Managers taking the blame

By Steve Goldstein Sports Central Columnist

Within the last week, the Chicago Cubs fired Don Baylor and the Cleveland Indians gave the pink slip to Charlie Manuel. Neither will ever appear in a George Will book as an example of a genius manager. Neither, however, should have taken such heavy blame for what happened to his team.

Teams managed by Baylor have finished above .500 twice. One of those occasions was in the 2001 season when the Cubs overachieved with a thin lineup that had only two players other than Sammy Sosa with more than 50 runs batted in. Baylor received little credit for the Cubs' relative success.

In the offseason, Chicago made one big splash by signing all-star, but often-injured outfielder Moises Alou to replace Rondell White. Though Alou has been hurt and his bat has been slow, his signing made sense. He was expected to offer protection for Sammy Sosa in the lineup. The team also made a one-sided deal with Florida to get closer Antonio Alfonseca and starter Matt Clement for starter Julian Tavarez.

Why, then, are the Cubs worse this season? The oft-mentioned word chemistry is the best reason.

Just days before he was fired, Baylor said he didn't have a real relationship with any of his players. He didn't have any last season, either, but he had more leaders in the clubhouse. The players that management deemed expendable were all strong leaders: Eric Young, Ricky Gutierrez, Ron Coomer, Matt Stairs, and Rondell White.

A general can't do his job well without some assistance from his top Lieutenants. This season, Baylor just didn't have any.

In the case of Charlie Manuel, he never had a chance. General Manager Mark Shapiro, under orders from his owner, has been trying to cut payroll at a rapid rate. Despite that, the Indians expected to at least be in the picture for the American League Central crown. Instead, the team is closing in on ten games below the .500 mark.

Manuel went to Shapiro to ask for a long-term extension. Shapiro saw that as a great opportunity to say goodbye to Manuel.

Let's face it. Manuel got the job in the first place because John Hart -- Shapiro's predecessor -- was tired of Mike Hargrove and wanted someone who'd be beholden to him. Hart's in Texas right now, trying to piece together something for the Rangers. Manuel, meanwhile, is out of work.

In both cases, Baylor and Manuel were the victims of relatively high expectations. Neither man did anything to deserve being fired. At the same time, neither did anything to give anyone the belief that things would get better anytime soon.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.