3 = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY,MAY1,2002
Royals lose to Tigers
The Associated Press
DETROIT—Steve Sparks pitched a two-hitter, and Damian Jackson drove in four runs as the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 9-3 last night, spoiling John Mizerock's managerial debut.
hitzock was promoted from bullpen coach to interim manager by the Royals, whose firing of Tony Mayer raised baseball's total firings to a record four in the season's first month.
The 41-year-old became the youngest manager in the majors, and replaced the losingest manager in Kansas City history.
The move didn't translate into momentum for the Ravals.
Sparks (2-2) retired 13 of the first 15 batters and didn't give up a hit until A.J. Hinch's triple in the fifth. He then retired 13 straight until Carlos Beltran homered with two outs in the ninth.
Sparks walked two and struck out three in his first complete game of the year. The knuckleballer led the majors last year with eight complete games.
Jose Macias was 3-for-3 with two walks and two runs.
The Tigers are 8-6 since beginning the season 0-11, the fifth-worst start since 1900.
Chris George (0-2) gave up four runs, eight hits and two walks in five innings.
Bobby Higginson's RBI single gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the first.
The Royals tied the game on Raul Ibanez's sacrifice fly in the second, but Detroit went back ahead, 2-1, in the home half on Macias' single.
Royals' manager fired; bullpen coach promoted
The Associated Press
DETROIT — Bullpen coach John Mizerock was promoted to interim manager yesterday by the Kansas City Royals, whose firing of Tony Muser raised the majors' total to a record four in the season's first month.
Muser, the losingest manager in team history, was told of the decision by general manager Allard Baird early yesterday. His firing came after the Royals (8-15) beat the Tigers 4-0 Monday night. Muser was in the final year of his contract.
Baird said Mizerock was being considered for the manager's job on a permanent basis. The GM said there was no timetable for filling that position.
"Everybody understands the circumstances, the mood of our fans," Muser said. "They need a change. It's just a part of this business. Managers are hired to be fired. I understand it, and life goes on. The most important thing is the success of the organization."
The 41-year-old Mizerock is in his 11th season with the Royals, but his first with the major league club as bullpen coach.
He had a record of 646-554 in nine seasons as a minor league manager at every level of the organization.
"He has a history with a lot of the guys on the major league level and throughout our organization," Baird said. "As an organization, we felt that we were not succeeding. It was the right time."
Muser was 317-431 (424) since taking over midway through the 1997 season. He has the lowest winning percentage of anyone who has managed at least one full season with the team.
Mizerock was a catcher for parts of four seasons, three with Houston and one with Atlanta. He managed rookie league in Eugene, Ore., in 1992-93; Class A Midwest League in Rockford in 1994, Class AA Texas League at Wichita in 1999. He won league titles in 1996 at Class A Wilmington and in 1999 in Wichita.
Since 1900, there had never been more than two managers fired in the season's first month, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Phil Garner was let go by Detroit on April 9, Milwaukee
fired Davey Lopes on April 18, and Colorado fired Buddy Bell last Friday. All four teams have seen large attendance drops. The Royals are down about 4,500 a game through 14 home dates.
Boston fired Joe Kerrigan during spring training.
Muser, who was ejected in the third inning Monday night, did not learn of his dismissal until he got back to his hotel room about midnight and called Baird.
"It was very, very emotional. It was very difficult for Allard," Muser said. "I respect Allard Baird as much as I respect any man I've ever met in baseball."
With the Royals off to another poor start, Muser faced a torrent of criticism from fans and media.
A 2-7 homestand that ended with a three-game sweep by Baltimore on Sunday gave the Royals a league-worst 4-10 home record.
"It's a business, very competitive," Muser said. "These things happen. I'm not as ashamed. I did the best I could possibly do, and life goes on. I'm a baseball guy and I'm proud of it. I wish this organization the best."
Rovster retitled official Brewers manager
MILWAUKEE — Jerry Royster moved into the manager's office at Miller Park yesterday, something he had refused to do until the "interim" tag was removed from his title.
The Associated Press
"Now, I'm the manager. I have to sit in there. The guys need me in there." Royster said after general manager Dean Taylor put him in charge of the Milwaukee Brewers for the rest of the season.
"I even parked in the manager's parking spot. I did everything. I'm the manager."
Royster, 49, was promoted from bench coach to interim manager after Davey Lopes was ousted April 18, and he won his first four games before dropping six straight on the road.
"In the last three weeks, I've had three titles," Royster said. "And this is the one I like the best."
Rovster said he had "big, big, big
plans" for the Brewers, who haven't been to the playoffs in 20 years and haven't had a winning season in 10.
Royster, the 12th manager in club history, swore he wasn't concerned about the lack of a long-term commitment.
"If I do my job, then I'll get an extension," he said. "And if I don't do it, then I don't expect it. I don't want them to give me anything. I want to earn it.
"I have no concerns about how
long I'm going to be the manager. I had to wait a long time to become a manager. I'm not going to sit and wonder how long I'm going to be there."
Taylor said the timing wasn't right to give Royster a contract beyond 2002.
"We're keeping our options open," he said. "I've got a lot of confidence in Jerry Roster. I think he's the right man for the job. I think he's going to do a fine job."
Philadelphia coach fired,blamed for team's collapse
The Associated Press
VOORHEES, N.J. — Bill Barber was fired by the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday, one day after players blamed the coach for the team's collapse in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.
General manager Bob Clarke said veteran players lost respect for Barber.
"We just felt that there was no way of being able to heal the wounds that had developed between the coach and the players." Clarke said.
Assistant coaches Mike Stothers and E.J. McGuire also were fired
Clarke said Barber would be offered another job in the organization.
Barber, the NHL's coach of the year last season, is the fifth coach the Flyers have let go since 1997. It is the sixth coaching change Clarke has made since returning to Philadelphia as GM in 1994, but his job is safe.
"What I'm looking for in a general manager is someone to put a team together that I think can win the Stanley Cup, and that's what he did," team chairman Ed Snider said. "Now because we didn't win it, do I change my mind? None of our players lived up to expectations."
The Flyers won the Atlantic Division with 97 points, earning the No.2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They lost a best-of-seven series to the No.7-seeded Ottawa Senators in five games, scoring a record-low total of just two goals.
With a payroll of $55.5 million and a roster that included seven All-Stars and three former 50-goal scorers, Philadelphia was a favorite to reach the Stanley Cup finals.
"We let down the city, the fans and the players," Snider said.
Barber was criticized Monday by several players, including captain Keith Primeau.
"We had the worst power play in the league, why are we not practicing it?" Primeau said. "All season long we said if someone makes a mistake, they're getting yelled at.
"We say when we come to the bench, make that adjustment. He wants the player to make the adjustment. Our job is to play. I felt like I was having to make the adjustments on the bench. I don't feel that's part of my job description."
A member of Philadelphia's only Stanley Cup championship teams in 1974 and 1975, Barber played his entire 12-year career with the Flyers, was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990 and has been with the organization for 30 years.