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Along Life’s Way
Who’s on First?
By Lois E. Wilson
The man stood up and offered his hand. “Hello, I’m Bill. I understand
that you are the person who has been hired to take over P.R. for the
LIBS and replace me. You have a degree in journalism?”
“Yes,” answered the young man. “I’m from out-of-state and don’t know
the history of the team. Anything you can share would be helpful in my
approach to the position.”
“Well, the team does have a lot of history and not all of it good. It
started out as a family-owned team, the POLS. It was successful with
several league titles and two World Series wins. It was definitely a
first-rate team. Now it is owned by a large group of investors. That
has resulted in conflict about whom should manage the team and how—even
who should be on it. The board is liberal; the team was renamed LIBS.
“When politics and its correctness invaded the sports world, the
investors implemented a ‘quota’ system for drafting and recruiting
players. No matter their merit, if they didn’t possess the personal
attributes to meet the arbitrary quota for a position, they were passed
on until someone who did could fill it. The success of the team
declined. Revenues hit bottom, and fans fled. All wanted a new manager.
“A relief pitcher who had been around for years doing different
jobs—mostly to little success— wanted the manager position. Investors
thought it couldn’t be any worse; some began to help him. He tried to
campaign for the leadership position but every time he went out to
speak to the group, he seemed to freeze, or get his words
garbled. When asked what he planned to do to turn the team
around, he would tell them to wait and see.
“One investor ordered the pitcher to bide his time in the dugout. He
told him he’d learn to manage better that way. While he was in his
confinement ‘biding his time.’ the LIBS began a program of
indoctrination and manipulation with him. They hoped for his
capitulation. An investor told him to stay in place and not answer any
questions or talk to outsiders. ‘Don’t worry he said, It’s all taken
care of—you’ll definitely win.’”
“The new manager’s problem was he didn’t know the investors had thrown
him a screwball—in fact perhaps they had turned him into one. He
thought the P.C. quota was out in left field. He felt neutered. He
fought for hiring the best players—he wanted a top offense and
defense—to be first again. When he tried implementing a merit system
for hiring, the investors threatened him. He was told, ‘Ignore the P.C.
criteria and you’re OUT!’”.
“No one knows which side the fans will take in this team’s battle. The
fans want the team to be on first with no politics—the question is
whether all can unite: the team, the fans, and the investors. It
probably depends on which receives the most damage from the track they
are currently on. They need a new playbook and a new team name. I’ll be
eagerly awaiting your stories and reports. I wish you a ‘win-win’
result. Keep alert, inquire, find the true story, don’t drop the ball,
and WATCH YOUR BACK!”
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