Furious Seasons

July 02, 2007

The Inexplicable Resignation

Yesterday, a couple of hours before the Seattle Mariners took the field against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Mariners' manager Mike Hargrove resigned effective at game's end. The M's are enjoying a renaissance currently. AFter four years in the cellar of the AL's Western Division, they are in second place, 12 games above .500 and are in a good postion to contend with the Angels for the division crown (despite the M's spotty pitching) or the lone wild card playoff berth.

No one ever resigns under such circumstances absent a dustup with the owner--not here--or a health problem with themselves or in their family. You always want to see if your team can make the World Series or win the league pennant. That's sports.

But there you have it. Hargrove resigned, saying he didn't understand his own move but offering that he has lost his ability to give the same 100 percent he asked his own players to give. The M's won the game, comepleting a three-game sweep of the Jays which comes on the heels of a three-game sweep of the Red Sox.

This is the weirdest thing I have ever witnessed in a lifetime of following sports. OK, it's the weirdest non-Yankees related incident.

So I wonder what was really at work psychologically for Grover. Speculate away.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at July 2, 2007 12:59 AM

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Comments

I think this should be filed under men and depression. If in fact he left for the 'highs not high enough and the lows too low'; and chose family support and time, then maybe this is one less future story about how happiness is not based or found with money, status, or appearance to the general public. It looks like he was in a crisis.I'd also like to know if he is on antidepressants, such as Effexor that flatten out a personality and [can]cause people [like him]to do unexpected things, like walk away from careers or families.If there is something going on like that, I have to say at least he didn't walk away from all of it.Sometimes it's just time to walk away from soemthing before it takes over your life, and that is what he means when he says 'people won't understand it'.
What makes a man shut down when all appearances say "he's got it all?." [women not excluded].
Reminds me of Brad Delp, "I was a lonely soul."I think Hargrove is catching something before it took over, and that is depression. It's more common in men his age than people realize. There's also never a 'best time' for a personal decision such as his, World Series, sports tradition, being labeled a "quitter", none of that matters if he is trying to save his personal spirit,health and/ or family relationships.

Posted by: Stephany at July 2, 2007 05:04 AM