Don Wakamatsu (left) with Jack Zduriencik
Jack Zduriencik, executive vice president and general manager of the Seattle Mariners, was the speaker at the Seattle Rotary Club meeting last Wednesday.
When Jack hired Don Wakamatsu as the Mariners’ manager a couple years ago, he got some flak because Don was inexperienced. So why did Jack do it?
Jack did not base his decision solely on an interview. That’s important because I think interviews have never been the strength of Asian Americans.
Don did not hide his inexperience. In fact, he exposed it. Don told Jack flat out that he didn’t have enough experience.
However, Jack, a former scout in the United States, Europe, and Asia, was looking for something more: character, integrity, people skills, a caring attitude, and how one ran a game when he was a player. I believe this teaches us that there’s always more to a man than just what you see on the field. ♦