Attaining managerial success in Main League Baseball with a single staff is difficult. Doing so with a couple of is a very exceptional accomplishment. So, we discovered it noteworthy to focus on these big-league managers who loved profitable tenures with totally different franchises.
Listed in alphabetical order.
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There are solely 4 managers in Main League Baseball historical past to win two World Sequence titles with totally different groups. The beloved Anderson is certainly one of them. First, he guided Cincinnati’s “Large Crimson Machine” to back-to-back World Sequence triumphs in 1975 and 1976. Then, almost a decade later, Anderson gained one other title with a dominant Detroit Tigers’ membership in 1984. Throughout his 26 years as a big-league supervisor, Anderson gained 2,194 video games – good for sixth-most all time — and posted a powerful .545 successful proportion. The Corridor-of-Famer was twice named AL Supervisor of the Yr with the Tigers.
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Baker lastly shed the moniker of greatest supervisor by no means to win a World Sequence when the Houston Astros took down the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022. Not solely is the venerable and broadly revered Baker the one black supervisor to win 2,000 MLB video games, however he is additionally the primary to steer 5 totally different franchises to division titles. He did it twice with San Francisco (1997, 2000), then as supervisor of the Chicago Cubs in 2003, and two extra occasions whereas guiding Cincinnati (2010, ’12). Baker then spent two seasons in Washington, the place he gained the NL East in 2016 and ’17. Baker gained the AL West in two of his first three seasons with Houston.
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Berra spent elements of simply seven seasons as a major-league supervisor, which included two temporary stints, totaling three years, together with his beloved New York Yankees. After all, Berra loved some stable success in that function. First, by main the Yankees to the World Sequence in his first full managerial season in 1964, solely to lose in seven video games versus St. Louis. Berra then guided an 82-win New York Mets squad to the Fall Basic in 1973. After all, that group bumped into the dynasty referred to as the Oakland Athletics in dropping one other World Sequence.
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It is not stunning that Bochy, in his first season managing the Texas Rangers, had them main the AL West in June 2023. With greater than 2,040 victories, Bochy ranks tenth all-time in MLB historical past. He is certainly one of 10 managers to win at the least three World Sequence. All of those got here with the San Francisco Giants, and have been carried out throughout even-number years (2010, 2012, and 2014). And, earlier than impressively guiding San Francisco to these three rings, Bochy gained 4 division tiles whereas main the San Diego Padres from 1995-2006. In ’98, the Padres gained the NL earlier than falling to the New York Yankees within the World Sequence.
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It nonetheless appears arduous to imagine that amid all of the success Cox had throughout his second stint with Atlanta Braves, his managerial profession included only one World Sequence crown (1995) guiding these groups. Now, his Braves did win 5 NL pennants (’91, ’92, ’95, ’96, ’99), and Cox’s 2,504 victories rank fourth all-time amongst Main League skippers. Typically overshadowed by his time with the Braves is that Cox gained a division title with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985, once they completed 99-62. In reality, Toronto posted back-to-back 89-win seasons beneath Cox within the two years prior. He was additionally named supervisor of the yr with each golf equipment.
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Cronin gained greater than 1,200 video games and posted a .540 successful proportion throughout a managerial profession that spanned 1933-’47. Now, Cronin made simply two postseason appearances as a supervisor, however at a time that meant these groups have been within the World Sequence. Throughout his first season, as a player-manager for the Washington Senators in ’33, his membership misplaced in 5 video games to the New York Giants. It might not be till 1946 when Cronin returned to the World Sequence, however his Boston Crimson Sox misplaced to St. Louis in seven video games.
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Simply shy off 1,000 wins (994) for his managerial profession, Darkish helmed 5 totally different golf equipment from 1961-’77. In simply his second season as supervisor, in 1962, Darkish guided the San Francisco Giants to the World Sequence, the place they misplaced in seven video games to the New York Yankees. Following two less-than-stellar stints with Kansas Metropolis and Cleveland, Darkish took his managing act throughout the Bay to Oakland, the place he adopted up Dıck Williams by main the A’s to a 3rd of three straight World Sequence titles in 1974. He additionally took them to the AL Championship Sequence the subsequent season.
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Certain, Durocher may very well be unstable, particularly when it got here to coping with umpires. Nonetheless, he additionally gained greater than 2,000 video games, three pennants and a World Sequence — in 1954 with the New York Giants — as a supervisor. Durocher’s legacy has been a combined bag relating to historians. Whereas the success was there, it typically got here with a win-at-all-cost perspective and method to the sport. Nonetheless, the Corridor-of-Famer twice guided groups in Brooklyn that gained 100 or extra video games, and posted six straight successful seasons with the Chicago Cubs.
