Re: Baseball managers are vastly overrated
Managers prepare the team throughout the year. Much more important than their contribution during the game, esp. in the American League. When the Royals fired John Wathan I watched the same defense slowly deteriorate under Hal McRae. Same players, just no emphasis or guidance. It took a year before they really started to show a marked drop off. I'm sure the same goes for managers who are hitting or pitching geniuses, but filtered through their asst. coaches, etc.
They also set the tone for how the team will handle adversity. After that yeah, the actual game is a lot like poker. You just to prepare, make the best decision, but most of your success on a given day will come down to whether the cards fall your way.
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