Hacksaw: As Towers leaves, we rate the moves of the GM

The incoming new owner was rather subdued and matter of fact, almost corporate-like in his decision to make the change.

The outgoing general manager was choked up, sometimes serious, sometimes funny, resigned to the reality.

Such was the changing of the guard when Padres owner Jeff Moorad removed his GM Kevin Towers. Emotionless on one hand, very moving on the other.

Fourteen years in a volatile industry is a long time to be a GM in the ever-changing world of baseball. For Kevin Towers to survive that long in one market was a credit. For him to stay at it, in this market, with all the revolving issues around him for all those years, was an amazing accomplishment.

Firesales, slashed budgets, overbearing management people above him, and a rotating group of team presidents with different philosophies and backgrounds would have led to lesser people to walk away from the job. You haven’t forgotten the likes of team Presidents, like nice-guy Dick Freeman, to baseball card collector Bob Vizas, to here-today-gone-tomorrow Charles Black. He survived them, tolerated them and outlasted them.

From the Tom Werner group of 15 owners, with all that infighting, and the incompetence of philosophies, Towers had to learn to co-exist with people above him, who did not know. The people who purchased the team from the Kroc family, without really knowing about things like collusion payments and cash calls and union labor strife.

John Moores saved the franchise, and installed the brilliant, but ever-demanding Larry Lucchino to oversee the Padres operation. Kevin Towers was the choice to become the GM, but it was a learning curve fueled by the love of the game, that kept him at it. Lucchino knew everything and wanted his own way more times than not.

Towers next leader was Sandy Alderson, whose own new philosophies about stats and charts and graphs, conflicted with Towers, the old pitcher who loved to scout. The GM stayed the course, bent his philosophies, and probably learned much though not always agreeing with the man who would oversee the operation.

Now all the changes are complete.

Moorad comes from the player agent-business street corner, bringing with him his own baseball minds, and a new set of theories of how to operate the team. Towers, the last man standing, gets gunned down.

It was odd — Moorad calling Towers a gunslinger, shooting from the hip on player acquisitions, gambling with the owners’ money.  Sometimes winning, sometimes losing, sometimes hitting the target, other times wounding himself and his organization. Moorad is the one who bushwacked a GM highly regarded in many cities.

Towers should be remembered as the first whistleblower about the steroid issues. Bud Selig and Donald Fehr should have paid attention sooner to what the Padres GM was concerned about. Chastised nationwide for being a pop off, Towers was indeed right. Check the Mitchell Report, follow the Balco case, look at the Albany-Orlando lab raids, read up on A-Rod and Mannywood in Hollywood.

The Padres GM was a master at finding players on the scrap heap, giving them a chance, and seeing them resurrect their careers. Phil Nevin, a busted first-round pick, became a 35-home run hitter. Everth Cabrera, a year ago this time, was playing in the Class A-Sally League as a second baseman. Pitchers, like Scott Linebrink, Heath Bell, Akinora Otsuka and more, discarded other places, became key role players here. It was a remarkable trait to sight, scope and sign guys who became key contributors on a yearly basis.

Towers became legendary too for his ability to acquire pieces in trades, who would eventually establish themselves in San Diego. He stole Kevin Kouzmanoff from Cleveland for Josh Barfield, brought in the likes of Dave Roberts, Wally Joyner, Sterling Hitchock and Greg Vaughn for next to nothing. The all-time heist was importing Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young.

See related: Outgoing Padres GM Towers addresses being fired |  619 Sports: Moorad sends wrong message with Towers firing

Of course he was bold, in dealing young slugger Derrek Lee to Florida for stud pitcher Kevin Brown. The deal put the team in the World Series. He got burned though in wasting $11 million to claim broken down reliever Randy Myers, and whiffing on trades for Jim Edmonds and Ray Lankford.

Some of his one-year rentals turned out to be special, with the likes of Rod Beck, David Wells and Greg Maddux, among them.

But like many other executives in baseball, there was a shortcoming. His scouting director’s were a disaster up until recent times. In a 15-year span, the Padres had just one first-round pick become a key contributor, Khalil Greene. 1-of-15, a horrific number, especially considering scouting was in Towers blood and it was supposed to be the lifeline of the team.

The last three drafts may turn out to be the kind that puts the team on firm footing. A barren farm system seems to have turned the corner. We will wait to see how much fruit we harvest from places like San Antonio, Fort Wayne (Ind.) and Lake Elsinore. At one point Fort Wayne was 50-games over .500 in the Midwest League, an amazing stat.

History should give Towers a solid letter grade for all he brought to small market San Diego. View the report card:

Best Acquisitions:
– Kevin Brown for Derrek Lee
– Greg Vaughn for Bryce Florie
– Phil Nevin for Andy Sheets
– Sterling Hitchcock for Scott Sanders
– Wally Joyner for Bip Roberts
– Woody Williams for Joey Hamilton
– Mark Kotsay for Matt Clement
– Dave Roberts for Jay Payton
– Mike Cameron for Xavier Nady
– Ryan Klesko for Wally Joyner
– Scott Linebrink for minor leaguers
– Cla Meredith for Doug Mirabelli
– Milton Bradley for Andrew Brown
– Adrian Gonzales and Chris Young for Adam Eaton and Akinora Otsuka
– Kevin Kouzmanoff for Josh Barfield
– Heath Bell for Ben Johnson
– Luke Gregorson for Khalil Green
– Mike Adams - waivers
– Kevin Correia - free agent
– David Eckstien - free agent
– Everth Cabrera - Rule 5 draft
– Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda and Adam Russell for Jake Peavy

Worst Deals:
– Jason Bay and Oliver Perez for Brian Giles
– David Freese for Jim Edmonds
– Woody Williams for Ray Lankford
– Ruben Rivera for minor leaguers
– Waivers claim for Randy Myers $11 million contract

Kevin Towers was honest, glib, hard working, proud, fun and dedicated regardless of the situation. He could be friendly and hostile in the same sentence, but you always knew where you stood on a particular item.

He was a unique case study in old school philosophies, with new style relationships. He probably did more, with less assets, than most people in baseball. His best friends are probably big money GMs like Brian Cashman of the Yankees and his protege, Theo Epstien of the RedSox.

The incoming owner, who didn’t like the gunslinger approach, has now taken a big gamble himself. We’ll see if the next GM can be as successful in small market San Diego as the last GM was. To his credit, Towers never let the Padres become the Pirates, Expos or Royals.

Letter Grade: Kevin Towers was an A+ person, and an A- baseball executive. Fun to know him. Great to cover him. Wishing him only good things in his next stop.

Lee Hamilton hosts “Sportswatch (3-7pm) on XX-1090, and does a National Baseball Talk show on XM-Home Plate Channel. He writes columns weekly for SDNN.com.

Tags: Adrian Gonzalez, Chris Young, general manager, greg vaughn, Jeff Moorad, John Moores, kevin towers, phil nevin, randy myers, San Diego Padres, SDNN

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