European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday june 12, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 25 shrug off firing toll by Claire Smith the new York times Tom Trebelhorn has managed the Milwaukee Brewers for More than four years and yet he had never heard anything quite like it. As Trebelhorn stood signing autographs for fans in the stands at county stadium a boy about 13 or 14 years old was saying Over and Over a it Reba son the Bubble. Try by son the Bubble. Trebus going to be a the sounded like a Parrot a Trebelhorn said laughing As he recounted the Story last weekend at Yankee stadium. Better that managers laugh about just How tenuous their positions really Are. If they did not laugh then they would probably cry or at least cease to function As Ordinary human beings while trying to meet extraordinary demands. So managers take their turns dancing gingerly on that Bubble hoping that it does not burst. Nick Leyva of the Phillies Don Zimmer of the cubs John Wathan of the royals Frank Robinson of the orioles and Buck Rodgers of the expos were not so Lucky. All were dismissed before their teams got anywhere near the Halfway Point of the season. Those developments sent tremors through the ranks a first it bothers me that you see Guys that Are your friends like Frank Zim John Wathan get fired a said Jeff Torborg manager of the White sox. A it bothers you for their Sake and for friendships but managers do not sit around whispering among themselves about who might be next. A i have never had a conversation like that a said Cito Gaston manager of the Blue jays. A still such conversations do take place among fans conducted by even the pint sized ones like the youth who chirped at Trebelhorn. So it s no wonder that managers often take a dispassionate View. A Al am absolutely paranoid about getting fired a Jim Leyland manager of the Pittsburgh pirates said. A i do not want to get fired. Yet at the same time i have no fear of it and i done to worry about Leyland realizes that such reasoning May be hard to follow. So he said. A let me explain it this Way. I remember something my dad told me years ago. He worked in a factory had to raise seven of us while worrying about shutdowns and things like that. He said a if you go to work every Day and worry about your Job then you done to have a Job the attitude i its an attitude that makes sense when dealing with clubs which react All too predictably to failure As Jim Pregosin Tomb prgo a predecessor in Chicago knows. The twice fired three times hired manager who now guides the Phillies said. A the Bottom line is if you done twin its easier to change the face of the manager than of 25 players. In a not saying that a the Way it should be done but that a just the Way it happens in this a a basically everybody knows that a Merrill agreed. A so to Deal with it you just Hope you have a Nice Little tenure. Then maybe just maybe you la be the exception to the Rule. You la be the Guy who retires on his Atlanta outfielder Dave Justice gets a hand for the map batting numbers he has compiled so far this season. Batting might fall before Justice is done own. By David Moffit Atlanta up a Dave Justice is Well on track to becoming one of baseball a newest superstars. Through approximately one third of the season the Atlanta braves right fielder leads the majors in runs batted in and ranks among the leaders in Many other categories. In a sense the 25-year-old ohioan has been an overnight phenom. Before his first full season last year there was Little in his minor league resume to predict he would do so Well. In his Best aaa showing at Richmond in 1989, Justice hit Only .261 with a dozen homers and 58 Bis in nearly 400 at bats. Not that this year is a total Surprise. After All last season the 6-foot-3, 200-Pounder was the National league Rookie of the year hitting .282 with 28 homers and 78 Bis following his May Call up from Richmond. Sunday during an 8-6 Victory Over Montreal Justice had two two run homers and a single. By Days end after playing in 51 games he had a majors leading 47 Bis 10 Home runs 37 runs .325 average and a league leading .563 slugging percentage. He is not Likely to maintain his rib Pace. But if he should head wind up with 148 a three More than a 97-year-old team record held by Hugh Duffey and the the majors since George Fosters 149 for Cincinnati in 1977. A i done to really expect anything like that a Justice said. A it would be Nice. But All i can do is keep trying to make the most of my opportunities and Hope that things will keep going my Justice left off Atlanta a 40-Man roster the previous Winter was promoted last May to play first base when Nick Esasky was stricken with vertigo. The braves returned him to his natural position in Early August when Dale Murphy was traded to Philadelphia. Justice Wasny to chosen until the fourth round of the 1985 june draft and spent his first three seasons in the lower minors. He Rose to aaa Ball in 1988, but was demoted to a after batting Only .203 with eight homers and 28 rib in 70 games at Richmond. Lut had two eight game stints with Atlanta in 1989, Gitig Only i for 20 the first time but ii Lor 35 .355 in late september. He broke his Cheek in Spring training last year and did t report to Richmond until late april. But a .359 average in 12 games made him the logical Choice when Esasky who had 30 Home runs the previous season at Boston went on the disabled list alter appearing in Only nine games. A we knew All along that he was a great Prospect but Dave has already Exee eed our expectations Quot braves manager Bobby Cox said. A the Best thing about him is his ability to adjust to any Given situation. He san intelligent Young Justice has continued to improve this season even though his reputation grows and pitchers Bear Down harder. A last year when id get in a situation to get a fastball. Id get a fastball a he said. A it Hasni to been like that this year. But i he it a for the Ball no matter what they re throwing me and 1 hit it. I get a lot of stuff Down and in these Cox figures Justice is a cinch to make the All Star team and thinks hell have a shot at most valuable player a a title Murphy won in 1982 and 1983. Quot the Only Way that could happen is it i continue doing what in a doing now and we wind up with a Good record a Justice said. Quot its too soon to think about something like sizzling on Sisler like batting Pace by Jim Donaghy a baseball writer its that time in the season when the top l starts to mean something. Tony Gwynn for example leads the National league with a .373 batting averts and has 85 hits in san Diego a first 57 Gui iks a a Pace that gives him a shot at the record for hits in a season. Gwynn is no pretender either. His career average of .329 ranks 12th in no his Jorv .0002 ahead of Honus Wagner and boo Points behind Stan Musial. Gwynn already has four batting titles in eight seasons. Gwynn is on a Pace for 241 hits this season. Its not a clip that would break George Sisler a record of 257 hits set in 1920, but its in the Ballpark. In the last 50 years Only five major leagues including Wade Boggs with 240 in 1985, have had More than 230 hits in a season. A a in a not thinking of numbers like that a Gwynn said. A i was disappointed in the Way things went last season and it was important for me and the team to get off to a Good Gwynn hit a career Low .309 in 1990, and missed the last 19 games of the season with a fractured right Index Finger. There was also a rift with some teammates who thought he was selfish most notably the now departed Jack Clark. A a in a the same person now As i was last year and the year before a Gwynn said. �?o1 can to worry about what others think or Gwynn entered monday nights game at Pittsburgh with a 15-game hitting Streak going 25 for 57 .439 in that Span. He also leads the league with eight triples and is among the leaders with 14 doubles. When Sisler set his record Tor the St. Louis Browns he had a .407 batting average. He had a pretty Eood month of june too with 61 hits in 29 cams. Gwynn a Best hit total i it 218 when he led the league with a .3?u average in in 1987. It was the Piehet in the no since 1948 when Musial hit .379 a to some decree when they say in a a natural hitter they re Gwynn said. A a in be never had trouble hitting a
