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RebelYell · 05-13-2005, 11:04 AM

Indians look within
to find new manager
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Crash Davis, he ain't.

But the new manager of the Cleveland Indians was a minor-league catcher, married the girl he met while playing AA baseball for the Arkansas Travelers and grew up just a mile north of where the Ohio Turnpike makes its final incision through Cuyahoga County.

He is Bobby Don Southworth.

It's a name that immediately creates an image of a slow-talking Southern gentleman. Southworth is every bit of slow-talking and, away from the dugout, he is a gentleman.

But can he lead a group of youngsters in the second stage of rebuilding toward the glory years of the '90s?

"I guess we'll find out," Southworth said, barely shrugging at all the confusion and conjecture that led him to his new post.

He was simply in the right place at the right time.

"Last week, I was looking forward to another good year at Akron. Now, I'm in the big leagues and I won't even have to find a new house," said Southworth, the architect of a two-year run of championships for the Indians' AA affiliate. In his 14 years of work with the Tribe, every team he has touched has turned to gold. Only one team he was associated with finished under .500 -- a whole two games under -- and he managed four of his six teams to league championships. He was one game short of winning 70 percent of all the games he has managed and quipped that he wanted to play a best-of-7 (instead of the requisite best-of-5) in last year's championship series to get that one more victory.

Is his success mere coincidence? Dumb luck?

Southworth doesn't even seem to know. Nor does he seem to care. He adapts to everything the Indians have thrown at him. His Aeros underwent a complete overhaul last June when the big-league team slumped. Southworth just kept on winning.

He has been painted as some kind of stickball savant, able to get the most out of his players, keep peace in the clubhouse and make the right managerial moves at the right time to win ballgames.

After all, the bottom line is winning, isn't it?

"It's all about winning," Southworth drawled in agreement. "But are you trying to win a game or a series? To me, it's all about building toward championships. I've been fortunate enough to be associated with an organization that sees the big picture. So I feel like I fit right in."

On the morning of his hiring, he seems to be the perfect fit into Cleveland's plans for the future.

But time will only tell.

05-13-2005, 11:04 AM	#1 (permalink)
RebelYell Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 218	Bobby Don Southworth hired to lead Tribe Indians look within to find new manager CLEVELAND (AP) -- Crash Davis, he ain't. But the new manager of the Cleveland Indians was a minor-league catcher, married the girl he met while playing AA baseball for the Arkansas Travelers and grew up just a mile north of where the Ohio Turnpike makes its final incision through Cuyahoga County. He is Bobby Don Southworth. It's a name that immediately creates an image of a slow-talking Southern gentleman. Southworth is every bit of slow-talking and, away from the dugout, he is a gentleman. But can he lead a group of youngsters in the second stage of rebuilding toward the glory years of the '90s? "I guess we'll find out," Southworth said, barely shrugging at all the confusion and conjecture that led him to his new post. He was simply in the right place at the right time. "Last week, I was looking forward to another good year at Akron. Now, I'm in the big leagues and I won't even have to find a new house," said Southworth, the architect of a two-year run of championships for the Indians' AA affiliate. In his 14 years of work with the Tribe, every team he has touched has turned to gold. Only one team he was associated with finished under .500 -- a whole two games under -- and he managed four of his six teams to league championships. He was one game short of winning 70 percent of all the games he has managed and quipped that he wanted to play a best-of-7 (instead of the requisite best-of-5) in last year's championship series to get that one more victory. Is his success mere coincidence? Dumb luck? Southworth doesn't even seem to know. Nor does he seem to care. He adapts to everything the Indians have thrown at him. His Aeros underwent a complete overhaul last June when the big-league team slumped. Southworth just kept on winning. He has been painted as some kind of stickball savant, able to get the most out of his players, keep peace in the clubhouse and make the right managerial moves at the right time to win ballgames. After all, the bottom line is winning, isn't it? "It's all about winning," Southworth drawled in agreement. "But are you trying to win a game or a series? To me, it's all about building toward championships. I've been fortunate enough to be associated with an organization that sees the big picture. So I feel like I fit right in." On the morning of his hiring, he seems to be the perfect fit into Cleveland's plans for the future. But time will only tell. __________________ Cleveland Spiders -- Metleagues! Johnson League Central Division champions, (98-64) Bobby Don Southworth -- Cleveland Indians, first place American League Central Yoda55 gives it And coming soon: AUSSI -- The Australia Uranium Sports Syndication, Inc. College Baseball -- The Return of "Cobb Goes to College" interactive OOTP Baseball Last edited by RebelYell : 03-31-2006 at 11:53 PM.