Sports : Jack McKeon Lights Up a Cigar in the Dugout After Florida Marlins 11th Straight Loss

Nearly six years ago Jack McKeon retired from a 30-year managerial career in Major League Baseball. Last week, while watching his granddaughter’s softball game in North Carolina, the phone rang with a job offer: Interim Manager of the barely-breathing Florida Marlins, the same franchise he won the World Series with in 2003 (the first year he came out of retirement). Last night McKeon suited up on a Marlins uniform with No. 25 and came out of retirement again at 80 years old, making him the second-oldest manager in major-league history and the oldest man in the league since 1950 (Connie Mack, the legendary Philadelphia Athletics' manager, worked in baseball until the age of 87). The Marlins still lost their 11th in a row to the Angels, but that didn't stop him from light up a signature cigar in the dugout. Boss move? Yep, and man I can't stand the Marlins.

Pic via SB Nation on Facebook

The media fanfare and not managing since 2005 isn't stopping him from putting up with crap from players. For example, yesterday he benched Marlins' star shortstop Hanley Ramirez for not hustling and showing up late to a team meeting. His rationale? "If you try to be (the players’) friend that will get you fired," he told the Palm Beach Post.

Ramirez, the three-time All-Star arrived late to the clubhouse Monday, showing up after McKeon called the team together for a 3:30 p.m. meeting, according to people in the organization. When asked if he knew why he was not in the lineup Ramirez said “no,” before joining his teammates to stretch.


When McKeon was asked if there was a reason Ramirez is not in the lineup he said: “Yeah, because I didn’t put him in there.” He added that he didn’t like the way Ramirez was running on Sunday. McKeon was in North Carolina on Sunday at a softball game in which his granddaughter was playing. Ramirez was going 0-for-3 in St. Petersburg against the Rays, dropping his average to .201.

You can't help but admire an man with the balls put his foot down and say, "I'm not here to deal with your melodramatic bullshit." Yeah, he's an easy target being old and all. But how can you not help but like an grizzly attitude like that?