Top Five Worst Managers in Baseball

[mike546 0]

Though to be honest, even Bobby Cox fell victim to this last year. And Torre likely will this year. The fact that the Yankees have Farnsworth is reason enough for me to predict gloom and doom for them in the playoffs.

 

Torre already doesn't trust him that much. I don't think it'll be a big deal in the playoffs with Mo going for two inning saves.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Thanks for reminding us that Dusty is black.

 

Leave it up to the boards biggest bitch to put a racist angle on it.

 

It has nothing to do with race you stupid cunt.

 

That's why I think Frank Robinson is one of the worse mangers.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Really, the problem with Dusty Baker isn't so much of a problem anymore. When Baker originally came to the Cubs, he was seen as a managerial savant on the level of LaRussa who had been behind the wheel of one of the most successful periods in Giants history, despite being the exact same manager that he is now. Baker was overrated by almost everybody, but the last few years in Chicago have revealed his true abilities.

 

Baker does not believe that his players should take accountability (unless they're young and they "just don't know the big leagues"), nor does he really take any accountability onto himself. He whines to the press about not having a left-handed batting practice pitcher. He not only watched the team disintegrate in 2004, but he actually had the temerity to deflect it back onto the television crew.

 

The team is sloppy because Baker is the ultimate enabler, the "player's manager" who's always willing to copout or deflect for one of his "proven veterans." He has no managerial prowess whatsoever - he goes through fits where he constantly double-switches, even when the situation doesn't warrant it. He feels that walks clog up the basepaths. He may be the worst bullpen manager in the big leagues, ignoring Mike Remlinger's platoon splits and constantly ying-yanging relievers out of situations, which certainly didn't help young relievers like Wellemeyer or Farnsworth.

 

In my opinion, he's the worst manager in the major leagues and the most overrated manager in the ESPN era. Finally, people are starting to figure it out.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Except Jim Hendry.

 

Evander, why do you think Baker's a good/great manager?

[naiwf 0]

I choose Willie Randolph. Why you ask?

 

"The left-handed Billy Wagner was not even warming up in the ninth Tuesday, leaving lefties to hit against the right-handed Aaron Heilman with the game on the line. Mets manager Willie Randolph said he didn't want to use his closer in a tie game on the road."

 

So we lose that game. Surely Willie will learn right?

 

Today, the Mets come back to tie it in the 9th. A loss trims our lead to 1 in the NL East with a road trip to St. Louis followed by 6 with the Yankees and the streaking, soon to be NL East leading Phillies. We NEED this game. So he goes to the lefty for the 9th, but it's . . . Pedro Feliciano. We survive the 9th. Surely Wagner will pitch the 10th right?

 

Wrong. Bradford gives up the gopher ball and we've now lost two straight games Pedro started. Why?

 

Because Randolph won't use his closer in a tie game on the road. Fuck the losses and our dwindling lead, we can't waste Wagner with an off day tomorrow after he didn't pitch for an entire week not too long ago. I mean, God forbid you use your best reliever when he can't get a save!

 

Can you imagine Mets/Cards in the playoffs, it's game 7, the score is tied at 3 heading into the bottom of the 9th and Pujols is up to start off the inning. I'm guessing he goes to Duaner Sanchez (whose arm will be falling off by then) or Aaron Heilman (whose arm will also be falling off by then). And where's Wagner?

 

Sitting down on the bench.

 

Because Willie Randolph won't use his closer in a tie game on the road.

[Guest Felonies!]

I'm waiting to hear Evander go to bat for Dusty Baker. This is gonna be good.

[Guest]

Uh, maybe injurys are the main reason why Baker ain't winning games with the Cubs. Did you guys ever think that?

 

He's one of the best mangers in the game IMO.

Don't be stupid. The fact is, he's consistently fallen back into great situations. He had the luxury of having Barry Bonds as his core during his time in SF. The misconception is he turned the Cubs around from a terrible 2002 team to a squad that got within five outs of the WS. What most people seem to overlook is:

 

1) In 2003, he got the first full seasons out of Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano. Moreover, Kerry Wood was actually healthy in 2003. Prior and Wood made 62 starts that season. To date, that is the most starts that duo has ever made.

 

2) They were a .500 team in July. It wasn't until the acquisiton of Lofton, Ramirez and Simon they started to roll. One could also argue the dominance of the four lead starters in the rotation and an insanely soft schedule down the stretch synched it for the Cubs.

 

3) They had a fully healthy Moises Alou. In 2002, Alou was injured the bulk of the season and nowhere near the player everyone knew he was when he was on the field. That, again, left things up to Sammy Sosa.

 

These things are what got the Cubs to where they went in 2003. When four of your starters are throwing down and your offense is clicking, even a bad manager has trouble messing it up.

 

Now, let's look at the two+ season since then. In 2004, you could easily use the injury excuse. I mean, Wood had been hurt before, but after his strong 2003, I guess the Cubs figured he'd be fine from that point. Prior had never had a pitching-related injury, so his DL stint was a surprise.

 

That doesn't take away from the Cubs being a one-dimensional, fundamentally-inept squad that year. They had a lot of firepower in that lineup, but rarely walked and subsequently, rarely saw middle relief. On the basepaths, they were awful. Unconventional doubleplays were a way of life for them. They had mental lapses on the field.

