I often see teams compiled listing the best players in a team's history. But often these teams do not select a manager. So who are the best managers? I am going to start with the NL teams, and I will do the AL teams in the new future.

 

Atlanta Braves: Bobby Cox. Only one other manager in Braves history (Fred Haney) reached the playoffs more than once. Cox has won thirteen division titles, FIVE league pennants, and a World Championship.

 

Philadelphia Phillies: Danny Ozark. The Phillies are notoriously impatient with managers. Even Dallas Green found his way off the team the year after the Phillies' World Championship season. Green won the title, but Ozark led the Phillies to their only two 100+ win seasons. Plus, Green gives the appearance of a jackass.

 

Florida Marlins: Jack McKeon. Somewhat of a tough call, as no manager has lasted more than four seasons with this franchise. McKeon gets the nod as he won with a squad no one except Mik thought could win.

 

New York Mets: Davey Johnson. Johnson AVERAGED 95 wins a season during his tenure as Mets manager. Gil Hodges makes it close with his miracle 1969 club, but while he was extremely popular, his managerial record is undistinguished outside of that season.

 

Washington Nationals: Felipe Alou. The face of the Expos for a decade.

 

St. Louis Cardinals: Whitey Herzog. Several Cardinals managers have an argument, including Red Schoendienst and Billy Southworth. Herzog stands out since he acted as general manager, and built the teams himself.

 

Houston Astros: Larry Dierker. Dierker reached the postseason four times, and was unfairly dismissed for his teams' failure to win a postseason series.

 

Chicago Cubs: Charlie Grimm. Grimm enjoyed the most long term success of any Cubs manager, winning four National League pennants. I chose Grimm over Frank Chance because Chance did not build his teams, and acted more as an emotional leader than a decision maker. Teams in Chance's day rarely worried over substitutions.

 

Pittsburgh Pirates: Danny Murtaugh. Murtaugh pulled one of the World Series' most improbable victories when his 1960 squad defeated the New York Yankees. Also won with the 1971 squad.

 

Cincinnati Reds: Bill McKechnie. McKechnie over Sparky? Both are worthy candidates. Sparky won with four Hall of Famers in his lineup. McKechnie had one borderline HOFer (Ernie Lombardi). McKechnie made do with less talented players, so he gets the nod. Plus, he won NL pennants with two other teams (1925 Pirates and 1928 Cardinals).

 

Milwaukee Brewers: George Bamberger. The Brewers have also experienced more than their fair share of managerial turnover. Bamberger is the only manager to lead the Brew Crew to 90+ wins twice.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers: Walter Alston. 23 seasons as manager, seven World Championships, and FOUR world championships. Tommy Lasorda took over immediately afterwards, so in over fourty years, the Dodgers used two managers.

 

San Francisco Giants: John McGraw. An amazing 31 seasons as manager, winning ten National League pennants in the process.

 

San Diego Padres: Bruce Bochy. Probably the most underrated manager in baseball. Has survived despite being handed a few bad teams during his tenure.

 

Colorado Rockies: Don Baylor. You just can not argue with results. Baylor led the Rockies to their only postseason berth.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks: Buck Showalter. Pedrique did awful in his short tenure last season. Bob Melvin is too early into his reign, and Bob Brenly is an absolute idiot. That leaves Buck Showalter, who built an expansion team into a winner faster than any manager in history.

San Diego Padres: Probably the most underrated manager in baseball.  Has survived despite being handed a few bad teams during his tenure.

Could we get a name for San Diego?

 

Neat list Al, I'm hoping you do AL next.

I'm guessing he meant Bruce Bochy.

 

I don't have much of an objection to any of these, except that LaRussa might have a shot at supplanting Herzog after this year, depending on how things work out.

I edited San Diego to include Bochy.

 

I think LaRussa needs a few seasons to surpass Herzog. Herzog won three pennants, LaRussa just one so far. Although I respect LaRussa a ton, he has serious competition for the honor.

La Russa is 2nd, Herzog is 1st.

 

How can you not put Tommy Lasorda as the best Dodger manager, though? That really shocked me. I thought it couldn't be anyone else.

I've heard several examples as to why Brenly was such a bad manager, but getting to hear him on a daily basis discuss strategy and the like, I'm curious about more.

La Russa is 2nd, Herzog is 1st.

 

How can you not put Tommy Lasorda as the best Dodger manager, though? That really shocked me. I thought it couldn't be anyone else.

Tommy Lasorda was a fine manager. I think if you take the time to learn about Walter Alston however, you will see why I chose him. He managed the Dodgers even longer than Lasorda, 23 seasons. He led the Boys of Summer to their first World Championship. He led the '59 squad to the championship, perhaps one of the weaker championship clubs in history. During his tenure, Alston had a better winning percentage then Lasorda, and won almost 500 more games as a Dodger manager.

I've heard several examples as to why Brenly was such a bad manager, but getting to hear him on a daily basis discuss strategy and the like, I'm curious about more.

My opinion is based solely on games 4 and 7 of the World Series.

 

Game four, three times Tony Womack led off the inning by reaching base. All three times, Brenly ordered Craig Counsell to sacrifice bunt. The bunt worked all three times, and all three times, the Diamondbacks failed to score a run. One of those bunts came in a situation where El Duque could not locate the plate, having walked Womack on four pitches.

 

Game seven, Brenly's overuse of the bunt nearly cost Arizona the game in the ninth. In addition, he failed to utilize the club's best pinch hitter. It is my contention that the D'backs won in spite of Brenly.