Ringolsby: Girardi may be losing control in Florida

Published August 11, 2006 at midnight

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LOS ANGELES - Baseball had its first managerial change of the season this week.

But it doesn't count because nothing really changed.

Florida owner Jeffrey Loria fired manager Joe Girardi on Sunday afternoon, but before the announcement could be made, Loria reconsidered and Girardi was retained. The blowup came when Loria, who sits beside the Marlins dugout at Dolphin Stadium, was yelling at umpires Sunday and Girardi told him to cool it.

The problems, however, go deeper than an in-game blowup. Girardi was Loria's hand-picked manager, but Loria has become concerned about Girardi's controlling personality that has been compared with that of Texas manager Buck Showalter.

Problems began during spring training when Girardi belittled suggestions by members of the organization that Ricky Nolasco and Josh Johnson should be in the rotation instead of middle relief, where they opened the season. It was more than a month before Girardi backed down and gave both opportunities to start, which turned out to be a critical factor as the Marlins rebounded from a miserable start to be competitive.

Girardi might be wise to heed the words of former big league exec Buzzie Bavasi.

"We operated by the Golden Rule," Bavasi said. "He who has the gold rules."

Wild things

The Minnesota Twins responded to news that phenom starter Francisco Liriano will be out indefinitely by winning back-to-back games against Detroit.

Whether they can hang on for the AL wild card will depend on how well the latest reinforcements perform in the rotation. Boof Bonser is back for a third chance this season and starts Saturday. The focus, however, is on tonight, when Matt Garza, 15 months removed from pitching at Fresno State, makes his big league debut. The Twins' first-round draft choice last year - the 25th player taken overall - climbed from Single-A to Double-A to Triple-A to the big leagues since Opening Day. He was 14-4 with a 1.99 ERA in the minors.

Overheard

• Center fielder Juan Pierre has turned his season around, and now there's talk the Chicago Cubs will attempt to re-sign him instead of losing him to free agency. Speculation on what it will take to sign Pierre, however, ranges from the belief Pierre will take a cut from this year's $5.75 million salary to the idea the three-year, $39 million overpayment the Dodgers gave shortstop Rafael Furcal last winter will be a basis for talks.

• Girardi has had friends making it known in Chicago that he would like the Cubs job. The Cubs, however, aren't interested.

• Washington general manager Jim Bowden is still uncertain about his future. New team president Stan Kasten did announce that Bowden is the GM after new ownership took over, but that might have been more an effort to end speculation than anything else. No contract has been signed.

Sneak peek

It's August, and teams are still making deals. The key is getting a player through waivers.

Get an idea of how each is approaching the August trade market by checking out my team-by-team breakdowns at www.RockyMountainNews.com/rockies.

It's a fact

Reader Sal Muñiz wondered "for whom is the Mendoza Line named, and how did it occur?"

It's named after Mario Mendoza, one of the smoothest-fielding shortstops in the game, but one who struggled with the bat. Mendoza spent nine years in the big leagues, hitting .215. He failed to hit .200 five times in his career, including 1979 with Seattle, when he hit .198 in the only season he had more than 300 at-bats. The popular theory is that Hall of Famer George Brett created the phrase when he said in looking at the averages in the Sunday paper that he wanted to see who was "below the Mendoza line," meaning below .200. Brett, however, actually got the line from Tom Paciorek, a teammate of Mendoza in Seattle, and Paciorek said he stole it from former Mariners first baseman Bruce Bochte.

Got a question? E-mail it to ringolsbyt@rockymountainnews.com.

Two cents' worth

Umpires are often disciplined for their actions, but baseball has never made the suspensions or fines public. The umpires have argued that their credibility would suffer if the penalties were announced.

But credibility really would be enhanced because players and fans would realize umpires are held accountable for their actions. A perfect example was when home plate umpire Dan Iassogna allowed Barry Bonds and the AT&T Park crowd to intimidate him into refusing to ask for help on a check swing in San Francisco on Saturday.

Iassogna's action undercut the credibility of his entire crew.

Too often, players complain that umpires aren't concerned about their actions because they feel invincible. Announcing penalties would eliminate that misconception.

MILE-HIGH WATCH

Don't waste time wondering about the Rockies' attempts to sign Matt Holliday to a multiyear deal.

It isn't going to happen.

And nobody is complaining.

Last winter the Rockies felt they were on the verge of getting a four-year deal with a guarantee of $17 million worked out with Holliday, but he decided to change agents, hiring Scott Boras, who also represents Holliday's brother, Josh, an assistant coach at Georgia Tech.

Boras' track record is to go on a year-by-year basis with players who aren't free agents, feeling it provides a better opportunity to maximize the income by having the power of arbitration each year.

No problem for the Rockies. They have projected budgets for the next three seasons that accommodate arbitration dealings with Holliday.

