons after Aaron, Mays and Mantle, as the careers of Ted Williams and Stan Musial were winding down, and played in the enormous shadow cast by those all time great outfielders. He was NL MVP in 1961, and won both the AL’s MVP and triple crown in his first year free from Hank and Willie’s direct competition. With just under 600 home runs and 2943 hits, Robinson was destined to be the most underappreciated of the truly great modern players.
"Pitchers did me a favor when they knocked me down. It made me more determined. I wouldn’t let that pitcher get me out. They say you can’t hit if you’re on your back, but I didn’t hit on my back. I got up."
I remember how hard he used to slide into second base and how close he stood to the plate. In an era before ear flaps and elbow pads, when pitchers threw up and in with impugnity, Robinson was hit 198 times, the bill of his helmet tickling the strike zone. One time, he jumped up against Yankee Stadium’s short RF wall to snag a potential homer – and landed upside down in the stands. He could be gruff and crude when gruff and crude wasnt sold in the color black at a store near you, but was the undisputed leader in every clubhouse he ever played in.
"The baselines belongs to the runner, and whenever I was running the bases, I always slid hard. I wanted infielders to have that instant’s hesitation about coming across the bag at second or about standing in there awaiting a throw to make a tag. There are only twenty-seven outs in a ballgame, and it was my job to save one for my team every time I possibly could."
Frank Robinson is 71 years old. He unexpectedly cried earlier this year and 
certain observers suggest he should step down. We dont follow the Nats enough to have an informed opinion on the subject, so instead we’ll leave you with a quote from Robinson early in his managerial tenure.
"I had no trouble communicating, the player’s just didn’t like what I had to say."
If we ran the Diamondbacks, we’d sign this dude til he’s eighty.
Deal For Five
Joe Torre provided a little object lesson for Diamondbacks skipper Bob Melvin in tonight’s game vs the Sawx.
Did you see it?
Up 3-1 in the top of the fifth, Yankee starter Shawn Chacon got a bit sloppy and walked Willy Mo Pena with two outs, to load the bases for reserve Doug Mirabelli, hitting .156.
And the pitch to Mir…..hold it, what’s this??
Joe Torre strides from the first base dugout and, one measly out away from Chacon becoming the pitcher of record, REMOVES CHACON FROM THE GAME.
My question to Diamondbacks fans is:
Can you recall, or even imagine, ANY circumstances where Bob Melvin would yank his starter, on the cusp of a win, with two outs in the fifth?
I can’t.
Ever.
Why, just this week, Bob left Juan Cruz in to record two more outs in the fifth after Cruz suffered a twisted ankle and was visibly limping all over the infield.
What do these respective decisions by Torre and Melvin mean exactly?
Well, I dont know. And neither do you. But here’s what I think they might mean.
I think Torre might’ve been "telling" Chacon:
You lose focus with Pena and I lose my patience. I need you to execute at all times, moreso against the Red Sox. I dont OWE you the unconditional opportunity to record that precious fifteenth out. You owe ME and this TEAM your undivided attention and when you dont provide that, I’m not going to patronize you because it’s the fifth inning. The most important thing to me is that the Yankees win – not just tonight but throughout the year, including October. Shawn, I like you, and all else being equal, I’d prefer to see you get the W, but when you start pitching lousy all else is not equal and I dont owe you squat. Even when you’ve yielded only one run through 4 and 2/3, if I think I’ve got a better option in the pen for that 15th out, I’m gonna use it, because this is about the Yankees – not you.
Bob Melvin’s implicit "message" is quite different:
I want you guys to understand that I’m gonna do everything in my power to get you starters as many W’s as I can. I’m not gonna pull the rug out every time you get in a jam. I expect good pitchers to get out of jams and you’re all good pitchers. I have enormous confidence in all you guys. Even if you hurt your leg, and I’m not certain of the nature of your injury other than I can see you hobble off the mound after each pitch in a 5-0 game vs the woeful Cubs, I will not, as your faithful servant, ever interfere with YOUR rightful desire to Win YOUR game.
See the difference?
Diamondbacks starters are bestowed with a sense of "W" entitlement by virtue of being starters and keeping their team "in the game". Nothing else. As long as Melvin’s starter is in line for a W, optimizing the team’s interests is trumped by feeding his starter the Win. Torre’s standards are higher for his starters and more team oriented. It’s not enough to merely start and be "in the game" to earn that fifteenth out in the Bronx. You also need to execute specific pitches to specific batters according to gameplan and it helps if you’re the staff’s best available option at that particular point in time.
If Melvin’s established actions are any indication, one has to wonder how much he considers those last two points, if at all.
Diamondhacks
Recent Comments