Manager merry-go-round already here
Posted: Tuesday September 22, 1998 02:42 PM
ATLANTA (CNN/SI) -- Shopping season for managers is already here.
Dodgers general manager Kevin Malone has a short list of candidates that
includes three managers still under contract to other clubs: Felipe Alou of
the Expos, Tom Kelly of the Twins and Jim Leyland of the Marlins, who does
have an escape clause to take another job. Malone also is considering Davey
Johnson and Kevin Kennedy. He might add Phil Garner to the list if the
Brewers make a change.
The current skippers most likely to be filling out change-of-address forms
in the next four weeks are Leyland, Garner, Glenn Hoffman of the Dodgers,
Larry Parrish of the Tigers, Art Howe of the A's and Don Baylor of the
Rockies. Meanwhile, look for Seattle GM Woody Woodward to be pushed into
retirement. Montreal GM Jim Beattie is a leading candidate to return to the
Mariners' front office. Keeping them honest
The new rule that seeds teams in the playoffs based on their records has
kept clubs playing hard even after clinching. The Astros, for instance,
pushed Mike
Hampton past 130 pitches in a recent game against the Mets.
Houston desperately wants to finish with no worse than the second best
record in the NL. That way, in the Division Series the Astros can give the
ball twice to Randy Johnson
in the Astrodome, where he has been practically invincible. Left
out?
Yankees manager Joe Torre has toyed with the idea of putting the
struggling Andy
Pettitte in the bullpen for the playoffs. But look for the Yankees to
have lefties David Wells and
Pettitte available to start three of five games in the Division Series. And
that plays to the strength of the Rangers if New York should hook up with
Texas. Opposing teams have started left-handers against the Rangers only 45
times this year, and most of them have been pounded. Lefty starters are
11-21 with a 6.58 ERA against Texas. 3 out of 4 ain't bad
Entering this season only four active pitchers who began their careers
before 1986 had never made it to the postseason. Two of them are finally
in: Mark
Langston of the Padres and Doug Jones of the
Indians.
Of the other two, one will have to wait 'til next year again, pending the
outcome of the NL wild-card race: John Franco of
the Mets or Mike
Morgan of the Cubs. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom
Verducci covers baseball and appears regularly on CNN/Sports
Illustrated.
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