 

Move along to 2005. A weaker looking squad on paper, but promises of better fundamentals and scoring runs in ways other than the longball. That lasted until the second game. Although much of the personale had changed, the club remained incapable of having long at-bats or executing on the little things. But apparently, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood being hurt affected their ability to takes walks, lay down sac bunts or effectively run the bases. Yeah.

 

Now here we are almost a fifth of the way into 2006 and since 2002, this looks like one of the weakest offenses the Cubs have fielded. But it was supposed to be okay; small ball, small ball. The problem with small ball is that you often play for one run and at the most, get one run. Well, with the Cubs having given up eight runs or more 10 times in less than 40 games, that method isn't leading to many wins. The problem's compounded when you consider the Cubs STILL aren't executing on the things that are supposed to be their MO.

 

Yes, the GM didn't do a good job of putting together an offense, but at the same time, what's that we've always heard about Dusty? He gets the most out of the least? It's just crazy a team that insists on laying down sac bunts and giving up runs whenever it can is unable to do this. At the same time, it's something they go at full-swing. Any time there's a possibility to move the runner over by giving up an out, Dusty's doing it, unless it's one of his power hitters. He's even had Walker lay down a few bunts.

 

But here we are in the fourth year of his contract. Few players remain from that original squad and yet this team continues to lack the ability to carry out the simple fundamental elements of the game. Jacque Jones made another mistake he's been making all year and that allowed the runner to move into scoring position. That runner eventually scored and proved the be the difference in the game.

 

Yes, it was Jones who made the mistake and not Dusty. But isn't it Dusty's job to rally the troops and make sure these mistakes stop happening? Is it not his job to take his team to the field and work on bunting and hitting the cut-off man if they have such a problem doing it? Dusty's always had the rep as a player's manager, but that seems to be another problem. He's too laid back and just thinks everything will work itself out. The problem is, that isn't happening. Players aren't reprimanded for poor defensive play or costly mistakes. It's a shame no one on the team is stepping up to be the leader. Lord knows they don't have one in their manager.

This refutes any argument that can be made in favor of Dusty, ever. They have some shit on their roster that Dusty loves to use for some odd, maniacal reason.

[Guest Felonies!]

Dusty has an obsession with utility men who aren't really good at anything, like Jose Macias and Freddie Bynum. I guess Bynum is a "great athlete," but what does that matter if he drops routine fly balls in left? Hendry is trying to do the "great athletes" thing and it doesn't work. Who fucking gives a shit if Juan Pierre is really fast if he can't get the ball past an infielder? We should just get Jeremy Giambi to stand there with his thumb up his fucking ass until he draws a walk; the fat piece of shit would be a better leadoff man than Pierre. Great athletes. Geez. Go work for the Bulls, then.

[Guest]

They also sac bunt far too much. I can understand doing it when the pitcher's up, but not on multiple occasions every game.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Especially when your offense has shown an inability to even get runs with no outs. Yeah, give them one less out to work with, tighten the noose and maybe everything will be okay.

 

I'm just wondering why no one's questioning him about his management of the lineup that puts impatient hitters at the very top. That and the overall lack of patience from the majority of the hitters in there.

 

I think when you get shut out five times in the course of two weeks and average around two runs a game, while winning one game in the midst of 12 losses, being aggressive isn't the way to go. There's a difference between being aggresive and being stupid. As Steve Stone said in response to Jacque Jones' claims he's an aggressive baserunner (explaining getting doubled off twice in the span of a couple games), "No, you're not an aggressive baserunner, you're a dumb baserunner."

 

But logic and reality are two no-nos in the bubble that is the North Side of Chicago.

[Guest]

The saddest thing, is that Pierre and Ramirez are at the bottom of the OBP ladder. .296 for Ramirez, .269 for Pierre. Terrible.

 

Just because I'm looking at it right now, as a comparison, the Dodgers have no regulars with an OBP that's worse than .324. That's Jeff Kent's.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I'm not worried about Ramirez since he was this bad until late May last year, too. It's still a little unsettling such a key piece of their puzzle is developing a pattern of being ice-cold a third of the season.

 

Cubs also don't have any regulars hitting .300 or above. Unless you count Lee.

[Failed Bridge 0]

Clint Herdle escaped the list and being mentioned in this thread. I suspect it has something to do with nobody caring about the Rockies.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Or could be the fact that at the moment, they are over .500.

[CanadianChris 0]

It's hard to include the manager of a division leader on a 5 Worst Managers list. Unless, of course, that manager is Bob Brenly.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Colorado is not the division leader though. They're 3rd.

[CanadianChris 0]

They were leading when the list was published.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Oh gotcha. Well there's only a 1 game difference between them and the division leader, so yeah it's irrevelant. If Colorado sunk to the bottom of the division by trade deadline, then yeah Hurdle deserves mention.

[Failed Bridge 0]

They'll be far below .500 come the end of the year and everybody knows it.

[Failed Bridge 0]

and speaking of the Rockies, I like how Todd Helton makes about 40% of the entire team's payroll.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Oh gotcha. Well there's only a 1 game difference between them and the division leader, so yeah it's irrevelant. If Colorado sunk to the bottom of the division by trade deadline, then yeah Hurdle deserves mention.

Bottom of NL West usually = three games out.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I agree with Clint Hurdle. There's no reason for a team that plays in one of baseball's all time greatest hitting environments to consistantly lead the league in sacrifices.

[Guest Princess Leena]

You think you can hit! You think you can be the guy who touches his face a lot! You can in MVP Baseball 2005! Touch my big, fat face!

[Slayer 0]

Wow, Leena made me laugh

 

Good one