European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 30, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 b the stars and stripes sports Friday october 30,1992 Rockies lauded for hiring Baylor by Ross Newhan the los Angeles times the Colorado Rockies the National league expansion team that hired Don Baylor As its first manage tuesday have received Praise from throughout baseball for hiring the game s fourth minority manager. Baylor 43, played with five division champions and three teams that reached the world series during a 19 year major league career. Baylor received a three Yea contract. I Don t know How Good the team will be but it la have a certain respect and presence because of Don said former California Angel manager Gene Mauch. It won t just be a Bunch of ragtag. I mean Don car ried himself like a Winner and was a Winner every place he went. I Don t know what took so Baylor had interviewed for several managerial vacancies before being offered the Colorado Rockies Job Over Tom Trebelhorn Tony Muser and Bill Virdon theother finalists. He joins Cito Gaston of the Toronto Blue jays Hal Mcrae of the Kansas City royals and Felipe Alou of the Montreal expos As baseball s fourth minority Man Ager. He will be the sixth Black to manage in the majors. The others were Frank Robinson Maury wills Larry Doby Gaston and Mcrae. It s a very positive step for baseball the Colorado Rockies and Don Baylor said Bob Watson assistant general manager of the Houston astros and a hitting instructor when Baylor was with the Oakland athletics. I tip my hat to general manager Bob Gebhard for giving him the Opportunity. I had a Chance to work with Don in Oakland and Felt he was on his Way to becoming a general manager or club president. People bring up the fact that he has never managed but i Don t think that s an absolute necessity. Look at the jobs Phil Garner Art Howe and Lou Piniella have done without having Ever managed before. Somebody had to give him that first shot and now that part of his resume won t be Watson added that no one will expect the expansion team to win immediately. I Don t think there will be a pressure to win As much As to develop Young players and i think Don will do that Watson said. He commands Gebhard agreed saying Baylor has the potential to be a great manager. Of his Lack of experience Gebhard said i m Wil re to Roll the Dice because i know the Baylor said he has never gotten caught up in the race Issue that he has Only wanted the Opportunity to Man age. He interviewed for managerial jobs in St. Louis Don Baylor was hired by Colorado after spending the past four seasons As a major league hitting coach. Seattle and Milwaukee and said that while it puts Achink in your Armor to keep being passed Over it s not part of me to be served As hitting coach for the St. Louis cardinals last season after having spent three years wit the Milwaukee Brewers in that capacity. He played for six major league teams winning the american league s most valuable player award with the Angels in 1979, when he hit 36 homers and drove in139 runs in leading that team to its first Western Divi Sion title. He had 24 homers and 93 rib when the an gels won again in 1982. Owners will decide giants Fate nov. 70-11 by Ronald Blum new York a the major leagues thursday scheduled meetings on nov. 10-11 to determine whether the giants will remain in san Francisco or move Tost. Petersburg Fla. Milwaukee Brewers owner Bud Selig the chairman of baseball s executive Council said committee meet Ings would begin on nov. 9 in Scottsdale ariz., an that the american and National leagues will meet jointly the following two Days. I be talked to a lot of people Selig said. I thin people want to review the facts and see the offers. There s a lot of work to be in addition to the giants situation Selig said owners wiil discuss work on restructuring that began following the forced resignation of commissioner Fay Vincent Onset. 7. There will be a lot of committee reports. There s alot of work to do besides the giants Selig said. Asked if the giants Fate would finally be decided a these meetings Selig said one would think Selig said the ownership committee would Only pass on the group s qualifications and that he was not sure whether the executive Council would make a recommendation to All owners prior to the joint meeting. A Bay area group headed by Safeway inc. Chairman Peter Magowan on wednesday increased its oct. 12 offer by $5 million to $100 million. It is intended to thwart a $115 million agreement in principal Between giants owner Bob Lurie and a St. Petersburg Fla., group headed by Vincent j. Naimoli. Since Lurie s Deal with Naimoli was announced aug.7, the timing of a Resolution was unclear. Any Deal needs approval from 10 of 13 owners in the no Luri Ewon t be allowed to vote and eight of 14 owners in the Al. St. Petersburg officials claim major league baseball i working with the Bay area group to develop an accept Able counteroffer that would prevent a move. It s bewildering confusing and raising some legitimate questions about the integrity of the whole pro Cess St. Petersburg assistant City manager Rick Dodge said wednesday. This is the last piece of evidence in along series of interference with a legitimate contract. Their bid is too Little too late offers no stadium and i illegal. It is not a bid it is an illegal Lurie put the team up for Sale after four referendums in the Bay area rejected proposals for a publicly financed stadium to replace Windy candlestick Park which baseball officials find unacceptable. Although Lurie said he would t consider other offers until the Florida bid was voted on no president Bill White said in september that he would receive a counteroffer an present it to owners alongside St. Petersburg s proposal. Dodge has threatened a lawsuit citing the precedent of Pennzoil co s $10.56 billion judgment against Jena co inc. In november 1985. Pennzoil successfully claimed Texaco interfered with its merger with Getty Oil co. And the parties eventually agreed to Settle out of court for $3 billion. Our View is this. Represents an illegal offer i violation of Basic contract Law Dodge said. The individuals in san Francisco who brought that about Are guilty of tortious interference with an existing and Bona fide contractual relationship. We believe baseball should approve the Florida offer. If that fails to occur we re going to do everything we can to protect our interests and seek damages to what occurs. The san Francsco group has sought to delay disrupt and interfere. We already have suffered damages. We have a 26-year lease agreement with this ownership group. You take $110 million economic Impact lost Over 26 years the Revenue streams lost Over 26 years the loss of a state Grant of $60 million. The problem grows geometrically every san Francisco saw no problem with its offer which mayor Frank m. Jordan called a positive the revision. Reinforces our Strong commitment to keeping the giants where they belong in san fran Cisco he said. I am hopeful and optimistic for a Posi Tive and speedy Magowan s group did not reveal any details of the offer other than the total Price. For instance it was not known whether it contained a similar $10 million loan agreement from Lurie that was part of the Florida bid. We Are proud to deliver this amended strength ened offer to National league president Bill White Magowan said in a joint statement with Walter Shore Stein a limited partner in his group. The offer comes from a dedicated local group with outstanding credentials. We believe we have been responsive to baseball s expressed concerns and we look Forward to their prompt Dodge questioned san Francisco s desire to have major league baseball. A Survey of 610 Bay area people by san Francisco pollster David Binder found 50j per cent would be disappointed if the giants left Down my u percent from a Survey in april. The poll which had an error margin of 4 percent and was con ducted on saturday and sunday said 45.4 percent said they would t be upset. If anyone s fighting for baseball in san Francisco the question is Why Dodge said. It s Clear the people san Francisco Don t have the
