European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 29, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday March 29, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 21commentarynew Skippers Brace for firing line by Jim Donaghy a baseball writer sooner or later most major league managers end up in a tiny line of transactions with the word a a fired next to their name. Except for family and a few close friends no one really cares that much it seems. After All being a big league manager Isnit a real Job. When things go bad the fans fire the manager everyday. They write letters and Call sports talk shows with their displeasure about the managers moves. Why no Pinch hitter in the seventh How could he let the Pitcher stay in there what kind of lineup was that George Steinbrenner never even needed Good reasons to sack the skipper. Sometimes a general manager or owner hear about the the discontent and decide someone must go. That someone is the manager. Of the 26 managers on opening Day 1991, Only 13 have made it Back for opening Day 1992 with the same teams. Gone from the scene Are Nick Leyva Don Zimmer and his replacement Jim Essian Bud Harrelson Joe Morgan Tom Trebelhorn Frank Robinson John Mcnamara John Wathan Doug Rader and stump Merrill. Buck Rodgers Jeff Torborg and Jim Lefebvre found jobs with new teams. Rodgers and Lefebvre were fired while Torborg did no to feel wanted in Chicago. A because of All the Money involved i think there a More pressure on managers to win now a said Torborg the new manager of the new York mets. A a losing season can mean a loss of millions of dollars. A you can decide not to bring some big contracts Back or fire the manager. No one said it was last season the Chicago cubs were the preseason favourites but were Only playing .500 Ball on May 21 when Zimmer was fired by the cubs. Zimmer like Many fired managers really did no to see it coming. Zimmer showed up at Shea stadium in the mid afternoon to prepare for a night game against the mets. He made a lineup card and talked to some friends. By that time executives of the cubs and Tribune co. Had already decided once the Pride of Chicago Don Zimmer now is reduced to third base coach in Boston. Zimmer was gone. He had his uniform on when word finally came to the visitors clubhouse. With misty eyes Zimmer said goodbye to his coaches and a few players that cared. A you feel numb a said Zimmer a coach with Boston this year. A a in be been through the experience a few times and you always feel alone. If a player is traded he has a new group of teammates to be with. When a manager is fired he is out on his Zimmer had been fired in san Diego Boston and Texas. With Chicago he guided the cubs to a division title in 1989. A i feel bad for the Young managers coming along because in a not sure be Given much of a Chance a said Zimmer who has been in professional baseball for 45 years. The Rookie managers this season Are Butch Hobson Bosto Phil Garner Milwaukee Gene Lamont Chicago White so Bill Plummer Seattle and Buck Showalter new York Yankees. Tom Runnells Montrea Johnny Oates Baltim Remike Hargrove Cleveland and Hal Mcrae Kansas City Are starting their first full seasons. A becoming a major league manager has been a goal of mine for a Long time a said Plummer a lifetime .188 hitter in parts of 10 seasons with Cincinnati and Seattle. A a in be been in the mariners organization for 15 years and in a Well prepared for Why would anyone want to be a manager anyway it was a Job babe Ruth desperately wanted and never got. But team owner colonel Jake Ruppert never thought Ruth was really managerial material. The Brooklyn dodgers made Ruth a coach in 1938, with an indication he could manage after Burleigh Grimes was fired. But the Job went to Leo Durocher instead proving Nice Guys finished last in this Case anyway. Ruth and Durocher were enemies going Back to their Days As teammates with the Yankees. It seems Ruth had thought Durocher was Quot borrowing some items that did no to belong to him. Tommy Lasorda never had the Fame of a Ruth or a Durocher. He got his Job As a manager with a combination of smarts and personality. A being the manager of the dodgers was always a dream Job for me a said Lasorda who took Over for Walter Alston after the 1976 season. A i feel very a Harrelson thought being manager of the mets was his a a dream Job too. He had been a fan favorite As a player and popular with the players As a coach. But Harrelson a dream ended in a Nightmare. He became so sensitive to criticism that he decided not to come out of the dugout to make a pitching change in order not to be booed. The players started talking behind his Back and the fans pronounced him a failure. Maybe Harrelson have been so shocked. The mets fired Davey Johnson after he guided them to a .588 winning percentage and a world series title in seven seasons. Johnson was fired in May 1990, and Hasni to been Able to find work As a manager since. A a in be Learned you have to be your own Man a san Francisco manager Roger Craig said. A you can to second guess yourself or be too concerned about what the players or fans think. You done to usually hear from them when you re St. Louis manager Joe Torre fired by the mets and braves had a Nice Job As a broadcaster for Angels when he decided to give managing another try. A i think every manager goes into the Job thinking he has a better idea than the other Guy Quot Torre said. A but in be Learned Good players Are More important than Good sceptical of cup venues by Steve Wilson a sports writer London a a fifa tastes the great that show the Independent headlined its Story last tuesday on the selection of the Pontiac Silver dome in Michigan As one of the nine venues for soccer a world up in 1994. In general european papers gave Low key coverage last mondays announcement in new York. Sports pages were devoted mainly to previews of eur Jean soccer exhibitions across the continent last Eek. The reports from new York focused on the Choice of in Silver dome which will Host the first indoor matches i the history of the world cup. While most papers gave straightforward factual a aunts and withheld any judgment the Independent id not hide its scepticism. A whether the agronomists can deliver on their prom is of an indoor grass pitch capable of withstanding at ast six matches is unknown a it said. The London based paper quoted a British agronomy Jeff Perris assistant director of the sports turf re Arch Institute As saying it would be a extremely diff 94 world cup cult to sustain grass growth indoors. A the amount of supplementary Light needed is colossal a Perris said. A a More practical method might be to sow the grass outdoors on vast trays up to a foot in depth which could be pulled in through the Side of the stadium when the Independent also focused on the selection of giants stadium noting that fifa insisted on having a new York area venue even though the Field does not meet the Fields Width requirement. A never mind the Width feel the Quality is How the paper summed up fifa a policy. Playing in new York Means a fall those sniffy american sports Media will have to take note a the Independent said referring to the relative indifference to soccer displayed by . Newspapers and television. The paper said the decision to select nine venues instead of 12 was taken for financial reasons noting that sponsors have been slow to materialize. A the result is that Many More games not to mention spectators will be travelling Long distances Between games a it said. The times of London was More positive in its coverage. It said the Choice of the Silver dome represented a personal Triumph for British born Roger Faulkner a Pioneer of the defunct Nail and head of the Michigan bid. A apart from the novel value which ensures that the world cup will leave a significant fix print in history the location was Ideal a the times said. A Detroit can be reached within four hours by the whole of the Canadian population and half of the United in Italy the sports daily la Gazzetta Dello sport reported on the Choice of the a a fabulous Silver dome calling it the a Temple of the super bowl and Michael the paper described giants stadium As a the mythic ground of Pele a Cosmos Quot the former Nail team from new York. The French sports daily la a quite mentioned the need for business in the Choice of Sites and suggested that Washington do was not an Ideal soccer town. In Germany the sports news Agency Sid said a Money and politics played a major role in the Choice of a despite All the hex Spla and enthusiasm a lot of work and problems still remain for the organizers and fifa until the Kickoff a Sid said
