The Arizona Republic

14C

- Q&A WITH DIAMONDBAC­KS MANAGER TOREY LOVULLO

azcentral sports’ Bob McManaman recently sat down with Diamondbac­ks’ first-year manager Torey Lovullo for a question-and-answer session to discuss his take on the team, his managerial style and some of his interests outside of baseball. Question: You told us in one of your first news conference­s – and I loved the quote – that you are OK if some of your players decide to “color outside the lines” and express their personalit­ies. What happens if any of them set the coloring book on fire and you have to lay down the law? What is Torey Lovullo going to be like when that happens – if it happens? Answer: Well hopefully, you don’t have those moments. As you walk through this game and have been through experience­s, you’re aware that they are a possibilit­y. I have a lot of my tough conversati­ons behind the scenes. I don’t like to do anything or expose anything that’s going to make the player uncomforta­ble. I try hard not to do that in the dugout or any public scene. If I have to lay down the law with somebody, I’ll pull them aside and just explain that it’s not being done right and if it continues to happen there’s going to be some ramificati­ons. But I usually like to fire a couple warning shots before things really go haywire. You hope it never gets to that point and I can tell these are a good group of guys, but I know there’s a lot of stimulus, there’s a lot of situations that are going to occur where there’s going to be some emotions and I expect that. So, patiently walking through the process and maybe sleeping on it for 24 hours and address it the next day. Q: How different will you treat a veteran player – and I mean a grizzled guy that you just really love – vs. a rookie or a young guy who’s incredibly wet behind the ears and doesn’t know his way around yet? How different will you treat them? A: What I say is I’m going to be fair to everyone, but at times I will give that veteran more wiggle room. I think they deserve it. A young player that is still learning and figuring out his own concepts might need a little bit more guidance than a veteran player who has walked the walk and shed some blood on the field. To say that I treat them differentl­y isn’t a fair statement, but I’m aware of the difference between the two. Q: You’ve had to cut guys already ... and momentaril­y pause their dreams, but when you start doing it for real during the season it takes on a whole new breath for these guys. How tough is that going to be and are you prepared for that, because you have to be tough about it, but you’re human, right? A: Yeah. I have emotion, too. And that’s a hard day for me. It’s always a hard day for me whenever you have to temporaril­y put some of these dreams on hold. You try to inspire them. You try to uplift them and make them feel good about the moment. But really, they don’t hear much of what you’re saying because their world is going to spin pretty fast after they hear those words that they have been demoted. But I let them know that I’m always available and I try to deliver the best message possible that’s going to help them move forward. Q: Are there enough leaders on this team – now? Because there might not have been in recent years. A: Right. Q: Are there enough team leaders in this clubhouse? A: Absolutely. I think there is so much respect that’s built in around this group that it’s not just one guy that takes on that role. It’s a trend and a habit and a mode that this leadership

 ?? ROB SCHUMACHER/AZCENTRAL SPORTS ?? First-year Diamondbac­ks manager Torey Lovullo is already feeling some anxiety over baseball’s new 30-second replay rule.
ROB SCHUMACHER/AZCENTRAL SPORTS First-year Diamondbac­ks manager Torey Lovullo is already feeling some anxiety over baseball’s new 30-second replay rule.
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