“A baseball manager is a necessary evil.” ~ Sparky Anderson
Today, we will look at the “wisdom” of some of the most criticized people on the field, besides the umpires, the major league manager. Win or lose, they tend to take heat from fans, reporters, and such. No team wins them all and no team loses them all, the manager can only do so much. I remember reading somewhere that a manager probably only influences the outcome of five games with his moves throughout the season. Opinions on this subject vary of course.
Below are some quotes, some funny, some insightful observations; a look at some numbers and a couple of spotlights just to round the post out. Let’s jump in.
“Everybody line up alphabetically according to your height.” ~ Casey Stengel
“In baseball, you don’t know nothing.” ~ Yogi Berra
“He (Don Drysdale) talks very well for a guy who’s had two fingers in his mouth all is life.” ~ Gene Mauch, talking about Drysdale’s announcing abilities while alluding to the allegations he may have thrown a spit-ball from time to time.
“It’s not that Reggie (Jackson) is a bad outfielder. He just has trouble judging the ball and picking it up.” ~ Billy Martin
“The sky is a little bluer, the beer tastes a little better, and my wife looks like Gina Lollobrigida.” ~ Johnny Pesky, when he was asked how it felt winning games as a manager.
“The trick is growing up without growing old.” ~ Casey Stengel
“Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand.” ~ Leo Durocher
“Me carrying a briefcase is like a hotdog wearing earrings.” ~ Sparky Anderson
“The secret of successful managing is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the four guys who haven’t made up their minds.” ~ Casey Stengel
“You can have money piled to the ceiling, but the size of your funeral is still going to depend on the weather.” ~ Chuck Tanner
“I never questioned the integrity of an umpire. Their eyesight, yes.” ~ Leo Durocher
“I’m second in doubles – double vodkas, double scotches.” Jim Leyland
“He (Gaylord Perry) should be in the Hall of Fame with a tube of KY Jelly attached to his plaque.” ~ Gene Mauch, speaking to the allegations that Perry may have doctored the baseball when he pitched.
“There comes a time in every man’s life, and I’ve had plenty of them.” ~ Casey Stengel
“Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it.” ~ Whitey Herzog
“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” ~ Tommy Lasorda
“Every time I fail to smoke a cigarette between innings the opposition will score.” ~ Earl Weaver
“Showalter never even smelled a jock in the big leagues. Mr. Baseball never got a hit in Triple-A. I was a better player than him, I have more money than him, and I’m better-looking than him.” ~ Ozzie Guillen on Buck Showalter
“Being with a woman all night never hurt no professional baseball player. It’s staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in.” ~ Casey Stengel
“I’m getting smarter. I finally punched something that couldn’t sue me.” ~ Billy Martin
“The players make the manager, it’s never the other way around.” ~ Sparky Anderson
“If you don’t win, you’re going to be fired. If you do win, you’ve only put off the day you’re going to be fired.” ~ Leo Durocher
“You can’t win them all.” ~ Connie Mack (Cornelius McGillicuddy)
“You can’t sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You’ve got to throw the damn ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That’s why baseball is the greatest game of them all.” ~ Earl Weaver
“You are going to take batting practice and the rats look bigger than a pig out there. I think the rats out there are lifting weights.” ~ Ozzie Guillen, when asked about playing at Wrigley Field.
“The Mets have shown me more ways to lose than I ever knew existed.” ~ Casey Stengel
“He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.” ~ Yogi Berra
“I don’t believe a manager ever won a pennant. Casey Stengel won all those pennants with the Yankees. How many did he win with the Boston Braves and Mets?” ~ Sparky Anderson
“Tell that Triple-A (bleep) to shut the (bleep) up. Tell him to start throwing some strikes or he’s going to get Dusty (Baker) fired.” ~ Ozzie Guillen on Cubs pitcher Rich Hill.
So, who are the most “successful” MLB managers? Here a list of the top 15 in wins:
Name - Wins – Loses – Percentage – Pennants / World Series Won - * Hall of Fame
1. Connie Mack – 3,731 – 3,948 - .486 – 9/5 *
2. Tony La Russa – 2,884 – 2,499, .536 – 6/3 *
3. John McGraw – 2,763 – 1,948, .586 – 10/3 *
4. Bobby Cox – 2,504 – 2,001, .556 – 5/1 *
5. Joe Torre – 2,326 – 1,997, .538 – 6/4 *
6. Sparky Anderson – 2,194 – 1,834, .545 – 5/3 *
7. Dusty Baker – 2,183 – 1,862 - .540 – 3/1
8. Buck Harris – 2,158 – 2,219 - .493 – 3/2 *
9. Joe McCarthy – 2,125 – 1,333 - .615 – 9/7 *
10. Bruce Bochy – 2,092 – 2,101 - .499 – 5/4 *
11. Walter Alston – 2,040 – 1,613 - .558 – 7/4 *
12. Leo Durocher – 2,008 – 1,709 - .540 – 3/1 *
13. Terry Francona – 1,950 – 1,672 - .538 – 3/2
14. Casey Stengel – 1,905 – 1,842 - .508 – 10/7 *
15. Gene Mauch – 1,902 – 2,037 - .483 - 0
Which MLB managers have the most ejections from a game?
1. Bobby Cox – 162 * (Basically a full season of telling umps they sucked.)
2. John McGraw – 121 *
3. Leo Durocher – 100 *
4. Earl Weaver – 96 *
5. Tony La Russa – 93 *
6. Frankie Frisch – 88 *
7. Ron Gardenhire – 84
8. Paul Richards – 82
9. Bruce Bochy – 78
10. Jim Leyland * and Clark Griffith * - 73
* Hall of Fame
Earl Weaver was a colourful character and a great manager. He is also known for his arguments with umpires. I was surprised he only came in fourth for game ejections. If you’d like to hear one of his classics, CLICK HERE. Be warned that this clip has some obscenities, so if you are sensitive to, or get upset with vulgar language you may want to skip this or turn the sound down. If you’d like to read the blog post on the umpire, Bill Haller, CLICK HERE.
Walter Alston managed the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1954 through 1976. He signed 23 straight one-year contracts. He felt if the Dodgers didn’t like what he was doing, they didn’t have to resign him and if he wasn’t happy, he didn’t have to resign. Wish there was more of that around today.
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901 through 1950, an amazing 50-year career. He was also a part-owner from 1901 to 1954, so that helped with his amazing string. He also managed in a suit with either a derby or straw hat. He was a true gentleman of the game. He said when he retired, “I’m not quitting because I’m getting old, I’m quitting because I think people want me to.”
I was never a huge Ozzie Guillen fan while he managed the White Sox, but he was always quotable, so I had to add some of his. (I do agree with his assessment of Buck Showalter though - Terribly over-rated). I don’t believe any list should be without a few from the “Ole Professor” Casey Stengel and some of the others.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know what you think and if you’d like to see some follow-ups on managers.
Thanks,
~ Coach Mike
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So fun and enjoyable 😄 You really have a gift💯
Outstanding article, as usual.
Your essays are always entertaining and thought-provoking.