Mike Hargrove just up and quits in the middle of a winning streak? That’s really weird.
Anyone have the scoop?
That is really weird. Here’s a link to one story.
I’m sorry I don’t have input, I’m plugged in as a Boston fan, but I think there will be more to this story as time goes on.
I’m not a M’s fan, but this is news that just shocked me. Makes absolutely no sense. Now, I’m wondering what will we find out about later.
The Mariners have made a respectable run in the AL West, a division I follow. There would be no reason at all for their manager to resign. I actually expected the headline to be about Torre.
I don’t think I have ever heard of a manager quitting mid-season.
He must be having some personal problems…
His wife said something about how he’s spent only four nights in his own bed during the last eight months. I’d imagine all the makeup games they’ve had to play on their scheduled days off (four games snowed out in Cleveland, one rainout in Boston) haven’t helped matters any.
But yeah, this sucks. Still, I think the team made a good choice by naming John McClaren as Hargrove’s replacement.
Your not kidding. Mariners played one game EVERY DAY in May. A whole month without a single day off.
As “Just a Guy,” not a Major League Baseball Manager, I CERTAINLY understand the desire to just say. “I HATE this job, fuck it, I quit.” I just have never had the bankroll to do it. Maybe he had the same feelings, but, being an established manager, had amassed a nest egg enabling his resignation.
And yes, I know the Ms were doing well, but I absolutely understand.
Joe
Cleveland’s GM made a good point/suggestion on preventing this kind of thing in the future: “Schedule games against division rivals in April, you know, somebody who will be coming back later” (or words to that effect). That way the games can be made up as doubleheaders in a later series, not as one-game stopovers on days off.
Of course, in the days before interleague play, every team did visit every other city in the league at least twice. Good argument against interleague play, if you ask me.
Anyway … I’m gonna miss Grover. He was almost as good as Lou.
Hargrove’s tenure has been… let’s say… turbulent.
There’s endless speculation about what exactly has been going on, and the people on the inside aren’t talking. One of the M’s starting pitchers said, “The full story has not yet been told,” and I think that’s right.
Top theory right now centers on Ichiro. It’s no secret that he didn’t get along with Hargrove at the outset (Ichiro’s been with the M’s since 2001), though they apparently eventually reached an uncomfortable accommodation. This is Ichiro’s final contract year, and he’s been fairly up-front (as much as he ever gets, at least) about his discontent with the team’s leadership. Everyone expects him to test the free-agent waters, and recent history puts the M’s at a disadvantage in any attempt to re-sign him. Hargrove’s bench coach, John McLaren, goes back to the Piniella years, and gets along with Ichiro better than anyone since Lou. Now he’s Hargrove’s successor, and will manage the rest of the current season at least.
So this could be a combination move: Hargrove’s simply burned out, and he’s graciously stepping out of the way because he knows it positions the team to re-sign their biggest audience draw and most reliable impact player. The M’s are playing well, Ichiro wants to see how things play out but probably doesn’t really want to leave if he doesn’t have to (he’s close to Japanese ownership), and now Hargrove is out of the picture, leaving a successor Ichiro knows and trusts. Seems like a good move all around.
spooje:
Tony Pena quit on the Royals in May 2005.
No one was shocked at his burnout, given the way the Royals were playing. Hargrove’s is much more surprising.