Technically, Holliday is signed for 2007 at $500,000, but the multiyear deal he signed when the University of Tennessee and University of Miami tried to persuade him to quit baseball and play quarterback provides Holliday the ability to opt out if he is arbitration eligible, which he will be.

AFTER SPENDING a decade in the Dodgers organization, Todd Hollandsworth was dealt to the Rockies on July 31, 2000, and his vagabond career began.

This week, Hollandsworth was part of a midseason swap for the fourth time, going from Cleveland to Cincinnati. The Reds are the eighth team he has played for in his career, the seventh since July 31, 2000.

Hollandsworth, however, still has a yen for Colorado. He makes his offseason home in the Denver area.

JEFF BAKER is the most overlooked prospect in the Rockies system, but he could fill a roster spot next year, providing a right-handed backup to left-handed hitters Todd Helton at first base and Brad Hawpe and protection at third base.

Finally staying healthy enough to play regularly, Baker leads Triple-A Colorado Springs with 87 RBI, tied for second in the Pacific Coast League.

TEAM-BY-TEAM CAPSULES

The August trade market

National League

ARIZONA addressed its biggest need last week with the acquisition of right-hander Livan Hernandez, although it cost the Diamondbacks two of their top five pitching prospects. Now they’d like to unload the $9.5 million guaranteed outfielder Shawn Green for next year. The urgency of that was lessened, however, because Carlos Quentin was called up when first baseman Tony Clark injured his shoulder.

ATLANTA has begun to accept the fact its postseason run is about to end so don’t expect the Braves to do anything. They found themselves in the middle of a controversy when they put outfielder Andruw Jones on waivers, but that was a story created by those who don’t understand that virtually every player in baseball is put on waivers in August so teams can create flexibility in case a deal develops.

CHICAGO added first baseman Phil Nevin when Derrek Lee was disabled and would like to free up roster spots by moving Nevin and fellow first baseman John Mabry now. They wouldn’t hesitate if a team showed interest in left-hander Glendon Rusch.

CINCINNATI GM Wayne Krivsky has added 17 players since taking over in February, and 13 remain on the roster. In the past two weeks, he has added outfielder Todd Hollandsworth, lefty Rheal Cormier and right-handers Ryan Franklin and Kyle Lohse. Now if he could just unload catcher Jason LaRue, hitting .173 and with a $5.2 million guarantee for next year.

COLORADO is intent on looking within to fill needs, although it might make an offseason run for center field help. Right now, though, the main effort would be to move Ray King if a contender needs an experienced left-hander. If Rockies went into a fast fade, they would listen to overtures for right-handers Josh Fogg and Byung-Hyun Kim, but both could be back next year.

FLORIDA might be able to add a prospect or two because it has low-priced help for contenders with the likes of right-handers Joe Borowski, Matt Herges and Brian Moehler and third baseman Wes Helms. Moehler ($1.5 million) is the only one of the four making seven figures.

HOUSTON is on the fringes of the wild-card race and is looking to add a run producer to make up for the disappointment of outfielder Preston Wilson. Wilson, the Astros’ one major offseason move, has been benched in favor of rookie Luke Scott.

LOS ANGELES already has cleared out its excess baggage, releasing Jose Cruz Jr. and trading Odalis Perez and Sandy Alomar Jr. GM Ned Colletti also addressed areas of concern by picking up right-hander Greg Maddux and infielder Julio Lugo, although the price for those two was steep — infielder Cesar Izturis and outfield prospect Joel Guzman.

MILWAUKEE would love to get rid of the $7 million that right fielder Geoff Jenkins is due next season, but there was zero interest before July 31, which doesn’t bode well for August unless an injury hits a team with payroll room.

NEW YORK filled its need for a left-handed bat off the bench with Monday’s waiver claim of outfielder Ricky Ledee from the Dodgers. The Mets would like to add a postseason-caliber starting pitcher, but that’s virtually impossible when waivers are required.

PHILADELPHIA already cleared the $21.4 million it owed outfielder Bobby Abreu by moving him to the Yankees, but the Phillies also wouldn’t mind unloading the $7.5 million owed next year to right-hander Jon Lieber.

PITTSBURGH is in its usual position — looking to dump underachieving veterans they signed last offseason. This year it’s third baseman Joe Randa, outfielder Jeromy Burnitz and infielder Jose Hernandez who can be had for virtually nothing.

ST. LOUIS is expecting left-hander Mark Mulder off the disabled list next week, which means they would like to create a market for right-hander Jeff Weaver, who finally had a productive start in Cincinnati on Monday and gets a chance to back that up on Saturday in Pittsburgh. The Cardinals still need a left-handed reliever and a right-handed-hitting outfielder with power.

SAN DIEGO wanted to move right-hander Chan Ho Park and what’s left of his $15 million salary, but the market evaporated when Park developed anemia and needed a blood transfusion. First baseman Ryan Klesko is coming back from shoulder surgery but has no place to play with the emergence of Adrian Gonzalez, who is a long-term fit.

