Everyone has a Top Ten or a Top 5 list. I decided to go one better than the top 10 and begin “Lawson’s Eleven”. Every couple of days we will take on a topic and produce the best eleven. Some will be topical to that day or week, some will just plain be quirky. Some will be local, some will not. On a rare occasion, it might not even technically be a sports list. We will just have to wait and see. Hopefully it will generate some discussion (and dissent).
Rex, if you disagree with any, have me on and we can debate it. Or are you scared? We need a round two after the Stallworth debate from last summer. Seriously though, I welcome all disagreements. That’s the fun in making a list…. seeing how wrong everybody else is.
We will start with an easy one today. Since the job security of Dave Trembley is not that good right now, lets look back at some better times and rank the Eleven Best Oriole managers. Since there have not been too many more than that ,the bottom of this list isn’t too distinguished. But today, they get their due.
LAWSON’S ELEVEN —– ORIOLE MANAGERS
11. Cal Ripken Sr. 68 wins .402%
His managerial tenure was a disaster; but since he did so much for the organization, he had to be included.
10. Mike Hargrove 275 wins .425%
9. Lee Mazzilli 129 wins .480%
8. Ray Miller 157 wins .485%
Mazzilli and Miller are not thought of too warmly around here. Well , maybe Miller as a pitching coach. But compared to what has transpired since, their relative .500 tenures look a lot better than they did at the time.
7. Paul Richards 517 wins .490%
6. Frank Robinson 230 wins .447%
Robinson’s tenure was rocky, but he gave us the Why Not? year.
5. Johnny Oates 291 wins .519%
The first one on the list with an over.500 record. That’s a little sad.
4. Joe Altobelli 212 wins .559 1 WS title
Joe got us a world series title. I don’t care if most people consider it still Earl’s guys, that is still an accomplishment that needs to be recognized.
3. Davey Johnson 186 wins .574 2 playoff appearances
He is second only to Weaver in playoff appearances as an Oriole manager, and maybe most importantly, those are our only two trips to the post season in the last 26 years.
2. Hank Bauer 407 wins .561% 1 WS title
He got the O’s into the playoffs after 12 years in Baltimore, and brought home the championship. He also had 94 and 97 wins in the two preceding years.
1. Earl Weaver 1,480 wins .583% 6 playoffs Apps/ 1 WS title
I mean really, who else could it be. When you think Oriole manager, you think Earl Weaver. Almost a thousand more wins than any other O’s manager. 60 percent of the playoff years and 4 of the 6 World Series trips were under his watch. The only thing he could have done differently were those three World Series losses.
Comments on Facebook