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Solely Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy have extra profession victories amongst lively managers than Francona, who’s posted greater than 1,901 throughout a profession that is spanned over 20 seasons. Often known as “Tito,” Francona ended the Boston Crimson Sox’s 86-year World Sequence drought in 2004 — in his first season because the staff’s supervisor — after which claimed one other ring in 2007. As of 2023, he was nonetheless making an attempt to information the Cleveland Guardians to their first world championship since 1948. Nonetheless, he has gained 4 AL Central titles in Cleveland and almost gained that much-anticipated championship in 2016.
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Harris is likely to be greatest referred to as the youngest supervisor in Main League Baseball historical past when he took over the Washington Senators in 1924. At age 28, Harris led the Senators to their lone World Sequence title that very same yr. The next yr, Washington once more gained the pennant however misplaced within the World Sequence. It wasn’t till 1947 that Harris claimed his subsequent World Sequence title as a supervisor — main the New York Yankees to victory in a seven-game traditional in opposition to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Harris ranks within the prime 10 with 2,159 managerial victories.
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Johnson has generated success nearly wherever he is gone, whether or not as a participant or coach. He gained two World Sequence as a participant with the Baltimore Orioles, then after turning into a supervisor, blossomed into among the finest within the recreation. From 1984-2013, Johnson managed 5 totally different groups — New York Mets, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington. Remarkably, Johnson guided 4 of these golf equipment to division titles, failing solely with the Dodgers, who gained 86 video games for him in 2000. After all, Johnson, who gained supervisor of the yr with each the Orioles and Nationals, took the Mets to that thrilling, comeback World Sequence victory over Boston in 1986.
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Second all-time in major-league historical past with 2,901 managerial victories. La Russa has earned legend standing with two franchises — the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals, the place he gained six mixed pennants. In 1989, he guided the A’s to the World Sequence title, and twice claimed the crown with the Cardinals (2006 and 2011). La Russa additionally took the White Sox to a division crown in 1983, then returned to that very same dugout in 2021, following a 10-year absence. La Russa led the White Sox to 93 wins and an AL Central title throughout that ’21 marketing campaign.
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Leyland ranks among the many prime 20 all time together with his 1,769 managerial victories. A 3-time supervisor of the yr, Leyland is one other skipper who took two totally different groups, from each leagues, to the World Sequence. After all, he gained all of it with the 1997 Florida Marlins, and got here up brief twice with Detroit — in 2006 and 2012. Earlier than that, nevertheless, Leyland guided Pittsburgh to a few consecutive division titles from 1990-’92, however by no means gained a playoff collection in any of these seasons.
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Lopez is a type of nice managers who, dubiously, will be put within the class of greatest to not win a World Sequence. That, clearly, shouldn’t diminish something Lopez completed as a big-league supervisor. He gained 850 video games and posted an distinctive .564 successful proportion throughout his 17 seasons as skipper with Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox. Lopez, identified for his laid-back, hands-off method together with his gamers, took each franchises to the World Sequence, first with a 111-win Cleveland membership in 1954, after which with Chicago in 1959.
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Of all these included on this listing, Maddon simply is likely to be probably the most deserving. In some ways, he is a miracle employee. He guided a then-lowly Tampa Bay franchise to the 2008 AL pennant — its first successful season in franchise historical past. Then, and maybe even extra spectacular, Maddon turned the primary supervisor since Frank Probability to win a World Sequence with the Chicago Cubs, in 2016. Maddon led the Cubs to 92 or extra wins in 4 of his 5 seasons as supervisor. Now, Maddon’s return to the Los Angeles Angels did not work out effectively, however he is gained 1,382 profession video games and boasts a .532 successful proportion.
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Martin is among the recreation’s true characters, for higher or worse, and sometimes at his personal hand. That mentioned, he might additionally handle within the majors fairly effectively. Whereas his two tenures guiding the New York Yankees received probably the most consideration and produced his solely managerial World Sequence triumph, Martin additionally had important success elsewhere in baseball. He led groups to division titles in Minnesota (1969), Detroit (1972), and Oakland (1981). He managed elements of 18 seasons, posting a 1,253-1,013 file, good for a extremely spectacular .553 successful proportion.
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One of many 12 managers to win at the least 2,000 video games, 2,125 to be actual. McCarthy managed three of probably the most storied franchises in baseball (Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Boston Crimson Sox). In 24 seasons as a supervisor, McCarthy by no means suffered a dropping file. He gained 9 pennants — the primary supervisor to win in each leagues — and led the Yankees to seven World Sequence titles, together with 4 straight from 1936-39. In Chicago, McCarthy went 442-321 and led the Cubs to the NL pennant in 1929. Whereas managing the Crimson Sox, McCarthy’s groups mixed for a 223-145 mark in just a little greater than two seasons.
