Best Manager in Baseball

[sunshinekids99]

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Terry Francona begs to differ..

While I agree he's not the best. I think he can coach circles around Torre. Although both have the same problems with bullpen management. Francona with his love of bringing in Timlin with guys on base...when Timlin sucks with guys on.

[lpsevier]

I <3 Bobby.

[Basketball Jesus]

I also think John Madden deserves credit for even winning 3 games a year in Tampa with that pitching staff.

Eh, he hasn't been the same since they let go of Pat Summerall as bench coach.

[Basketball Jesus]

Terry Francona begs to differ..

You smoke rocks?

[stro4swift]

def Bobby Cox...I used to love Alou too!

[34Celtic]

Torre wins the contest for worst, that's for sure

Dude would you give it a rest. There have been 5 managers in history who have won 4 World Series. And none of the other 4 had won with the parity and players changing teams that exists in the game today.

He has also won 12 division titles. And I'm pretty sure players such as Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Tino Martinez, David Wells, David Cone, Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, and yes....even Joe Girardi would disagree with you. Ya know what? Their opinions matter slightly more than yours. I know Red Sox fans who even will admit Torre is great.

[cmaff051]

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While I agree he's not the best. I think he can coach circles around Torre. Although both have the same problems with bullpen management. Francona with his love of bringing in Timlin with guys on base...when Timlin sucks with guys on.

Can you explain to me exactly how Francona can coach circles around Torre? Does Torre put his two worst hitters in the lineup, 1-2, day after day? Does Torre pinch hit for somebody and bring in Alex Cora when he has David Ortiz on the bench?

The Red Sox had to play perfect, flawless baseball over the last two months to hide his shortcomings.

[34Celtic]

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Can you explain to me exactly how Francona can coach circles around Torre? Does Torre put his two worst hitters in the lineup, 1-2, day after day? Does Torre pinch hit for somebody and bring in Alex Cora when he has David Ortiz on the bench?

The Red Sox had to play perfect, flawless baseball over the last two months to hide his shortcomings.

Why exactly is Lugo hitting leadoff still over Youk?

[nykgeneralmanager]

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Dude would you give it a rest. There have been 5 managers in history who have won 4 World Series. And none of the other 4 had won with the parity and players changing teams that exists in the game today.

He has also won 12 division titles. And I'm pretty sure players such as Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Tino Martinez, David Wells, David Cone, Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, and yes....even Joe Girardi would disagree with you. Ya know what? Their opinions matter slightly more than yours. I know Red Sox fans who even will admit Torre is great.

Look at half of those names you just mentioned, HALL OF FAMERS. That sums up my point, thanks. Torre is an awful manager, and if you can't admit that then you are watching Yankee games through rose colored glasses.

Torre can manage players amazingly, I give him a ton of credit for that. However, he cannot manage a baseball game for anything. Players love playing for him because they say he is "easy" to play for. Of course he's easy to play for, he sits on the bench drinking his green tea and doesn't get on anybody. I'd take 20-25 CURRENT managers over Torre anyday of the week. If you think he is a great manager, then good for you. But you're missing some very obvious things when you watch Yankee games.

I remember David Justince saying that Torre was 'easy' to play for and it was 'easy' coming to the ballpark everyday. I guess we feel differently, but I do not want my manager being described as easy by star players. That is why this team is so soft, teams take on the personality of their manager. The issue was covered up in the past because the team built was one of the greatest ever.

Steinbrenner messed up big time in allowing Torre to return in 2005.

And good luck finding a Red Sox fan saying he is a great manager, they all know he sucks. So does the rest of the people who watch any Yankee games closely.

[craig01]

If the Rays decide to spend money to lock up their young studs; they'll be good and real soon.

Kazmir, Shields and Price will be as good as any 1-2-3 starting pitching combo in the game (just imagine if they took Lincecum over Longoria) in 2-3 years. Then they have guys like Jacob McGee and Wade Davis with great arms in the low minors. Their offense is already in the top half of the MLB despite being incredibly young.

They need to address that atrocious bullpen in free agency, though. Worst bullpen in the league and (to my knowledge) they don't have too many great relief arms coming up through the minors.

Add to it Jeff Neimann (AAA Durham), and Andy Sonnanstine who just made his second start on Sunday striking out 10.

The bullpen does need a lot of help, and it appears to be coming.

Rays called up Jason Hammel, and are acquiring Witasek today.

This team could easily have it's record reversed with any kind of consistent middle bullpen performance.

Watch out for the Rays!

[34Celtic]

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Look at half of those names you just mentioned, HALL OF FAMERS. That sums up my point, thanks. Torre is an awful manager, and if you can't admit that then you are watching Yankee games through rose colored glasses.

Torre can manage players amazingly, I give him a ton of credit for that. However, he cannot manage a baseball game for anything. Players love playing for him because they say he is "easy" to play for. Of course he's easy to play for, he sits on the bench drinking his green tea and doesn't get on anybody. I'd take 20-25 CURRENT managers over Torre anyday of the week. If you think he is a great manager, then good for you. But you're missing some very obvious things when you watch Yankee games.

I remember David Justince saying that Torre was 'easy' to play for and it was 'easy' coming to the ballpark everyday. I guess we feel differently, but I do not want my manager being described as easy by star players. That is why this team is so soft, teams take on the personality of their manager. The issue was covered up in the past because the team built was one of the greatest ever.

Steinbrenner messed up big time in allowing Torre to return in 2005.

And good luck finding a Red Sox fan saying he is a great manager, they all know he sucks. So does the rest of the people who watch any Yankee games closely.

