Sometimes one line can be the final nail in the coffin of a manager or coach. It happened to John McNamara at the beginning of the all-star break.
The Sox had limped home from a 12-game midwest road trip with a 4-8 mark. They had won a few blowouts, but had suffered 4 one-run losses and a pair by two. Writers and fans had all but given up on the season. Boston's record was 42-41 and they had fallen to 9 games behind Detroit. Asked about the first half of the season, Mac responded "After all is said and done….I'm very happy to be one game over .500.
That quote did it. It showed that McNamara had not only lost the support of the team, he had lost touch with reality. In probably the best move of her time in the Sox hierarchy, Jean Yawkey called a meeting with Lou Gorman, Haywood Sullivan, and John Harrington. Though Gorman and Sully still wanted Mac to stay, her mind was made up. McNamara had to go. Gorman immediately suggested third base coach Joe Morgan as a replacement. In his book, Uncle Lou describes the former manager's reaction as unhappiness, but a kind of relief.
Morgan had a few things going for him. A Walpole native and a hockey and baseball star at BC, the position was a dream job for him. An infielder in the 60's, Morgan had never made it with 6 major league teams. However, he had experience as a minor league manager (16 years), scout, and third base coach under McNamara. He knew the Sox organization, with its many foibles and the attitude of the fans. Named interim skipper (Gorman had considered others, but none were available), he announced, "interim means nothing to me…I'm the manager of this ballclub. I don't even consider the word right now." Morgan continued that he wanted communication with his men, but "when the time comes to step on them, you have to step." Already, there was a different attitude, perhaps one not seen since Dick Williams came in 67.
The Sox responded immediately. It seemed like a huge weight had been taken from their shoulders. After a rainout, the team exploded against the tough Royals at Fenway, beginning with a 3-1 and 7-4 doubleheader sweep. Unlike Mac, Morgan wasn't afraid to use his bench-every player appeared in the twinbill. Roger Clemens' win in game one featured a season-high 16K's. When second-game starter Mike Smithson faltered in the sixth, relievers Dennis Lamp, Tom Bolton, Bob Stanley, and a suddenly-revived Lee Smith preserved the lead. The following day saw heroics from little-known Kevin Romine, whose ninth-inning homer gave the Townies a 7-6 victory. The rejuvenated Sox rallied from a 6-0 deficit with 4 in the sixth, and tied it on Dewey Evans' two-run blast in the eighth. Writers noted that there was no way that Romine (batting .154) would have been given this opportunity under McNamara, but Morgan had no such fears. He expected everyone to contribute, and most of them did.
The Morgan Bosox soon proved they could do it all- win big, win close, even win ugly. They completed the KC sweep on Sunday with a 10-8 victory in which they almost blew a 7-0 advantage in 100-degree heat, but held on. Smithson, in an unusual relief role, and Smith put down rallies in the late innings. Ellis Burks smashed a grand slam homer in the first and had 3 hits and 5 rbi's.
Morgan was already being toasted in columns as "The Talk of the Town". His use of hunches, most of which were working, seemed to give the underachieving team new life. After only four games, the interim title given to the new man was fast disappearing. It was soon obvious to the fans that he had something no Sox skipper had had in decades. Walpole Joe was not only a strong manager, he was one of us.
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