tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post6753338476039904027..comments2023-10-16T07:13:12.123-05:00Comments on A plain blog about politics: Friday Baseball PostJonathan Bernsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-50441463355923616852012-08-12T01:09:04.123-05:002012-08-12T01:09:04.123-05:00Well, I don't think it proves anything, but re...Well, I don't think it proves anything, but repeated cases of it are highly suggestive.<br /><br />I don't agree that managers don't make a significant difference, at least not all the time. Lots of manager stuff -- in-game tactics, lineup order -- doesn't matter much. But e.g. the Giants have given Belt 311 PAs, while giving ~175 to Pill and Huff...that's mostly manager, and that's a fairly big deal. <br /><br />There's plenty more. I think managers (plus pitching coaches, organization overall -- but managers are the ones mostly responsible) play a major role in breaking in young pitchers, and a lesser but still real role in breaking in young hitters. <br /><br />And I wouldn't entirely discount the possibility that they can help or hurt the team overall with leadership or lack thereof.Jonathan Bernsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-59674369150242217312012-08-11T04:49:38.753-05:002012-08-11T04:49:38.753-05:00Hate to nitpick, but aren't you committing the...Hate to nitpick, but aren't you committing the same fallacy as those who pin an electoral loss on the quality of the candidate or blame the president for a bad economy? There might be some small effects at the margins, but generally managers don't make a significant difference. There may be good managers and bad managers, and Davey Johnson may fall in the latter category, but isn't comparing a team's record the years before and after he took over a fairly bad way to judge this?Drewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-25913524916024020112012-08-11T02:40:21.651-05:002012-08-11T02:40:21.651-05:00The sad thing is that he wasn't fired from Cin...The sad thing is that he wasn't fired from Cincinnati for any on-field reasons. That only happened because Marge Schott didn't like that he was "living in sin" with his girlfriend. And possibly he didn't own enough Nazi memorabilia for her taste.Kevin S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06076147424768269913noreply@blogger.com