The only hall of famers I mentioned were Clemens and Rivera...I somehow forgot Jeter. If you think Bernie Williams or Paul O'Neill or DAvid Cone is a hall of famer...you're drinking the kool-aid. Whats wrong with a manager enabling players to enjoy coming to the ballpark? making baseball fun? Isn't that what its supposed to be about. Steinbrenner is the one who turned it all businesslike.

[nykgeneralmanager]

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The only hall of famers I mentioned were Clemens and Rivera...I somehow forgot Jeter. If you think Bernie Williams or Paul O'Neill or DAvid Cone is a hall of famer...you're drinking the kool-aid. Whats wrong with a manager enabling players to enjoy coming to the ballpark? making baseball fun? Isn't that what its supposed to be about. Steinbrenner is the one who turned it all businesslike.

I just used the term half, it's not like I counted the guys you said and divided it by 2 and decided that amount is going to the HOF. Clemens, Mo, Jeter, and possibly Bernie (down the road) are going to the HOF. That is a large enough amount.

And when has Torre made baseball fun? This team hasn't had fun in years, that is a large reason for why they haven't come through in the playoffs in recent years. Blaming Steinbrenner is a copout, Torre is the one surrounding this team on a daily basis and it is his job to make sure the players are 100% ready. And they haven't been in years.

They WERE 100% ready in the late 90s, when they were one of the greatest teams ever put together. That is no coincidence.

Torre never took a team to the next level, the team's he managed took HIM to the next level. Don't ever get that mistaken.

Torre can't manage a bullpen, he can't manage a pitching staff, and he makes horrendous in game decisions. However, all of these flaws were covered up in the past. When he would take out Pettitte too early in the game, nobody cared because he had 5 star relievers at his disposal who would always come through. When he sat on his hands and never had guys moving and stealing, it was okay because Tino would just hit the home run and nobody would realize that Torre was doing nothing. If he brought in the wrong reliever, it was okay because they were all good enough. When he sat Bernie when he shouldn't have, it was all good because Gerald Williams would just homer and everything would be fine.

Torre used to have a horse shoe the size on the Bronx because of the great players around him, and now that it is not the case he hasn't won in years and the truth is coming out.

[cmaff051]

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The only hall of famers I mentioned were Clemens and Rivera...I somehow forgot Jeter. If you think Bernie Williams or Paul O'Neill or DAvid Cone is a hall of famer...you're drinking the kool-aid. Whats wrong with a manager enabling players to enjoy coming to the ballpark? making baseball fun? Isn't that what its supposed to be about. Steinbrenner is the one who turned it all businesslike.

Torre has had many borderline HOFers on his team too, guys like Mussina, Cone, Williams and O'Neill.

[Basketball Jesus]

Bernie Williams should be a Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible, if voters were smart. Ditto Mussina.

[mets87]

a 10 year old could've managed the 90's yankees to division titles.

god, cmaff is the worst frickin' homer on these forums. francona's better than torre, get over it.

[cmaff051]

a 10 year old could've managed the 90's yankees to division titles.

god, cmaff is the worst frickin' homer on these forums. francona's better than torre, get over it.

I never said that. Francona is probably a tiny bit better than Torre, but he's not very good either.

Are you going to debate here or are you just going to call me a homer all the time? You have quite a gift for debating..

[sunshinekids99]

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Can you explain to me exactly how Francona can coach circles around Torre? Does Torre put his two worst hitters in the lineup, 1-2, day after day? Does Torre pinch hit for somebody and bring in Alex Cora when he has David Ortiz on the bench?

The Red Sox had to play perfect, flawless baseball over the last two months to hide his shortcomings.

Francona had time to try and get Lugo out of a funk with the lead they had. Of course it didn't work. And if you notice tonights lineup Lugo is in the 9th spot with Pedroia leading off.

I'm not really sure on the game that Cora pinched hit instead of Ortiz. But I'm sure there was some reason for it. Ortiz was hurt a couple weeks ago?

He's done a much better job with the pen, which also helps that he has Okajima and Paps. Torre on the other hand just wears the hell out of his staff. Francona has done a great job at keeping Paps fresh and not going to him all the time.

I think Francona has been very good this season. And last season there was not a damn thing he could have done to save that team after all the injuries.

[cmaff051]

When Torre has had a staff that brought his team into deep into games (read: the 2003 Yankees), he has done an excellent job managing his bullpen.

It's also not a good comparision (Francona vs. Torre) when guys like Okajima are pitching way over their heads. We'll wait until the end of the year when bullpen arms like Okajima come back to Earth to see who is the better bullpen/overall manager and who wins the division.

[sunshinekids99]

Torre has always abused his pen. He used to do it all the time to Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill. Mendoza nearly got a 100 innings one year without even starting a game. The most Francona has ever used a pitcher in his time in Boston was Keith Foulke with 83 innings in 04.

[cmaff051]

Torre has always abused his pen. He used to do it all the time to Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill. Mendoza nearly got a 100 innings one year without even starting a game. The most Francona has ever used a pitcher in his time in Boston was Keith Foulke with 83 innings in 04.

Paul Quantrill and Tom Gordon were in 2004 and 2005, when the Yanks didn't have a particularly good starting rotation. You may have a point with Mendoza, but that was one year.

He does stick to his favorites in the bullpen, but when he had good starters, he didn't have a quick hook. He didn't have a long hook either, like Mr. Francona, who likes to leave his starters in when they are beyond cooked. And he's 10x the player manager that Francona is, who has never had a player quit on his teams, unlike Mr. Manny Ramirez.