Idiots Write About Sports

Hey, remember when I suggested that Larry Bowa’s “fiery” personality may not be the positive managerial trait his defenders say it is and could, in fact, be hurting the Phillies’ playoff chances? Jayson Stark of ESPN arrives at much the same conclusion. And after a clubhouse tantrum last week in Montreal by the overmatched skipper, Philadelphia writers — who normally defend Bowa to the death — are beginning to realize that belittling and abusing your players may not be the way to unleash the champion within.

Bill Lyon suggests that Bowa and the Phillies may no longer be a good fit, though he seems to put more of the blame on the pampered, over-sensitive ballplayers who are apparently too fragile to play for a screaming hothead. But Phil Sheridan really hits the nail on the head by recognizing that Bowa sets a horrible tone in the dugout. Quoting the relevant portion of his column:

“The image that will linger is Bowa, sitting in the dugout while that eight-run lead was evaporating, shaking his head in utter disgust. The Phillies were still winning, but the camera kept showing Bowa. With each Expos run, his eyes grew redder and his jaw muscles tighter. You could understand how he felt. To a baseball lifer such as Bowa, it had to feel like being on a hemlock IV drip. But here’s the thing. Open displays of disgust are not exactly a good way to forge good relationships with your players.”

Bottom line: when you get rid of the guy who’s leading your team in pinch hitting just to teach those uppity players a lesson, perhaps it’s not just the players who are exhibiting an attitude problem.