NewsRising managerial stars making their mark
Gonzalez, Girardi, Washington are up-and-coming skippers
By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com
10/04/09 3:00 AM EST
Is Florida's Fredi Gonzalez the next Bobby Cox? How good can Arizona manager A.J. Hinch be? What will be Joe Girardi's legacy in New York and what does the future hold for Rangers manager Ron Washington?There are a few important questions surrounding some of the up-and-coming managers in the game, but there is one certainty -- these men are starting to make their mark on the game.
"I really like what Fredi has done over there," said Cox, who served as Gonzalez's mentor in Atlanta. "He has the respect of his players and they play hard. He's got a good team over there."
Cox, the fourth-winningest manager in Major League history, is right. Gonzalez is so good that he's making history.
Saturday's 4-2 victory against the Phillies gave Gonzalez 242 victories as the Florida manager, the most in team history. Former Marlins manager Jack McKeon won 241 from 2003-05.
Additionally, the Marlins' 87 victories this season are the third most by the franchise. The Marlins went 71-91 in Gonzalez's first season three years ago.
"It's good," Gonzalez said after Saturday's win. "Most of these guys have been here. When you've got good players and a good supporting staff, [you win]."
Part of Gonzalez's charm is his unassuming personality. He's able to handle a young roster and compete against the tough teams in the National League East because he lets his players play. Gonzalez doesn't need to be the star in his clubhouse because he gets recognition in other ways. Last season, he finished third in the NL Manager of the Year Award voting and won The Sporting News Manager of the Year.
Gonzalez can also keep light. He plans on reminding Cox that his Marlins finished higher than the Braves in the standings this year.
"I want it so in the offseason at the coffee shop I can have bragging rights on Bobby and Roger [McDowell]," Gonzalez joked.
Nobody was laughing in Arizona when Hinch took over for the popular Bob Melvin in May. Since becoming manager, Hinch's team has gone 57-74, and he served as a lightning rod for the team's shortcomings. A Stanford graduate and former front-office star, Hinch has had to deal with injuries to Brandon Webb, Eric Byrnes, Chris Snyder and Conor Jackson, among others, on the field. The D-backs will finish in last place in the NL West, but the team has rallied around its first-year manager and shown signs of progress.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre, fifth on the all-time wins list, knows the road to success as a manager is not an easy one but believes Hinch will be fine.
"There are a lot of challenges," Torre said. "The thing about managing is that strategy is one thing, especially in this league, but you have to make sure you don't get caught short by overdoing it early with players and running out. Secondly, it's all about paying attention and being aware of everybody. And [Hinch] was a catcher, so he'll have a pretty good idea of how the games are played. I'm a little partial to catchers knowing that aspect of the game because they're the ones that spend the most time with the manager anyways."
By contrast, Girardi's Yankees made a home at the top of the standings in the AL East, powering through the regular season and giving the city hope for a 27th World Series title. Girardi, like Torre before him, managed the star-studded roster with ease and professionalism. Should the Yankees win a World Series this season and continue to build on the franchise's dynasty in the future, Girardi will receive some credit.
He is 191-131 in two seasons in New York and won the 2006 NL Manager of The Year while with the Marlins.
Likewise, Washington has developed in Texas. In his third year at the helm, Washington is 241-243 overall as the club's skipper, but he led the Rangers to their second winning season in 10 years in 2009. He's grown into his role as manager with experience and has effectively incorporated the skills that made him a successful Major League player and third-base coach in Oakland.
The question with Washington and the other up-and-comers is: How high will they go?
Jesse Sanchez is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
