Giants' Way Or The Highway -- Everett Sacks Ellis, Promotes First- Base Coach Bubalo

The San Francisco Giants cleaned house of their Northwest League affiliate, the Everett Giants.

Manager Rob Ellis was fired yesterday and replaced for the remainder of the season by first-base coach Mike Bubalo.

Tony Siegle, San Francisco's director of minor league operations, flew to Boise, Idaho, to make the changes. Everett is in Boise for a five-game series.

"I want to make it clear that we didn't do this to replace a jerk or something," Siegle said. "I told Rob that this would be easier if he had been a jerk.

"There was no joy in doing this. This is only the second time in 25 years that I've had to do something like this."

Siegle said the parent club simply wanted to make sure its young players were being taught how to play the "Giants' way." The problem, he said, was a widening difference in coaching philosophy.

"There was no joy in doing this. This is only the second time in 25 years that I've had to do something like this."

Siegle said the parent club simply wanted to make sure its young players were being taught how to play the "Giants' way." The problem, he said, was a widening difference in coaching philosophy.

"No club has a panacea when it comes to teaching young players. If they did, they'd have a string of first-place ball clubs," Siegle said. "But the Giants have had a very successful system since Al Rosen took over the club, and we want to make sure these young kids get every chance to learn that.

"We've had some concerns for the last few weeks, and really longer than that. We sat down with Rob and spelled out what we wanted him to teach these kids and how we wanted certain players to be used. Some of those things he agreed with, others he didn't."

Everett president Bob Bavasi said Ellis simply found himself trying to buck a very disciplined system.

"Some organizations are much looser in the way they want things done; they allow a lot more personal latitude," Bavasi said. "The Giants are just much more disciplined than most."

Siegle agreed.

"I think Rob was one of those guys who spent a lot of time thinking about how he would want to do things when he got his first managing job," he said. "I think Rob will be a fine manager for some other organization."

Siegle said the decision had nothing to do with the club's record, which is an improvement over last year. The Giants lost 3-1 to Boise last night, dropping their record to 26-28 and 5 1/2 games behind first-place Yakima in the Northern Division.

Everett was Ellis' first professional managing job. He was 26-27 with the Giants. Everett was 23-30 after 53 games last year.

Everett will conclude its 10-game home-and-home series with Boise tonight and return home for a three-game series with Spokane beginning tomorrow.

Bubalo, who was hired as a coach at Everett before Ellis was selected as manager, is a Northwest League veteran. Last season he coached Bend, a co-op team not affiliated with a major-league franchise, and before that he coached at Beaverton High School in Beaverton, Ore., where he won five Metro League titles and won the Oregon Class AAA state championship in 1985. Bubalo has coached a dozen high school players who have gone on to play major-league baseball, including Boston's Steve Lyons.

"I feel bad for Rob," Bubalo said last night. "He was real good to me and treated me well. But at the same time, I'm elated to have this job."

Bubalo had a record of 29-47 last year with Bend, a co-op club not unaffiliated with a major-league franchise.

"It makes a real difference being with a solid program," he said. "Last year we went through four solid weeks with only eight pitchers, and some of them couldn't have pitched for my American Legion team."

Bubalo said there has been no discussion of what will happen with the team after this season.

Bubalo becomes the fifth manager in the history of the Everett franchise. Deron McCue, now a coach with San Francisco's Class A Clinton, Iowa, team, managed Everett last year. Joe Strain, a Denver-area school teacher, managed the team for five seasons, and baseball veteran Rocky Bridges managed the team in its inaugural season in Everett.

"Mike's a very capable guy. I'm real bullish on him," Bavasi said. "I'm very enthusiastic about having him come in for the rest of the season."

Siegle said he talked to the players and assured them that their performance on the field had nothing to do with the decision to fire Ellis.

"I wanted to make sure that we didn't shake these kids up," Siegle said by telephone. "I'm standing here watching them take infield right now, and I don't see any difference."

Siegle's assistant, former major-league catcher Jack Hiatt, will be with Everett on a day-to-day basis, helping Bubalo learn the "Giants' way" of coaching. Siegle, who was scheduled to return to San Francisco today, will catch up with the team later this week in Everett.

BOISE PITCHERS FAN 15 -- Boise used 15 strikeouts to spoil Mike Bubalo's debut as the new manager of the Everett Giants last night, 3-1.

"I think everyone was surprised that this was done so late in the season," Bubalo said. "But I think they handled it real well."

Boise pitchers Korey Keling and Troy Percival combined for a three-hitter. Keling (4-2) struck out 12 in and gave up three hits in 7 1/3 innings.