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George in Charge

© Harold Friend

March 5, 1978: George in Charge.

After the 1977 season, Gabe Paul left the Yankees to become president of the Cleveland Indians. Paul had built the Yankees into the team that won the pennant in 1976 and the World Series the following two seasons. Few individuals knew baseball as well as Paul, who was considered the voice of reason between Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner and volatile manager Billy Martin.

When he left, Gabe Paul was replaced by two individuals, Cedric Tallis and Al Rosen. When asked whether Tallis or Rosen would be in charge, Paul, not one to pull punches, answered that George would be in charge.

No one can stop George Steinbrenner for long. Third baseman Graig Nettles, known for his dry humor, once commented that "Every year is like being traded---a new manager and a whole new team." Nettles was not far from wrong.

Now that he is the opposition, Paul was asked to rate the value of the current Yankees players. "Thurman Munson is their most important player, then Reggie Jackson, Mickey Rivers, Willie Randolph, Graig Nettles, and Chris Chambliss...." One of Paul's last acts as Yankees' general manager was to recommend to Steinbrenner that he not trade Munson.

Paul reasoned that Munson was great in a position that is hard to fill. He's a catcher who can hit. According to Paul, there are three positions where defense is more important than offense---catcher, shortstop, and second base, which is why Thurman is more valuable than Reggie.

The Yankees most important pitcher is Ron Guidry but Paul believes that pitching is going to be a problem. When asked why the Yankees allowed World Series hero Mike Torrez to sign with the Red Sox for $2.5 million, Paul explained that the Yankees had a top offer of $1.5 million, which was rejected.

"...after that, my recommendation was to let Torrez go and sign Rich Gossage instead. Torrez is a power pitcher but he'll be 32 during the season. If his power goes even a little bit, he can't compensate.... Gossage gives the Yankees exactly what they need---a relief pitcher who can get the big strikeout...."

Gabe Paul's primary regret was that he didn't get a top left fielder for the Yankees. He spoke to the Padres about acquiring Dave Winfield, but they wanted Nettles and another player. It was the other, unnamed player that Paul refused to include in the deal, which effectively killed it.

The Yankees are a difficult team to handle but Paul believes that Billy Martin is the best man for the job.

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