Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 2, 1993 TAG: 9311020030
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CINCINNATI LENGTH: Medium
Marge Schott, the Cincinnati Reds' crude and crusty owner, showed her employees another side Monday on her first day back on the job. She cried.
Schott was treated like a returning hero, not a chastised owner, when she drove up to her office at Riverfront Stadium for the first time in eight months. She hadn't been allowed inside during her suspension for using racial slurs.
Employees hung banners and balloons in the hallways, played "Hail to the Chief" when Schott's car pulled up and cheered her as she walked her St. Bernard, Schottzie 02, into the team offices.
There were bouquets of roses, a cake and a musical toy that played, "Take Me Out To The Ballgame." Schott wiped away tears during a singing telegram bought by the staff in which a man in a white tuxedo sang "Hello, Margie, it's so nice to have you back where you belong," and she compared the reception to a World Series celebration.
"I don't know how they did all this," she said. "This was certainly something special."
Her first step into the office ended one of the toughest times in Reds history and put Schott back in charge. She was allowed to be consulted on major financial matters during the suspension, but she couldn't make day-to-day decisions.
She said that was the hardest part of the suspension.
"I'm a hands-on owner," she said. "To be suddenly removed from it, it's very difficult."
Although employees treated it like a holiday, Schott was low-key. Asked whether she was bitter about the banishment, she said, "No, no. It's just something that's over and done, and get back to reality."
She appeared to be taken aback when she pulled into her old parking space - she parked somewhere else during the suspension - and saw a makeshift red carpet lined with sign-toting staff and fans.
During her suspension, a local newspaper columnist completed a book about Schott that depicted her as a tightfisted tyrant despised by her employees. That's not the kind of reception she got.
"We want her to feel very welcome and let her know we're glad she's back," publicity director Jon Braude said.
Some employees weren't too thrilled. One rolled his eyes at the treatment she got when she stepped out of her car, and another made a gesture of contempt upon seeing welcome-back banners hung outside the office.
Once the reception ended, Schott was ready to take command. Several major decisions await: the coaching staff is incomplete, a local TV contract is under negotiation, and the team's budget has to be completed.
Schott, though, wasn't inclined to answer questions Monday. When a reporter asked whether manager Davey Johnson would be back for the last year of his contract, Schott said, "We really do appreciate you coming."
by CNB