Case STUDIES Volume 1 Case Study 2

IN SPORT MANAGEMENT

The Turnips: A Study in Leadership

Joel White
Rogers State University

The behavior of Grover Flanks, manager of the Topeka Turnips (a fictional Minor League affiliate of the Kansas
City Royals), has become a worry for the owners of the team. Flanks, a local hero, has gone from hometown
attraction to on-field distraction for the Turnips. For Flanks, profane, on-field tirades are commonplace, and
rule-breaking is the norm. The manager’s bad behavior is threatening the owners’ ability to secure financing for
a lucrative new stadium. However, Flanks is extremely popular with the fans and is the sole reason many fans
come to see the mediocre club, so firing the manager is not an option. The owners are understandably worried.
Gene Meebles is the young general manager of the Turnips who has been tasked by the owners to put an
end to the Flanks problem and save the stadium deal. Meebles must find a way to relate to the fiery manager
and curb his behavior. This case study examines how Meebles can do so using transactional and/or transfor-
mational leadership.

Keywords: transactional/transformational leadership; pro/semi-pro; North America; management, leadership,

and strategy

Introduction
Grover Flanks was a professional baseball player in the Kansas City Royals organization from 1981 to 1985. Drafted
out of high school in 1981 and in the Major Leagues by the time he was 21, Flanks was named the Royals’ starting
left fielder in 1984. A shy farm boy from rural Kansas, Flanks was thrilled to be playing for what he considered his
hometown team. He was a mainstay in the Royals’ lineup for the better part of two seasons, including 1985, when
they won the World Series. Flanks was a hit with the fans from the moment he put on a Major League uniform, as fans
related to his hard-nosed, “blue-collar” style of play. Flanks was thrust into stardom when he was named the National
League rookie of the year in 1984 for his now legendary season – he shattered rookie records in homers and RBIs – and
the future seemed promising for the young ballplayer.
All of that changed in late September of 1985. Having clinched the division crown, Flanks and the rest of the Royals
were looking forward to finishing the regular season and gearing up for the playoffs. While warming up in the outfield
prior to a game, a vendor’s errant toss of a bag of peanuts hit Flanks in the face. Incredibly allergic to peanuts, Flanks
developed a skin infection over much of his face. Unfortunately, another allergic reaction, this one to the medication
prescribed by doctors to clear up the infection, left Flanks blind in his left eye, forcing him to retire from baseball a
few days later, just as his teammates were playing in the World Series.
The Royals front office staff, rather than terminate Flanks’ contract, decided to capitalize on his stardom the best
way they knew how – they made him the batting coach for their single-A team in 1986. Flanks showed skill at handling
the young players, mostly due to the fact he was not too far removed from his own playing days.

White is an assistant professor at Rogers State University, Claremore, OK.

This content is copyright © Human Kinetics, Inc. and is not to be distributed, disseminated, or reproduced without permission.

7
Reprinted by permission from J. White, “The Turnips: A Study in Leadership,” Case Studies in Sport Management 1,
no. 1 (2012): 7-9.
  White

Flanks quickly made his way up the coaching ranks. The Royals management was impressed as Flanks played a
key role in the development of the organization’s young players. In fact, many Major Leaguers credited Flanks’ coach-
ing during their Minor League years for their success at the highest level. Flanks finally got his chance to manage in
1998, when the Pittsburgh Pirates hired him as skipper of their Rookie League team in Pierre, South Dakota. Again,
his coaching success continued, but as manager, Flanks started to get a reputation for his short temper and on-field
antics. In fact, during the 2000 season, Flanks was ejected from a 27 games and was fined $75,000 by Minor League
Baseball over the course of the season for arguing with umpires and having general conduct problems. His treatment
of players, though, was top notch, and his players generally liked playing for him. Additionally, while his team’s on-
field performance was never spectacular, the Pirates were more than pleased with his abilities as a player developer
and mentor. Because of his superb abilities as a coach, Flanks had been passed over for managerial positions within
the organization, as the team preferred to keep him in a more instructional role.
In 2003, Flanks left the Pirates to return to the Kansas City Royals organization and take a position managing the
double-A Topeka Turnips in his hometown. The Topeka Turnips’ general manager is Gene Meebles. Meebles is a
lifelong baseball fan, but due to an asthmatic childhood, he was never able to play the game he loved so much. Instead,
he became a student of the game. Poring over statistics and baseball almanacs, Meebles became an expert on the his-
tory of the game and resolved to one day work for a baseball team.
Upon graduating from college in 1998 with a business degree, Meebles secured a bookkeeping internship with
a Minor League team in Amarillo, Texas. Due to his diligence and love for the game, Meebles quickly distinguished
himself from his co-workers and was quickly promoted to assistant general manager. In 2003, he was hired by the
ownership of the Topeka team to be the Turnips’ general manager.
Turnips fans are die-hard Kansas City Royals fans and still hold much affection for Grover Flanks, whom they
remember as one of the players who led their team to a championship in 1985. Attendance jumped nearly 150 percent
in 2004 (Flanks’ first season in Topeka), and for the first time in history, the owners saw a profit, which they credited
to Flanks’ presence. In fact, the team became so financially successful, it was named franchise of the year by Baseball
America in 2005.
The Turnips’ central marketing theme, however, is to provide a family-friendly atmosphere at games. Topeka, a
very conservative community, has accepted Flanks as one of its own. Although the team has had a losing record since
Flanks arrived in 2004 and has never made the playoffs, Flanks has proven to be enough of a draw to keep the fans
coming to the ballpark. Flanks seems to be happy and content, and plans on using the Turnips as a stepping stone to
a Major League position.
The Turnips have played the last few seasons at St. Mark’s Polytechnic Institute, a local college with baseball
facilities. While the stadium is a bit run-down, it provides a homey atmosphere and fans generally like to visit. The
school is a private Mennonite school, and the Turnip owners pay rent in order to have a place to play. However, based
on the team’s recent financial performance, the owners have secured financing for a brand-new, 6,500-seat stadium to
be constructed and ready in time for the upcoming season. Indeed, with a local celebrity like Flanks leading the team
on the field and attracting fans with his charisma and charm during his many public appearances, the Turnips are the
toast of Minor League Baseball.
Because of the school’s affiliation with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), alcohol is
not served at the stadium. Moreover, because of the school’s religious affiliation, alcohol is not permitted anywhere
on campus. The team, during its time at the St. Mark’s campus, is required to abide by the church’s rules as a condi-
tion of the lease.

