Jan. 5, 1986
Nothing doing today, though we hear about a few developments in TV and media:
For one, former Phillie Tug McGraw will begin working as a sports reporter for WPVI Action News, the city’s leading news station. He said he was getting into journalism …
Meanwhile, our communications department informs me that our old friend Garry Maddox will be joining the television broadcast team for the 1986 season. Good for the Secretary!
Jan. 6, 1986
Still nothing doing, but some top prospects are in town to get a tour of facilities and meet with staff members and coaches. Those prospects: pitchers Blaise Ilsley, Jeff Ballard, Tim Belcher, Michael Jackson and Joe Boever, and hitters Gregg Jefferies, Luis Polonia, Billy Bates, Keith Miller, and Ricky Jordan.
I get some time with them. Good group of kids. Really impressed with Jackson and Jordan, leader types.
Jan. 7, 1986
Interesting trade: The Reds send CF Eddie Milner and prospect John Bryant to the Yankees for Don Baylor. Looks like the Reds just need more offense, and with Eric Davis likely to get everyday time in center in ‘86, they must’ve felt it was time to move the extraneous player.
It makes me think about Glenn Wilson, who if we traded would free up right field for Jeff Stone to play everyday. So I ask the staff to help me call around and see if there are any bites, and it seems the market is what I’ve come to expect: hitters with poor contracts that teams are looking to jettison, middling relievers, and fringe prospects. Not worth it right now.
Jan. 8, 1986
Our minor league coaches are coming to Philadelphia next week for a week-long training, planning, and evaluation session. We’re hoping to figure out what went well, and not so well, within out scouting and development staffs. So we’re planning the last few things - where to eat and drink, breakout meetings, things like that.
And I’m still watching the market to see if anyone falls into our lap. Nothing yet.
I do check back in with Jerry Royster’s agent; the infielder’s demand is now $200K, but he wants a full major league deal. Don’t want to do that yet.
Jan. 9, 1986
I’m taking a couple days off, heading to a beach. Rick Manning’s agent checks in with my assistant - so far so good, but no deal.
Jan. 10, 1986
We learn that Willie Hernandez has signed a $296K deal over one year with Kansas City. Remember, the Phillies traded him to Detroit just before I got here, and while he put up a 1.18 ERA in 1984, he struggled with a 5.36 ERA last season.
Jan. 11, 1986
I get a call that Rick Manning’s agent called in: We’re all set. Manning is on board via a minor league deal with a conditional guarantee within 30 days. Last year he was in A-ball and hit .265/.362/.430 with 15 HR and 86 RBI. Before that, he had a 10-year major league career, most of it with Cleveland, and won a Gold Glove in 1976. He’s only 31. He’s a hard worker who wants to get back into the majors. Love having him on board.
Jan. 12, 1986
Quiet Sunday. Coming back from the beach a little relaxed.
Jan. 13, 1986
All the coaches get in during the afternoon, so I head in a little later today. We have an introductory meeting over lunch, then let the coaches rest at the hotel before a big dinner. Our goal is to improve our development strategy throughout all levels and ensure everyone is on board with the same ideas and tools.
Tonight, it’s all about first impressions. Some of the coaches are new, so we’re feeding information. We’re all in lockstep that, organizationally, we’re about speed, defense, flexibility, and power pitching. Any way we can win with (or against) speed we should, and so we should be faster, cover more ground, and pitch more strikeouts.
Figuring out what we do within that philosophy is the nature of the next week.
Jan. 14, 1986
Montreal picks up Rick Reuschel for one year and $720,000. Not too consequential for them. He can start or relieve and found real success out of the bullpen, at least to start. But he cratered mid-season, and while he recovered a little, he finished with a 4.59 ERA.
Jan. 15, 1986
Jayson Stark has let us all in on his hall of fame ballot this year.
- Luis Aparicio - SS - 1956-73 - Chicago White Sox
- Lou Brock - LF - 1961-79 - St. Louis Cardinals
- Jim Bunning - SP - 1955-71 - Philadelphia Phillies
- Willie McCovey - 1B - 1959-80 - San Francisco Giants
- Hoyt Wilhelm - RP - 1952-72 - New York Giants
Most of these nominees are returning candidates. This is year seven for Aparicio; he garnered 65.1 percent of the vote last time, but it’s a little less than his previous share of 67.4 percent. Brock scored 58.9 percent in his first year of eligibility, and the chances of that increasing are better than 50 percent. Wilhelm, a groundbreaking relief pitcher with a knuckleball, earned 70 percent of the vote last year, so this might be his year. Then there’s Bunning, a former Phillie whose vote share did go up last year (from 36.9 percent to 38.1 percent), but it probably won’t be enough, as he’s in year nine of eligibility.
One first-time nominee on Stark’s list, and it’s McCovey, who finished his career with a .270/.374/.515 line and 521 home runs. He was worth 70.5 wins above replacement for his career. He should get in, and maybe this first time out.
I’ll say McCovey does make it, along with Wilhelm. That’ll be it, though.