What does Joe Maddon do that makes him a good manager? I ask because if he was in Thr Bronx, he'd be fired by now for getting his butt kicked every October
Wow.. I disagree. Imagine Maddon had the talent that Girardi has? He has a team that is low budget yet he manages to keep his team competing year in and year out. Switch him and Girardi and the yankees win a lot more and Girardi would be somewhere else by now, probably TV... IMO
I think in all of the sports that we follow the baseball manager has the least to do with the team's success. I think their leadership is more about the culture they create than their judgement during the games. The bullpen is there the manager gets to shine or show that they are lost. Like that nice person Jim Leyland.
Is Joe Torre really a great manager for bringing Mo in to pitch the 8th and the 9th during the 99 and 00 playoffs? He did it bec he could do it. Joe Maddon has the best rotation in the league. That is why his team's compete. Outside of Price, he can thank Andrew Friedman for drafting top talent in later rounds, and for knowing when it was time to trade a star talent like Matt Garza. He brought back a return of Archer, and Fuld, who helped them.
Watch them deal Price for a nice return before the season starts.
And in regards to them having one pro hitter, that was the Yankees last year. This season, the Rays will have Will Myers batting behind Longoria. He might be better than Longoria. We'll see.
And for all the money the Yankees spent, the staff still isn't better than Tampa's. Maddon has NOTHING to do with that, unless he pulls a Dusty Baker and takes them out too soon or burns them out.