MLB Managers Facing A Different Environment
In the past, General Managers assembled the team and handed it over to the managers to run. On a daily basis, the 25 man roster was set, with the front office deciding the moves. After that, the team was in the manager's hands.
This is no longer the case.
It is hard to determine where the reach of the front office stops and the manager takes over. Some of the more seasoned managers, like Bruce Bochy, still control their lineup cards. This is the minority in the game today.
With MLB teams using advanced analytics, the role of the manager is becoming more specialized. With each decision removed, the role is more of messenger than decision maker.
This fact could be a reason why many inexperienced managers are being hired around baseball. It could be the key requirement is for someone to know his way around a clubhouse and be able to interact with players. The majority of the decisions come from the front office.
Terry Collins, most recently managing with the New York Mets, went on MLB network a couple months back and stated that the line up card is not even the manager's anymore. He claimed that when he walked it to his office, it was sitting there on the desk, already filled out.
If this is, indeed, true, then what is there to prevent the front office from listing the relievers that will pitch that day and in what order? Would establishing the pitchers game plan be out of comprehension?
Many long time baseball enthusiasts complain about the calculator geeks taking over. There is a certain validity to this viewpoint. The analytics departments are filled with MBA holders from Harvard as opposed to long time baseball people.
Fans still get on the managers about a variety of decision. The online world of sports blogs makes it easy to attack the manager. The question is this the person really making the decisions?
From all appearances, it does seem that the manager is just doing what he is told. Any blame will need to fall upon the front office and, perhaps, ownership.
It should be noted that Bochy is retiring at the end of the year. We will have to watch the situation to see what the Giants decide but there is a good chance we see another very young, inexperienced manager taking his place.
After all, communication is all that is required without the authority to make decisions.