Quote:
Originally Posted by Lordstan
I never got the whole Joe Torre manager thing. I watched him for over a decade manage the Mets, Braves, and Cards. IMHO, he couldn't manage an NL team if his life depended on it. All of a sudden, he is managing the Yanks with a young core of Jeter, Posada, Mo, and Pettite, mixed with Martinez, Williams, Wells, Cone, Fielder, Davis, Brosious, Boggs, Key, etc, etc. He wins 4WS in the first 5yrs and then none in the next 7 while having even more all time players added to his roster.
I guess winning 4 WS in 29yrs managing is pretty good, but I never felt that he got more out of his players than was expected and often got less. Interestingly, LaRussa took over in St L for Torre in 1996 and promptly won the division. The Cards went from 62-81 to 88-74 in one year without significant roster changes that I can recall.
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You speak the truth, and there are many who feel that anybody could have managed those Yankee teams. Torre does have a pretty damn good playing career going for him as well, and continues to contribute to the game from MLB offices.
On the flip side of this is the question of whether a manager who benefited from (and possibly accepted or even fostered) steroid usage should be put in while players under him are being held out. Of course, this is a different body of voters.
Interesting questions.