The Problem
Early on in the 2006 campaign, members of the grounds crew have called to Meebles’ attention beer bottles that were
found in the trash can of Flanks’ office, which is against school policy, as well as the terms of the lease. Meebles has
approached Flanks about the alcohol, but Flanks merely says that “a couple of beers after the game don’t hurt anyone,”
and that “it’s just not baseball without beer.” Meebles has visited Flanks in his office numerous times to discuss the
behavior, but Flanks continues the habit, and, among other things, says it helps him to relax.

This content is copyright © Human Kinetics, Inc. and is not to be distributed, disseminated, or reproduced without permission.

Reprinted by permission from J. White, “The Turnips: A Study in Leadership,” Case Studies in Sport Management 1,
no. 1 (2012): 7-9.
 The Turnips: A Study in Leadership  9

During their discussions, Flanks confides in Meebles that he believes the reason he has never gotten a shot at a
Major League managerial position is because of his poor win-loss record as a Minor League manager. Flanks fails
to realize that the reason Royals management hasn’t moved him up is because it believes he is more valuable in an
instructional role in the minors. Topeka hasn’t won a Plains League crown in 42 years, and Flanks is determined to
win it, regardless of whom his methods offend. He feels his job is to put a winning team on the field, and that winning
is his ticket to a Major League managing job.
Flanks’ behavior on the field has also worsened in the three seasons he has been manager in Topeka. His fiery
temper has caused even more arguments with umpires, and he is ejected often. Normally a source of entertainment
for the fans, Flanks’ profanity-laced outbursts during the arguments are heard by nearly everyone in the stands of St.
Mark’s small stadium. Parents have expressed concern over whether the Turnips games are as family friendly as they
have been marketed. In fact, attendance has dropped off in 2006, and the team isn’t nearly as financially successful
as it was in 2005.
Problems have arisen for the front office staff as well. Flanks’ behavior toward staff of the team and school is
erratic at best. While he treats Meebles with a modicum of respect, Flanks usually refuses to take the advice or guidance
of Meebles, because Meebles never played baseball competitively. However, during conversations with him, Flanks
seems like a personable man away from the baseball field. He is friendly and seems to understand the importance of
the front office and its responsibilities. Alternatively, at the ballpark, he is a domineering and overpowering presence
and seems to operate and get what he wants through intimidation. He regularly bursts into tirades directed at other staff
members over minor problems. Some members of the staff provided by St. Mark’s now refuse to work with Flanks
because of his offensive behavior. In short, he is difficult to work with.
Flanks’ behavior, both on and off the field, now has the absentee owners concerned. During his first two years
with the Turnips, Flanks proved to have drawing power because of his hometown celebrity. Because attendance wasn’t
suffering, the owners felt compelled to put up with Flanks’ erratic behavior. They felt he was the reason people were
coming to the games in the first place, and that the increase in attendance and subsequent popularity of the team was
the genesis of the stadium deal.
The parent club is very happy with Flanks’ development of the players. The Royals front office staff feel that
double-A is a pivotal time in player development and are pleased with the quality of players that have made it to triple-
A and beyond. They feel Flanks’ behavior on the field is tragic, but under no circumstances would they let a coach of
Flanks’s skill and ability leave the team or organization. The Royals feel the future is bright for Flanks, and Flanks
thinks it is because of his methods, as abrasive as they may seem.
Flanks is subject to suspensions and fines handed down by the Plains League, but previous efforts by the commis-
sioner of the league to put an end to Flanks’ disruptive behavior have proven not to be a deterrent. The president of the
college is hinting at ending the lease because of the rules infractions, meaning the Turnips may have to find a new place
to play next season. This possibility, coupled with the aversion fans have to Flanks’ profane outbursts on the field, has
caused concern with some of the new stadium’s financial backers. If the team is forced to move, and fans stay away
from the ballpark, the backers have said they will have to re-evaluate their position on the stadium.
Because it is a Minor League Baseball team, Meebles is in a precarious position: technically, he has no jurisdiction
over Flanks, since Flanks is an employee of the parent club. Regardless, the Turnips’ owners have given Meebles the
task of defusing the situation between the team and the school without damaging the relationship the team has with
Flanks – the very reason there is a stadium deal in the first place.

This content is copyright © Human Kinetics, Inc. and is not to be distributed, disseminated, or reproduced without permission.

From P.M. Pedersen and L. Thibault, Contemporary Sport Management, 6th ed. (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2019).
Reprinted by permission from J. White, “The Turnips: A Study in Leadership,” Case Studies in Sport Management 1,
no. 1 (2012): 7-9.