Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

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  • SPTO
    binging
    • Feb 2003
    • 68046

    #1

    Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

    Earlier this winter I was looking at the managerial record of Tony La Russa and I was totally floored by his record. La Russa to me, has been a very good manager but I never thought of him as one of the legendary greats. However his record seems to indicate that that is exactly what he is. As of now his record is

    2114-1846 which is a .534 win %

    That isn't too impressive % wise but the amount of wins puts him in 6th place all time. What's even more amazing is that La Russa is more than likely to jump to 3rd place all time after this season as he's only 80 games behind Sparky Anderson!

    He would need at least 10 yrs or so more to climb to 2nd place. I don't know if he'll manage that long as he was 59 yrs old last year. Needless to say I don't think we'll see a modern day manager attain those kind of numbers.

    This is truly amazing if you ask me. So what do you guys think of La Russa as a manager and his accomplishments?
    Member of the Official OS Bills Backers Club

    "Baseball is the most important thing that doesn't matter at all" - Robert B. Parker
  • glucklich
    Banned
    • Jun 2004
    • 4272

    #2
    Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

    No, he had loaded teams in the late 80s and early 90s and only won one WS. He should have decent win totals with those teams. Actually Jim Leyland was better than LaRussa. I dont know if Whitey Herzog is our generation but Id say hes better than LaRussa also. But perhaps the best of our generation is Lou Pinella. His 1990 team played a great brand of baseball and swept a LaRussa managed team who, it could be said, had superior talent. Plus, look at the Mariners after Lou left and the DRays before Lou and with Lou. So those are three off the top of my head that I would take before LaRussa in a heartbeat: Pinella, Leyland and Herzog are all better than Tony.

    Comment

    • glucklich
      Banned
      • Jun 2004
      • 4272

      #3
      Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

      No, he had loaded teams in the late 80s and early 90s and only won one WS. He should have decent win totals with those teams. Actually Jim Leyland was better than LaRussa. I dont know if Whitey Herzog is our generation but Id say hes better than LaRussa also. But perhaps the best of our generation is Lou Pinella. His 1990 team played a great brand of baseball and swept a LaRussa managed team who, it could be said, had superior talent. Plus, look at the Mariners after Lou left and the DRays before Lou and with Lou. So those are three off the top of my head that I would take before LaRussa in a heartbeat: Pinella, Leyland and Herzog are all better than Tony.

      Comment

      • Birdsonbat
        MVP
        • Feb 2003
        • 1003

        #4
        Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

        I am not really that big of a fan of LaRussa. He is very famous for "overmanaging", something he did not do as much as he usually does last year. There are just things about him and Duncan that I don't really like.

        The writer of Friday Night Lights just released a book that enters the mind of LaRussa during a three game set against the Cubs called Three Nights in August. I will definitely check it out as it seems like a good read even if I'm not a LaRussa fan.

        Comment

        • Birdsonbat
          MVP
          • Feb 2003
          • 1003

          #5
          Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

          I am not really that big of a fan of LaRussa. He is very famous for "overmanaging", something he did not do as much as he usually does last year. There are just things about him and Duncan that I don't really like.

          The writer of Friday Night Lights just released a book that enters the mind of LaRussa during a three game set against the Cubs called Three Nights in August. I will definitely check it out as it seems like a good read even if I'm not a LaRussa fan.

          Comment

          • USCTrojan83
            Pro
            • Mar 2005
            • 591

            #6
            Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

            Bobby Cox comes to mind when I think of a Great Manager...
            -.567 Winning % Career ...... .571 W% with ATL
            -Has captured 1st place in the NL East since 1991 all but one time which was '94
            -Downfall 1 world Series Win in 5 appearances
            -Upside - Seeing what he did after they lost Sheffield, Castilla, and Lopez last year...

            Also

            Joe Torre
            - .531 W% Career ...... .610 W% with the NYY
            -Captured 1st Place all but 2 times since 1996
            - Downfall - Had Alot Of Talent Around Him
            - Upside - Gets the job done with wins 4 WS rings in 6 Appearances
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            • USCTrojan83
              Pro
              • Mar 2005
              • 591

              #7
              Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

              Bobby Cox comes to mind when I think of a Great Manager...
              -.567 Winning % Career ...... .571 W% with ATL
              -Has captured 1st place in the NL East since 1991 all but one time which was '94
              -Downfall 1 world Series Win in 5 appearances
              -Upside - Seeing what he did after they lost Sheffield, Castilla, and Lopez last year...

