Baseballminutia

Rounding out the Mangerial get to know we had this week are these “Baseball Men”

Bob Melvin (Arizona)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Catcher

Organization – Drafted by the Giants Melvin was around when the Hum Baby Giants and Roger Craig turned the franchise around in the 80’s. He later caught under Spark Anderson and learned the soft touch of managing.

Boswell Metric – Peerless Leader, stoic and quiet Melvin has already managed in both leagues, applying a style that infuriated fans who have little memory of how the game was played in the 60’s.

Dusty Baker (Chicago Cubs)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – OF

Organization – Braves, the Paul Richards Braves developed Dusty, however his style (if that’s what we want to call it) is very Lasorda.

Boswell Metric – Uncle Robby, some would like to call Dusty a Peerless Leader, but that would mean we might have a sense of what he was trying to do. Dusty in a player’s manager, leaving gifts for players on special occasions and smiling way more often then the Peerless Leader ever does.

Clint Hurdle (Colorado)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – OF

Organization – Royals, Hurdle was the poster child of the Royals minor league system in the late 70’s, even making the cover of Sports Illustrated before his career took off on the normal path of a non-star.

Boswell Metric – Peerless Leader, as with the other PL’s in the group Hurdle is known for staring into the field and making time disappear… at least that might be how it feels if you are a Rockies fan.

Charlie Manuel (Philadelphia)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – OF

Organization – Minnesota drafted, Manuel played for Billy Martin and Walter Alston, not exactly two peas in a pod. Spent some time in Japan, what he learned there is a mystery to me.

Boswell Metric – I’m going to lean towards Uncle Robby here. With Cleveland Manuel was able to let the boys swing away and essentially “let em play” was the team rallying cry, and play they did… piling runs up like it was 1930.

Frank Robinson (Washington)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – OF

Organization – Reds drafted and honed to a fine machine under Bauer and Weaver in Baltimore.

Boswell Metric – The dean of MLB managers Robby is a Peerless Leader, one that scares the hell out of his players. Such a legend he was, that it’s amazing more don’t recognize that. He was asked recently by one of his players “If he played MLB?” he’s lucky Robby’s stare didn’t melt him right then and there.

Ned Yost (Milwaukee)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Catcher

Organization – Angels, Ned Yost played under Buck Rogers, like a few others on this list. Buck was a Tall Tactician, and a good man for any player to get to watch.

Boswell Metric – In his 4th season as the Brewers manager I would safe to say that the Peerless Leader stamp affixes to Ned pretty readily.

Jerry Narron (Cincinnati)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Catcher

Organization – Yankees drafted and Bench Ballast under Maury Wills and Gene Mauch.

Boswell Metric – The man hides behind his sunglasses and crosses his arms, he stares into the field and the only image I can think of that resembles it is a general in the desert, Peerless Leader for sure.

Phil Garner (Houston)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – 2nd base

Organization – A’s and Pirates, turmoil and uncles. Garner played under Bob Lillis (a Dodger product)

Boswell Metric – The man’s nickname is “Scrap Iron,” that in itself screams PEERLESS LEADER. His recent teams short on offense and long on pitching and defense needs someone to steer that ship through the rocks, so far his success from last year eclipses most of the other poor work he’s supervised over the years.

Joe Girardi (Florida)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Catcher

Organization – Cubs and Yankees, derived his style from Joe Torre

Boswell Metric – Little Napoleon for sure, Joe would like to be seen as a Peerless Leader. But those types don’t usually manhandle their players or fight in the press with their boss. Billy Martin would be proud of the job Girardi has done with the Marlins, he also would like his style.

Grady Little (Los Angeles)

Did he play MLB? – No

Position – Catcher

Organization – Drafted by the Braves Grady cut his managerial teeth in the Orioles system in the early 80’s

Boswell Metric – Uncle Robby, Grady lets the players play, just ask Pedro.

Bruce Bochy (San Diego)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Catcher

Organization – Drafted by the Astros and played for the Padres in the 80’s under Dick Williams.

Boswell Metric – Bruce is a Tall Tactician, his longevity and manner has elevated him past the Peerless Leader stage. His teams generally have lacked offense and thus have been the type of team that needs someone to try and win the game from the dugout, an event that often can result in a worst situation for the team in the long run.

Felipe Alou (San Francisco)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – OF

Organization – Came up with the Giants as they moved west, later played for the Braves as they achieved nominal success in their first years in Atlanta.

Boswell Metric – Felipe is an Uncle Robby, he is prone to playing guys with many skills that aren’t getting on base skills and he’s come from a guy who helps youngsters learn (Expos) to the one who steers a huge veteran ship. In that situation he’s proven more likely to let them play then he is to try and fix it himself.

