Blue bloodletting
Russell says Lasorda masterminded L.A. firings
Posted: Tuesday June 30, 1998 12:16 PM
Tommy Lasorda may bleed Dodger Blue, but word out of L.A. is that he
isn't afraid to spill a little Dodger Blue as well. Before general
manager Fred Claire and manager Bill Russell were fired last week, Russell
hinted at a coup engineered by Lasorda.
"Tommy's just vicious when he wants something. He did the same sort of
thing when he was a coach under Walter Alston, and wanted Alston's job,”
says Russell. “Tommy's been second-guessing me ever since I took over for
him and we haven't spoken for months." Lasorda vehemently denies
any part in the firings, but Russell's comments may provide a preview of
Lasorda's aggressive approach as a general manager. Lasorda is anxious to
make a blockbuster trade and he already has placed calls to Seattle in
another attempt to acquire Randy Johnson
and Cincinnati trying to get closer Jeff Shaw.
Cold War lives on in L.A. Speaking of the Dodgers' coup,
before the crosstown Angels and Dodgers squared off in their interleague
series last week, the Angels were convinced that the firings were timed to
grab the spotlight away from Anaheim's rise to first place in the American
League West. Clearly, the Angels are suffering from an inferiority
complex that Anaheim pitcher Chuck Finley
compares to the L.A. Lakers’ authority over the Clippers in the NBA. In
fact, the Dodgers are so dismissive of the Angels that they barely
acknowledge their existence. The last time these two teams even made a
trade was back on March 21, 1976. In contrast, the Dodgers have made at
least one trade with every other American League club in the '90s.
McGwire taking heat off Griffey
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Bill Russell believes that Lasorda (left) was behind the recent firings in Los Angles (AP) | |
Mark McGwire is
still nine games ahead of Roger Maris' pace for the home run record, but he
is so weary of the public scrutiny that he is threatening to stop taking
batting practice. "The phenomenon is out of control,” McGwire says.
“People think I just came from outer space. They're showing batting
practice on TV -- now that's psycho." While all of this attention
bugs McGwire, it is a godsend for Seattle's Ken Griffey
Jr., who has 32 homers and is also on pace to break Maris' record, but
hardly anybody seems to notice. Giants have Darwin, but Sox
evolving As baseball's trading season begins to heat up, there is
a cautionary tale in the aftermath of last summer's most controversial
deal. Remember the backlash against White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf when
Chicago traded Wilson
Alvarez, Roberto
Hernandez and Danny Darwin to
San Francisco for six anonymous minor leaguers? Well, the Giants
won their division, but only the ancient Darwin is still with the team.
Meanwhile, the White Sox have three players on their roster from that deal:
two of their most effective pitchers, Keith Foulke
and Bobby Howry, and shortstop Mike Caruso, who is hitting over .320 and
could be an All-Star. Hmm, which team looks smarter now?
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