NOTHING MINOR ABOUT MINORITY ISSUE: In N.Y., Murray
Chass reported that the Tigers "ignored the directive" of
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig about teams interviewing minority
candidates for managerial and front-office positions when
they hired manager Phil Garner. Tigers President John
McHale: "There isn't a legal obligation to adhere to any
directives from the commissioner's office." Chass noted
that Selig is "expected" to fine the Tigers between
$249,000-251,000 (N.Y. TIMES, 10/17). Selig: "I do expect
clubs to follow this edict." In Houston, Carlton Thompson:
"Selig has talked about how serious he is regarding this
issue. It's time to prove it" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/17).
But NEWSDAY's Jon Heyman wrote, "If Selig comes down too
hard, it might look like a personal vendetta because Garner
was his manager in Milwaukee for years" (NEWSDAY, 10/17). A
DETROIT NEWS editorial stated, "The Tigers missed an
opportunity to cast a broader net, even if they might have
come to the same conclusion" (DETROIT NEWS, 10/17). In
Detroit, Joe Falls: "What's so troubling is that the present
management team believes it can do as it pleases and not be
accountable to anyone" (DETROIT NEWS, 10/17).
NOTES: On "CBS Sunday Morning," Bill Geist profiled the
Women's Professional Football League (WPFL). One fan
interviewed at the inaugural game between the Minnesota
Vixens and the Lake Michigan Minx said, "The one thing I'm
impressed with is the tackling." Another fan, on the game:
"It's way too slow. And the concessions -- I mean there's
no beer" ("CBS Sunday Morning," 10/17). SI's Kelley King
writes, "The first moments of the league's first game
weren't much for the record books" (SI, 10/18 issue).
