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Do IT this week: Layering
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 09:54 p.m. EDT, Oct 26, 2009
CLEVELAND: Last week toward the end of his second interview with the Indians, Manny Acta was asked what he would do if the Houston Astros and the Indians both offered him their job as manager.
The Houston Astros gave him his chance to make it to the major leagues when they signed him as an undrafted free agent in 1986 out of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. It was the Astros with whom he later broke in as a young coach when faced with the fact that managing was his ticket to the major leagues.
Seemingly surprised by the question, Acta said he was humbled by the mere mention of the idea but insisted he simply couldn't fathom it.
Yet just four days later, that scenario became reality when the Astros offered Acta their managerial job early Saturday, only to be outbid by the Tribe later in the day.
Realizing Acta was in talks with the Astros, the Indians put a halt to their managerial search and quickly swooped in by offering Acta a three-year contract with a club option for 2013. The Astros' original offer was for two years.
''I knew we might lose him because he got offered a job,'' Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro said. ''They offered him a job first [while] we were still working through our process. So we sped up our time frame, since we were headed in that direction anyway.''
That is how Acta became the 40th Indians manager late Saturday, a hiring that was ceremonially confirmed late Monday afternoon, when Shapiro slipped a No. 11 jersey on the broad shoulders of the 6-foot-2 Acta and a Chief Wahoo cap on his bald head.
''It became evident to all of us throughout the process as Manny's passion, presence, positive attitude and intelligence resonated with us that he was the right man to lead this team going forward,'' Shapiro said.
As Shapiro and his staff worked the phones the past few weeks talking to former players, coaches and friends of Acta, they continually heard similar responses.
''The same kind of comments kept coming through about his character, his resourcefulness and his desire to continue to learn and improve, his ability to teach and bring the best out of people and players,'' Shapiro said.
Yet Acta knows his hiring might not necessarily ''wow'' the disgruntled Indians fan base, being that he owned a .385 winning percentage in 21/2 years of trying to build the Washington Nationals franchise.
''If you give people the opportunity to choose between Joe Torre after his first three years with the Mets or Joe Torre now, I believe everyone would pick the one from now,'' Acta said.
''[But] not everybody who is a big shot now was a big shot when they started. Big shots are little shots who keep shooting. And I'm willing to keep shooting until I become a big shot.''
Acta believes his 158-252 managing mark with the Nationals is misleading. While he is known to be patient with young prospects, he does not like losing. Acta said he's such a competitor, he won't even let his wife and two daughters ''beat me at tic-tac-toe.''
''I'm not a good loser, but I am a guy who believes in controlling my emotions,'' Acta said. ''I'm about winning as a much as anyone else. [But] I realize we have to pay dues in our playing career and our coaching career. And I'm ready to win.''
Acta continually pointed out the names of young players in the Indians' farm system, potential stars like outfield candidates Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley, who got a good look at big-league life late last season.
''We have the potential here to have a terrific outfield, a team that has a chance to get out of the American League norm of just sitting around and waiting for the home run,'' Acta said. ''We have a lot of athletic guys out there [whom] we can do a lot of things with.''
Acta, however, is also realistic with what needs to be fixed.
''It's not a secret,'' said Acta, whose first visit to Cleveland came last week. ''We need our pitching staff to come back. We need Jake [Westbrook] healthy, we need Fausto [Carmona] to come back and be the Fausto we all know. We need [Aaron] Laffey to step up. We need [Justin] Masterson to continue to develop and we need [David] Huff to continue to develop.''
Acta and the Tribe front office wasted little time moving on to the next order of business as the week began, sitting down Monday morning to go over a list of internal and external candidates to fill out his coaching staff.
''We're working diligently at putting the best staff together we can and bring excitement back to the town,'' Acta said.
Stephanie Storm can be reached
at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
CLEVELAND: Last week toward the end of his second interview with the Indians, Manny Acta was asked what he would do if the Houston Astros and the Indians both offered him their job as manager.
The Houston Astros gave him his chance to make it to the major leagues when they signed him as an undrafted free agent in 1986 out of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. It was the Astros with whom he later broke in as a young coach when faced with the fact that managing was his ticket to the major leagues.
Seemingly surprised by the question, Acta said he was humbled by the mere mention of the idea but insisted he simply couldn't fathom it.
Yet just four days later, that scenario became reality when the Astros offered Acta their managerial job early Saturday, only to be outbid by the Tribe later in the day.
