Von Hayes interview: Part I

“I tell my players I’m pretty easy going. I’m very soft spoken but I’m certainly not one to be taken advantage of. I’m as intense as anybody. I treat my players as professionals. If you’re working hard every day, and working as a team, we’ll never have a problem.”

This is the first installment of an interview with Von Hayes, which includes questions from myself, the Intell’s Burt Wilson and the Sunday News’ Mike Gross. This should give fans some background about Hayes’ career and some insight into his philosophies as a manager. You can determine if you think he’s a good fit for the Atlantic League.

One thing that’s striking is how deeply Hayes thinks about the game and running a team. It’s reminds me of Tom Herr, that guy who won the 2006 championship here.

What made you decide to get into managing?

My last year playing was ’92. I basically spent eight years at home with family raising kids. I had an opportunity to get into baseball six years ago. I was missing it. I started out as a hitting coach and progressed to managing for the last four years (until 2006). I had a great time with it. I decided three years in Double-A, which is where I would have been last year, was a little bit more of a sacrifice than I was prepared to make. So I took last year off. I had a great year at home. I’m refreshed and looking to get back into baseball this year.

The Texas League is known to be brutal for travel. Is that accurate?

Absolutely. That was also an issue for me as far as the bus trips. We had some 12-hour trips. I don’t know if you all recall, back in ’92 — my last year with the Angels — we were involved in a bus crash going from Yankee Stadium to Baltimore. I was pretty fortunate I had gotten off the first bus and got on the second bus because I had already seen “Dances with Wolves” six times. I got on the second bus and it may have saved my life. I would have sat behind (Angels manager) Buck Rodgers, who was seriously injured. The seat behind him was empty and that got completely crushed. I obviously can’t sleep on a bus because of that. The 12-hour trips started wearing on me.

Is your goal to return to the big leagues as a coach or manager?

I don’t say that I’m doing this to be a major league manager. If that’s in the cards and it’s something that’s meant to be, I’m certainly not going to turn it down. I originally got back in because I wanted to help some people get to where I’ve gotten — the big leagues. I started out as a fan of baseball and I still am. It’s a great opportunity to watch quality baseball and be part of it at the same time. Managing fit me better than being a hitting coach, at least in the minor leagues, because of my background. I was a third baseman coming up through the minor leagues, a first baseman and outfielder in the big leagues and I pitched in college. So I just felt like I can offer the guys a lot more as a manager.

Do you have a specific style as a manager?

I tell my players I’m pretty easy going. I’m very soft spoken but I’m certainly not one to be taken advantage of. I’m as intense as anybody. I treat my players as professionals. There’s a way to go about it. If you’re working hard every day, and working as a team, we’ll never have a problem. Selfishness shows up in very intricate ways. That’s something the average fan doesn’t always see, but the good managers can see it before most people do. I’m one to talk to my players. I call them in. I love talking baseball. If they want to learn, we’ll have a great relationship.

What interests you about the Barnstormers job?

A lot of players won’t go back to the minor leagues to coach because of their big egos or whatever the case may be. For me, I never really had a problem with it. I knew down deep I really needed that experience dealing with the personnel. I know I have a ways to go and this particular format with the older players can certainly be a learning experience.

What do you see as the differences between managing in Single-A and Double-A and managing here?

The main difference is at the lower levels the players are going to be so much more receptive to learning and developing. When you start getting to older players, I don’t want to say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but in a lot of ways it’s a little bit more difficult dealing with a player who has a family and kids. There are a lot different priorities when dealing with older players in a lot of ways. From a managing standpoint, I think it’s easier. It’s a lot more mental at that stage than physical.

Do you have any influences from earlier in your career that have helped you as a manager?

Definitely. I played for Lee Elia. I actually took him out to lunch and talked to him about his coaching and some of the personality traits that are needed. He told me two things that are very important. No. 1, manage players around their time for extra work or whatever the case may be. No. 2, don’t ever let the players think you’re not in it for them. Lee was one of my favorite managers. Strategically, my last year as a player with the Angels we didn’t have a particularly good team, but Buck Rodgers made the most out of our team through hit-and-runs and stuff. I learned a lot about strategy from him. Every manager has a different style. I’ve never been a guy to say this is the way you need to do it year in and year out. You’ll have to vary depending on your team. Your personnel varies, so you have to vary your style.

At this level, you also serve as a baseball operations guy. What do you think of that role?

I think it’s a great fit. A lot of the guys I’ve been managing with and against the last couple of years in the Texas League, and even out of A ball three years ago, are in that age of 26 or 27 where if they’re not in the big leagues yet, they’re getting pushed by the younger players and and they’re going to be bubble players looking for jobs. I already have, in the back of my mind, four or five guys who could probably do very well in this league. I’ll certainly keep an eye on it. If those players become available, I’ll make some phone calls to the farm directors.

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NOTE: The second part of the interview will delve into Hayes’ playing days. Why did his career end so abruptly? What did he think of playing in Philadelphia? What was it like being known as Mr. 541? That will be on the site soon.

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