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Riggleman on discipline and the Mariners' future
Posted
at
1:59 pm
by By Kirby Arnold
Manager Jim Riggleman spent more than 30 minutes with reporters this morning answering questions that essentially became his end-of-the-season address.
Riggleman didn't name names in describing the state of the team, but it's clear he demands that everyone give the manager, the coaches and the game a full effort and complete respect. And he made it clear that wasn't always the case with this team.
This is long, but here is a half-hour with the man who managed the Mariners since June 20 and would love to return to the job next year:
What are your reflections of the season?
“You know what, and I have said it before, this atmosphere here for somebody to work in is as good as it gets. The fans, the media, the atmosphere to work in, is outstanding. The year that we’ve had, whether it’s a game decision I have made, or whether it’s a play a player has made or not made, fans seem to take the attitude that they know a good effort was given and they do not voice their displeasure. They seem to have a respect for what’s happening and that doesn’t go unnoticed by me and I really appreciate that.”
Any regrets?
“Well, not in general terms, I don’t. Specifically, there are always, any time you manage, there are going to be games you go home at night thinking you left a pitcher in one hitter too long, or should have played my shortstop a little over here. But as I have said before, some of the things you analyze afterwards, those happen in wins as much as they do losses. You can make a lot of bad decisions and still win the game and make good decisions and lose the game. Ultimately, the players decide the games. Billy Martin told me many years ago, and I took it to heart, the best managers in the game lose the fewest amount of games for their team. The manager doesn’t win games. Somewhere along the line, you are going to make decisions that cost your team the game, but you just hope you minimize that. Somebody has to make the decisions, somebody has to be in that role, so whoever makes decisions that cost their team the fewest number of losses are the best managers. Guys that lose three or four games are at the top of the list and guys that lose 10 or 12 are probably not the elite managers.”
What pleased you the most abut the job you have done?
“I know I have ruffled some feathers in there, but I feel like that’s something that needed to be done in some instances and the ballclub will be better for it. If I’m here, they are going to know there are certain standards that I appreciate and respect that have to be adhered to. If I am not here, then the next person I think would benefit from those standards being set. Now, if the next person would come in and say ‘I don’t believe in that’, it goes the other way. But I think in general all managers have the same standards _ be on time, play hard, respect the game, respect the fans and be professional. It is human nature that there will be times when someone deviates from that and it’s the manager’s job to address it. If he doesn’t address it, you can make friends and you will probably have a lot of people saying, ‘I really like playing for Jim, what a great guy.’ But sooner or later it’s going to come back and bite you. It is going to be short-lived because that lack of discipline, closing one eye to things and not addressing them, those things will multiply and be an atmosphere of just a lack of discipline and who is running the ship here. It will get you one way or another. You might buy some time by being their buddy. I don’t think anybody likes players more than I do. I love ‘em, but now and then you have to address something and now and then, and players have reacted in a manner that they felt I hurt their feelings. To me, any little issue that happens, it’s over when it’s over. You move on. Let’s go back to work. I wasn’t here to make friends, but it’s part of the process you go through. When you are losing games and go through this process, I think we are going to be better for it in the future.”
Does this team need a similar philosophy next year?
“Young players are outstanding. It’s like managing in the minor leagues. They will run through a wall for you. They will get on board with any standards you ask. The issues will come from players that have been around for a while and maybe things have been done differently somewhere else they played. So it’s that 7-10 year player that kind of feels like they have a little status and they can be a part of what the standards are, and they are. But again, it’s human nature, sometimes that veteran player will creep into bad habits and you need to bring it to their attention and they may not want to hear it. But they have to hear it. The young players will see them be on board with things. It’s basically just very simple. Every now and then there is za flat-out right-wrong issue. Close you eyes to all the wrong things, it will come back to haunt you later because you didn’t address them. Once you address it, they say you’re right and they won’t do it again.”
Was this a dysfunctional team that you took over?
