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Managerial Milestones
2005-05-15 21:45
by Mike Carminati

Friday Felipe Alou recorded his 900th regular-season win as a manger as the Giants beat the Astros, 4-2. Today Joe Torre's Yanks evened their record with their eighth straight win, 6-4 over the A's, behind Tino Martinez's two home runs giving him eighth in eight games. It was Torre's 1800th win.

Torre is now 13th in managerial wins and third among active managers, behind Tony LaRussa and Bobby Cox. Every retired manager ahead of him is in the Hall of Fame except for one (Geme Mauch). Alou is 59th all-time and eighth among active managers.

Here's the complete list of managers with at least 900 wins. Active managers are bolded: (PL=As Player, P/E=As Pioneer/Executive)

NameWLPCTFirstLastHall?
Connie Mack37313948.48618941950Y
John McGraw27631948.58618991932Y
Sparky Anderson21941834.54519701995Y
Bucky Harris21572218.49319241956Y
Tony LaRussa21381859.53519792005
Joe McCarthy21251333.61519261950Y
Walter Alston20401613.55819541976Y
Bobby Cox20251545.56719782005
Leo Durocher20081709.54019391973Y
Casey Stengel19051842.50819341965Y
Gene Mauch19022037.48319601987
Bill McKechnie18961723.52419151946Y
Joe Torre18001589.53119772005
Ralph Houk16191531.51419611984
Fred Clarke16021181.57618971915PL
Tom Lasorda15991439.52619761996Y
Dick Williams15711451.52019671988
Clark Griffith14911367.52219011920P/E
Earl Weaver14801060.58319681986Y
Lou Piniella14661350.52119862005
Miller Huggins14131134.55519131929Y
Al Lopez14101004.58419511969Y
Jimmie Dykes14061541.47719341961
Wilbert Robinson13991398.50019021931Y
Chuck Tanner13521381.49519701988
Ned Hanlon13131164.53018891907Y
Cap Anson1296947.57818751898PL
Charlie Grimm12871067.54719321960
Frank Selee1284862.59818901905Y
Whitey Herzog12811125.53219731990
Billy Martin12531013.55319691988
Bill Rigney12391321.48419561976
Joe Cronin12361055.54019331947PL
Harry Wright1225885.58118711893P/E
Hughie Jennings1184995.54319071925PL
Lou Boudreau11621224.48719421960PL
John McNamara11601233.48519691996
Davey Johnson1148888.56419842000
Tom Kelly11401244.47819862001
Frankie Frisch11381078.51419331951PL
Art Howe11291137.49819892004
Bobby Valentine11171072.51019852002
Danny Murtaugh1115950.54019571976
Jim Leyland10691131.48619861999
Billy Southworth1044704.59719291951
Red Schoendienst1041955.52219651990PL
Steve O'Neill1040821.55919351954
Dusty Baker1033882.53919932005
Jim Fregosi10281095.48419782000
Chuck Dressen1008973.50919341966
Mike Hargrove996963.50819912003
Bill Virdon995921.51919721984
Alvin Dark994954.51019611977
Jack McKeon947876.51919732005
Frank Chance946648.59319051923PL
Frank Robinson9331021.47719752005PL
Paul Richards923901.50619511976
Jimy Williams910790.53519862004
Felipe Alou900867.50919922005

In addition to the eight active managers on the list, Jimy Williams and Art Howe managed last season. 2005 is just the fifth year in baseball history in which there were at least eight managers with 900 wins. The other years were 1986, 1999, 2000, and 2004 (in which there were nine).

That made me wonder if expansion had been extending the average manager's career. Itake a look at the years with the most active managers with 1500 games at the helm:

YrMgrs w/ 1500 Gs
200412
200511*
200311
200011
200210
200110
19999
19869
19969
19528
19538
19858
19828
19818

Note: * 2005 includes the eight men above, Bruce Bochy, Phil Garner, and Buck Showalter (who was 108 games shy of 1500 at the start of the season).

Well, the last few years have featured a number of experienced managers, but a couple of years from the fifties sneak in as well. What if we looked at the number of games that the average manager had under his belt as of a given year?

YrG# Mgrs Avg
19502994518 1,663.61
19422421816 1,513.63
19412507517 1,475.00
19452639618 1,466.44
19432613618 1,452.00
19442517418 1,398.56
19312167816 1,354.88
19492511719 1,321.95
20003905630 1,301.87
19252601120 1,300.55
19482696421 1,284.00
19462823722 1,283.50
19262010816 1,256.75
19532132517 1,254.41
19242381419 1,253.37
19201966616 1,229.13
19402204618 1,224.78
19472190418 1,216.89
19993868032 1,208.75
19542091118 1,161.72
19231974317 1,161.35
19391963817 1,155.18
19301951417 1,147.88
19551936717 1,139.24
19561914117 1,125.94
20043790834 1,114.94
20033657833 1,108.42

Well, I guess that tells us that with more managerial jobs, there are more opportunities to have a long career as a manager. However, there also appear to be more opportunities to have a short career as well.

Just ask Tony Pena.

Comments
2005-05-16 06:48:42
1.   Jen
Tino has 8 home runs in 8 games, however they are not consecutive. He didn't hit one Friday night, but the 2 yesterday made up for it.
2005-05-16 08:21:22
2.   Mike Carminati
Oops, fixed.

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