Buck You

[G-Fafif]

You should read Pat Jordan's profile of Buck Showalter in Sports On Earth. Makes an unlovable caricature into a likable character.

Another thing Showalter harps on is that it's the players' job to respect their fans. Again, some get it, and some don't. To the players who don't get it, the fans' purpose is simply to worship them and pay their salaries. But Showalter is devoted to the fans, always recalling his years in the minor leagues as a player, coach and manager. Those parks are small, the fans close to the action. They can talk to the players in the on-deck circle, the manager standing in the dugout, the coach at third base. Those fans feel that they're part of the team, close to the players in a way that major league fans, at a distant remove, never are. When Showalter finally got to the majors, he brought with him his respect for the fans. When the Orioles were playing a meaningless game in Seattle one night, Showalter hounded his players to play hard, because "it's 12:30 at night back in Baltimore," he said. "Somebody's sitting in front of the TV, dying with everything you're doing. And you better take that seriously."

[Guest themetfairy]

I'm just relieved that the headline didn't mean that John Buck had joined the throngs of ex-Mets who are dumping on the team.