Here’s another article trying to open up a can of worms about Mike Quade being chosen manager of the Chcago Cubs over Ryne Sandberg.
Yes, Ryne Sandberg is a hero in these parts. He’s a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. All but a couple of games in his career were played in a Chicago Cubs uniform. (He’s going to manage the Phillies’ AAA team – he was originally traded to the Cubs from the Phils as a throw-in, with Larry Bowa going to Chicago and Ivan DeJesus to Philadelphia.) And all of his accolades are deserved. He’s a good guy, and deserves a chance to manage in the big leagues someday.
But let’s make two points here:
- Mike Quade also deserves a chance to manage. Sandberg’s managed in the minors for four years, the last year with the Cubs’ AAA team. Quade managed in the minors for 17 years, nine of which were at the AAA level. He also spent three and a half years as a Cubs coach and three years as an Oakland Athletics’ coach. So in terms of experience, Quade wins that one.
- Sandberg is a baseball Hall of Famer, but what happens to managers?
They get fired. And it doesn’t happen often to a team hero like Sandberg has been to the Cubs. And when it does happen, it’s not pretty.
I’ve come up with a list of 11 members of the Hall who have also managed in the big leagues. And only one really managed in the same place where he achieved all his success as a player. Here’s the list, in reverse chronological order:
Frank Robinson
Eddie Mathews
Bob Lemon
Yogi Berra
Lou Boudreau
Ted Williams
Joe Cronin
Bill Terry
Mel Ott
Frankie Frisch
Rogers Hornsby
Boudreau, Cronin, Terry, Ott, Frisch, and Hornsby were all player-managers for significant portions of time. (And all were pretty successful in both roles with the exception of Ott, who never finished above third place and supposedly inspired successor Leo Durocher to comment “Nice guys finish last.”)
Ted Williams never managed the Red Sox, just in Washington and Texas. Bob Lemon never managed the Indians, just in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York.
Eddie Mathews was a star for the Milwaukee Braves, but managed the Atlanta Braves. He only played in Atlanta for a year near the tail end of his career.
Frank Robinson had some great years with the Orioles, and managed the Orioles, but wasn’t exclusive to either team – the O’s were the second of five teams he played for, and the third of four teams he managed.
Yogi Berra – ah, here’s the issue. He managed the Yankees in 1964, won the pennant, just barely lost the World Series – and was fired anyway. Understandably bitter, he went over to the Mets and achieved some success as a coach and manager. Back over to the Yanks, he coached for another eight years, then managed the team again for a year and change – and was fired again, just 15 games into the season, despite assurances from George Steinbrenner he’d be given a real shot at managing the team. He wouldn’t set foot in Yankee Stadium again for nearly 15 years.
It wasn’t pretty. Just as I’m sure it wasn’t pretty when the Packers fired Bart Starr as their coach. After nine seasons. During which he made the playoffs once, and had an overall record of 52-76-3.
Look, I don’t know if Mike Quade’s going to be a great manager, or if Ryne Sandberg will be, or both, or neither. Quade had a good quarter-season at the end of 2010, but that’s usually pretty meaningless. (The Angels had a run of firing managers mid-season, the new guy did well in August and September, they’d be impressed and give him a two- or three-year deal, and the team would be lousy for the next year and a half – until they’d fire the manager mid-season and start the cycle over.)
But I know, all other things being equal I’d rather take a chance with a guy with more experience, and if he fails have no problem in letting him go, that going with a guy that I’d hate to fire because he was a superstar for the team for years and years. It’s not worth the messy divorce.
Yes, Ryne Sandberg is a hero in these parts. He’s a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. All but a couple of games in his career were played in a Chicago Cubs uniform. (He’s going to manage the Phillies’ AAA team – he was originally traded to the Cubs from the Phils as a throw-in, with Larry Bowa going to Chicago and Ivan DeJesus to Philadelphia.) And all of his accolades are deserved. He’s a good guy, and deserves a chance to manage in the big leagues someday.
But let’s make two points here:
- Mike Quade also deserves a chance to manage. Sandberg’s managed in the minors for four years, the last year with the Cubs’ AAA team. Quade managed in the minors for 17 years, nine of which were at the AAA level. He also spent three and a half years as a Cubs coach and three years as an Oakland Athletics’ coach. So in terms of experience, Quade wins that one.
- Sandberg is a baseball Hall of Famer, but what happens to managers?
They get fired. And it doesn’t happen often to a team hero like Sandberg has been to the Cubs. And when it does happen, it’s not pretty.
I’ve come up with a list of 11 members of the Hall who have also managed in the big leagues. And only one really managed in the same place where he achieved all his success as a player. Here’s the list, in reverse chronological order:
Frank Robinson
Eddie Mathews
Bob Lemon
Yogi Berra
Lou Boudreau
Ted Williams
Joe Cronin
Bill Terry
Mel Ott
Frankie Frisch
Rogers Hornsby
Boudreau, Cronin, Terry, Ott, Frisch, and Hornsby were all player-managers for significant portions of time. (And all were pretty successful in both roles with the exception of Ott, who never finished above third place and supposedly inspired successor Leo Durocher to comment “Nice guys finish last.”)
Ted Williams never managed the Red Sox, just in Washington and Texas. Bob Lemon never managed the Indians, just in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York.
Eddie Mathews was a star for the Milwaukee Braves, but managed the Atlanta Braves. He only played in Atlanta for a year near the tail end of his career.
Frank Robinson had some great years with the Orioles, and managed the Orioles, but wasn’t exclusive to either team – the O’s were the second of five teams he played for, and the third of four teams he managed.
Yogi Berra – ah, here’s the issue. He managed the Yankees in 1964, won the pennant, just barely lost the World Series – and was fired anyway. Understandably bitter, he went over to the Mets and achieved some success as a coach and manager. Back over to the Yanks, he coached for another eight years, then managed the team again for a year and change – and was fired again, just 15 games into the season, despite assurances from George Steinbrenner he’d be given a real shot at managing the team. He wouldn’t set foot in Yankee Stadium again for nearly 15 years.
It wasn’t pretty. Just as I’m sure it wasn’t pretty when the Packers fired Bart Starr as their coach. After nine seasons. During which he made the playoffs once, and had an overall record of 52-76-3.
Look, I don’t know if Mike Quade’s going to be a great manager, or if Ryne Sandberg will be, or both, or neither. Quade had a good quarter-season at the end of 2010, but that’s usually pretty meaningless. (The Angels had a run of firing managers mid-season, the new guy did well in August and September, they’d be impressed and give him a two- or three-year deal, and the team would be lousy for the next year and a half – until they’d fire the manager mid-season and start the cycle over.)
But I know, all other things being equal I’d rather take a chance with a guy with more experience, and if he fails have no problem in letting him go, that going with a guy that I’d hate to fire because he was a superstar for the team for years and years. It’s not worth the messy divorce.
