John Boles, who left a budding managerial career 10 years ago, is leaving the front office to get back in uniform again.
The change was drastic enough that it took Boles the better part of the weekend before he decided to accept general manager Dave Dombrowski's offer to become manager of the Florida Marlins."Initially, it was something I needed more time to think about," Boles said Monday after being introduced as the second manager in the three-year-old franchise's history.
The more he thought about it, and the more he talked with other baseball people he respected, Boles warmed to the idea of leaving his job as the Marlins' vice president of player development.
In replacing Rene Lachemann, who was fired Sunday morning, Boles, 47, is charged with motivating the underachieving Marlins, although he said there's only so much a manager can do.
"People talk about the modern, big-league player," he said. "Everybody has pride, evrybody wants to win. We have to get that going. There's been some frustration and we need to get over that and get on the right track."
Dombrowski's choice of Boles was unexpected, if only because Boles has never managed at the major-league level and last managed at the minor-league level 10 years ago.
In fact, two of the three Marlins who remained in Philadelphia to participate in the All-Star game offered no comment on the choice because they said they really didn't know Boles, who has been with the Marlins since the team's inception in 1991.
"I can't say I'm familiar with him," said pitcher Kevin Brown, a free agent signee this season. "I don't even know him."
Pitcher Al Leiter said he, too, didn't know Boles "other than seeing him in the minor-league camp during spring training" and exchanging greetings.
Boles, who will leave his position as vice president of player development, said that he's not worried about being rusty.
"I haven't managed since 1986 in uniform, but I'm on the field every day," he said.