Willie Randolph (NY Mets)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – 2nd base

Organization – Pirates and Yankees, including much time beneath Billy Martin, a true Napoleon.

Boswell Metric – Little Napoleon, fiery and somewhat stuck in the scratch and bunt for runs era of his youth Willie is leading his team to his first division title. The playoffs should further define what metric Randolph belongs to.

Jim Tracy (Pittsburgh)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – OF

Organization – Cubs, Tracy played for the Cubs in 1980, when they really stunk.

Boswell Metric – Peerless Leader, Jim had some trouble communicating with the Moneyball GM DePodesta and it looks like in the end he was the one who won that battle. This year he’s battling with more then an iffy GM, he’s neck deep in stink in Pittsburgh.

Bobby Cox (Atlanta)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – 3rd Base

Organization – Cox played 5 years in the Dodger system before moving on to the Cubs and Yankees.

Boswell Metric – Tall Tactician, Cox perhaps runs the best clubhouse in baseball, internal strife is rarely heard and to top it off the man seems to get more out of nothing then most managers. He’s a hall of famer for sure.

Tony LaRussa (St. Louis)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – 2nd Base

Organization – Drafted buy the A’s LaRussa touched a MLB field for the first time at the age of 18, 5 years later he would do it again.

Boswell Metric – Tall Tactician, the man changes more pitchers then almost every other manager that has ever graced the dugout, he’s fiery and successful. Hated by many, lauded by almost as many that hate him. LaRussa is a polarizing figure. Who also will be in the Hall one day.

—————————————————————————————————

So there’s the list, all 30 of the current managers in baseball, 13 were catchers (43%), 7 outfielders (23%), 8 infielders (26%) and 2 1st basemen (0.66) For those counting at home the game is currently awash in Peerless Leaders, 18 out of the 30 managers were Peerless Leaders, 4 Uncle Robby’s, 6 Tall Tacticians and 3 Little Napoleons. I fairly certain 5 of them could jump into another bracket based on different incidents in their careers. The fact that the managing game has so many former catchers and so many Peerless Leaders is not very surprising. What is surprising to me is that there has yet to be any managers to be fired this season. Below are the odds that were posted prior to the season, I’d like to see them now, and I’d say the movement would be significant in both brackets.

Current Odds:        *All Odds Subject To Change*

First AL Manager To Be Fired Or Resign
Buck Showalter (Texas)                  5/1
Ron Gardenhire (Minnesota)              6/1
Mike Hargrove (Seattle)                13/2
John Gibbons (Toronto)                  7/1
Buddy Bell (Kansas City)                8/1
Terry Francona (Boston)                 9/1
Ozzie Guillen (Chicago White Sox)      10/1
Ken Macha (Oakland)                    10/1
Jon Maddon (Tampa Bay)                 10/1
Sam Perlozzo (Baltimore)               12/1
Eric Wedge (Cleveland)                 25/2
Jim Leyland (Detroit)                  16/1
Mike Scioscia (LA Anaheim)             16/1
Joe Torre (NY Yankees)                 19/1

First NL Manager To Be Fired Or Resign
Bob Melvin (Arizona)                    5/1
Dusty Baker (Chicago Cubs)              6/1
Clint Hurdle (Colorado)                 6/1
Charlie Manuel (Philadelphia)           7/1
Frank Robinson (Washington)            15/2
Ned Yost (Milwaukee)                   19/2
Jerry Narron (Cincinnati)              21/2
Phil Garner (Houston)                  13/1
Joe Girardi (Florida)                  15/1
Grady Little (Los Angeles)             15/1
Bruce Bochy (San Diego)                15/1
Felipe Alou (San Francisco)            15/1
Willie Randolph (NY Mets)              20/1
Jim Tracy (Pittsburgh)                 20/1
Bobby Cox (Atlanta)                    27/1
Tony LaRussa (St. Louis)               40/1

Yesterday we started to get aquainted with some of the traits and backgrounds that managers share around major league baseball, today will finish up the American League.

Here’s the rest of the American League Skippers.

Buddy Bell (Kansas City)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – 3rd base

Organization – Drafted and developed by the Indians, played for Pat Corrales and Don Zimmer in Texas and Ken Aspromonte and Frank Robinson in Cleveland. A mix of Dodger/Mauch and Sparky and Weaver.

Boswell Metric – Peerless Leader – Bell is on his 3rd team as a manager and his 3rd losing team, he’s yet to turn any of them around and his stoic behavior in the dugout masks the failure to accomplish a turnaround of any kind.

