Players Say Dent Wasn’t at Fault for Yankees’ Collapse

The message in the New York Yankees’ clubhouse after the 18th managerial change in 18 George Steinbrenner years: Bucky Dent should not have been blamed for the team’s worst-in-the-majors 18-31 record.

But, of course, he was.

“I don’t like to see it, especially since the manager did all he could,” Dave Righetti said. “I think Bucky’s influence was good for this team. I felt like he did a good job.”

Righetti was particularly upset that reports surfaced about some player dissatisfaction with Dent. “I’ve talked to most every guy in this clubhouse, and there was none of that going on,” Righetti said.

“There wasn’t one guy in this clubhouse who disliked him. There were a couple of guys who said some things about Champ Summers, but hitters will talk about the hitting coach. And that thing about people disliking Joe Sparks, that’s bull.”

Summers and Sparks, the third-base coach, were dismissed with Dent, along with bullpen catcher Gary Tuck.

While the players blamed themselves, Wayne Tolleson pointed out, “I don’t think a manager has ever been fired whose players didn’t cost him his job . . . except maybe when we were in first place with Billy (Martin). . . . I know Bucky went at this blood and guts. Bucky’s a survivor. I think he has all the attributes to be a good manager. He did everything he could possibly do.”

Said Mel Hall: “It’s a Yankee move. It’s not the first time this happened. It happened to Dallas (Green) last year. Same thing. The new manager can bring his style and attitude, but it’s the ballclub that has to change its intensity.”

Some of the players expressed guilt over their poor performance.

Andy Hawkins, who lasted just one-third of an inning in Dent’s last game, the 9-8 loss Tuesday night, said, “It’s not like the guy didn’t give a damn. He busted his butt. It just didn’t work out. We didn’t hit. I didn’t pitch well at all. I feel like I let him down.”

Asked if this routine of ushering in a new manager gets old, Righetti, who has been through 13 changes, said, “It did a long time ago.”

Righetti said that this will not influence a decision about staying or leaving after this season, when he becomes a free agent. “You’d like to think there will come a time (when a manager stays). So I stay here and hope. It would probably eat me up inside if I left and saw this team win without me.”