[Lefty Noob]

Who is the best skipper in the game today?

I ask because I was reading the AP's report about the Braves resigning Bobby Cox through 2007, and I caught the following quote from John Schuerholz.

"We feel that Bobby is the best manager in the game and his leadership has helped the Braves to set a very high standard of excellence -- not just in major league baseball, but in all of professional sports," general manager John Schuerholz said.

Cox is 7th on the all-time wins list with 2,092. He's led Atlanta to 14 consecutive division titles, and has won the last two NL manager of the year awards. But is he the best manager in baseball? And if not, then who is it?

[Zack Man]

I like Tony Larussa and the Cardinals

[EmpireWF]

Hate to say it but Bobby Cox. He has done nothing short of keeping his team atop the NL East for over a decade. He's done it in recent years with a fast changing roster and younger guys.

[legend]

Mike Scioscia is my pick. Cox is good, you have to be to win that many games. So is LaRussa, but I think he tends to overmanage. Scioscia has a great feel for his team, and he sure knows how to beat the yankees, much to my dismay. Cox never gets enough credit. When he wins, Leo Mazzone was always hailed as the genius that made the pitchers better. Wait until he gets aload of that Baltimore staff. We will see if he is as good as he thinks he is this year.
But there are no Billy Martin's managing today, that's for sure.

[desertrat]

Only 1 World Series title to go with those 14 straight division titles. Still, Bobby Cox is going to be remembered as one of baseball's greatest managers of all time. Mike Sciosia, Joe Torre, and Tony LaRussa are all among the best in the game today. A few years ago the argument could have been made for Lou Pinniella when he was in Seattle.

[ThePundit]

1) As good as Cox is in the regular season, I can't say he's the best. He makes too many head scratching moves in the post season: 1 World Series in 15 years is not enough.

2) Torre has really fallen off the last 2 years. He was just awful against the Red Sox 2 years ago. It was like he was afraid to actually manage. I can go over specific examples from that series if you like.

3) LaRussa? He more than anyone is the cause for 3 1/2 hour games. I hate this managing by computer that he and Buck Showalter have made famous. They overcomplicate a pretty simple game.

Who is the best? Give me Ozzie Guillen. I was so impressed by him last post season. He's the anti-LaRussa and Showalter. He manages the right way. By his gut and doesn't make baseball out to be nuclear physics.

[legend]

I agree with everything you say, except Ozzie needs to show last year just wasn't the White Sox year. Torre is the most predictable manager out there; his gift is being able to handle so many egos. LaRussa and Showalter do make it seem like a chemistry course, except LaRussa has some results, Showalter has none.

[xdavidwattsx]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

1) As good as Cox is in the regular season, I can't say he's the best. He makes too many head scratching moves in the post season: 1 World Series in 15 years is not enough.
.

Wow, that's a pretty big mouthful. In the last 15 years, only three teams have won more than one World Series..the Yanks (4), Marlins (2) and Toronto (2). Further, a whopping 20 teams haven't won a single World Series in 15 years.

I don't think it's too difficult to argue the results Bobby Cox has accomplished compared to the Marlins and Toronto. The Yanks are another story all together since they have the whole league on their payroll.

Ozzie Guillen and Scioscia have a long way to go before they walk in the shoes of Bobby Cox, especially since both of them "have only won one World Series in 15 years."

[EmpireWF]

Ozzie Guillen was great last season but his rotation was on fire down the stretch. If his rotation wasn't going complete games, perhaps the ChiSox don't win the WS. Still a bit young to declare him the best in the game.

[desertrat]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

Ozzie Guillen was great last season but his rotation was on fire down the stretch. If his rotation wasn't going complete games, perhaps the ChiSox don't win the WS. Still a bit young to declare him the best in the game.

Lets not forget the extra out they were given against the Angels when the home plate ump erroneously claimed that the Angels catcher did not catch strike three. That may have been the key play in the White Sox drive to the World Series. If Angels had won that game, they would have been up 2 games to none and that changes everything.