Terry Francona (Boston)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Outfielder

Organization – Francona is a legacy, much like Bell he grew up in the game, which is a immeasurable resource, but not a guarantee to success. Terry came up with Montreal in 1982 and played under Jim Fanning (Ex Cub and maybe a franchise who last boasted a managerial influence with Frank Chance) He also played for Bill Virdon (Rickey background) and Buck Rodgers (a Rigney man who played for Durocher who was a Rickey man)

Boswell Metric – Tall Tactician – Francona is awash in the modern convenience of an organization that values all aspects of the game and even employs Bill James. He’s traditional and intuitive when it comes to the game and the stats.

Ozzie Guillen (Chicago White Sox)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Shortstop

Organization – Drafted and developed by the Padres Ozzie obtained his baseball education in the White Sox organization, an organization that hired Dan Evans and his computer in 1984 (When LaRussa was the manager).

Boswell Metric – Despite the stat background Ozzie is a traditional baseball man, his demeanor and behavior in the dugout make him a fine example of a Little Napoleon, burning bright and fast Ozzie has already won a World Series and offended many. He’s a true baseball classic.

Joe Maddon (Tampa Bay)

Did he play MLB? – No

Position – Catcher

Organization – Signed by the Angels as a free agent catcher in 1975. Stayed with them until hired by Devil Rays. Joe has a mixture of Gene Mauch and Buck Rodgers as organizational leaders in his background, his long tenure as a coach makes him a baseball man of the highest level.

Boswell Metric – Joe is a Peerless Leader at this point, however he also is known for using stats and a laptop to form his opinions. These lead him to be the one who is willing to take the game in his hands and bite the bullet. A fine example of this can be found in last night’s game in Seattle when Joe walked the base full in the 10th inning with one out to face Richie Sexson. When the game was lost on a grand slam Maddon replied. “”I put him in a tough spot, I absolutely put him in a tough spot. I just felt it was the best option at that point based on that the two guys before him had been so hot.”

Live by the numbers die by the numbers in this game.

Sam Perlozzo (Baltimore)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – 2b

Organization – Drafted and developed by the Twins, Sam is a baseball mover, never spending more then 3 seasons with one club before hitching on with the O’s in 1996. He has a background that includes Mauch and Dick Williams.

Boswell Metric – Another Peerless Leader. Sam is an organization soldier of the first level; his presence in the dugout is hailed around baseball circles as a “about time” sort of move. A common refrain when a Peerless Leader is hired.

Eric Wedge (Cleveland)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Catcher

Organization – Originally drafted by the Red Sox Wedge was the youngest since Bobby Valentine. He cut his teeth in the Boston system and was lost in the 1993 expansion draft to the Rockies.

Boswell Metric – Peerless Leader, my vision of Wedge as a manager is similar to my vision of Jerry Narron. Arms crossed and watching every move on the field.

Jim Leyland (Detroit)

Did he play MLB? – No

Position – Catcher

Organization – Leyland came up in the Tigers organization, during the Campbell era and he managed from 1971-1981 in their minor league system. He later worked under Tony LaRussa in Chicago.

Boswell Metric – Tall Tactician. Jim had quite a reputation as a man who loved to play for the one run here and there, he’s more apt to favor defense and pitching over offense and he’s not afraid to teach and use the sacrifice bunt more then the average manager. Like most Tall Tactician’s he’s prone to leaving the job before being asked to leave.

Mike Scioscia (LA Anaheim)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Catcher

Organization – Dodger Blue through and through, Tommy Lasorda and tan organization that churned players out for decades.

Boswell Metric – Peerless Leader, like many of the former catchers here Mike is a force in the dugout, opinionated with his ump and stoic and stern with his players. His handling of Jose Guillen in 2004 was the classic example of a Peerless Leader in action.

Joe Torre (NY Yankees)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Catcher & 3rd Base and 1st base

Organization – Drafted by the Braves, Joe got his wings during the 60’s, underneath the Braves Richards regime.

Boswell Metric – Joes experience with the Yankees is one that a light version of the Peerless Leader. Most of this can be attributed to age and success. Joe is at the core a Peerless Leader; this is best exemplified by the fact that he was MLB’s first playing manager in 28 years when he became the Mets manager in 1977. Throughout his managerial career prior to becoming a Yankee legend Torre played the role of a failed Peerless Leader fairly well, accumulating 15 years of service time and only one division title and two second place finishes.

John Gibbons (Toronto)

Did he play MLB? – Yes

Position – Catcher

Organization – Drafted by Mets and played under Joe Torre and George Bamberger, and Davey Johnson just like Ron Gardinire

Boswell Metric – Peerless Leader, I’m not to familiar with Gibbons, however he like many former catchers gives me the sense of being a peerless leader. This is confirmed by his challenge to Shea Hildebrand in the Blue Jays clubhouse, it was reminiscent of Tony LaRussa’s similar challenge to Ron LeFlore when they were both in Chicago.