Ken "Hawk" Harrelson

[Banedon]

I was listening to the Score on my lunch, and heard them mention that Tony La Russa was going to be in town, and that Hawk Harrelson had fired La Russa from the Sox when Harrelson was GM. I had know about TLR being manager of course, but didn't know that Hawk had been a GM. That surprised me.

 

So I went and looked up Hawk's wikipedia entry. He was only GM for one season. Was he that bad that he was only GM one season? I'm not even sure how you manage to pull that off.

 

Anyway, I got a chuckle from the "catchphrases" section at the bottom of the wikipedia page. Lots of crazy stuff there.

 

"Zone 'em in, Reel 'em in, and light her up" - when a Sox player has a count with 3 balls, meaning to draw a walk

 

That doesn't even make any sense. Not like the rest of them are full of in depth analysis.

[Balsa]

Yeah, I read on MLB.com that Jerry had said his two biggest mistakes were:

 

a) Hiring Hawk as a GM and

 

b) Letting Hawk fire LaRussa

[Ding Dong Johnson]

"You're an idiot" - said by anyone who ever hears him speak

[SouthSideRyan]

Carlton Fisk to the OF, trading Bobby Bonilla, and a bizarre obsession with Ron Hassey is his legacy.

 

The Bonilla trade being the worst as Harrelson just randomly traded a great prospect who was having a good year for the big league club when the team was far out of the race. Imagine Hendry trading Pie for Lawton last year.

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

"Sit Back, Relax, and Strap it Down!" - when the pre-game analysis of the two teams ends

 

 

What is it that I should be strapping down?

[CubsBullsBears]

I was reading in Mariotti's wikipedia profile that he plans to sue Hawk for bumping him on purpose at a game. Good job, Mariotti!!

[gus_dog]

I was reading in Mariotti's wikipedia profile that he plans to sue Hawk for bumping him on purpose at a game. Good job, Mariotti!!

 

They hate each other.

[RationalSoxFan]

Mariotti and Hawk are the two biggest idiots in town. I hope they choke each other to death.

 

Yes, Hawk was THAT bad, and still is.

[CubsBullsBears]

I was reading in Mariotti's wikipedia profile that he plans to sue Hawk for bumping him on purpose at a game. Good job, Mariotti!!

 

They hate each other.

I know. Mariotti is like 20 years younger than the Hawk. He'd clobber the Hawk in a fight, IMO.

[CubbieRich]

Hawk has become a dottering old codger and that's sad. In the 60's he was a fun player, who was known for his antics and strange fashion sense. He rode one of Charlie Finley"s(KC A's owner) mules in a game promotion and had numerous Nehru jackets and gaudy jewelry. He was a pretty good player, especially for the Red Sox. Hawk and Derek Sanderson(what a penalty killer he was) of the Bruins were in Boston and cut out of the same mold. At the end, he was the only attraction for the Tribe. A pretty good hitter and fielder.

 

He has a real obsession with Mariotti. If he didn't love to needle him, he wouldn't read his columns and not say anything on the air. But he does and that just makes him look even sillier.

[RynoRules]

Carlton Fisk to the OF, trading Bobby Bonilla, and a bizarre obsession with Ron Hassey is his legacy.

 

The Bonilla trade being the worst as Harrelson just randomly traded a great prospect who was having a good year for the big league club when the team was far out of the race. Imagine Hendry trading Pie for Lawton last year.

 

Its possible that Harrelson is the worst GM in Chicago sports history. Off the top of my head, lump him in with every Hawks GM for the past 10 years and any Cubs GM from the 70s, along with Larry Himes (see my "Location").