Baylor Is the Clear Choice for NL Honor : Baseball: Rockies know they didn’t make a mistake hiring manager three years ago.

Don Baylor, who openly questioned a few years ago whether anyone would hire him because of his skin color, was overwhelmingly selected Tuesday as the National League’s manager of the year.

Baylor, who led the Colorado Rockies into the playoffs in the franchise’s third year, received 19 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers Assn. of America and was listed first or second on all 28 ballots.

He received 122 points, 33 more than runner-up Davey Johnson of the Cincinnati Reds. Bobby Cox, who led the Atlanta Braves to the World Series championship, was third with 20 points. Voting was conducted before the playoffs.

“When we hired Don Baylor three years ago,” Rocky General Manager Bob Gebhard said, “I had a lot of people telling me it was a mistake.

“They said I should have hired a veteran manager, a disciplinarian, a guy who would be brought on board for one or two years just to get us past the expansion process.

“Needless to say, no one’s saying we made a mistake now.”

Baylor, who joins Frank Robinson as the only men to win the most valuable player and manager of the year awards, led the Rockies to a 77-67 record. The Rockies led the National League West for 109 days and finished one game behind the Dodgers, winning the wild-card berth.

“I’m still somewhat numb about this award,” Baylor said. “This is an award we all share as an organization.”

Baylor was rejected for openings, he was told, because he never had managed. Baylor didn’t buy it. He believed it simply was an excuse, disguised as racism not to hire an African American.

“I remember talking to Pete Rose about that,” Baylor said. “He kept telling me, ‘Why do you have to go to the minor leagues to manage? I never had to go, and I was hired.’

“I never felt comfortable enough to say to Pete Rose, ‘Yeah, but you’re white.’ ”

It wasn’t until after his 17-year playing career ended in 1987, leading his third team to a consecutive World Series appearance, that Baylor realized racism’s impact on his future. No one cared about his skin color when he was winning the 1979 MVP award with the Angels and playing on seven teams that won division titles.

“I remember getting interviewed a few times just so they could say, ‘We interviewed a minority,’ “Baylor said. “It was blatant racism, just camouflaged in a different way.”

Gebhard narrowed his choices to Baylor, Bill Virdon, Tony Muser and Tom Trebelhorn. Baylor was the only finalist who had no managerial experience. Baylor was the clear choice.

“I wanted someone who would be patient, and a teacher,” Gebhard said, “but I also wanted someone with a deep, burning desire to win.

“Never in my [31] years of baseball have I seen a person command so much respect as Don Baylor.”

Baylor may have inherited an expansion franchise, but he refused to tolerate failure. He wanted his players to act as if they were joining a franchise with as much tradition as the Dodgers or New York Yankees. Players were not permitted to wear earrings. Beards were forbidden. Sunglasses were to be worn only when necessary.

“To me, this game has tradition, and the rest is all a fad,” Baylor said. “I wanted this team to always act professionally and not to think of themselves as an expansion franchise.

“I think we’ve accomplished that.”

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The Voting

V otes on a 5-3-1-point basis: *--*

Manager 1st 2nd 3rd Pts Baylor, Colo. 19 9 - 122 Johnson, Cin. 8 15 4 89 Cox, Atl. 1 1 12 20 Collins, Hous. - 2 5 11 Riggelman, Chic. - 1 3 6 Green, NY - 1 - 3 Bochy, San Diego - - 1 1

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