              Also

              Joe Torre
              - .531 W% Career ...... .610 W% with the NYY
              -Captured 1st Place all but 2 times since 1996
              - Downfall - Had Alot Of Talent Around Him
              - Upside - Gets the job done with wins 4 WS rings in 6 Appearances
              NCAA Football
              USC Trojans
              NFL Football
              Buffalo Bills
              San Francisco 49ers
              MLB Baseball
              Los Angeles Angeles of Anahiem
              Atlanta Braves
              NHL Hockey
              Los Angeles Kings

              Comment

              • AI_Franchise
                Banned
                • Nov 2002
                • 2146

                #8
                Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

                Originally posted by USCTrojan83
                Bobby Cox comes to mind when I think of a Great Manager...
                -.567 Winning % Career ...... .571 W% with ATL
                -Has captured 1st place in the NL East since 1991 all but one time which was '94
                -Downfall 1 world Series Win in 5 appearances
                -Upside - Seeing what he did after they lost Sheffield, Castilla, and Lopez last year...

                Also

                Joe Torre
                - .531 W% Career ...... .610 W% with the NYY
                -Captured 1st Place all but 2 times since 1996
                - Downfall - Had Alot Of Talent Around Him
                - Upside - Gets the job done with wins 4 WS rings in 6 Appearances
                ditto. Both are higher than LaRussa.

                Comment

                • AI_Franchise
                  Banned
                  • Nov 2002
                  • 2146

                  #9
                  Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

                  Originally posted by USCTrojan83
                  Bobby Cox comes to mind when I think of a Great Manager...
                  -.567 Winning % Career ...... .571 W% with ATL
                  -Has captured 1st place in the NL East since 1991 all but one time which was '94
                  -Downfall 1 world Series Win in 5 appearances
                  -Upside - Seeing what he did after they lost Sheffield, Castilla, and Lopez last year...

                  Also

                  Joe Torre
                  - .531 W% Career ...... .610 W% with the NYY
                  -Captured 1st Place all but 2 times since 1996
                  - Downfall - Had Alot Of Talent Around Him
                  - Upside - Gets the job done with wins 4 WS rings in 6 Appearances
                  ditto. Both are higher than LaRussa.

                  Comment

                  • glucklich
                    Banned
                    • Jun 2004
                    • 4272

                    #10
                    Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

                    Originally posted by USCTrojan83
                    Bobby Cox comes to mind when I think of a Great Manager...
                    -.567 Winning % Career ...... .571 W% with ATL
                    -Has captured 1st place in the NL East since 1991 all but one time which was '94
                    -Downfall 1 world Series Win in 5 appearances
                    -Upside - Seeing what he did after they lost Sheffield, Castilla, and Lopez last year...

                    Also

                    Joe Torre
                    - .531 W% Career ...... .610 W% with the NYY
                    -Captured 1st Place all but 2 times since 1996
                    - Downfall - Had Alot Of Talent Around Him
                    - Upside - Gets the job done with wins 4 WS rings in 6 Appearances
                    OK, Bobby Cox is a good choice. He also skippered Toronto to the 1985 ALCS, no? The only thing is I give enormous credit to Leo Mazzone. I guess you could say part of managing is picking the right people but with Mazzone the deck is stacked in his favor. Also John Schuerholz has been very underrated as a GM especially since the Epstein/Cashman/Beane have all came to the foreground.

                    Joe, hes done well with the Yankees but look at their payroll. You could make a Phil Jackson comparison except here we are comparing him with LaRussa. Was Jocketty the GM when Torre managed the Cardinals because Torres stint in St Louis didnt go so well...especially compared to the White Rat who was the kind of manager that would build a moat when the enemy was closing in.

                    Comment

                    • glucklich
                      Banned
                      • Jun 2004
                      • 4272

                      #11
                      Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

                      Originally posted by USCTrojan83
                      Bobby Cox comes to mind when I think of a Great Manager...
                      -.567 Winning % Career ...... .571 W% with ATL
                      -Has captured 1st place in the NL East since 1991 all but one time which was '94
                      -Downfall 1 world Series Win in 5 appearances
                      -Upside - Seeing what he did after they lost Sheffield, Castilla, and Lopez last year...

                      Also

                      Joe Torre
                      - .531 W% Career ...... .610 W% with the NYY
                      -Captured 1st Place all but 2 times since 1996
                      - Downfall - Had Alot Of Talent Around Him
                      - Upside - Gets the job done with wins 4 WS rings in 6 Appearances
                      OK, Bobby Cox is a good choice. He also skippered Toronto to the 1985 ALCS, no? The only thing is I give enormous credit to Leo Mazzone. I guess you could say part of managing is picking the right people but with Mazzone the deck is stacked in his favor. Also John Schuerholz has been very underrated as a GM especially since the Epstein/Cashman/Beane have all came to the foreground.

