Tuesday, September 01, 2009
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
I'm not suggesting for one second that John Russell ever will become the manager that Jim Leyland was with the Pirates. Leyland is the best I've seen here. But much as Leyland earned respect by publicly confronting petulant outfielder Barry Bonds at spring training in 1991, Russell scored big points with me by publicly rebuking pouty catcher Ryan Doumit last week.
Getty Images
DENVER - AUGUST 13: (L-R) First base coach Perry Hill, bench coach Gary Varsho and manager John Russell of the Pittsburgh Pirates look on from the dugout against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 13, 2009 in Denver, Colorado.
Clearly, it was his finest moment as a manager. You might argue that isn't saying much considering the Pirates were 67-95 last season under Russell and were 53-76 this season going into the nightcap of a doubleheader in Cincinnati last night. I still say it's significant.
If Russell did anything wrong, he waited too long to shake Doumit back to reality. For the most part, Doumit has acted like a baby since Pirates general manager Neal Huntington completed his midsummer purge by trading Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez and John Grabow in late July. Doumit made it clear he wasn't happy with the deals even though the team, as then constructed, wasn't going anywhere, in large part, because he missed two months with yet another injury and wasn't doing squat when he did play. His dismay with management would carry a lot more clout if he actually was, you know, doing something -- anything -- to help the team win.
Not to be critical.
In the beginning, Doumit's sulking was barely tolerable. It's always hard to say goodbye to teammates and good friends. But by last week, Doumit's act had become embarrassing. It was long past the time he stopped acting like a child and started acting like a professional. Forget that the Pirates are paying him $2.35 million this season and deserve a lot better from him. His teammates -- new or otherwise -- deserve better.
It's hard to say what made Russell finally blow his cork Friday night. It might have been the fact that Doumit didn't go hard after a popup and didn't run hard to first base after hitting a fly ball. More likely, it was those plays in combination with watching Doumit mope for the better part of a month. In any case, Russell yanked him out of the middle of the game in Milwaukee and also benched him the next night.
I'm thinking Russell deserves our applause.
It's never easy to call out a player and embarrass him in front of the fans, but this was something Russell had to do, just as Leyland had to get in Bonds' face when he acted like a jerk in a contract huff and was disrespectful to coach Bill Virdon in front of the rest of the players.
If a manager allows that kind of poison to spread for long in his clubhouse, his team will be destroyed.
It's nice to think Russell's actions will awaken Doumit. We can hope, right? I've long been a big Doumit fan. I heartily endorsed the Pirates' decision to build around him and sign him to a three-year contract extension that will pay him $3.55 million next season and $5.1 million in 2010. I think he can be a big part of their future. I'm thrilled the organization apparently will keep him at catcher. He would be just another first baseman or outfielder. But a switch-hitting catcher with a little pop in his bat? A guy like that can be invaluable.
You wouldn't know it, of course, based on the season Doumit is having. It's pretty safe to say his rotten attitude is just as much because of his lousy production as it is because of the trades. He was hitting .215 through the 4-3 loss to the Reds in the first game yesterday, .165 with three home runs and just six RBIs in 85 at-bats since Huntington's deals. That's why I'm not quite ready to accuse Doumit of quitting on the Pirates to force a trade. You know, the way Manny Ramirez did with the Boston Red Sox last season. I'm clinging to the belief he's a better teammate than that.
But Doumit needs to be right, mentally as much as physically. He needs to understand what a real pro is. It's a guy who shows up and plays hard every night. Anything less is disrespectful to his teammates. More than that, it's disrespectful to the game that has made so many so wealthy, Doumit among them.
If Russell's kick in the fanny hastens that understanding for Doumit, it long will be remembered as a well-placed, well-timed kick.
I don't know if Huntington's moves will make the Pirates a winner or not. I have my doubts. But I do agree with him that he wasn't breaking up the '27 Yankees. There's also a freshness -- an air of excitement -- about the young players he has brought in. Many are getting their first chance in the big leagues and want to show they belong. If their talent ever catches up to their enthusiasm, the Pirates will have a chance.
But those young players and the franchise need more from Doumit to have their best chance at success. They need him to be a part of the solution after 17 consecutive years of losing. The last thing they need is for him to be another problem to overcome.
Applaud Russell?
How about a standing ovation?
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com. More articles by this author
First published on September 1, 2009 at 12:00 am
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