Raffi wanted to stay in TX.

Fire Hart!



Palmeiro felt tension with Showalter
Lack of communication cited, but manager says he didn't sense that
07:07 AM CST on Thursday, March 4, 2004
By KEN DALEY / The Dallas Morning News
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Rafael Palmeiro recalled being summoned into his
manager's office late last season because Buck Showalter wanted to give him
a sneak peek at the Rangers' new alternate uniform being unveiled this
season.

"I remember thinking, 'Why are you showing this to me?' " Palmeiro said. "
'We both know you don't want me coming back, so what's the point of showing
me the new uniform?' "

With opening day a month away, a happier Palmeiro has his new uniform. But
it's trimmed in the black and orange of the Baltimore Orioles.

Alex Rodriguez has a new uniform, too, the fabled pinstripes of the New York
Yankees. And Juan Gonzalez and Carl Everett are with the Royals and Expos.

Rangers/MLB
Palmeiro believes Showalter finally has what he wanted: A clubhouse devoid
of established superstars, a room without "threats" to his authority.

And Palmeiro, a 500 Home Run Club member who had hoped to finish his career
with the Rangers, wonders how it all came to pass so quickly.

"In the 18-year career that I've had in the big leagues, I had never had any
communication problems with a manager - and last year I did," Palmeiro said.

"I didn't change my approach to the game, or to the way that I handled my
role on the team as a leader. I felt I did it the best that I could. But I
felt there was tension from the very beginning with Buck, and I'm not sure
why that was."

Showalter said he did not sense communication problems with Palmeiro last
year.
"Raffy was a great player here and we wish him the best," Showalter said
Wednesday from Rangers camp in Surprise, Ariz. "We wish he would have come
back, but it didn't work out. We hope he'll take it easy on us when we
play."

The Rangers' manager declined further comment, and general manager John Hart
made it clear he was not interested in discussing the subject. But Palmeiro
said he holds both accountable for his ouster.

Palmeiro enters this season with 543 doubles, 528 home runs, nearly 1,700
RBIs in 2,567 games, and a growing likelihood of Hall of Fame induction.

At 39, he's not as nimble as he was in 1986, when he broke into the majors
as an outfielder with the Chicago Cubs. But he will play first base for the
Orioles after being shoved into the DH role last season so that rookie Mark
Teixeira could play first in Arlington.

"I just think the way I was treated last year was a little bit unfair,"
Palmeiro said. "I tried to make it as easy as possible for [Showalter] to
deal with me. But for whatever reason, he and I just never communicated. He
was very difficult to understand.

"Maybe it was me. Maybe I misunderstood, I don't know. I try to think back
on what happened, and there were situations ..."

Accustomed to missing no more than four games a season from 1996-2001,
Palmeiro said he was baffled last year by starting only 55 times at first
base and sitting out eight games completely.

"I like to play every day, because I know if I'm in the lineup, our chances
are better for us to win," Palmeiro said. "So I asked him a couple of times,
because I don't need days off, and I think I had a right to know why he was
doing that. And I never did get a straight answer.

"Now, he's the manager, and I respect his decisions. But I missed about
eight or 10 games last year that, in my opinion, were not necessary to
miss."

If not being re-signed seemed a possibility early in the season, it became a
foregone conclusion in August, after Palmeiro invoked his trade-veto rights
twice in two weeks to kill potential deals with the Cubs.

"[Owner] Tom Hicks and I were talking through the whole process, and I had
so much faith that he and I could sit down and get [a contract extension]
done," Palmeiro explained. "But he was the only guy I had faith in, as far
as them wanting to keep me.

"If I were told by Buck Showalter - or by John Hart, who I hardly spoke to
in the whole process because he's never there - 'Look, our plan does not
include you beyond this year,' then when the trading season started, it
would have been a different situation for me."

Instead, Palmeiro held out hope of striking a deal with Hicks, only to be
blocked, he believes, by Showalter and Hart. He said he is happy to return
to Baltimore, where he played from 1994-98 and feels valued again.

"I always felt this organization had a lot of appreciation for me," he said.
"Not that the Rangers didn't, because I think they did. I just think that,
toward the end last year, it was all but gone."

"Rocky" rocky*spambad*@august.net wrote:

>Fire Hart!


Yeah, cause you guys totally lack 1B types in your system.

There are probably good reasons to fire John Hart. That isn't
one of them.



Stephen Weick

Take heart amid the deepening gloom that your dog is
finally getting enough cheese; and reflect that whatever
misfortune may be your lot, it could only be worse in
Milwaukee. - Deteriorata