                      Joe, hes done well with the Yankees but look at their payroll. You could make a Phil Jackson comparison except here we are comparing him with LaRussa. Was Jocketty the GM when Torre managed the Cardinals because Torres stint in St Louis didnt go so well...especially compared to the White Rat who was the kind of manager that would build a moat when the enemy was closing in.

                      Comment

                      • USCTrojan83
                        Pro
                        • Mar 2005
                        • 591

                        #12
                        Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

                        Originally posted by glucklich
                        OK, Bobby Cox is a good choice. He also skippered Toronto to the 1985 ALCS, no?
                        Yup I believe so I know he was the manager in Toronto b4 the Braves...

                        Originally posted by glucklich
                        Joe, hes done well with the Yankees but look at their payroll. You could make a Phil Jackson comparison except here we are comparing him with LaRussa. Was Jocketty the GM when Torre managed the Cardinals because Torres stint in St Louis didnt go so well...especially compared to the White Rat who was the kind of manager that would build a moat when the enemy was closing in.
                        I like the reference to Phil Jackson on that one...

                        I dont know how bad the relationship was ith Walk and Joe but his W% was about .500 there...in ATL he had about a .530 which is why Walt gave him the STL job....then he landed in the lucky arms of the NYY after Walt gave him the heave-ho

                        Now im trying to think....Has there ever been a NFL coach with the same luck of the draw as maybe Jackson...lots of talent and championships but floundered without the talent?

                        Would you put Ditka in that realm? Maybe Holmgren?
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                        • USCTrojan83
                          Pro
                          • Mar 2005
                          • 591

                          #13
                          Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

                          Originally posted by glucklich
                          OK, Bobby Cox is a good choice. He also skippered Toronto to the 1985 ALCS, no?
                          Yup I believe so I know he was the manager in Toronto b4 the Braves...

                          Originally posted by glucklich
                          Joe, hes done well with the Yankees but look at their payroll. You could make a Phil Jackson comparison except here we are comparing him with LaRussa. Was Jocketty the GM when Torre managed the Cardinals because Torres stint in St Louis didnt go so well...especially compared to the White Rat who was the kind of manager that would build a moat when the enemy was closing in.
                          I like the reference to Phil Jackson on that one...

                          I dont know how bad the relationship was ith Walk and Joe but his W% was about .500 there...in ATL he had about a .530 which is why Walt gave him the STL job....then he landed in the lucky arms of the NYY after Walt gave him the heave-ho

                          Now im trying to think....Has there ever been a NFL coach with the same luck of the draw as maybe Jackson...lots of talent and championships but floundered without the talent?

                          Would you put Ditka in that realm? Maybe Holmgren?
                          NCAA Football
                          USC Trojans
                          NFL Football
                          Buffalo Bills
                          San Francisco 49ers
                          MLB Baseball
                          Los Angeles Angeles of Anahiem
                          Atlanta Braves
                          NHL Hockey
                          Los Angeles Kings

                          Comment

                          • glucklich
                            Banned
                            • Jun 2004
                            • 4272

                            #14
                            Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

                            Originally posted by USCTrojan83
                            Yup I believe so I know he was the manager in Toronto b4 the Braves...



                            I like the reference to Phil Jackson on that one...

                            I dont know how bad the relationship was ith Walk and Joe but his W% was about .500 there...in ATL he had about a .530 which is why Walt gave him the STL job....then he landed in the lucky arms of the NYY after Walt gave him the heave-ho

                            Now im trying to think....Has there ever been a NFL coach with the same luck of the draw as maybe Jackson...lots of talent and championships but floundered without the talent?

                            Would you put Ditka in that realm? Maybe Holmgren?
                            How did we end up on football?

                            Comment

                            • glucklich
                              Banned
                              • Jun 2004
                              • 4272

                              #15
                              Re: Tony La Russa: greatest manager of our generation?

                              Originally posted by USCTrojan83
                              Yup I believe so I know he was the manager in Toronto b4 the Braves...



                              I like the reference to Phil Jackson on that one...

                              I dont know how bad the relationship was ith Walk and Joe but his W% was about .500 there...in ATL he had about a .530 which is why Walt gave him the STL job....then he landed in the lucky arms of the NYY after Walt gave him the heave-ho

                              Now im trying to think....Has there ever been a NFL coach with the same luck of the draw as maybe Jackson...lots of talent and championships but floundered without the talent?

                              Would you put Ditka in that realm? Maybe Holmgren?
                              How did we end up on football?

                              Comment

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