The Search for a Manager

The list of managerial candidates is long—as it should be during this stage of the process—and it seems to be getting longer. I'm all for it. It prompts discussion about the direction of the ball club and for the first time in several years, we can finally admit that the "let's-just-have-fun-and-everything-else-will-take-care-of-itself" approach will not work.

We need more than cheesy slogans. We need more than huge smiles. And we certainly need more than a manager who is so desperate for runs that he is bunting runners over in the second inning. But what specifically do we need in a new manager? What philosophy does he need to embrace for him to be a good fit for our current level of talent and our budget that the Glass family continues to say can be expanded if the right player comes along?

The obvious answer is fundamentals. He must be a manager who preaches fundamentals at all cost. We don't have enough talent to overcome mental mistakes. The next characteristic that I'd like to see is a no-nonsense sort of guy who cares more about playing the game the way it is supposed to be played than he does about hurting somebody's feelings. But I also don't want a total nutcase running the club who throws bats and water coolers. Somewhere in between would be nice.

Art Howe seems to be the leading candidate right now. Larry Dierker, Grady Little, Jimmy Williams all seem to be in serious contention. Jim Leyland, Bud Black, Larry Bowa and Bob Brenly probably fall to the next tier. And Frank White still figures into the mix even though he doesn't have prior major league experience.

Joe Posnanski in the KC Star chose sides and his choice isn't even among the names anybody is talking about. He wants Bobby Valentine, so he picked up the phone and called him to find out if he would be interested. Valentine showed moderate interest. Here's Posnanski's take:

"Here's what I think Bobby Valentine would do: He would come in, work 20 hours a day, sell the Royals at every Optimists Club and breakfast meeting in the Midwest, demand good baseball, fight with all he's got, irritate the heck out of opponents and make the Royals a factor again, in and out of Kansas City.

"He isn't just the right guy for this job. He's the only guy. And I think if the Royals go after him, he could be had."

Posnanski points to Valentine's turnaround of the Rangers, from a team that lost 99 games in 1985 to a team that won 87 games the next year and had winning seasons for 4 of the 6 seasons he was there. Posnanski also points to the resurgence of the Mets after Valentine took over. They went from 103 loses in 1993 to 88 wins in his first full season with them and they eventually made a playoff run.

I wouldn't argue with bringing in Valentine. He certainly has a track record of turning teams around. He also isn't very well liked for various reasons, but so what? Maybe it would create a little competitive fire. But I don't agree with Posnanski's take that he is the only guy for the job.

I still think Frank White could do a great job. The last thing we would need to worry about if he took over the helm would be a team that lacks fundamentals. The obvious problem is—what does Baird (or the next GM) do three seasons from now if the Royals are still losing 100+ games every season under White? You really can't fire him. You can try to force him out, but then he'll be seen as a quitter.

I think Frank White would be classy enough to recognize the situation for what it was and step down if it ever came to that. He wouldn't quit in the middle of a road trip. He wouldn't fail to address his team. He wouldn't fail to address the fans. He would call it like it is and say that he gave it his best shot, but he was unable to do what needed to be done to turn things around. I don't think people would view him in a negative light if he handled it in such a fashion. I certainly wouldn't. And let's not forget that Frank White wants this. By wanting it, he puts himself in the position to fail. But success always comes with a risk.

And what if Frank White risked his stellar reputation for the chance to turn around a club that has forgotten what it feels like to win and he actually succeeded? We are about to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the Royals only World Series victory. Certainly we want to remember the players and coaches of that era and they deserve a celebration, but aren't we really hoping to revive that feeling of success we experienced all those years ago? Frank White was on that team. That doesn't necessarily make him a good manager, but he serves as a bridge between the rich winning heritage of the Royals and the uncertain future of a small market club that has drifted aimlessly since the early 1990's.

Right now, Bobby Valentine and Frank White are the only two names that excite me. I actually believe that if one of them were hired that we'd have a fighting chance to be competitive again. Baseball economics have changed the game and recreating 1985 is almost impossible. But until the economical climate does change, I'd be content if we really did just become competitive again.

Wouldn't you?