The Oakland Athletics are having a sorry season, but at least they didn't let 15,000 Mike Gallego windmill windup toys go to waste.
The club on Sunday fired Gallego, 54, the team's third-base coach for the past seven seasons, after a spate of runners directed by Gallego were thrown out at the plate in recent games.
Gallego, like the A's, who have the worst record in the American League, wasn't having a very good year. Four Oakland players have been thrown out at the plate in the past 18 days, and the A's have had 19 men thrown out at the plate this season, an abnormally high number.
But Gallego told the Oakland Tribune after his firing he knew his job was in jeopardy when General Manager Billy Beane, he of Moneyball fame, hired former Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington to work with struggling shortstop Marcus Semien back in May.
Washington worked with Semien before games, then watched the games from the press box.
Gallego, who was in charge of instructing the infielders, knew his days were numbered despite his 19 years in the organization.
"I don't know what his reasoning is because I haven't talked to him, but he pulled the trigger," Gallego said of Beane. "There's not much an old third base coach can say. We are part of this game, and it can be a cruel game."
At least the A's didn't compromise their promotional schedule.
Gallego was such a fixture in the Oakland organization that the A's scheduled a special promotion, in his honor, on Aug. 2. They gave away Mike Gallego Windmill Windup Toys to the first 15,000 fans in attendance.
A crowd of 21,498 showed up for the game, a 2-1 victory for the A's in 10 innings, which means at least 6,498 fans missed out on the plastic gizmo, which slightly resembles Gallego and moves its left arm in a circle when properly wound. A check of ebay shows the toys selling for as much as $29.99 with an autographed version holding a $39.99 tag.
Gallego used gallows humor to lighten the mood when talking to the Tribune.
At least, Gallego said, "They did it after my action-figure day."
Go, cub, go
A decades-long tradition of the Massillon Washington High School football team featuring a live tiger cub on the sideline to act as the mascot is in danger to coming to an end because school boosters haven't been able to meet state rules regarding the registration of exotic animals.
Boosters typically lease a cub always called Obie to act as the mascot for the Tigers, whose rich football tradition includes helping launch the career of Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals founder Paul Brown.
Ohio began requiring owners to register exotic animals after authorities, out of fear for the public's safety, killed nearly 50 of the bears, lions, tigers and other animals that were released by their owner in a bizarre 2011 incident. The law includes one limited exemption -- the Massillon school, as long as boosters can prove the cubs will reside at an accredited facility when they've outgrown their job as mascots and that the school ensures they'll be cared for throughout their lives.
The booster club has indicated it won't easily give up on the cub, which isn't funded by the school.
The boosters have significant support from fans. Just across the street from the school, the sportswear shop McG's T's started selling a "Save Our Obie" shirt at a customer's request.
If there's no live tiger, "I'm sure there'd be initial disappointment," said shop owner Mark McGeorge, an alumnus. "How much it would affect, I wouldn't want to guess."
Sports quiz
How many seasons did Mike Gallego play in the major leagues and for how many teams did he play?
Answer
13 seasons, 3 teams.
Quote of the day
“We see how it is. When we can’t hit, he goes crazy. Free Santos!”
--Arkansas defensive back Rohan Gaines on redshirt freshman Santos Ramirez’ thoughts on not being able to hit in practice.
Sports on 08/26/2015