Phyllis Weiss Haserot's
Organizational Effectiveness Issue of the Month
BASEBALL DADS AND SONS: A MODEL FOR BUSINESS?
May 2004
I read the sports pages. As a long-time New York baseball fan, I read
the New York Times and glance at the New York Post pages. Mostly the articles
are about sports. But I've been noticing some interesting elements creeping
in, written by men as well as women reporters, reporting on athletes as
fathers and sons.
The sports press last year reported such items as:
- Then (2003) Mets' Roger Cedeno leaving the team in Atlanta to take
his 3 year old daughter to the hospital for minor surgery - in the midst
of his hot hitting streak.
- Joe McEwing's three day leave when his 1st child was born.
- Jason Phillips' time off and exultation at spending time with his
new baby.
- Barry Bonds taking considerable time off when his father, former baseball
star Bobby Bonds was ill.
- Several articles appeared earlier about Paul O'Neill and his father's death.
In the old days, the players, maybe, would make it there for the "event"
and then have the mom take care of it.
Some others - big stars - chose to cut down their commutes to be close
to their families, sometimes taking less money, and moving to smaller
media markets. The Yankees' Andy Pettitte chose to leave for the Houston
Astros to be closer to home (and, okay, to escape an owner who doesn't
treat his players well). Roger Clemens followed him to be home too - without
first having a job, claiming he was retiring. The retirement lasted for
about five minutes, and Clemens is having another great season at home.
John Olerud, who loved living in New York and playing for the Mets (those
were good years), made a tough decision a few years ago to move to Seattle
so his children could be near their grandparents.
I'm glad to see these players in a rather macho sport are taking time for their families and that their employers are supporting them. That the sports media thinks it is worth commenting on is commendable and heartening. We hear too much about the gossip and scandals in athlete's lives. Kids of all ages still are awestruck by sports figures, so I hope the press will continue to point out the time off our elite athletes devote to family needs. The media attention, which helps to change attitudes, can be a model for the business world. More widely published stories about flexibility in the lives of both men and women with demanding jobs are needed to effect institutional change. If employees in such a high performance, male dominated field as Major League Baseball can ask and be supported by their management on family time, business management should also step up to the plate.
P. S. to my sports and employment flexibility tribute: The football world seems to be showing great appreciation for the experienced veterans that in past years would be regarded as over the hill. Retired coaches have been brought back to manage several NFL teams: Bill Parcells with the Dallas Cowboys; Tom Coughlin with the Giants; and Joe Gibbs with the Washington Redskins. We are seeing this trend emerging in the business world, as retired CEO's once again take the helm to face off a business environment shaken by scandals and unbridled risk-taking. Firms in all fields are once again beginning to show appreciation for the knowledge, wisdom, maturity, and influence of seasoned professionals. They should be welcomed, not only as fee-earners, but also as institutional memory, mentors, managers, community leaders and people who can give and gain respect and confidence from those a few generations younger.
So I'll say once again, flexibility on family and other personal issues
should be applicable to everyone. Are you ready to support me in spreading
the word?
© Phyllis Weiss Haserot, 2004. All rights reserved.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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