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| Malone Gets the Boot
by John M. Curtis Copyright April 19, 2001
While it’s one thing for on-the-field managers to lose their cool, it’s still another for executives in Italian suits. Yes, there are different expectations for front office personnel. Former GMs Al Campanis or Fred Claire never disgraced the organization by acting like overgrown teenagers. Making incendiary remarks is one thing, but challenging paying fans to a fistfight crosses a different line. Violating the rules of political correctness, Malone put himself behind the 8-ball, leaving Dodger executives no choice but to give him the ax. Let there be no mistake: Had Malone been arrested for domestic or substance abuse, for instance, he might have come up with a nifty excuse. Confronting a fan in the light of day didn’t show the kind of savvy you’d expect from the man running the show. Acting like a loose cannon, Malone forced upper management to pull the plug on his contract—something they were reluctant to do at the end of the 2000 season after firing manager Davy Johnson. All the roster miscalculations, failed trades, ill-advised signings, incendiary rhetoric and his imperious style wasn’t enough to force management’s hand until Malone finally self-destructed reminiscent of former GM Al Campanis. Like Campanis, Malone discovered that embarrassing public conduct pushed management’s backs to the wall, calling for his immediate termination. Unlike Campanis, Malone didn’t let his brains fall out of his head on national television, sharing ignorant personal opinions about the prospects for Blacks in front-office jobs. No, Malone simply got carried away doing his job and crossed the line. Commenting about the altercation, “Kevin has always been very passionate and committed to players he has on the team. He’s very emotional . . . He’s not the type of general manager to sit up in the press box,” said super sports’ agent Scott Boras, suggesting that Malone simply showed passion for his job. “True baseball people, in the heat of the moment, are going to defend their team. It’s comforting for Gary Sheffield, and other players, to know that their general manager is emotionally involved.” Finding a silver lining doesn’t erase the fact that Malone lost control and embarrassed the Dodger organization. Hurling insults at the opposing team goes with the territory in baseball and most sports. It’s totally inexcusable for powerful executives to lose control in public—no matter what the provocation. From the get-go, Malone didn’t help matters by referring to himself as “the new sheriff in town,” and, sometime later, “Dodger Boy,” demonstrating the kind of ego that simmered like a boiling caldron. When Peter O’Malley called it quits and sold the team to Rupert Murdoch, the Dodger organization wanted to start on clean slate. Hiring Baltimore’s dynamic duo completed the face-lift, giving fans the impression that the new owners were serious about putting a winning team together. While Johnson and Malone added some razzle-dazzle, others questioned whether they were over their heads in Tinsel Town. When Malone fired beloved Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia from his triple-A assignment in Albuquerque and antagonized associations in San Antonio and San Bernadino, red flags should have been raised. In hindsight, Dodger Chairman Bob Daly wasn’t prepared to admit last season that Malone’s days were numbered. Blaming Rupert Murdoch for the current mess left by former Dodger GM Fred Claire also doesn’t tell the whole story. Malone inherited the chaos after Claire stubbornly refused to resign superstar Mike Piazza. Despite the swollen payroll, Malone continued to build a championship team, landing big-money players like ace Kevin Brown and slugger Shawn Green. Had it not been for all the pressure, high expectations, recent distractions from Sheffield, the Dodgers would be well on their way to championship form. With the 2000 season a colossal disappointment, inevitable adjustments were necessary including finding a new manager. With Malone now stepping out of line, the loss of executive leadership also takes its toll. Malone deserved the ax not because he lost his temper but precisely because he failed to show the maturity needed to navigate his team through troubled waters. Beyond all the fancy deal making, there’s no substitute for mature leadership, not really seen since O’Malley let go of the reins. More important than front-office genius, the next GM—whoever gets the nod—needs proven leadership skills and emotional maturity. When Al Campanis divulged his ignorant views on Ted Koppel’s Nightline, Peter O’Malley did the right thing sending him into early retirement. While it seems like an innocent mistake, sharing bigoted ideas on national television demonstrated incredibly bad judgment for a company spokesman. Losing one’s temper and shouting expletives are easily forgiven, but challenging a fan to a fistfight proved that Malone had gone over the deep end. Whatever his stress, it’s simply too much risk having key executives hurting the club’s image and increasing liability. Players and fans expect upper management to set a good example, not show the kind immaturity all too common among elite athletes in professional sports. While some will argue that Malone’s firing was really based on incompetence, his intemperate episode was sufficient grounds for terminating his command. When it comes to leadership, there’s no room for bad role models. More than losing money and making bad deals, acting like a loose cannon has no place in the front office. About the Author John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com and columnist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He’s director of a Los Angeles think tank specializing in political consulting and strategic public relations. He’s the author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma. |
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egging for early retirement, embattled Dodger general manager Kevin Malone finally got his wish when Chairman Bob Daly and President Bob Graziano handed him his pink slip after challenging Padre fan Jim Esterbrooks to a fistfight on Saturday night at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. While Malone’s intemperate episode seems trivial to some, front-office personnel are expected to keep their cool. With bench clearing brawls all too common in America’s favorite pastime, Malone’s behavior doesn’t set the best example for players or fans. “Being in the public eye, whether as a player or someone in a position of management, you’re always subjected to ridicule and criticism,” said Dodger first baseman Eric Karros, “In our position, you have to deal with those situations appropriately,” showing little sympathy for Malone’s mess-up, especially after last year’s unsightly altercation at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Climbing into the stands to duke it out with rabid Cubs’ fans didn’t sit well with the commissioner’s office, nor did the ex-manager Tommy Lasorda’s legendary expletives during the heat of battle.|
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