Felipe Alou hired as Giants manager

Posted 6:56AM on Thursday 14th November 2002 ( 22 years ago )

SAN FRANCISCO - Felipe Alou is energized and determined to show that even at age 67 he has enough stamina to manage a full baseball season - deep into October. Alou became the oldest manager to take over a major league team since Casey Stengel four decades ago when he was hired by the National League champion San Francisco Giants on Wednesday to replace Dusty Baker. ``I'm a soldier of this game,'' said Alou, who played for San Francisco in the 1950s and '60s. ``The matter of energy and enthusiasm, somebody else is going to have to evaluate that." Stengel was 71 when the New York Mets lured him out of retirement in October 1961 to manage them the next year in their first season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau and the Hall of Fame. It's been a good week for older coaches. On Tuesday, the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies hired 69-year-old Hubie Brown. Alou, the former Montreal manager and a bench coach for Detroit last season, was thrilled to return to San Francisco, where his playing career began 44 years ago. He inherits a team led by five-time MVP Barry Bonds. ``I'm going back home to where I started and, hopefully, I'm going to end it right there,'' Alou said. Alou agreed to a three-year contract and becomes the oldest manager in the major leagues. He was 691-717 in 10 seasons managing the Expos. When asked why he thinks it took him until age 56 to become a manager, Alou said: ``I don't know. Whatever! ``I believe I was ready to manage when I was 40, 41, 42, but never got a shot at doing it,'' he said. The popular Baker did not have his contract renewed by the Giants after coming within six outs of the World Series championship. Baker is expected to take over the Chicago Cubs by the end of the week. Alou's son Moises plays for the Cubs. Alou played for the Giants from 1958-63 as part of a 17-season major league career in which he hit .286 with 206 homers and 852 RBIs. He also spent 1970 and part of 1971 in the Bay area playing for the Oakland Athletics. On the Giants, he joined brothers Matty and Jesus in an all-Alou outfield in some games. That's one of the highlights of his playing days in San Francisco, along with a string of nine consecutive hits. It is the first time in nearly three decades that a manager takes over a pennant-winning team in the offseason. Alvin Dark became manager of the A's when Dick Williams retired following their 1973 World Series championship. ``It was almost like a revelation that was supposed to happen,'' Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. ``He calls himself a baseball soldier in conversation. He's more like baseball royalty to us.'' Alou was fired by the Expos during the 2001 season, and was with the Tigers this year. Shortstop Rich Aurilia appreciated the Giants' speed in hiring a manager. The team announced Baker would not return last Wednesday. ``We were a few steps behind other clubs having been in the World Series,'' Aurilia said. ``It's nice to know that they went out and got somebody who's well respected around baseball and has done a good job with his teams.'' Alou has the challenge of dealing with Bonds, whose dugout shoving match with second baseman Jeff Kent - a free agent not expected to return to the Giants - was a low point in the team's successful year. The new skipper said he expected no problems. ``Barry Bonds and other players operate at a very high level, a level not many people have operated at in the course of their lives. I respect the way they operate,'' Alou said. ``Myself, I was a decent player, but I didn't operate at that level.'' Alou insists he has plenty of energy despite his age, and plans to fulfill all three years of his contract. Eventually, he will become a special assistant with the club, Sabean said. Alou has not finalized his coaching staff, but said he would consider keeping members of Baker's staff in place. ``He knows the game very well, and was a great player when he played,'' Aurilia said. ``It seemed like his players gave everything they had.''

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