“I never felt that when I took over. I didn’t think that when John (McLaren) had the club that it was dysfunctional. It was so predictable. We were losing and the way we were going, people were going to point fingers and abandon ship. I have never seen it not happen. Because there are people who have been around awhile, they say things and probably don’t mean it malicioiusly, but they say some things and the accumulative effect of those things being said seeps into the psyche of the ballclub and it becomes a problem. It is very predictable and it comes with losing. Let’s win so we don’t have any of that. Ultimately, you have to win.”
What things did you have to point out to guys?
“Just little things. Nitpicky stuff. Not being in the training room and clubhouse when you are supposed to be in the dugout during a game. Stuff that happened when I was with the Dodgers. Guys not in the game would be wandering. You’d look down the bench and the coaches were the only ones there. You hoped there wasn’t a fight on the field because coaches would get whipped out there. It’s a simple thing. We’re in this together, let’s be there together. You address those things and when someone backslides you deal with it again. There’s the body language when a coach addresses a player about something. Little things. When I got my first chance to manage, Bob Skinner told me, ‘You have to put out small fires before they become big fires.’ In doing that, you will ruffle some feathers, but I feel like I have put out some small fires before they became big fires. When you are doing that, you still think a world of the player. I really empathize with their struggles. I know how hard it is for them, but I can’t ignore it when they do something to show disrespect for the game and I have to address it. Sometimes players don’t receive the message the way they should and they point figures. These issues are there win or lose. Why I respect what (Phillies manager) Charlie Manuel and (Devil Rays manager) Joe Maddon did. They set players down. They were winning. You have to address it win or lose. The bottom line is all these things are not why you win or lose, they are things that have to be addressed win or lose. The bigger issue is you have to pitch better and hit better. I can control whether they can be in the dugout. I have to take care of the little things and the players take care of the big things.”
Should there be a lot of looking into the mirror on this team?
“I think that is a good thing to do. The goal is to win a championship. If you don’t win a championship, you should look in the mirror and ask yourself what you could have done differently. You don’t deflect blame or point fingers.”
Team president Chuck Armstrong said you’re one of his 10 candidates to manage the team next year. What’s your reaction to that?
“It doesn’t surprise me that I’m on the list. I can promise you that nobody wants to mange this club more than I do and nobody is more prepared to manage this club than I am. But if I don’t manage this club, I am not going to point to anything other than the fact I did not win enough games. That is what I would point to. If I had won more games, I would have a better chance of being here. If I take the ball from a reliever, maybe that reliever should say, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have walked that guy or given up that double.’ If a hitter gets pinch-hit for, he should think, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have struggled as much as I did lately and I wouldn’t get pinch-hit for’. You do have to look in the mirror and, for the most part, players do that. When they don’t, I have to call them out on it. You can’t have them fire equipment around and embarrassing you because of the decision you made. You can let it go and not address it, but it will come back to haunt you. Every decision you make that does snot please a player, they will feel that they can make a display of, which is disrespectful to you. I could go on and on about respect, that is my No. 1 issue in the game. I try to give respect, but I demand respect. Not for Jim Riggleman, but for the position of manager.”
Do you think this team is close to competing?
“Yeah, I do. Offensively, tremendous strides have been made. I think if you add one more bat, the team can get over the hump offensively. Pitching has a chance, but there are health issues involved. You hope (Erik) Bedard is healthy early on, hope that J.J. (Putz) is physically good and doesn’t have the nagging injuries he had this year, hope Carlos Silva is the Carlos Silva that pitched in Minnesota, and he certainly can be. There is no reason why Carlos can’t win here. This park is made for him. I understand why Bill Bavasi signed him. It didn’t happen this year. Felix Hernandez is one of the best right-handers in the game and with Ryan Rowland-Smith and Brandon Morrow, there are things to be excited about. But you really have to hope Bedard will be able to go and I think he will. Some of the other clubs might get older. Not only are you coming up, but the others might come back to you. A little of that happened to Tampa Bay this year."
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