Decision time for Mariners?
Regardless of who is to blame, Mariners Manager Mike Hargrove is in the middle of a fight he can’t win. Either Hargrove repairs his relationship with Ichiro Suzuki or Hargrove soon will be looking for another job.
Hargrove and Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi deny a rift exists between the manager and the right fielder, but Ichiro’s complaints to Japanese media about the atmosphere around the team reflect his frustration with Hargrove’s leadership.
Several people with knowledge of the situation say there are philosophical differences between Ichiro and Hargrove and that Ichiro perceives Hargrove to be too laid-back, which creates an undisciplined environment. Those people say the relationship, from Ichiro’s perspective, is “untenable” and “potentially irreconcilable.”
Hargrove disagrees. “We have a good relationship, a working relationship,” the manager says. “I don’t know that there’s anything bad about it.”
Ichiro doesn’t want to be traded; he is comfortable in Seattle. His sentiment could change, however, if the Mariners fail to address his concerns. Both Ichiro’s and Hargrove’s contracts expire after the 2007 season. At this point, it’s difficult to imagine Ichiro’s signing an extension if Hargrove stays.
The risk for Hargrove is obvious: Ichiro is a Japanese star playing for mostly Japanese ownership and is a central figure in the Mariners’ marketing efforts. Hargrove, a manager with no previous link to the club, is much more disposable.
The Mariners are coming off back-to-back 90-loss seasons, the first of which occurred under Bob Melvin. It is not unusual for star players to grow frustrated under such circumstances. Nor is it unusual for certain teammates and superiors to grow frustrated with a star player, which seems to be occurring with Ichiro in Seattle.
Some of Ichiro’s differences with Hargrove are cultural; Ichiro brought different ideas from Japan about how to play the game. But their conflict also is typical of those that routinely fill sports pages. Ichiro never will be Terrell Owens, but like most superstars, Ichiro is stubborn and wants things a certain way.
Though some Mariners share Ichiro’s negative opinion of Hargrove, others praise the manager.
“Hargrove is doing a great job as far as handling the players,” says second baseman Bret Boone, who was traded by the team this past season. “And that comes from someone who had the year I had.”
Some people, both inside and outside the Mariners’ clubhouse, view Ichiro as inflexible and selfish. The complaints range from his failure to dive for balls to his reluctance to steal bases in tight situations to his preoccupation with personal statistics.
“I would not characterize him as a selfish player,” Bavasi says. “But I think you have to talk to him to understand that.”
Hargrove does not seem dissatisfied.
“He may be the most prepared player I’ve ever had,” says Hargrove, who managed the Indians for nine seasons and the Orioles for four. “I thought Albert Belle prepared as well as anybody I’ve ever seen. Ichiro takes it beyond Belle.”
The solution is the same as it always is in these situations – the team must win. If it happens, Hargrove’s laissez-faire style will be much less of an issue, as will Ichiro’s idiosyncratic approach. But if the losing continues, Ichiro’s frustration will only increase.
Some things are not lost in the translation: When it’s superstar vs. manager, the superstar almost always wins.