Ryno is Off to a Good Start

There are a number of different ways you can measure a person's success as a manager. Some people look at their win-loss record, success in the playoffs, year by year improvement, or how well the players like them. I consider most of those to be useless, especially the player popularity (Dusty Baker anyone?). I think what's most important for a manager is having passion for the game, which is why my favorite statistic for a manager is the number of ejections they have incurred.

This season marks the beginning of Ryne Sandberg's foray into the baseball managing world. He is managing the Cub's Class A minor league team, the Peoria Chiefs. At this level of the game the focus is more on developing talent than winning ballgames. That combined with the cheap accommodations and long bus trips makes it hard to understand why this Hall of Fame player would waste his time here. It seems as if it would be hard for anyone to get emotionally involved in this low level of baseball, which is why I'm pleasantly surprised that Ryno was ejected from a game last night.

It was actually Peoria's pitching coach David Rosario that impressed me the most. Angry with the home plate umpire's selective strike zone, he was ejected while arguing from the dugout and proceeded to walk out on the field and cover home plate with dirt. A classic angry coach move. Never mind that the umpire only has to take a few seconds to brush it off, and he actually has a brush for that exact purpose.

After this incident the home plate umpire came over to talk to Ryne and ejected him as well. Nothing flashy here, but I'm assuming Ryne insulted his mother or something along those lines to get tossed that quickly. Stealthy yet effective. The team, inspired by the passion of their manager, went on to win the game 10-4. Hey Lou Piniella, this upstart manager is beating you at your own game. You've been harsh on your team and with the media, but you have yet to lash out at the umpires. I want to see it tonight sir, or else by my standards Ryne is doing a better job than you are. Get out there, punt first base into the crowd, and defend your legacy.