Hargrove Says a Return to Liberal is Possible

Mike Hargrove says there’s a 50/50 chance he would return to Liberal to manage the Bee Jays next season. Hargrove has managed the BJ’s during the past two summers to a 65-41 record and a 38-30 record in the Jayhawk League. The Perryton native led Liberal to a fourth place finish at the NBC World Series in 2008 and a third place finish in 2009. The Bee Jays were 34-20 this year and won 17 of their last 20 games. The Perryton native and his wife Sharon both have family and friends in the area. They lived with long time friend and BJ General Manager Bob Carlile the past two years. “Am I going to come back? I don’t know,” Hargrove said. “Right now it’s probably 50/50. It was 50/50 about this time last year and Sharon weighed in and it became a lot more than that,” Hargrove said chuckling. “We’ll wait and see. I probably will make a decision on that sometime in the next week or so assuming Bob wants me back.”

There is little double Bob Carlile would want him back. Since winning the NBC in 2000, the Bee Jays struggled until Hargrove’s arrival. After a seventh place finishes in 2001 and 2002, Liberal took 33rd in 2003 and 17th in 2006. They missed the tournament in 2004, 2005, and 2007. Hargrove brought national attention to the BJ’s, Jayhawk League, and National Baseball Congress. He was inducted into the NBC Hall of Fame on August 1. However, Hargrove has expressed interest in managing in Major League Baseball Again. Hargrove managed 16 years in the big leagues with the Indians, Orioles, and Mariners to a combined record of 1,188-1,173.