Joe Torre Leaving Dodgers At Year's End

I remember Pole Position in my local deli on Henry Street in the mid 80s.

Now it’s up to 10 people. Someone is f***ing with us.

While it may not be based on an overall “environment” as created by a manager, suggestions and prods by a manager are very important. Why was Torborg bad? Because there was an environment where BS and losing were implicitly ok. Same thing with Jerry. When I read that HoJo took the players to task for playing cards before games I was shocked. This was a team in a slump and they were focused on card games. I bet on the team plane everyone is listening to iPods. When I started in my first law firm, I was told that I was not allowed to listen to an iPod in my office. I thought “what kind of BS is this.” But later I got the point. My football coach used to yell at us on the team bus that we were not allowed to talk about anything but the upcoming game, and to get in the right mode for that. A system that does not emphasize conditions necessary to win will cause losses. It’s that simple. Same thing in a system where a guy is going through a psychological slump and there is no one who can help him out of it. Managing a team—like managing a business—involves far more than deciding who to play. It involves creating conditions where those who are playing can maximize their abilities. Otherwise a computer could really do the manager’s job.