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Often known as “The Deacon.” McKechnie has actually left his mark within the annals of Main League Baseball. For starters, McKechnie is certainly one of two big-league managers to win three pennants with three totally different groups, doing so with Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Cincinnati. He additionally holds the excellence of being the primary supervisor to win a World Sequence with two totally different golf equipment, guiding the Pirates to the crown in 1925, and Reds in 1940. McKechnie totaled 1,896 managerial victories as a big-league skipper, which as of 2023, ranks sixteenth all-time.
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One of many nice lively managers within the recreation, Melvin, as of 2023, was manning the dugout for the San Diego Padres, with whom he took to the NLCS in his debut marketing campaign of 2022. That was the third totally different staff that Melvin has guided to the playoffs. Following a good stint in Arizona (which included an NLCS journey in 2007), a few of Melvin’s greatest work got here in Oakland, from 2011-2021. He led the Oakland A’s to back-to-back 97-win seasons in 2018-19, and a third-straight journey to the postseason in ’20 — marking the second such playoff run whereas answerable for the membership.
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We’re digging deep into the annals to notice Moran’s success as a big-league supervisor. Quickly after retiring as a participant in 1914, Moran was named supervisor of the Philadelphia Phillies. These Phillies gained 268 video games throughout Moran’s first three seasons in cost (1915-’17), and reached the World Sequence throughout his rookie managerial marketing campaign. Then whereas managing the Cincinnati Reds, Moran guided that franchise to its first World Sequence title, beating the Chicago White Sox in 1919. For this nine-year managerial profession, Moran went 748-586 (.561).
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A World Sequence champion as a participant and supervisor, “Candy Lou” needs to be lauded extra for the latter. He managed 5 groups and earned supervisor of the yr honors 3 times. It started with the Yankees, who he starred with through the mid-to-late Seventies. Nonetheless, it was his first season with Cincinnati in 1990 that Piniella gained the World Sequence. Then it was off to Seattle, the place his Mariners gained 4 AL West titles over a seven-season span, highlighted by that historic 116-win squad of 2001. But, none of these Seattle playoff groups gained a postseason collection. The identical goes for his back-to-back NL Central-winning groups with the Chicago Cubs in 2007 and ’08. Nonetheless, Piniella ranks seventeenth all-time with 1,835 managerial victories.
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Nonetheless going robust, Showalter is among the many prime 20 managers with greater than 1,680 victories in additional than 20 years of service. He is the one skipper to win supervisor of the yr in 4 totally different many years and the third to say that honor with 4 totally different golf equipment (New York Yankees, Texas, Baltimore, New York Mets). Showalter has additionally gained division titles whereas managing 4 totally different groups. Nonetheless, in quite gorgeous trend, none of Showalter’s groups have reached the World Sequence. In his late 60s, it would not appear Showalter is able to depart the dugout quickly. So, hope nonetheless stays.
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Billy Southworth
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Speak about getting the job carried out. Southworth posted a stellar 1,044-704 (.597) file as a supervisor, thus producing among the finest successful percentages in major-league historical past. He gained over 600 video games guiding the St. Louis Cardinals, and two World Sequence — in 1942 and ’44. Southworth then managed the Boston Braves from 1946-’51, the place his groups gained 81 or extra video games 4 occasions. Southworth suffered simply two dropping seasons throughout his 13-year run as a supervisor — his first in 1929 and final in 1951, when these groups have been a mixed 5 video games beneath .500.
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As of 2023, Torre, who loved a Corridor-of-Fame profession as a participant, ranks fifth all-time with 2,326 wins as in a managerial capability. Torre’s run as a supervisor toiled in his early days on the job with the New York Mets earlier than successful a division title at Atlanta and posting three straight over-.500 seasons with St. Louis. Nonetheless, it was, clearly, with the New York Yankees the place Torre’s managerial legacy was really etched. He guided New York to 6 AL pennants and 4 World Sequence titles, together with three straight from 1998-2000.
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The venerable Williams joins Invoice McKechnie as the one managers to win three pennants with three golf equipment. One among baseball’s nice personalities, Williams guided these high-powered Oakland Athletics groups to back-to-back World Sequence titles in 1972 and 1973. Nonetheless, his greatest managerial job might need been taking an afterthought-1967 Crimson Sox group all the best way to the World Sequence. In 1984, Williams led the San Diego Padres to the Fall Basic but in addition fell brief in successful all of it once more. For his profession, Williams gained greater than 1,500 video games and posted a .520 successful proportion.
A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports activities, leisure and popular culture for almost 30 years. If he might do it once more, he’d attend Degrassi Junior Excessive, Ampipe Excessive and Grand Lakes College.