Graphaholic: Mets Manager Winning Percentages

by Eric Simon on Nov 3, 2009 12:00 PM EST

The Mets have had nineteen managers in their 48 year history, from Casey Stengel, who helmed the incipient mess of the early sixties, to Jerry Manuel, who gangsta-fies the current bloated injury-fest. Davey Johnson has managed the most games (1012); Mike Cubbage has managed the fewest (7). Two have managed for parts of seven seasons (Johnson, Bobby Valentine); four have managed for less than one season (Cubbage, Salty Parker, Roy McMillan, Frank Howard).

Here is a chart of the winning percentages of all nineteen managers, from lowest to highest.

(click to embiggen)

We all know that a manager is really only as good as his players. Davey Johnson's players were great; Casey Stengel's were woeful. Considering the discourteous manner in which Willie Randolph was let go two seasons ago, and considering how unfavorably he seems to be remembered by Mets' fans, the man owns the second-highest winning percentage in team history, sandwiched between Met Rushmore skippers Valentine and Johnson.

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Comments

Salty Parker vs. Razor Shines for best coaching name in Mets history.

by Mr. Bananagrabber on Nov 3, 2009 12:37 PM EST reply actions

I'm actually shocked

that Bud Harrelson had a winning record.

You don't cheer for the Mets. You drink for the Mets.

by Kevin H on Nov 3, 2009 1:13 PM EST reply actions

I'll admit it and take the heat

I liked Willie. There, I said it, so go screw yourselves.

by lstorie1971 on Nov 3, 2009 1:50 PM EST reply actions

I liked him

but I think he had “lost the team” so to speak. I don’t think it can be entirely a coincidence how much better they started playing immediately after firing him.

"[The Giants] beat us down. We were beat by a grown-man team, a team we want to be like one day. They came in here and took it to us. Out-manned us, out-gunned us. ... It wasn't even close." - Raheem Morris, 9/27/09

by cjmulrain on Nov 3, 2009 2:34 PM EST up reply actions

So did I.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Nov 3, 2009 3:17 PM EST up reply actions

I wanted him gone after 05

but like everyone else, I like him in 06. Hard not to like the anyone on the team when you’re one of the best teams in baseball. I was happy to see him go though. he wasn’t a good manager and if Jerry didn’t suck so much, Willie would have been the worst manager I thought existed.

"We must win and we must know how to win rather than win because we have statistical people."

by Evan_S on Nov 3, 2009 5:10 PM EST up reply actions

SHOCKER!

Jerry Manuel on par with Roy McMillan and Non-smokin’ Joe Frazier.

Oh, the butcher and the baker and the people on the street: wheredotheygo?!?!?

by CharlieH on Nov 3, 2009 1:58 PM EST reply actions

Liked the "non-smokin" Joe Frazier

He was an odd choice for skipper. 1976 was a decent year, though.

by JoeGoNets on Nov 3, 2009 5:59 PM EST up reply actions

We need a Gil Hodges-esque manager to whip everyone back into shape

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Nov 3, 2009 3:18 PM EST reply actions

I think the best way to make sense of this is to include the team salary adjusted for inflation during each coaches time behind the bench.

by Mark D on Nov 3, 2009 7:55 PM EST reply actions

Won't work.

The biggest components of salary growth are the advent of free agency and the negotiating skills of the MLBPA. Adjusting for inflation won’t even things out.

by madisonmetsfan on Nov 4, 2009 9:59 AM EST up reply actions