Realizing Acta was in talks with the Astros, the Indians put a halt to their managerial search and quickly swooped in by offering Acta a three-year contract with a club option for 2013. The Astros' original offer was for two years.
''I knew we might lose him because he got offered a job,'' Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro said. ''They offered him a job first [while] we were still working through our process. So we sped up our time frame, since we were headed in that direction anyway.''
That is how Acta became the 40th Indians manager late Saturday, a hiring that was ceremonially confirmed late Monday afternoon, when Shapiro slipped a No. 11 jersey on the broad shoulders of the 6-foot-2 Acta and a Chief Wahoo cap on his bald head.
''It became evident to all of us throughout the process as Manny's passion, presence, positive attitude and intelligence resonated with us that he was the right man to lead this team going forward,'' Shapiro said.
As Shapiro and his staff worked the phones the past few weeks talking to former players, coaches and friends of Acta, they continually heard similar responses.
''The same kind of comments kept coming through about his character, his resourcefulness and his desire to continue to learn and improve, his ability to teach and bring the best out of people and players,'' Shapiro said.
Yet Acta knows his hiring might not necessarily ''wow'' the disgruntled Indians fan base, being that he owned a .385 winning percentage in 21/2 years of trying to build the Washington Nationals franchise.
''If you give people the opportunity to choose between Joe Torre after his first three years with the Mets or Joe Torre now, I believe everyone would pick the one from now,'' Acta said.
''[But] not everybody who is a big shot now was a big shot when they started. Big shots are little shots who keep shooting. And I'm willing to keep shooting until I become a big shot.''
Acta believes his 158-252 managing mark with the Nationals is misleading. While he is known to be patient with young prospects, he does not like losing. Acta said he's such a competitor, he won't even let his wife and two daughters ''beat me at tic-tac-toe.''
''I'm not a good loser, but I am a guy who believes in controlling my emotions,'' Acta said. ''I'm about winning as a much as anyone else. [But] I realize we have to pay dues in our playing career and our coaching career. And I'm ready to win.''
Acta continually pointed out the names of young players in the Indians' farm system, potential stars like outfield candidates Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley, who got a good look at big-league life late last season.
''We have the potential here to have a terrific outfield, a team that has a chance to get out of the American League norm of just sitting around and waiting for the home run,'' Acta said. ''We have a lot of athletic guys out there [whom] we can do a lot of things with.''
Acta, however, is also realistic with what needs to be fixed.
''It's not a secret,'' said Acta, whose first visit to Cleveland came last week. ''We need our pitching staff to come back. We need Jake [Westbrook] healthy, we need Fausto [Carmona] to come back and be the Fausto we all know. We need [Aaron] Laffey to step up. We need [Justin] Masterson to continue to develop and we need [David] Huff to continue to develop.''
Acta and the Tribe front office wasted little time moving on to the next order of business as the week began, sitting down Monday morning to go over a list of internal and external candidates to fill out his coaching staff.
''We're working diligently at putting the best staff together we can and bring excitement back to the town,'' Acta said.
Stephanie Storm can be reached
at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Canton, OH
Posted 09:55 PM, 10/26/2009
Yeah, we sure didn't want to lose out on him. . . . .
akron, oh
Posted 10:45 PM, 10/26/2009
---wow---
Posted 10:54 PM, 10/26/2009
Losers love other losers. Shapiro is a loser so what can you expect. Another dismal year ahead for the Tribe. I never thought I'd root for the Yankees, but it might be nice to cheer for a winning team for a change.
Naples, FL
Posted 06:31 AM, 10/27/2009
Marie...you should know, don't let the door hit ya...
Alliance, Oh
Posted 08:11 AM, 10/27/2009
Hopefully, this guy will have our team ready to play when the season starts, unlike our other "grinder"!
Posted 10:21 AM, 10/27/2009
I've seen a lot of crazy things in Cleveland sports. This is near the top in the stupidity category. Shapiro needs to go.
Posted 01:58 PM, 10/27/2009
What's with everyone wanting Valentine and not this "loser"? Sure he lost with a lousy team, but a loser. I have to wait and see. And Valentine? Yep he won about 1600 games -- but he lost about 1900. Why do you all want to see him lose his 2000th game?
Good luck Manny
Posted 06:55 AM, 10/28/2009
OMG THEY ALREADY SUCK FOR NEXT YEAR!!!
