Veni, Vidi, Quitti

BALTIMORE: Baltimore Orioles manager Davey Johnson is the AL Manager of the Year. No, wait. Make that ex-Baltimore Orioles manager Davey Johnson, who resigned just hours before the vote. "If you're not wanted, do you want to take the money?" Johnson said. "Life is too short. I'll survive. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this."

Johnson and Orioles owner Peter Angelos have been squabbling since Angelos hired the manager two seasons ago; the feud boiled over when Johnson imposed a $10,000 fine on Roberto Alomar and directed the second baseman to pay it to Johnson's favorite charity, on the board of which the coachs wife sits. Angelos thought that was improper, and has been relentlessly chiding Johnson about it all offseason. The real nettle, of course, may be that Johnson's offseason started a bit earlier than his boss had hoped when the Orioles lost to the Indians, a team they had defeated in last year's AL playoffs, in six games.

Johnson thus continues his habit of arriving, winning, and parting under fire. But he will not long go unemployed; both Toronto and the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays are said to be interested. After all, he did win the damn award.