March 16, 2006
Nice Guys Finish Last
Jim Leyland doesn't like the attitude of the Tigers:
Leyland suggested the Tigers have too much of the calm dutifulness of the business world and not enough of the passion of the sports world.
"Not to be disrespectful, it's like a guy that goes to work at his job at an office," Leyland said. "He gets up, he gets his briefcase, he goes to his office, he sets it down, he gets a cup of coffee, he goes out, he does his thing, at 5 o'clock he picks up his briefcase, he gets in his car, and he drives home.
"In between, I want to see a fight once in a while. I want to see someone mad at me or someone throwing a stool. And I don't know that you can make guys do this. And I'm concerned about that."
Without being prompted by a question, Leyland made his statements in a pregame session with reporters. He stressed the Tigers lacked "swagger" and "meanness."
You can tell Leyland is a bit conflicted about this:
The manager and coaches, Leyland said, can't do much to teach such traits. It's the players, he said, who must decide that "we're tired of being known as a bunch of nice guys who get beat."
And in referring to meanness, Leyland said, "I don't want guys who won't sign a ball for a kid. I don't want somebody who is not going to act like a good human being.
"I want somebody who when they put that uniform on, they become a different person for 2 1/2 or three hours a night ... than when they're being polite and doing everything right with your kids and raising them right.
"When you put on that uniform and they say play ball, I want a little bit of a different animal. I guess that's the best way to put it."
I'm not one who puts a lot of faith in intangibles, but a highly competitive nature seems to be a hallmark of great athletes. In my experience, it's something that can't be turned on and off (see Barry Bonds). These people get upset when they lose a friendly game of Candyland. Maybe that should be a test for future Tigers. See if they play a game of chance as if it were life and death. If they do, sign them up.
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A highly competetive nature does seem to be a hallmark of GREAT athletes, but what about good or replacement level athletes?
I could imagine that they might be better off being mildly competetive so that the frustration level doesn't become a negative for them.
And certainly, super competetiveness in a manger can be a bad thing (see Bowa, Larry).
Ivan
So that's why they signed Kenny Rogers. To throw stools.
re: The Tigers need some "fight" in them
All Jimmy Leyland needs in order to put some "fight" in the tigers is to hire Darren Arthur "Dutch" Daulton and Lenny Dykstra as part-time or even full-time coaches, along with Dave Hollins, from the 93' Phillies. Those guys will toughen up the clubhouse.
To that I would add some hard-nosed "attitude" players like an Aaron Rowand or a Derek Jeter, but one who's marooned on a last place club.
Bringing in David Wells for a year wouldn't be a bad idea, and some head hunting pitchers too.
Orlando Hernandez wherever he is....
--Arthur John Kyriazis
--Philly