Backman rooting against us?

[Loaiza21]

I heard this on the score a couple of days ago, and I read it in the Sun Times.

 

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Did Backman root against Sox? 'Insane,' agent says

 

October 17, 2003

 

BY DOUG PADILLA Staff Reporter Advertisement

 

 

 

As the White Sox' secret manager search chugs on, one candidate is left to defend his character amid a recent report.

 

Wally Backman, the Sox' Class AA manager the last two seasons, was reported to have called friend and Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire during the season to give support to the Twins in games against the Sox.

 

The idea, it was reported in USA Today's Sports Weekly magazine, was that Twins victories would help toward the eventual ouster of manager Jerry Manuel, which they did. Backman admitted earlier this season that he would be interested in Manuel's job if he was fired.

 

''I can speak vehemently of that article that whatever source they had was inaccurate,'' said Alan Nero, Backman's agent. ''I can tell you Wally has never wished that the Sox not succeed. He is in the organization and has coached and managed players with the White Sox. That is insane.''

 

The report cited two unnamed Twins coaches as sources. Nero could not deny that a comment along those lines might have been made in jest, but he said it would have been careless to take something like that as Backman's true feelings.

 

Backman did not respond to a request seeking comment. He was reported to be in Chicago on Thursday to interview for the Sox manager vacancy, but Nero neither confirmed nor denied that, citing the Sox' desire to keep the manager search private.

 

''It's extraordinarily disappointing because not only does that affect his standing in the organization, but it attacks the fiber of his character,'' Nero said. ''Anybody that knows Wally or saw him as a player knows that nobody wants to win more than him. He was not a selfish player. For somebody to attack his character not only has an effect on him at this moment, but also his character.''

 

Nero was confident the Sox would not use a report crediting unnamed sources as a reason to eliminate his client from consideration. However, a source indicated that Sox general manager Ken Williams knew of the rumors regarding Backman even before they were published.

 

''I believe the Sox are a first-class organization and they will make decisions based on their relationship directly with Wally and the credibility he has with that organization,'' Nero said. ''I would be surprised if a decision with his job as a [current] manager in the organization, or the decision as a [major-league manager] candidate would be affected by this.''

 

The Sox' wish for the search to remain private is being respected by the candidates. Not only did Backman's agent decline to discuss the process directly, so did Buddy Bell's agent, Joe Bick.

 

Marlins third-base coach Ozzie Guillen, though, seems to have no problem discussing it, even with his team heading to the World Series.

 

''I think I will tell them that I learned from a lot of guys,'' Guillen said Wednesday about his Sox interview strategy. ''I learned from Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, Jack McKeon, Jeff Torborg. I learned from a lot of people and a lot of good baseball people.

 

''I'll tell them like I tell everybody, I don't have anything to hide. I love to play hard, I respect the game, and that's what we are going to do.''

 

A new name to enter the candidate list has been former Milwaukee Brewers standout Robin Yount, currently the first-base coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Though Yount has been reported to want to stay with the Diamondbacks, if he can be hired by the Sox, he likely would convince his former teammate Paul Molitor to fill the team's vacant third-base coaching spot.

[Wise Master Buehrle]

That's old news, but the article is new. Thanks.

[Loaiza21]

That's old news, but the article is new. Thanks.

Heh, yeah I know. Sure hope this isn't true. If it is, I think he needs to take a hike.