Management Death Watch

Back at our old place, I used to regularly update the list of managers (both field and general varieties) who were in danger of losing their gigs. But over the last year or so, I haven't had the opportunity to report on poor prognoses. Whether that's because people are doing better jobs, or because teams are beginning to understand that firing people willy-nilly in the middle of the season usually doesn't help, is for smarter people than me to determine.

That said, there are a couple guys who are treading on thin ice (if I may mix a metaphor). As has usually been the case for this column the last few years, we being in Kansas City.

Allard Baird. By this time, the name is usually followed by "He still has a job?" And with good reason.

To be fair, Baird's boss is pretty sh...errrr...lousy, too. But on the other hand, other small market teams have operated under similar condition -- the A's, the Twins, even the Devil Rays -- and not abased themselves to such shameful, ignominious levels.

In many ways, the Royals are the Chicago Blackhawks of MLB -- things won't get any better until new owners take over.

Meanwhile, the tranquility of the Pacific Northwest has been disturbed by some grumbling about Mariners' manager Mike Hargrove.

The Mariners have had a brutal time of it during Hargrove's tenure. But the thing that's really pumped up the drum beat for a regime change is the fact that Ichiro apparently isn't one of Grover's fans. Who does Ichiro think he is – Jeff Bagwell?

Unless the Mariners hit rock bottom, I don't think Hargrove is in imminent danger. Baird's days, on the other hand, are numbered. Not even David Glass can afford to overlook this level of incompetence for much longer.