Monday's Bunts and Boots--Managers, Lovullo, and Masterson

Ron Washington and John Gibbons are the two names mentioned most frequently when it comes to discussion of the first manager to be fired in 2008. With Washington's Rangers tied for the American League's worst record, and Gibbons' Blue Jays continuing to struggle despite superior starting pitching, it's only natural that the axe looms for both men. But when will Padres manager Bud Black fall under the same kind of scrutiny? With a record of 12-20, the Padres are not only underachieving, but have also matched the disappointing Reds for the worst record in either league. By all accounts, Black is well-liked by his players and respected for his knowledge of pitching, but the team's late-season collapse in 2007 coupled with the dismal start to 2008 should put the former big league left-hander on the spot. Black hasn't been able to settle the Padres' muddled outfield mess and has shown little interest in demoting Trevor Hoffman from his role as closer despite his awful start and the presence of premier set-up man Heath Bell...

Whether it's Black, Gibbons, or Washington who becomes the first managerial casualty of the season, it's possible that his successor could be Torey Lovullo. Currently in his third season as skipper of the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, the top affiliate of the Indians, Lovullo is arguably the most heralded managerial prospect in the game. A minor league manager since 2002, Lovullo has already won two league championships while instilling a relentlessly positive and upbeat attitude with his teams...

Finally, I was saddened to hear of the passing of former Red Sox and Senators right-hander Walt Masterson, who died in April at the age of 87. Last fall, I had the pleasure of interviewing Masterson as part of a series of articles for the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. Although he was recovering from a stroke at the time, Masterson patiently answered my questions, maintaining a friendly and cordial tone throughout our conversation. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise to his friends, who remembered him as a gentleman--and as one of the pioneers who started the alumni association in 1982. At his peak, Masterson was also a pretty good pitcher. Though he won only 78 games in his career, he managed to earn selection to two All-Star Games, including a start in the 1948 classic.

Masterson was also a very close friend of Ted Williams. "He and I became friends in 1949," Masterson told me, referring to the season he was traded from Washington to Boston. "I lived across the street from him. We rode to the ballpark together for three years. Every week, he'd visit a hospital that had kids in it. He'd bring a package of baseball that he signed for the kids. He'd tell the nurse, 'If you tell anyone I was here, I won't come back.' " As Masterson explained to me, Williams simply didn't want publicity for his visits to ailing children. "He was just a wonderful, wonderful man. No one knew about the things that he did for other people." Few people knew about the good things that Masterson did, too, especially when it came to launching the alumni association. Rest in peace, Walter.