Shortstop Managers

Alan Trammell has just been named to manage the Tigers in 2003. It is his first managerial job ever, and seems more of a PR move to revitalize the Tiger club by capturing-let's not say "trammeling", which has a more negative connotation-the team's history in the on-field product. It doesn't really matter who manages this team if they can't produce or acquire better players. When Randall Simon is your best player, you have problems.

But it got me to think about the spat of catchers turned managers lately and the dearth of former-shortstop mangers. There had been four this past season: Larry Bowa (Phils), Jimmy Williams (Stros), Bobby Valentine (Mets), and Rookie Ron Gardenhire (Twins). With Valentine's firing and Trammel's hiring, they remain at four. No longer are we in the halcyon days of the eighties when there were 7 different former-ss managers in three different years (1981, '86, and '87). It's not even 1998, the last time there were more than four (Valentine, Williams, Bill Russell, Tim Johnson, and Glenn Hoffman). There have been 67 all-time. Trammell makes 68.

Let's take a short look (get it?) at the history shortstops-turned-managers (SSMs). Here are the SSMs who have won at least 500 games:

Name             First Last   G     W    L  PCT Post W-L
Leo Durocher      1939 1973 3739 2008 1709 .537  7  8
Joe Cronin        1933 1947 2315 1236 1055 .534  4  8
Hughie Jennings   1907 1925 2203 1184  995 .537  4 12
Lou Boudreau      1942 1960 2404 1162 1224 .483  4  2
Bobby Valentine   1985 2002 2189 1117 1072 .510 13 11
Jim Fregosi       1978 2000 2123 1028 1095 .484  7  9
Alvin Dark        1961 1977 1950  994  954 .510 10  9
Jimy Williams     1986 2002 1450  779  671 .537  5  9
Dick Howser       1978 1986  933  507  425 .543  8 15
Roger Peckinpaugh 1914 1941  995  500  491 .503  

Here are the SSMs with a .520 or better winning percentage:

Name             First Last    G    W    L   PCT Post W-L
Dick Tracewski    1979 1979    2    2    0 1.000  
George Wright     1879 1879   85   59   25  .694  
Ron Gradenhire    2002 2002  161   94   67  .584 4  3
Tom Carey         1873 1873   24   14    9  .583  
Billy Hunter      1977 1978  254  146  108  .575  
Jack Barry        1917 1917  157   90   62  .573  
John Ward         1880 1894  618  336  264  .544 4  0
Dick Howser       1978 1986  933  507  425  .543 8 15
Tim Johnson       1998 1998  162   88   74  .543  
Dickey Pearce     1875 1875   72   39   29  .542  
Eddie Kasko       1970 1973  640  345  295  .539  
Hughie Jennings   1907 1925 2203 1184  995  .537 4 12
Bill Russell      1996 1998  322  173  149  .537 0  3
Jimy Williams     1986 2002 1450  779  671  .537 5  9
Leo Durocher      1939 1973 3739 2008 1709  .537 7  8
Glenn Hoffman     1998 1998   88   47   41  .534  
Joe Cronin        1933 1947 2315 1236 1055  .534 4  8
Bud Harrelson     1990 1991  274  145  129  .529  
Hal Lanier        1986 1988  486  254  232  .523 2  4

So let's wish Alan Trammell luck as he starts his new career. Just keep in mind that being a great shortstop does not ensure that the individual will be a great manager. Look at the greatest of them all, Honus Wagner. He resigned after only five games and a 1-4 record in his brief 1917 trial as the Pirates manager.