When MLB Managers Were Players
Though many younger baseball fans associate Joe Torre strictly with his success as Yankees manager, the current Dodgers skipper spent 18 seasons as a player for four teams. He was a nine-time all star, a Gold Glove winner and the 1971 NL MVP. Before taking over as the Yankees skipper in 1996, Torre managed the Mets (1977-81), the Braves (1982-84) and the Cardinals (1990-95). In 12 seasons in the Bronx, Torre compiled a 1,173-767 record with four World Series titles.
Piniella is the definition of a baseball lifer. Prior to his 22 seasons as a manager, Sweet Lou spent 18 as a leftfielder for four franchises -- the Orioles (1964), Indians (1968), Royals (1969-73) and Yankees (1974-84), where he won five AL East titles, four AL pennants and two World Series titles. After taking a year off in 1985, Piniella returned to the Bronx as manager in 1986 and has been a big league skipper since. He has won three Manager of the Year Awards (1995, 2001, 2008) and led the Reds to the 1990 World Series title. He is currently managing the Cubs.
Terry Francona grew up at the ballpark, hanging out with his father, Tito, who played 15 years in the big leagues. Though Terry's MLB career left much to be desired (he batted .274 with 122 home runs and 143 RBIs in 10 seasons), he has thrived as a manager. After a rocky start in Philadelphia (Francona was 285-363 from 1997 to 2000), the Red Sox hired the former 1B/OF to lead their "cursed" franchise. In his first season, Francona led the team to a World Series title, repeated the feat three years later and has become one of the most respected managers in the game.
Though Dusty Baker is one of baseball's most experienced and well-regarded managers -- he's in his 16th season and has won three Manager of the Year awards -- he made a name for himself long before he took control of the Giants dugout in 1993. In 16 years playing mostly for Atlanta and Los Angeles, Baker, an outfielder, made two All-Star teams, won a World Series and amassed 243 career home runs with 1,013 RBIs.
Like most current managers, Mike Scioscia spent his apprenticeship as a major league player. In 12 seasons with the Dodgers, he was a two-time All-Star, a three-time World Series winner and widely regarded as one of the best minds in the game. He was hired to lead Anaheim in 2000 and led the franchise to its first World Series victory in 2002. He is currently in his 10th season in charge of the Angels and has led the team to four AL West titles and has been honored with one Manager of the Year Award (2002).
Before taking over as Marlins manager in 2006, Joe Girardi spent 15 years as a big league catcher. Though he never hit more than eight home runs or 55 RBIs in a season, Girardi won three World Series rings with the Yankees (1996, 1998, 1999), caught a no-hitter (Dwight Gooden, 1999) and a perfect game (David Cone, 1999). In only his third season as a manager, Girardi has already won a Manager of the Year Award (2006, Marlins) and his Yankee squad currently boasts the best record in baseball.
Ozzie Guillen, one of baseball's most controversial managers, was as feisty on the field as in the clubhouse. In 16 seasons (13 with the White Sox), he won Rookie of the Year, was named to three All-Star teams and was one of the league's top fielding shortstops. After Guillen served as third base coach for the 2003 World Series champion Marlins, the White Sox lured him back to the city in which he spent much of his pro career. The team's faith was quickly rewarded as Guillen's team won the 2005 World Series.
Bud Black spent 15 seasons in the big leagues, pitching for six teams, winning one World Series title (1985, St. Louis Cardinals) and compiling a career record of 121-116 with a 3.84 ERA. After spending seven seasons as Angels pitching coach (including their World Series championship in 2002), Black got his chance to manage the Padres in 2007.
In nine seasons as a catcher, Bochy hit a pedestrian .239 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs playing for Houston (1978--80), New York Mets (1982) and San Diego (1983--87). His career as a manager has been much more successful. He is in his 15th season as a big league skipper and his third with the Giants. Before San Francisco, Bochy spent 10 seasons in San Diego, where he won the 1996 NL Manager of the Year Award and led the team to the 1998 World Series.
Though most were unfamiliar with Don Wakamatsu before the Mariners named him manager last November, he did have a MLB career, albeit a brief one. Wakamatsu played 18 games for the White Sox in 1991, where he served as personal catcher for knuckleballer Charlie Hough. After spending time in the Anaheim and Texas organizations, the Oregon native served as Oakland's bench coach under Bob Geren last season before Seattle offered him its managerial position. He is the first Asian-American to manage in the majors.
Before taking over as manager of the Astros in 2007, Cecil Cooper spent 17 seasons in the big leagues for Boston (1971-76) and Milwaukee (1977-87). He enjoyed his best years with the Brewers, where he was a five-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove winner and franchise leader in hits (219, 1980) and RBIs in a season (126, 1983). He was named interim manager of the Astros in August 2007; the team named him full-time manager a month later. He led Houston to a 86-75 record last season, good enough for third place in the NL Central.
It's safe to say A.J. Hinch was never a star on the field. Despite high expectations coming out of Stanford, Hinch burned out at the major league level -- batting .219 with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs in seven pro seasons with four teams. After retiring in 2005, he was put in charge of the Diamondbacks farm system and seemed on his way to a future as a general manager. But that changed in May, when the team fired coach Bob Melvin and gave Hinch a contract to manage the team through 2012.
Ron Washington played 10 seasons for five clubs, compiling lifetime totals of 20 home runs and 146 RBIs. His managerial apprenticeship took place in Oakland, where he served as the team's third base and infield coach from 1997 to 2006, tutoring many of the A's young stars. He was given his chance to take over a big league squad in 2006, when Texas fired Buck Showalter and named Washington the new manager. He currently has the Rangers in the hunt to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Bob Geren may not have been the most talented player in baseball, but he certainly was among the most persistent. He spent 10 seasons in the minor leagues before finally getting his call up to the bigs in 1988 as a backup catcher for the Yankees. He spent four seasons with the Yankees, the best being 1990, when he appeared in 100 games and swatted eight home runs and 31 RBIs. After spending three seasons years as the A's bullpen coach and one as their bench coach, Geren was promoted to full-time manager in 2007 and has been at the helm ever since.Send comments to siwriters@simail.com