On Dallas Green

“Dallas Green… was tall, blunt, and had a voice like a foghorn.”

-Bill Giles

Midway through the 1979 season, it became clear that Danny Ozark had lost control of the Philadelphia Phillies and a change was needed. At one point during the season, Ozark confided in Phillies team president Bill Giles, “I can’t control these guys. They’re making 10 times more money than me.”

On August 31^st, 1979, the popular Ozark was fired and replaced by Farm Director Dallas Green. He took over with 30 games left in the season and used it to evaluate what he had, and what he needed. One of the biggest changes he felt needed to be made was the team’s attitude.

“We’re in trouble,” Green told reporters when he took the job on an interim basis. “We owe the Philly fans a lot more than we’ve been giving them for their money. We’ll make some over the winter and find out who wants to play here and who doesn’t.”

The Phillies had officially been put on notice. Green got right to the point and a lot of the Phillies, specifically the veterans, didn’t care for his style. When players groused about his ways he told them it was their fault that he was the manager because their poor play had gotten Ozark fired.

We, Not I!

When spring training began in 1980, Green had signs placed around the Phillies facility that said, “We, Not I.” The message was sent, but it wasn’t well received. Many felt it was too rah-rah for a major league team, but Green didn’t care. In fact, that was a big key to his success.

Dallas Green was the rare major-league manager who didn’t especially want the job, didn’t care who he pissed off, and had the full support of the front office. In short, he was a comfortable player’s worst nightmare.

“It’s not going to be a country club; you can count on that,” he said of his first spring training. “If you get away from the basics and get away from the idea that you can play yourself into shape and forget that conditioning and fundamentals are how the game is won, then you’re in trouble.”

A Dream Season

Green led the Phillies to an N.L. East title in 1980, but it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t without incident. In early August, the Phillies went to Pittsburgh for a crucial four-game series against the defending World Series Champion Pirates. The Phillies were in 3rd place. A good series could vault them over the Pirates and have them nipping at the heels of the first-place Montreal Expos.  Instead, they got swept.

Green let his team have it. “Get off your asses and beat somebody,” he railed. “If you don’t want to play, come into my office and tell me, ‘I don’t want to play.’

“You’ve got to stop being so cool, and if you don’t get that through your minds you’re going to be so far behind it won’t be funny.”

The sweep left the Phillies six games out in the N.L. East, but it also lit a fire under them. They won the division on the last weekend of the season, then went on to beat Houston in the NLCS and Kansas City in the World Series.

Legacy

Phillies phans owe Dallas Green a debt of gratitude. The franchise began playing baseball in 1883 but until 1980 they had never won a World Series. Dallas Green took them there in his first full season. R.I.P., Dallas. You’ll be missed.