WORLD SERIES CONFIDENTIAL
ANAHEIM – Jeff Kent was the star of World Series Game 5. Steve Lyons was the hero.
Kent hit a pair of two-run homers to spark a Giant onslaught that ended in a 16-4 victory over the Angels. Lyons, on the field for Fox, asked Kent immediately after the game to do a live interview. The prickly Kent refused – as did Barry Bonds and Kenny Lofton.
But Kent was clearly the star of the game and Lyons thought he had a relationship with Kent from doing several Giant games nationally for Fox during the season. So after the broadcast went off the air, Lyons went into San Francisco’s clubhouse and went a little psycho on the Giants’ second baseman.
Kent was not at the park yesterday with no workouts prior to tonight’s Game 6. Lyons did not return a call. But Dan Bell, a Fox publicist, gave an account that was verified pretty much word-for-word by another eyewitness.
“Steve told him Fox is paying $2.5 billion for the rights to televise the game and that Kent should be trying to promote the game,” Bell recalled. “Kent said, ‘No offense, but I don’t want to talk to anybody.’
“Steve then pointed out that there are millions of people at home watching who pay all their salaries and that players owe it to the fans to tell them their thoughts on something as important as a World Series game. Kent responded, ‘I don’t play the game for money. I’d play for $200,000.’ “
OK, we’ll see about that. The minimum is going from $200,000 to $300,000. Kent is a free agent. Something tells me as badly as he says he wants to play in San Francisco, he is not going to accept a $300,000 salary for the 2003 season, not with Philadelphia, Colorado and Los Angeles already known to have interest.
“One would think doing a 1-2 minute interview with the national broadcast wouldn’t be a problem,” Bell said. “It boggles the mind.”
INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES
What can be told from the massive interview-room sessions managers do before and after every post-season game for hundreds of media members? Well, poise for one. Good nature, good humor, an ability to think quickly, an ability to react with a cool head at tough inquisitions.
Joe Torre was a master right from the beginning of his Yankee term in 1996, handling these sessions with composure and command. This postseason, Minnesota’s Ron Gardenhire and Anaheim’s Mike Scioscia have both distinguished themselves, especially when you consider they are first-time playoff managers.
We bring this up because the folks who run these press conferences tell us one guy who was consistently bad – unexciting, unwilling to do anything extra, unable to be engaging and, yet, still unable to avoid controversy during the 2001 playoffs vs. the Yankees – is new Mets manager Art Howe.
With Lou Piniella gone, the Mariners will first interview in-house with pitching coach Bryan Price and bench coach John McLaren. Seattle GM Pat Gillick would like to interview Paul Molitor, whom he once signed as a free agent in Toronto, but Molitor has family issues and does not want to manage yet. The Mariners have received Yankee permission to talk to Willie Randolph. But if Seattle really is unwilling to spend major dollars on Dusty Baker, then watch for Anaheim pitching coach Bud Black, who has become a hot property.