In His Day, the Manager Held His Own

Bill Bavasi, the Angels’ general manager, is not the first Bavasi to face the threat of a possible player insurrection over a manager.

His father, Buzzie Bavasi, was in his third year as the Brooklyn Dodger general manager in 1954 when he received a call from first-year manager Walter Alston regarding Alston’s concern that Jackie Robinson was trying to undermine his authority.

“We had just broken camp in Vero Beach and the team was playing a game in Louisville when Walt called to say that Jackie was trying to run the club, telling players that Walt didn’t know what he was doing because he had never played in the big leagues [for an extended time],” Bavasi recalled.

“I told Walt, ‘Do what you want and I’ll back you up.’ Well, Gil Hodges told me later that Walt called Jackie into his office, locked the door and said, ‘You have two choices. You can either apologize, or only one of us is going to walk out of here.”’

Robinson apologized, and Alston managed the Dodgers for 23 years, an imposing physical presence who was not afraid to use that strength as a hammer to enforce his authority and stop problems before they developed.

There is the renowned story of Alston--fed up with player complaints over the lack of air conditioning on the bus carrying the team to the Pittsburgh airport--ordering the driver to stop on the side of the highway.

“Any of you who want to say another word about it can step off the bus and deal with me,” Alston said.

No one accepted the challenge.

Of course, Alston was 6 feet 2 and 195 pounds with arms of steel, while Terry Collins, in the eye of the Angel storm, is a bantam rooster at 5-8 and 160.

What would father recommend to son in the handling of the Angel situation, where a group of players--responding to news that the club is negotiating a contract extension with Collins--expressed concern to Bill Bavasi about Collins’ managerial style?

“I would tell him that if they’ve made up their mind that they want him back, then sign him now and move on,” Buzzie Bavasi said, suggesting that it remains a management decision--as shocking as that seems.

*

A fumigating problem developed in the American League during the last few days when Detroit Tiger Manager Larry Parrish and Toronto Blue Jay Manager Jim Fregosi reacted to erratic play by saying their teams stunk, and the beleaguered Ray Miller unleashed another diatribe at the Baltimore Orioles after a 14-11 victory over the Seattle Mariners--one of those AL specials that included 28 hits and 16 walks.

Six weeks ago, Miller had encouraged reporters to seek answers for his team’s stumbling start from the players because “they’re the ones making all the money.” This time, he was incensed by mental mistakes by starter Juan Guzman and a five-run mop-up by closer Mike Timlin--and he said he would start taking some of that money for similar mistakes.

“That’s not what I consider major league baseball,” Miller said. “That’s embarrassing to me and my staff.”

For how much longer Miller will be permitted to manage an $84-million embarrassment remains a recurring topic in Baltimore. He has beaten the odds to this point.