Major League Baseball

GMs, not managers, should make calls

Published May. 5, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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The way the story goes, the anxiety of then-Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella over his bullpen situation during the 1994 season was believed to have been eased, but then came a nightmarish ending to a July 30 game at Boston in which four Mariners relievers combined to turned a 7-2 eighth-inning lead into an 8-7 loss.

Able to manipulate Woody Woodward, the Mariners' general manager, Piniella quickly orchestrated a trade for a veteran reliever. Piniella snagged Heathcliff Slocumb from the Red Sox for a couple of prospects, much to the chagrin of the Mariners’ farm and scouting departments.

The Mariners won the AL West that year, although it is hard to credit Slocumb with playing much of a role in the success. The right-hander, who was 0-5 at the time Boston dumped him, went 0-4 with a 4.13 ERA in the final two months of that season in Seattle. And he wasn’t much help the next year, either (2-5, 5.23), which prompted the Mariners to unload him.

Meanwhile, those two prospects, catcher Jason Varitek and right-hander Derek Lowe, became keys to the revival of the Red Sox, who have nine postseason appearances in the past 16 years. Lowe pitched eight seasons for the Red Sox, making two All-Star teams and compiling a 70-55 record with a 3.72 ERA.

Varitek still is playing in Boston, where he has caught 1,435 games, 34th on the all-time list, earned three All-Star selections, and was honored by being made the team captain.

The moral of the story is simple: Managers need to be a part of an organization’s decision-making process, but not be the only decision makers.

This isn’t football or basketball, where the future is now. In baseball, where there are farm systems that include six or more teams, and managers have only a cursory first-hand view of many of the prospects, the role of a general manager is much more vital than in the other team sports.

John Schuerholz has had extensive success as general manager of the Braves because he delegates responsibilities well and trusts the evaluations of the men he’s hired.

The Los Angeles Angels followed that route during the Bill Stoneman era, but with Stoneman stepping aside and Tony Reagins assuming control, the franchise seems to be at a crossroads, as is apparent with the offseason firing of scouting director Eddie Bane, who is now evaluating for Detroit.

Four rookies Bane’s scouts drafted and signed have assumed critical roles in the Angels' bid to overtake Texas in the AL West: right-handed Tyler Chatwood, the team’s No. 1 draft choice in 2008; closer Jordan Walden, a 12th-round selection in 2006; catcher Hank Conger, the No. 1 pick in 2006; and first baseman Mark Trumbo, an 18th-round pick in 2004.

And don’t forget the emergence of center fielder Peter Bourjos, a 10th-round pick in 2005. Bourjos’ defense led to Vernon Wells being moved to left field and Torii Hunter to right. Meanwhile, right-hander Jered Weaver, the No. 1 pick in 2004, is 6-1 with a 1.39 ERA.

The Angels even pulled their big-league scouts back from American League coverage, deciding that Manager Mike Scioscia and his staff can provide the necessary information, despite the limited exposure outside the division that teams receive because of the unbalanced schedule.

It is an interesting approach considering the success the Angels have had in recent years, not only winning but winning with a home-grown nucleus.

In the past decade, the Angels have had 11 players make their big-league debut and spend at least three seasons in the big leagues. Big deal? Sure seems to be. Only two organizations have been more successful in creating what could be considered everyday big leaguers: Colorado with 16 and Minnesota with 12.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is a believer in that approach, too, but he has overseen what can best be described as a tumultuous period in Cubs history. The period included a stretch of dealing with the emotional desires of Piniella, as well as facing ownership directives to piece together a roster that would enhance the sale potential of the franchise, even if it didn’t enhance the long-term stability of the organization.

Now that the Cubs have assumed new ownership, the question is whether the Ricketts family can see past the short term, understand the blinders that Hendry was forced to wear in doing his job and provide him with time to properly revamp the Cubs.

Hendry has a strong support group with scouting director Tim Wilken and farm director Oneri Fieta, who, despite their strong credentials, would most likely be victims of a reactionary move by the Ricketts because a new general manager would want to bring in his "own people.’’

With the arrival in recent years of catcher Geovany Soto, shortstop Starlin Castro, second baseman Darwin Barney, outfielder Tyler Colvin and right-handers Andrew Cashner and Jeff Samardzija, there are emerging signs of the direction Hendry and Co. hope to take.

However, that hasn't eliminated growing speculation about not only Hendry’s status, but also possible successors. There is talk in the scouting circles about possible ties that relatives of fired Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes have with the Rickets family, and speculation that given the upheaval in Los Angeles, there could be interest from Dodger general manager Ned Colletti, a native of Franklin Park, Ill., who began his front office career with the Cubs in 1982.

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