SAN FRANCISCO has been desperate for catching help with the loss of Mike Matheny with a concussion, but the Giants don’t have much to give up in a trade. The concern is that Matheny’s career could be over.

WASHINGTON was able to saddle Arizona with the $7 million burden for next year of right-hander Livan Hernandez, eliminating the No. 1 priority on the list of players to move. They now are looking for teams that might take right-handers Ramon Ortiz and Tony Armas, second baseman Jose Vidro, and first basemen Daryle Ward and Robert Fick.

American League

BALTIMORE general manager Mike Flanagan failed to get rid of excess baggage in July and has flooded the waiver wire in August, challenging teams to make a claim in light of the fact the Orioles might let the player go to get rid of salaries. The move list includes right-handers LaTroy Hawkins and Rodrigo Lopez, left-hander Bruce Chen, first basemen Jeff Conine and Kevin Millar and infielder Chris Gomez. They aren’t particular about what they get back in return.

BOSTON needs starting pitching but isn’t willing to give up top prospects to get it. They would love to unload right-hander Julian Tavarez to get out from under his $3.75 million guaranteed in 2007. Right-hander Rudy Seanez was available to anyone who would listen in January, but now he has pulled a leg muscle and is on hold.

CHICAGO general manager Kenny Williams said he likes the current roster as much as he did last year’s and doesn’t plan to make any moves, but there is a suspicion that right-handers Freddy Garcia and Javier Vazquez are available, which would open a rotation spot for right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who has been stuck in the bullpen all season.

CLEVELAND dealt outfielder Todd Hollandsworth to Cincinnati on Wednesday, but the names at the top of general manager Mark Shapiro’s to-go list are right-hander Guillermo Mota and third baseman Aaron Boone, who remains a possibility in San Diego, where Vinny Castilla has yet to be replaced.

DETROIT has taken a commanding lead in the AL Central and has shown no signs of wilting. Manager Jim Leyland is trying to be careful with right-hander Justin Verlander, who missed a start to get some extra rest. There seems to be no area of concern, however, for GM Dave Dombrowski to address before the postseason.

KANSAS CITY still is looking to move some salary, which makes outfielder Reggie Sanders a candidate to be moved. Not only does he have slightly more than $1 million remaining for this year, but he has another $5 million guaranteed for next year. Left-hander Mark Redman, the team’s All-Star by default, and outfielder Emil Brown could draw interest from a contender.

LOS ANGELES is desperate for an impact bat, but the Angels were looking for that a month ago, and if they couldn’t meet the demands for Alfonso Soriano or Miguel Tejada at that time, there’s no reason to think they will get anything done in August. Soriano and Tejada won’t clear waivers so the teams that do have a run producer available will feel they can pump the price up even more, which GM Bill Stoneman won’t accept.

MINNESOTA would like a veteran starting pitcher in light of having to insert rookies Boof Bonser and Matt Garza into the rotation this weekend and the uncertainty about the return of lefty Francisco Liriano, out with a strained forearm. GM Terry Ryan, however, was shopping before July 31 and didn’t find anyone that interested him.

NEW YORK made its big moves by filling out the rotation with Cory Lidle, the lineup with Bobby Abreu and the bench with Craig Wilson, but owner George Steinbrenner is never satisfied and if a bullpen upgrade from Sidney Ponson surfaces, the Yankees won’t hesitate to make an overture.

OAKLAND isn’t likely to move anyone on the 25-man roster, which makes it unlikely the A’s will find answers to questions about a fifth starter and run producer. Center fielder Jay Payton has finally gotten more playing time, however, and has provided an offensive lift, which eases that concern a bit.

SEATTLE is in a precarious position, on the cusp of contending. The Mariners don’t have payroll room for a key August addition, but if the team were to go into a fast fade, right-handers Joel Piñeiro and Gil Meche could interest a contender. Lefty Jamie Moyer has value, too, but he can veto a trade, which he did with Houston a year ago.

TAMPA BAY is in a continual building process, which makes it eager to add young players. It has requested waivers on first baseman Travis Lee and Greg Norton, who could provide bench help for a contender. Right-hander Dan Miceli could create minor interest.

TEXAS thought it had found the answer for its rotation need by adding right-hander Kip Wells, but after one start he was sidelined with a sore right shoulder and the Rangers sent scouts to find another starting candidate. The bullpen continues to stumble without a definitive eighth-inning man.

TORONTO initially proclaimed Eric Hinske as the foundation for rebuilding, but he since has been bounced from third to first to the outfield to a backup role and has a $5.626 million guarantee for next year, which makes him a definite albatross. The Jays would pick up part of the salary to get rid of him. They also have an excess at catcher with Bengie Molina and Greg Zaun.

Listen to Tracy Ringolsby at 5:12 p.m. Fridays with Dave and Lois on The Ride Home on KOA-AM (850) and watch him on the pregame show when FSN Rocky Mountain televises Rockies games.

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